Thank you, Mom and Dad...

...for the good genes.

We did it. 4 days total, 3.5 of which were spent hiking 45 kilometers along the Camino Inka, or Inca Trail. We went from 8990ft above sea level at the end of the first day to over 13100ft by noon on the second. That's around 4000 vertical feet in just three hours, and at that altitude, your lungs start to disobey your body. Towards the entrance of the pass from which we descended we were stopping every 10 feet to catch our breath as we pushed onwards. At the end of the trail our legs were screaming, and we had 4 days of sweat, sunblock, and dirt caked all over our body. But we did it, and it was 100% worth it.

This is the part where I have to thank my dad, the marathon runner, and my mom, also a frequenter of the track, for the genes they passed on to me. Thanks to genetics, and absolutely no thanks to 4 months of riding buses, eating cheap food, and drinking exotic alcohol, I had the honor of being the FIRST tourist from the Inca Trail into Machu Picchu the morning of our arrival. We literally ran for an hour and change through the Incan jungle at 4:00 in the morning along cliffs and up original stone stairs to arrive at IntiPunku, the Sun Gate, just minutes before the hordes arriving by buses below started to pour into the ancient city. Thanks to mom and dad, I didn't stop once. Thanks to mom and dad, the bag on my back wasn't tossed idly aside. And finally, thanks to mom and dad, I have tons of great photos to show for it!

So not to toot my own horn, but the trek was an incredible affirmation of what it means to be human. Hiking through unmitigated wilderness with nothing but the sound of streams in the cloud forest, the wind in the upper highlands, and the birds of the jungle to distract you from the immense enormity of the universe above, below, and around you. By the time you've hiked an hour you can feel the presence of Pachamama (the Incan name for mother earth) that resides in this land. From the snow-capped peaks of Mt. Victoria and Salkantay to the sacred waters of the Urubamba river over 5,000 meters below, this territory exudes the harmony with nature most of us profess is essential for the well-being of our planet. By the end of the trip, even though my body would have protested, I did not want to leave the trail. After four days free of TV, computers, ready-on-hand food, water, and shelter, you start to realize that it's actually HEALTHY to be a little uncomfortable, to be alone with yourself, and you begin to detox. Seeing houses, hotels, and restaurants in the nearby city of Aguas Calientes (crappy little town) is a shock to your system after being amongst the spirits of Apus, the Andean mountains.

Perhaps just as impressive was the nature of the tour itself. We were the ONLY two people assigned to our tour guide, an amazing man named Rosel whose first language is Quechua, the language of the Incas, and who believes entirely in the mystical nature of the mountain terrain. He became our friend quickly and provided us with help, encouragement, and advice throughout the entire experience. Even more amazing were the other three trekkers who ate with us, all of whom were over 60. There was Claire, a Belgian who spoke very little english, Guy, another resident of Belgium who at age 67 carried more than us, ate less than we did, never took breaks for tired legs, and by the third day had so much excess energy that he was able to visit an additional, optional archaeological site that we were simply too tired to see. He was accompanied by the no less impressive Eberhardt, an older German engineer whose dry wit and willingness to accept any challenge astounded and slightly confused us. These three were not young of body, but certainly still young at heart. We could not have asked for better company.

So, here we are in Cusco again, waiting for our bus to Arequipa. We come home in a week, people, and we can't wait. The experience on the trail was other-worldly, eye-opening, and inspiring. I know Ally has some things she wants to say about it, but I'll let her tell you in her own words. After that experience, however, we feel we should just be transported via some sort of device directly to New York so that we can enjoy all of your company again. Maybe its hard to look backwards and still look towards the future, but I think at this stage, we're managing it.

To all of you who have followed us on this journey, thank you. Your support has been paramount in our effort to process and verbalize our experience. Thank you, and we cannot wait to see you all!

Love,
Sam