And here I (Trev) must take over... Inca Trail, Day 1: My day started a little earlier than Millys, sometime between 2 and 3 I woke up feeling horribly bloated and was unable to stay lying down as it made me feel sick.. I wont go into too much detail but I made a lot of visits to the loo for a couple of reasons although quite frustratingly was never actually sick and kept belching lasagne.. when I wasnt getting any better I seriously considered forcing the issue but decided against it hoping things would work themselves out. 6 oclock came way to soon, (probably for Mills as well as apparently I kept her awake with my pacing from about 4am) I was still feeling terrible! I was getting very worried about the Inca trail as even pacing (or shuffling as it was so small) the 3ft bathroom was too much for me. We both got ourselves ready, me very slowly and with some help from Mills as I couldnīt make any sudden movements or bend over, even with this care I still had several `moments`. We went downstairs and the guy at Condori took our bags and told us that we had time for breakfast at which suggestion I blanched and looked at Camilla with a vertain amount of panic... we decided to go for a short walk until 7:30 and look for brekkie for Mills - I say walk but I shuffled, I felt sick and bloated and dizzy, like one of the worst hangovers ever.. We shuffled round the square looking for a bread lady with no luck, we then walked back up our road and Mills got some bread from a shop. I stayed outside as the smell of food was doing unpleasant things to my stomach. Back at Sumac Wasi, while we waited for the minibus, Milly watched from the side of the courtyard while I shuffled round and round it in the vain hope of settling my stomach. Then we were off, we walked down to the edge of the Plaza to catch our minibus and I got in holding a plastic bag `ready for use`. A german couple called Miriam and Jerome got in the bus, Jerome was also holding his stomach and had been suffering for a couple of days. We started off and went to another square where we first picked up some more travellers, three Peruvians, a couple (who we never learned the names of) and a girl called Nadia. We then aquired our porters - it seemed like they all wait in the same place and the buses come along and grab the ones they want. We were finally on our way and every bump seemed to bring me closer to being ill, however eventually things started to settle down a bit and I started to hope that I was finally over the worst of things. We stopped after an hour and a half at Olanty tambau (almost certainly not spelt like that) where we were advised to stock up on coca leaves, walking sticks and ponchos. We were absolutely swarmed by sellers and had soon purchased a bag of coca leaves each (although we avoided the bags of wet looking black coca leaf ash that some tried to sell us - looked very dodgy). We took some more time over the sticks, we had gotten used to using two sticks at Torres del Paine and so decided to go for the same this time and spent a while choosing two light, matching sticks each.. they all had knitted handles and I noticed a little late that one of the ones I had picked was bright pink - very nice! Then we were off again, through narrow winding lanes that slowly turned into mud tracks. We bumped over bare railway tracks and occasionally dived into the bushes to allow an oncoming bus to pass. Eventually after another hour or so we reached the starting point of the trail. After milling about for 30 mins or so our group headed off, about 10 yards before the guide suggested a group photo. That taken we walked for another two minutes or so before Evert (the guide) stopped us again. This time for a chat which went on for quite a while alternating between spanish and english.. some of it was very interesting about the trail etc. then he started to wander into a load of new age hippy stuff about energy, mana and chakra points, then he `warned` us that over the next few days he would give us `advices` on how to live our lives - you could see and almost hear the inward groans from everyone. :-) We set off and crossed a very bouncey cable suspended wooden bridge over a river and started on the main trail.. Evert stopped from time to time explain a fact about the incas or point out a particular plant or flower.. he was very knowledgeable and interesting although he had a tendancy to talk for rather too long and get sidetracked.. On learning of my and Jeromes plight he vowed to make us a tea at lunch that would sooth our stomachs. We were all chatting on the way and exchanging backgrounds and travel stories but the way started to get quite steep and I was falling behind a bit. The belly strap on our rucksacks has to be quite tight to support the weight leaving not too much for the shoulders and this in addition to the exertions was causing me to loose ground again.. Evert stopped again and launched into a lengthy expanation about some orchid or another and I realised I felt really bloated and turned away to belch. I started to feel worse and so took a few steps away from the main group. I then came to that realization that this time wasn`t going to be a drill and started to stride up the trail - I saw a side path and quickly darted up it pack and all just in time for the first of several volumous `technicolour yawns` which involved some large sheets of cheese from the lasagne of the previous night (apologies for the detail here :-) ) Mills approached and offered me a tissue (escaping briefly from the explanation that was still continuing) but I just about managed to explain to her that I wasnt yet ready before I became otherwise occupied again. Apparently, as I learnt later, while I was being ill the faces of the rest of the group were rather amusing, a cross between disgust and trying to pretend they couldnt here and were concentrating entirely on the talk :-) A short while later I checked myself for undesireable marks, wiped my face and rinsed my mouth (nice) before calling for Mills and some more tissue. She assured me that there was no obvious trace of the stuff on me although I looked white as a ghost. I was mainly relieved at having gotten rid of whatever had been troubling me for the past 10 or so hours but I guess also a little concerned that it might be due to altitude sickness rather than the lasagne but decided that it was unlikely and would soon become obvious as I would get worse as the day went on rather than better... We headed off again, I was feeling very shaky and fell behind but caught up for the explanation stops. These included more orchids and various halucinogenic plants including angels trumpets. We were also persuaded to try a bit of a fruit, that while only just edible in its natural form was the base for an ice cream flavour (Locomo) that the Peruvians raved about so much we promised to try it when we had a chance. We also saw prickly pears - which we were informed with a quick look at me - were very good for the stomach. A while later we stopped for lunch, the porters were already set up and cooking and a small table and chairs were ready for us - quite an operation. We were in a reasonable clearing with a stone building a short distance away and a babbling brook running past. Evert persuaded me to buy some prickly pears being sold by a couple of kids, I wasnt convinced I would keep it down but gave it a try, they werent bad although full of hardish edible pips, Everyone tried one in the end. Then it was time for lunch, the soup came out and in a chameleon like fashion I matched its colour - asparagus green! I passed but apparently it was very nice. It started to rain so we dashed inside the stone building (a school that had fallen on hard times) for the main course which was spag bol, I managed a few strands of spaggetti but couldnt eat any more. Finally the promised tea arrived. As the porter put the cup on the table I caught a wiff of a dreaded odour but dismissed it as my imagination, then the tea was placed in front of me. The smell hit me, I couldnt believe it, staring up at me from a mug of hot water were leaves of the horrible, the dreaded, CELERY. I exchanged a rueful look with Camilla who grinned with a sadistic pleasure despite my poorly state as she is well aware of how much I detest that particular excuse for a vegetable. Still desperate measures call for desperate action, noticing a similar if not as strong adverse reaction from Jerome to his cup of the foul brew I started to tentatively sip at the stuff. It tasted just as bad as I feared but did seem to fairly quickly give me a cooling sensation in the stomach so I perservered until none was left. By the time we had finished lunch it had stopped raining and we were allowed a siesta, we lay in the sun and I dosed until it was time to go again.. A short while after heading off it started to rain again and Evert had to lend his poncho to one of the Peruvian couple. He decided to run on ahead to the camp as he was getting soaked. The peruvian couple stretched out into the lead as they had no packs (The guy was using a porter to carry their stuff as he had a bad back). I got split from Milly by some porters and ended up talking to Jerome - my fellow sickperson - he had been living in Buenos Aires for some time so we chatted about our impressions of the place. Nadia and Miriam trailed further behind struggling a bit with the weather and the hike. A while later (about 1.5 hrs) we came to a camp - we had been told to look out for a blue flag but there was only a red one - Mills and I were ready to hike on but Jerome popped in to check. It was a good job he did as this was indeed our camp, (for mills and I it would have been next stop Machu Picchu) they had just forgotten to hang up our flag.. We dumped our bags and got out of the rain in another stone building with the appearance of a stable, our wet clothes were steaming from the heat we generated while hiking. A short while later we were told our tent was ready - we grabbed our bags and dashed up the few steps to the tent area. Rucksacks in the tent we slumped backwards through the opening and sorted our stuff out trying not to get mud from our boots in the tent. With drier tops on we wernt back down to find tea prepared and waiting for us. Very similar to our Pampas and Jungle teas with popcorn and biscuits with our choice of hot drink. Mills and I prepared ourselves a hot chocolate (I was feeling much better at this point). We were first (a situation we were to get used to) and the others arrived in dribs and drabs. When Jerome found out I had started to drink chocolate he said `but its so BAD for your stomach` and I was persuaded to change to tea... not without some dissapointment as the chocolate tasted sooo good :-( I said as much and was told I could have chocolate tomorrow :-) We chatted through tea and then a dinner of trout. The courtyard next to us was filled with livestock and we regularly had dogs, chickens, geese and cats all swarmiong around and under our table. A dog occasionaly jumped up onto the side of the concrete outdoor sink and drank from the tap and there was a general hubub from all the porters and another group who were sharing the site. After the dinner we played charades (Peruvians vs the rest) although the others didnt seem to know the standard `give us a clue` signals like sounds like and so many words or syllabuls etc. this meant we couldnt do anything complicated so we ended up doing animals. Girrafe, turtle and zebra were all guessed. I was given ant which I expected to be almost impossible, however before I could even start to imitate an ant with my hands on the table Miriam guessed it. Much to the suspicion of the Peruvian team and my shock :-) Mills was given hamster and did very comendable impressions of a hamster cleaning itself and then of one running in a wheel - we were all in fits but none the wiser - she eventually looked inspired then started pretending to stuff food in her cheeks at which point it finally clicked :-) After a few more rounds we called it a night as we were due up at 6am for a 7pm start.