Stars in the Andes

Once the rain had stopped and the sky had cleared on my first night of hiking the Inca Trail, I looked up and saw the stars as I had never seen them before. Until then, I had only seen a scattering of individual stars across the night sky. That night, however, the stars were like a blanket that covered me. They had a density that wouldn't allow any individual star to dominate my attention. They lay upon me; warming my spirit and embracing my humanity.  At that moment I was at complete peace with myself and the universe. Indeed, I was closers to the stars then I had ever been before. 

After several minutes of soaking in the experience, I decided I needed to take some pictures but, I was not able to capture with my camera what I was experiencing through my eyes. 

The next night I reviewed my camera's manual; hoping to find a setting that would enable me to replicate through the lens what I felt through my eyes. I knew I just had to include this amazing vision in my blog and DVD. I had to let my students see this  powerful experience. But, my camera could never capture that feeling of being totally blanketed my the universe. 

This blog and my DVDs are my way to bring all of you with me on my "Great Adventures" but, of course, my steps are my own.  My heart pounded as I climbed the steep slopes of the Andes Mountains and my lungs struggled to find oxygen in the thin air.  Try as I might; my blogs and DVDs simply can't replicate that experience. 

My last night on the trail I had given up my attempts to capture the stars. I just looked up; knowing that moment would be for me alone.  The stars made me understand my blogs and my DVDs can never really bring my students with me.  A teacher can never really give his students any kind of true experience or even real knowledge.  All we can hope to do is inspire others to delight in their own steps; climb their own mountains and follow their own hearts to discover their own "Great Adventures". 

The Final Day of the Hike and Machu Picchu

We made it!

Day Three

This was the longest hike of our trek. There were many steep slopes and cliffs but the sights were amazing. 

Day Two of the hike and Dead Woman's Pass

Day Three took us to an altitude of nearly 14,000 ft. I was a little worried about altitude sickness but I had been drinking a lot of tea with coco leaves and had no problems. Jen and I reached the peak together then waited about an hour and a half for the others to take a group picture. Jen also helped me tape the into my DVD. 

After taking pictures, we made it to our second camp sight just before the rain, sleet and snow hit. It was a cold wet night. 

First Day on the Inca Trail

Today was my first day on the trail. Wow!  It was a lot of fun. We started by entering the trail at the starting point were they checked our passports. The sun was out most of the morning and there were some amazing views. We also saw several Incan structures. I was surprised to see how many people live along the trail. There were many horses and cattle moving both directions. 

After stopping for lunch, the clouds moved in and light rain remained for the rest of the day. Jen and I led the way and by the time we reached the camp site the porters had already set up our tents; just in time before the rain got heavier. 

By the time dinner was ready the air was quite cold but the rain had stopped. Dinner began with a nice hot soup that warmed us up. 

As I prepare for the night and write this entry, I hear music from down the mountainside.  I think I will sleep well tonight and that will be a good thing because tomorrow will be the steepest and highest part of the trail. "Dead Woman's Pass" awaits my arrival tomorrow afternoon. 

Caccaccollo

Caccaccollo is a town of about 600.  But I saw very few men because they we either working in the fields or working as porters on one of the trails. They have an elementary school but the children must go to Cusco for high school.  The women produce a variety of textiles using traditional techniques. I was very impressed by how efficient they were. Every part of everything is used for something and then repurposed for something else. 

The children had just completed their winter session of school and were also celebrating Peru's Independence Day so, they had a parade in the town square. 

The temperature dropped to near freezing that night but that didn't stop us from dancing in the community center. It was a long cold walk up the steep mountainside to Miguel and Patricia's home were I spent the night. 

Here's a video of their home:

http://youtu.be/CaXQWpKz3P4

Leaving for the Countryside Tomorrow Morning

We leave Cusco early tomorrow morning for the countryside. I'll be staying with a local family and will probably do a bit of farm work or maybe even some weaving. I've been warned that the nights will get even colder so, I may pickup some extra alpaca clothing to sleep in.  I doubt there will be wifi so it may be a few days before I can make another post so, you may not here from me again until Machu Picchu. 

Right now, I need to organize my gear and pack.