The Hi Society: Inca Trail Me

So I've recently gotten back from my AMAZING trip to Peru. Honestly, I wasn't expecting to see all the beauty I saw....This whole trip was quite unexpected actually....

So we started our 4 days and 3 nights on The Inca Trail from The Sacred Valley. I was expecting to see groups of tourists walking the same trail, bumping into people from every country you can imagine...But instead we saw NO ONE! That was probably one of the best parts of the whole trail, since it actually makes you feel like you're alone, on a spiritual journey discovering an untouched part of the planet.
Looking up at The Andes and not seeing a single soul, not hearing a single voice, except the gentle blowing of the breeze and the humming and chirping of the birds....priceless.

The start of our 4 day trek

Upon starting the trail, our guide told us that we would be following one of the hundreds of trails that the Incas built in order to get to the sacred city of Machu Picchu. We were on a Pilgrimage to the sacred city.... Believing that you are on a pilgrimage not only helps you get through the 4 days with a spiritual outlook, but it really makes you understand what the Incas went through to get there as well.

Bear in mind that the Incas like Cusconians and all the people who live or who have grown up around The Andes have a bigger lung capacity, therefore allowing them to breathe more easily in high altitudes and have the stamina of an athlete!! The rest of us with a normal lung capacity, can't breathe as easily and start panting after a few steps....which is extremely exhausting!

For me the trail was definitely an enriching experience. It allowed me to get away from my daily life, switch off the telephone, empty my head and not think about anything except the amazing experience I was living in that moment. We lived in the moment. All we thought about was our trek, what we needed on that days trek, did we have enough water and food? and when the next bathroom stop was going to be, but more importantly where was the next bathroom stop going to be?? sometimes we did have to go in the wilderness (I've yet to perfect that and am open to suggestions)
Was the camping tough? HELL YEAH (and for those who know me, they no I ain't no camping girl!!) Was the trek demanding? OOOOH YEAH!! (by day 3 none of us could walk but we had to push through the pain and deal with it. Would I recommend it to anyone? HELL YEAH!!

Taking the train to Machu Picchu and just visiting the sacred city doesn't fulfil you nor give you the same experience at all. The beauty of the trek is reaching your destination after days of walking and just sitting there staring at what you came for. Its a deep experience. You build strong attachments to the people you spent your days on the mountain with.
It touches you. Its fulfilling. Its emotional. Its life changing.