Öther appropriate titles: 1. Machu Picchu Anti Climax 2. You have got to be kidding 3. No, you really have to be kidding 4. 3rd world slashing
Okay so here the story goes. The one place you have to go when visiting South America is Machu Pïcchu in Peru, its the rules, everyone knows it.
We were so excited and after our volunteering started our 5 day trek through the mountains at 4am. We were with a group of 14 other tourists from Germany, Ireland, Sweden etc, a real nice melting pot "what we need...".
We trekked through mountains, passes, under snow capped peaks and through the jungle. The scenery was amazing and so diverse from day to day. On our first night we camped under snow capped peaks and it was freezing. Woken up with a steaming hot coca tea in our tents at 5.30 am for the second leg, the hardest part of the journey. 4 gruelling hours of straight uphill climbing at sub zero temperatures, arriving triumphiantly at the peak of 4800 metres to celebrate with a very quick photo before moving to warmer ground.
We had a gorgeous team of donkeys faithfully carrying our packs and cooking equipment. It took all my decorum to not throw myself onto one of them as they trotted past with their clippety cloppety ease.
We walked between 6 and 9 hours a day at a pace that said we were serious about getting to that beautiful Machu Picchu on day 5. In the evenings we were so exhausted from the days excertion we´d have "happy hour" which was popcorn dotted with animal shaped biscuits, dinner, a quick game of cards then bed in those comfy tents. Feeling like true adventurers discovering the Inca valleys and villages for the first time.
I had an uncomfortable stomach since before we started the trek but thought it was just a remnant of 6 earlier days of diarrhoea, yes 6. My stomach started getting sorer and sorer but there were literally no options except to keet going, we were so far from civilisation or any sort of roads. Ön day 3 I had to walk holding my stomach at a snails pace (disappointing Steve as we really wanted to be leading that pack of foreigners). When we FINALLY got to our campsite 6 hours later I lay down in our tent and didn´t move for 17 hours. I don´t know what happened during that time except I had a super duper fever. The next morning we went to the town doctor who told me I had Selmonella food poisoning and a Urine infection and to drink lots of gatorade. The guides took steve and I on a bus then a train and we got to Aguas Calliente, the home of Machu Picchu later that evening, day 4.
The most exciting day loomed ahead of us. The plan was to get up at 4am, walk 1 1/2 hours up a hill, then tada.... Machu Picchu.
My naughty tummy had other plans though. The pains got a bit unbearable. Steve got another Doctor who told me in broken english not to move and that we had to return to Cusco immediately "for your life". It seemed like a cruel joke and we didn´t know whether to cry out of fear or because we were so close to Macchu Pichu and had to leave!!!!!!! Knew God was close though and that things would work out as they always do.
The Doctor took us for a 2 hour train ride, drip in hand, then an ambulance picked us up for a 1 1/2 hour drive to the clinic. When I say ambulance I mean 4 wheel drive with a little sticker on the windscreen. We arrived at 1.30am and I got surgery the next morning to remove my appendix.
Was quite hilarious because we had to communicate through limited language skills on both sides. Felt very far from home at that point! I couldn´t ask how long it would take, if I would be okay, how big they would cut etc, just had to trust! Praise God He was looking after me. Spent 6 days in Hospital and got out yesterday.
Steve took amazing care of me and slept of the tiny couch beside me for 5 nights.
The most gutting thing is that it took up a week of our precious time and we now have to pay a heck of a lot of money all over again to go back to Macchu Pichu as everything was prepaid and non refundable.
I felt quite bitter toward the mountain and Inka village, and didn´t want to return just to make a point but have since gotten over myself with Steve´s not so gentle prompting and we are going back tomorrow once my stitches are out. Will update with some hopefully splendid photos of it.....or else :)
