PERU: Walking the Saltankay Route to Machu Picchu, Day 6

The day dawned sunny and bright.  Humantay Mountain glowed in one direction.  Salkantay Mountain stood out from the blue sky.  Horses, mules, and llamas wandered around the plain in front of the lodge.  Wow, the Andes.

This photo looks down the valley past our lodge.

Today was a "warmup" hike to a glacier lake at the base of Humantay Mountain. 

But you still have to breathe.  We took off walking, albeit slowly, up 1100 feet of elevation.


On the way up, our guides told us it was a good place to see condors.  And then, there one was, gliding up next to the mountain.  (You see, there is a good thing to stopping often to rest and get one's breath!)  Yes, it was distant, but what a huge bird just holding out its wings and zooming around.


The lake was worth the struggle, nestled at the base of Humantay Mountain, glowing with the blue green color of glacier water.

By this time, the sky was clouding up and it started to spit rain off and on.  We even got some sleet bouncing off our rain jackets.

Dalmiro (reminder: the name of our guide) had asked the group last night if they were interested in a Quechua/Incan ceremony led by Victor (read "Bictor" in Spanish), who lead us up the mountain playing his flute here and there.  The group said "sure."

"Bictor" was a member of a Andes mountain community that was preserved by the government as a traditional way of life.  It took him 6 hours by bus and another 3 walking hours to get back to his community from the Saltankay Lodge.  He worked at the lodge for 3 months and then went home for awhile.  Again, according to Dalmiro, he was a sort of shaman/healer/spiritual leader in his hometown.

Yes, this entry is a lot longer than I like - again, but I must add a disclaimer.  When I travel, I love the glimpses of real local life that are provided with being in a place.  But, I really really don't like kitschy touristy types of things put on for show.  Being a part of a "tour," I was skeptical.  (ML would say I'm just a skeptic anyway - but that's a whole other story . ..  )



 Bictor lead us in a ceremony that was fantastic and felt genuinely authentic.  I'm not a very religious person but I try to be spiritual.  This felt like we were celebrating our group, ourselves, and the mountains surrounding us. 

Each person held 3 coca leaves, turned the same way of course.  Bictor blessed each person and his or her leaves.  Then he put all the leaves in a pile of "goods" that he had brought for the occasion. 

Here he is adding such items as shells, quinoa, cookies, candy, herbs - the salt of the earth and humanity.

Then he wrapped up all the "goods" and went around and blessed all 14 people, 12 of us and the two guides. 

The final act was the burning of the packet.

I sure felt cleansed and just about the time he finished, the sun came out!!

Yay, Bictor.  I'm a believer!

But the fun wasn't over.  It was Pisco Sour night at the lodge.

The stage was set, but no volunteers to mix it up!  OK, spin the bottle  . . . round and round . . . and ML is the winner!

Sling that pisco over your shoulder!

Mix it up to the body shaking sound of Peruvian music.

Everyone gets a chance and a taste!  What fun!

But the spectre looms.  Tomorrow, we'll skirt the left side of the pass and climb to 15,200 feet in elevation over the Salkankay Pass - higher than I've ever been on my own two feet.  Will we make it?

Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, you can tune out to 15 seconds of pisco sour mixing and dancing if you choose.