Our pickup from the hotel was scheduled for 05:30 hrs and from the moment we got up at 04:45 hrs I was not feeling entirely well. However, as there was no possibility of postponing the hike, we completed packing of rucksacks, duffle bags and luggage to be left behind, and then sat eagerly awaiting the arrival of Ronny. Simon was equally eager to get going, although somewhat apprehensive about what was to come, being very aware of Quentin´s idea of "fun".
While driving through Cuzco to pick up our porters and cooks (9 in total), we began to wonder whether El Niño had finally caught up with us; nothing but grey skies and drizzle everywhere we went. After a drive of some 2.5 hrs we arrived at the trailhead near Piskacucho (km 82), where we were required to produce our passports for the formal registration process. Following some last minute adjustments to backpacks and boots, we took our first strides on the Trail at 08:00 hrs sharp. Today would be an easy 12 km hike to camp 1 at Wayllabamba, with a lunch stop at Llactapata around the 7 km point. Although I progressively felt worse as the morning wore on, I thoroughly enjoyed the walk and the various stops at Inca sites along the way. Around 12 o´clock we reached our appointed lunch stop, where the porters had already erected the mess tent and awaited us with hot water to wash hands and faces prior to tucking into the sumptuous feast they had prepared.
I remember taking off my shoes and washing my hands, and I recall taking some pills to try and stem the effects of what was now very evidently a case of food poisoning. Anything after that is pure speculation on my part as I sort of collapsed on the ground outside the tent, prior to being moved into a Bethlehem-like mud hut and wrapped in warm clothes inside a sleeping bag, complete with hot water bottle. 2 Hrs later and our temporary camp was packed up to allow the porters to transport our belongings to our overnight camp 5 km down the track. As I was still quite adamant that I could not, and should not, move, I was allowed to stay put, with my newfound friends - cats, kittens, dogs, chicks, ducks, flees and dead fish. My collapse prompted the boys to reevaluate the situation and consider possible options to get me to Camp 1 (one of which was tying me on a mule!), or organizing a medivac back to Cuzco for hospital treatment. At this point I was quite adamant that all these solutions were possible, but over my dead body - the burial of which Simon was already planning....
Once I´d finally managed to convince the boys and our guide Ronny that no further forward movement could be expected of me today, instructions were sent out to bring our poor porters back from Camp 1. The decision was made to instead spend the night at the half-way house to see if I could recover by early morning, or if not have two porters assigned to carry me out, accompanied by Quentin (something I still did not agree with). I realised I should at least attempt to drink some liquids, so made efforts to do so, but with little success of staying upright long enough to take more than a few sips. Around 6 o´clock, following yet another bullying session to make me imbibe liquids, my stomach stirred and I was compelled to heave my body out of the door into the pouring rain to vomit the noxious contents of my stomach - including the stomach lining it seemed - all over the farm yard. From that moment on I felt instantly better. If only I´d known projectile wretching would solve all ails........ 
With not only I, but also the boys, hugely relieved, dinner was served. For me this meant trying to sip a bowl of chicken soup, while the boys consumed the farmyard - ducklings included. However, Ronny was still very pessimistic of our chances of making up for lost time and ground, given Day 2 under normal circumstances is considered by far the hardest, involving a 1200m ascent at altitude, topping out at 4200m. We would now need to ascend 1600m, and cover 14 km to catch up with other trekkers on the trail. He confided to Simon and Quentin this would be a monumental achievement for people half our age, that were fully fit. For a `geriatric` to do so on an empty stomach seemed to him highly improbable. However, whilst wallowing in the mud hut, I resolved to prove Ronny that this rooster (literal translation of De Haan) was nonetheless no chicken, and show him the TRUE meaning of Dutch Courage.
The night´s sleep was relatively comfortable, despite the fact we were sleeping in a tent (which, as some of you may know, is not my preferred abode, given the cold claustrophobic conditions within). To make up for lost time we were awoken with hot Coca tea at the ungodly time of 04:30hrs, and were required to be "on the road" by 05:30hrs in order to reach Camp 1 and join the other trekkers before they headed off for the 4200m high pass at Warmy Wañusca. Feeling hugely improved following yesterday´s bout of food poisoning, but still somewhat delicate and unable to eat, breakfast for me was a rather modest affair - a single biscuit. I did see the boys, however, dig in to pancakes, breads and all sorts of other goodies that had been prepared by Justin our chef. Despite my lack of food, and thanks in part to the fact that Quentin carried nearly all my belongings and water from my backpack (and Simon took my poncho), we managed a slow but steady pace, reaching Camp 1 at 3000m by 06:30hrs, ascending 300m in the process. The next stage to the camp site situated at Ayapata at 3300m was brutal, but we managed again to maintain a constant steady pace and kept up with other groups. Following a short break we proceeded onto the next intermediate stop at Llulluchapampa at 3750m. By this time the body was running on fumes, and so frequent, but short, recovery stops were required. Nonetheless, we arrived at Llulluchapampa in good time, with the sun beating down to warm us in the ever increasing rarified air.
At this point Ronny started to believe we might actually complete the trek over to Paqaymayo, and eagerly paced the final push towards Warmy Wañusca, offering constant words of encouragement. On finally reaching the saddle I don´t know who was more elated, Ronny or us! We sat there for about 20 minutes basking in the sun and our achievement, and making a conscious effort to take in the glorious surroundings. We then headed off for the steep 600m descent to Paqaymayo and a warm cup of tea, arriving at the camp site by 15:00hrs. Tea and dinner was a much more relaxed affair, with everyone relishing the prospect of completing the hike to Machu Picchu together, and fulfilling a life-long dream.
The start to Day 3 was much less stressful, with hot Coca tea brought to our tents at 05:30hrs, with everything packed by 06:00hrs. Following a sumptuous breakfast we commenced hiking at 06:30hrs, heading for the first pass of the day at Qochapata (3900m), just 2km from the camp site. On route we stopped at another Inca site at Runkurakay, which was used as a relay station for Inca runners carrying messages from Cuzco to the corners of the empire. As runners reached the pass at Warmy Wanusca, they would alert the next runner resting at Runkurakay by blowing through a sea shell horn. On arrival at the relay station he would handover the message, encoded in knots on lengths of different coloured dyed wool, to the next runner, who would ferry the message along the Inca Trial to the next relay station. On reaching Qochapata we were afforded spectacular views of the next valley, and snow covered mountains in the far distance. Following a brief pit stop we headed downhill to vist the next Inca site, a well preserved town at Sayaqmarka (3600m), afterwhich we headed for morning break at Concha Marca (3530m). Some trekking groups chose to take an early lunch here, but we elected to continue hiking over the next pass at 3670m, with the Inca Trial passing through a manmade tunnel. The porters and chef had already passed us early in the day, and already had the mess tent erected and a 3-course meal waiting for us on arrival at Phuyupatamarka camp site (3600m). We shared the camp site with a number of llamas, and once the fogged cleared we were afforded a good view of Cerro Machu Picchu, the mountain shielding the famous Inca temple complex from outside eyes until 1911. We could also see the gazebo erected on the summit to shelter hikers that climb the mountain for aerial views of Machu Picchu on the far side of the mountain. 
The camp site at Phuyuptamarka also sits above another large Inca complex that features a long chain of Inca baths, as well as more concave terraces, affording Inca pilgrims the opportunity to cleanse the bodies before completing their journey to Macchu Pichu. We visited the site after lunch, and then continued on the Inca Trial, through pouring rain, to the last stop of the day at Winay Wayna, passing through more Inca manmade tunnels along the way. We also visited the famous Inca terraces at Inti Pata etched into the mountainside just above the final camp site. However, on arrival, we found ourselves completely fogged in, obscuring views of the Urubamba valley and river, nestled in a huge mountainous landscape in the background. Disheartened, we trudged into camp at 15:30hrs, soaked to the skin, and conscious of the fact that after three days of strenuous hiking, our bodies reeked! Once the tents were erected and contents of backpacks and duffle bags heaved inside Simon and I opted to take a nap. However, the fog had now cleared and so Quentin elected instead to hike back up to Inti Pata to capture photos of the breathtaking scenery unfolding before us. On his return he braved a wash standing in a sink filled with freezing glacial runoff - Burrrr.
Before tea at 17:30hrs Ronny took us on a short 10 minute excursion to the largest Inca complex we have yet seen. The immensity took us completely by surprise, with terraces extending over a wide arc across the steep mountain, and at least 500ft vertically, and connected via a number of very vertiginous stairways. What surprised us even more is the fact that this site was discovered purely by accident in 1942; fully 30 years after Hiram Bingham's discovery of Machu Picchu. But perhaps the greatest surprise is the realisation that this Inca complex, which many archaeologists believe was a vast agricultural laboratory to bioengineer hardy varieties of fruit, cereals and root vegetables that could grow in the cold and rarefied climate at high elevations, has been only partially uncovered. The terraces in fact extend right down to the Rio Urubamba, some 1800ft below, allowing the Incas to conduct experiments in a wide range of microclimates.
Suitably impressed we retired to the mess tent, which Astrid had covered with Christmas decorations. She had also brought with her, all the way from Australia, presents for the porters to enjoy. Just before dinner we went back outside to witness an amazing and very rate sight - a full moon rising into a cloudless night, illuminating a snow-covered mountain landscape. Alas, a full moon coinciding with Christmas is not something that will happen again during our lifetimes, and so we continued to gaze upon the moonrise for a full half hour. Thankfully, we were able to capture some beautiful photos of this unique and special moment. We then sat down to a 4-course Xmas dinner, donning Santa hats to properly acknowledge and respect festive traditions. If only we had some wine!
The 4th and final day of the trek was a long one, starting with a rude awakening at 02:50hrs by the porters with the usual offering of Coca tea. It was also a miserable start, given it had been raining non-stop since about 22:00hrs the night before. The final leg of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is a short 4km only, with access to the trail barred by a gate that does not open until 05:30hrs. We nonetheless opted for a much earlier start in order to be at the front of the queue that typically starts to form at the gate from 03:30hrs onwards. Being first kept delays incurred while each trekker's paperwork is processed by park rangers manning the gate to a minimum, and also ensured our ensuing rush to reach the Sun Gate to witness sun rise over the Machu Picchu complex would not be hindered by mere 'pedestrians'. We therefore gulped down our tea, dressed suitably to cope with the torrential downpour, and rushed for the gate, arriving at 03:15hrs in 2nd place. We then spent the next 2.25hrs 'twiddling our thumbs' waiting for the park rangers to arrive. Thankfully, they did so on time, and we found ourselves almost running along the Inca Trail towards the Sun Gate by 05:35hrs, covering the last 4km over slippery rock, and in some places over very step terrain, in just over 50 mins, with only 4 trekkers out of the 200+ total reaching the site before us. And what a view!
From the Sun Gate it was not possible initially to look down on Machu Picchu, as the site and much of the valley below it was hidden below a sheet of low lying cloud, as if a table cloth had been suspended in mid air. However, within 10 minutes the cloud started to dissipate, slowly revealing the many temples, terraces, grain stores, water towers and houses erected across the mountain top plateau. During the many, many, months planning this trip, I had often wondered how I would react to the first sighting of Machu Picchu. Anticipation of this first encounter had also intensified greatly during the 4-day hike, almost dominating every thought, conscious and subconscious, and leading to much sleeplessness during the last two nights in particular. However, none of this prepared me for what actually happened, as I was almost overwhelmed with elation, and at the same time a great sense of relief that we were not to be denied this vista by inclement weather. We all simply sat there in silence, stunned by what we saw, and for a fleeting moment at least, were able to envisage the emotions that would have coursed through Hiram Bingham when he became the first non-Inca to view this marvel of the New World.
Suitably impressed (indelibly so), we slowly descended the 2km path from the Sun Gate to the main complex. During the descent the site was again engulfed in fog. On arrival however, the fog once again rolled back. We then spent the next 2 hours with our guide touring the sight and learning about its many secrets, rituals, engineering marvels, architectural layout and religious significance. At 09:40hrs Simon and Quentin headed for Cerro Machu Pichu, while I elected to stay behind to capture more photos of this vast complex. The boys reached the summit at 3062m by 11:05hrs, but found themselves engulfed in cloud and heavy rain, unable to see more than 15m; let alone the 632m back down to the temple complex. They hung around for nearly 30mins. waiting for the clouds to clear, but with no luck. However, as they started the long descent down to the bus stop 690m below, the skies suddenly cleared, and so from a narrow ledge just 15m below the summit they managed to gaze down on Machu Picchu almost immediately under them, capturing some of the best photos of the complex and surrounding mountains.
With missions accomplished we met at the bus stop shortly before 13:00hrs and caught the next bus down to Machu Picchu town at 2000m, arriving 13:30hrs. We then bade farewell to our guide Ronny, and headed to a local restaurant overlooking the mighty Rio Urubamba, which owing to the heavy rains of the past week, was a deafening roar as it raged over grade IV rapids alongside the town. With calorie expenditure far exceeding calorie intake during the 4-day hike to Machu Picchu we opted to 'carb up', gorging on pasta dishes. We then boarded the train at 15:20hrs for the scenic train journey back to Cuzco, arriving 19:00hrs, where we were again escorted by Carlos to the same Hotel. Following a necessarily long shower the three of us convened in the Hotel lobby at 20:30hrs for the short walk back to the Plaza de Armas and a burger dinner once again at Papacho's, washed down with a few beers. Then, over a bottle of wine, we reminisced about the amazing adventures we had managed to pack in since arriving in Peru just 17 days ago - what now seems a lifetime ago.
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