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Protagonist in Peru Prologue – Travel to join the Andes Adventure Running Tour Protagonist left his Bahrain apartment at 11:30 on a Thursday evening, confident he had the clothes and necessities for adventuring in Peru. Mostly this meant cash and passport from the safe, running shoes (INOV-8 lightweight trail runners – love these!) and warm clothes. Travel from Bahrain began with a pleasant surprise when AA upgraded Protagonist to 1st class from Heathrow to Miami. Then between Miami and Lima, fortune placed him beside an attractive “age appropriate” Personal Wealth Manager for an enjoyable 6 hour flight and discussion. Weather in Lima was overcast but warm and the airport was quite crowded, apparently it is always busy in tourist season of June, July and August. Protagonist shared a drink with his new friend who also happened to be staying at the Airport Ramada, and then he crashed for the night. Protagonist awoke as planned and was escorted back across the road to the airport and flew on to Cusco where he joined "the group". There was lunch and some walking around Cusco, but Protagonist was jet-lagged and rather useless that day.

Cusco has some beautiful architecture Faithful readers of Protagonist tales will already know Devy as the owner of Andes Adventures and that Protagonist had joined Devy and Abelardo on a running adventure in Patagonia over the previous Christmas and New Year holiday. Chapter 1 – Cusco and on to Machu Picchu Cusco is a picturesque city and Sunday was a beautiful day. The group departed from the Hotel Ramada Costa del Sol promptly at 8:30 and the bus drove slowly for 30 minutes to Saqsihuaman (really is pronounced 'sexy-woman') and the ruins are massive and feel timeless. There are fortress walls constructed in the mortarless Inca style from stones that tower skyward - the largest

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weigh over 100 tons. The group wandered the site and another before the bus drove to the beginning of the first trail run. Devy and Abelardo had said that it was a "downhill run" on a stretch of Inca trail - and it was, with a couple of short climbs that were a challenge because of the elevation - Cusco is over 11,000' above sea level (4,300m). Mid-way, the group stopped at the Temple of the Moon, a walk-in cave that has a hole in the stones above and a table carved into the rock directly below the opening to the sky. Protagonist planked on the rock-table and entertained thoughts of possible uses of the cave for moonlit romance. Anyhow, the run was 5 miles to Cusco and the restaurant for lunch and beer. That afternoon the group had "lie-down" time and then Devy gave a 2-hour group briefing that was interesting and it even included a pisco sour to start, pico sours are great! There were 32 people in the group, plus Devy, Abelardo and guides. Not all of the group were running, and not all of the runners were doing the same itinerary, hence the need for a complete briefing. There would be 12 running the 42.2k marathon, 10 for the 30k "classic Inca trail run" (this group included Protagonist), 6 running the 30k trail over 3 days, and 4 walkers who would take the train to Aguas Caliente. Devy excels at logistical details and he explained the plan with slides and a well drawn map. Afterwards there was dinner at the hotel and Protagonist retired early to catch up on sleep. He awoke at midnight, 2am and again at 4am and finally decided that this was late enough to begin the day.

Protagonist thought Saqsihuaman was quite spectacular The Southern sky provided memorable sights over the 2 weeks. The Southern Cross was low and angled towards the left (still pointing South, of course) and Protagonist could see all of the stars that it consists of; alpha, beta, gamma, delta and epsilon and this invoked memories of his childhood in West Australia. At one point Protagonist saw a shooting star streaking across the sky that was immediately followed by another in almost exactly the opposite direction. Protagonist fervently hopes that these did not cancel out his wish, it was a really good wish and one that he still embraces tightly. Monday was a touristy day and the group traveled to Chincheros, a small village that claimed "direct descendants of the Inca". The village women dressed in colorful traditional attire and Freddy the guide said that each village has a unique traditional dress so you can recognize where someone is from by the clothes they wear. There was a demonstration of weaving basics, very interesting was a demonstration of natural dyes used for the alpaca wool. The red is made from cochineal, a bug that lives on the prickly pear cactus and the blood makes a vivid red dye that can be tempered to different shades by adding salt. Roots and other vegetation make green and the sloe berry makes blue. There has been a history of weaving and textile in Peru for millennium, well pre-dating the Inca empire. The group walked through the village then were back on busses to travel to the Sacred Valley. The group ran a steep 4 mile downhill to the Urubamba river past a series of salt harvesting pools and then were driven a few miles upstream to the agricultural village of Yucay where Protagonist and the group would reside for the next two nights. The hotel Sonesta Posadas del Inca Sacred Valley Yucay was introduced as “Peru’s Leading Boutique

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Hotel” and this could well be true, it is a lovely hotel in a spectacularly beautiful location.

Native dress and traditional weaving at Chincheros On Tuesday morning Protagonist had the opportunity to run with a Goddess. This Goddess is a Canadian deity who just happened to share her presence with Peru for a short time and the morning hike/run all came about from drinking pisco sours and wine the previous night with the usual suspects. The Goddess calmly announced her intention to climb up to the glacier in the morning and began recruiting an entourage. There was definite interest but most of the group concluded that it would be better to wait until afternoon to do this climb. However, Goddesses tend to get their way and Protagonist had consumed sufficient alcohol and food to be fueled and willing and the plan was hatched to meet at 4:30 at the hotel entrance. The Goddess said that if no-one showed up by 4:40 she was leaving on her own, so Protagonist set his alarm for 3:50 and was awake dressed and ready with head-lamp at the agreed meeting point by 4:30 although he was not completely sure that the Goddess would actually show up - after all, celestial beings do not often consort with mortals and are notorious for trickery and games. However, much to the delight of Protagonist the Goddess did indeed show up exactly as said and the two set off at a fast walk up towards the glacier. From the village of Yucay the obvious path follows beside an Inca-constructed canal until it reaches the steep hillside where the stream flows down from the glacier. The plan was to turn around after 2 hours so as to not miss out on the group tour of Ollantaytambo later that morning. It was quite dark until about 5:45 when there was sufficient light that it was just as easy to see without head-lamps, and there were a few off-path instances but these did not slow down the trek. By full daylight, the pair were just climbing out of a steep draw after following the stream, and the small village of San Juan appeared with terraced fields incredibly high on the hillsides and a handful of farmhouses with animal pens located in the lower and flatter (less steep) areas. Protagonist and the Goddess reached the 2 hour turnaround time and decided to continue ahead for a few more minutes to get around the bend and reach a view of the glacier. The few minutes were worth it and the small valley opened up to show a clear view of the upper reaches of the valley and the glacier. They would have liked to touch the ice but it would have been another half-hour hike and it was important to return. This Goddess is graceful

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and very fast so the two made it back down the hill in time to have breakfast and join the group for the morning tour.

Inca canal The Inca ruins at Ollantaytambo are built against the steep hillsides in the lower stretches of the Sacred Valley and clearly this was once a large center for population and civilization some distance upstream from Machu Picchu. A close look at the granary building location indicates how the prevailing wind patterns and sun exposure would have made these sites very logical for strategic and emergency stockpiles of grain and food, presumably quinoa and potatoes grown on the fields and terraced hillsides. Peruvians have melded culture and religion from their past, for example houses have an adornment at the peak consisting of a pair of clay bull figurines and a cross. The bulls symbolize the bull-plow and the teamwork needed for any successful household and the cross is Christian influence. Certain animist rituals and traditions that pre-date Inca times fit seamlessly into their modern daily lives and there is common reference to the “Pacha Mama” or Mother Earth who is acknowledged and thanked in many ways throughout Peru. Protagonist loves slowly waking up in the morning with the growing awareness that he is in a good and wonderful place without being quite awake enough to recall just where on the planet this could be. This happened in Yucay at the hotel near the Urubamba River that winds through the valley and eventually meets the Amazon. The Sacred Valley is steep on both sides and this creates a feeling of isolation and intimacy to the area. It also provides a microclimate that yields 3 crops per year when the upper hillsides only get one. Hence the name "Sacred Valley" and there are beautiful small irrigated farms growing cabbages, onions, fruit trees (peaches were in bloom), papayas and grains. The valley itself is quite narrow, only 1-2km wide for the most part so there is not much flat space on the valley floor and it is well used for farmland. Protagonist considers it to be one of the most attractive small valleys he has seen.

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Goddess and The Raven Haired Beauty above the Sacred Valley Chapter 2 - The Inca Trail Protagonist thinks that getting "chicked" is a cool thing. For those unfamiliar, this generally refers to a male being passed or outperformed by a woman in straightforward competition. Anyhow on the 30k Classic Run to Machu Picchu, Protagonist was twice-chicked, both finishers ahead of him were women. The run began in the dark and Protagonist did his usual back-of-the-crowd start and he ran to the Park gate in a small group with The Raven Haired Beauty and the Fun Belgians. Then Abelardo ran past him and Protagonist tagged on figuring that there were many ahead to join up with on the remainder of the run. It had been Protagonist's stated intent to run together with others in the group on this day because he most definitely was not treating this as a race. Somehow he did not think this through and after he and Abelardo passed the Iron Woman and Running Photographer (couple from Arkansas), it gradually dawned on him that there were only 2 ladies ahead of him on the trail, and they were well ahead and out of sight. The Chameleon is married to the Tri-Man and although she started the trip as a lovely schoolteacher, somewhere along the Inca trail she changed into a running gazelle. Arriving at the aid station there was noodle soup and cheese sandwiches (yum). Abelardo did not stop but Protagonist felt the need to imbibe, after which he headed on up the Trail towards Dead Woman's Pass. This is a brutal and constant uphill climb and clearly demonstrates that the Inca builders had unreserved distain for switchbacks. In all fairness, Protagonist considers himself to be a strong uphill hiker and was able to close the gap to about 100m behind the Goddess and the Chameleon at the time he saw them crest the Pass together. But Protagonist was still moving uphill at 13,000' elevation and by the time he himself reached the top of the pass he glimpsed the fair haired Goddess veritably flying down the other side and this was to be his last vision of her until he reached the beer and pizza lunch in Aguas Calliente that afternoon. The daybreak view from the top of Dead Woman's Pass was peaceful and rugged, a group of small birds flew over and Protagonist could hear the wind whistling through their feathers. It was a spectacular run, a beautiful day and an incredible and memorable trail. Protagonist felt that he ran strong for most of the 7 plus hours

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and he was the 3rd finisher in the 30k run, behind the Goddess who finished in barely over 6 hours and the Chameleon who finished a full half-hour ahead of Protagonist.

Morning view from Dead Woman’s Pass Things that Protagonist greatly enjoyed about the Inca Trail Run; the absolute certainty that thousands of people have used this very path for centuries, that the run goes through distinct climate zones starting in dry scrub and ending up in the Amazon jungle, and that for the most part the Trail is relatively lightly traveled and unspoiled. Protagonist took photos, videos and stopped at all of the archaeological/architectural sites along the Trail and was “in the moment” feeling overwhelming awe and wonder at the trail itself. This was not really a spiritual feeling, rather an appreciation for the design, work and historical significance of this major thoroughfare. Running provided insight that might be missed by hikers, rocks are set into the earth so solidly that one can run down these huge staircases with absolute certainty of footing, similar to running bleacher stairs in a modern stadium. On the "flat parts" of the Trail there are large stones laid out at stride intervals so that one can run stone to stone at a very good pace. It is quite apparent that the Inca builders intended this path to be used by runners and for fast transportation.

Protagonist at some of the sites along the Inca trail

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Every participant in a holiday such as this Running Adventure has a story to tell and finding these out in such a supportive setting is one of the most interesting parts of Adventure travel. An inspiring participant in the Marathon race was The Southern Woman who hails from Invercargill on the southern tip of the South Island of New Zealand. She is on a quest to run marathon races on the 7 continents and this was to be her 5th. The Inca Trail Marathon is considered to be the world's toughest marathon for good reason and The Southern Woman did complete the course in 16 hours, well after Machu Picchu had closed for the day. The rest of the group were getting updates about her progress throughout the evening and The Southern Man led the group out to the "Alternate finish" on the railroad track to greet and congratulate his wife when she arrived with the porters and guides. Machu Picchu itself is as awesome and spectacular as the world says. There are a lot of tourists at the site, but this does not diminish the extent or magnitude of the archeology or historical significance. Protagonist had a keen awareness of "change" from visiting the site - the realization that this huge complex that took decades to construct was completely abandoned and left to be reclaimed to the jungle by the people who built and cared for it.

The Raven Haired Beauty with the Inca Bridge in background Chapter 3 – The Ausangate Experience The 2nd half of Protagonist's Running Adventure with Devy and Co. was to consist of a trail running circumnavigation around Mt. Ausangate, elevation 6,384m (nearly 21,000'). Most of the

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participants of the Inca Trail run did not stay for the continuation, only 10 hardy and adventurous souls including; The Iron Woman and the Running Photographer, The Coffee Achiever and the French Maiden, the attractive young Polish couple (HE has actually been on an Everest summit expedition and SHE is quite happy that he turned back and survived), the Goddess and The Raven Haired Beauty, the Elderly Gentleman from Lake County, and Protagonist. This group left Cusco on a comfortable bus for the several hour ride to where they would greet the mountain. It was Sunday, market day, and the bus stopped at outdoor markets where the bright colors worn by local women are a vibrant and cheerful sight. The group arrived at the "rustic hostel" in Tinki for lunch. Tinki (or Tinqui, both spellings are used) is a small village with a single road through it and an outdoor market area that proved to be an excellent place to explore and there just happened to be a wedding party going on. There were cowboys and colorfully dressed single ladies dancing in an area in front of the wedding party. As some readers will be quite aware, Protagonist is not very inhibited and it did not require much encouraging for him to be dancing with the single ladies of the village having been told (via Devy the interpreter) that all were welcome to join in the party if they brought a case of beer or donated 10 soles (about $4) each. Protagonist never minds making a foolish scene of himself but is loathe to bring discomfort on others and made sure to understand the protocol before joining in. In practice it was quite simple, approach the bride and groom table and drink a small cup of beer and a cup of Inca Cola, first spilling a few drops on the ground for the Pacha Mama, then put 10 soles in the tray, toss confetti on the newlyweds and join in the wild dancing - well, Protagonist was jumping and bouncing wildly at any rate - as he is wont to do on such occasions. It was quite a fun time and several of the Running group joined in.

Protagonist at a local wedding in Tinqui

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The adventure around the hill started in the morning but not particularly early. These runners had certainly proven capable of pre-dawn racing but this morning started with leisurely breakfast and a rather sedate walking pace up the hill towards Upis camp. The path itself was treeless and open and it was very clear that it would soon leave all trappings of civilization behind. Sure enough, after an hour or two of walking steadily towards Mt. Ausangate, there were no more roads, no electricity poles in sight and only llama and alpaca farmers in view. Other than this, the scenery was dominated by Ausangate towering ahead. Protagonist walked into Upis camp with the Goddess and others soon arrived to find the tent-camp fully established. Protagonist considered himself fortunate to get a tent all to himself and found out that his dual sleeping bag arrangement did indeed keep him warm over the course of the next few nights. Upis camp was located at the base of Mt. Ausangate, well above treelike in an open field with a glacier fed stream running through it. The group had lunch and then walked across the field to a hot-spring pool and spent a very pleasant afternoon lounging in the warm and mildly sulfurous water. A rectangular concrete tub the size of a small swimming pool had been built and the hot spring was directed to flow through this pool. There was a cool stream of water running by and a mixture of the two could be adjusted to achieve proper temperature. This was a very nice way to spend a post-hike afternoon, drinking cold beer sold by a village lady who had set down a blanket and established a small shop at the camp.

Hot springs at the base of Mt Ausangate, well appreciated by the runners There was a ceremony for the mountain held that evening that was participated in by all. Paco is

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a local shaman and he was assisted by Cayetano and Armando, with Armando doing an excellent job of explaining and interpreting for the group. It was obvious that the men took this quite seriously and the overall demeanor of the group was of respect and appreciation. Devy had informed us that there would be a "blessing" to the mountain on the circuit and this was held after dinner at Upis campsite in the big dining tent. The tent is not all that big so it was slightly crowded but this also helped to keep the tent warm for the duration of the ceremony (nearly an hour). Cocoa leaves featured quite prevalently in the ritual. Paco selected three cocoa leaves and carefully stacked them green-side up and handed leaves in this manner to each of the adventurers and instructed each person to hold the leaves tightly and gently blow on the leaves towards the mountain. Armando interpreted that one leaf was for gratitude, one for Family and the third for "the Project", in our case the run around the mountain. The cocoa leaves then were carefully handed back to Paco, wrapped and tied into a bundle along with candy, seeds and other offerings (including an Alpaca fetus!) and the bundle was then carried out into the night and buried in the ground as an offering to the Pacha Mama. The ceremony made for a grateful and appreciative atmosphere that night and several of the runners stayed awake to talk and be social.

Mt. Ausangate viewed from Upis camp Day two of the Ausangate circumnavigation was the most challenging day. The group started with a 5am wakeup and pre-dawn start and ran along a gradual uphill path to a small pass and a short break where the rest of the group caught up with the Goddess who had started well in the lead. There were two horses with the group, one carried "emergency clothes" and the other was there in case needed to carry injured or tired runners. It dawned a beautiful deep-blue sky day and notable sightings included Andean geese and wild vicunas and the green, red and yellow hillsides colored by minerals in the soil. The highest point reached was 17,000' and Protagonist, the Goddess, Coffee achiever, Abelardo and Armando ran from this hill down to the last aid-station stopping point. The 7-hour day finished with a gentle run-in to the Jampa camp and with a total of 20 miles and two high passes the day was indeed an epic trail adventure. It was COLD that night at Jampa camp, well below freezing and Protagonist was pleased that he brought along his newly acquired Alpaca wool blanket as well as the two sleeping bags. But, the

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hard run and good food did make for a deep sleep and the next day dawned for yet another epic run. It was overcast and windy for the morning run up to and over the last high pass of 5,200m, then descending with views of several colorful lakes. Protagonist spent this day running the trail with The Raven Haired Beauty at a steady and enjoyable pace. The trail continued down towards Pakchanta and the group arrived in fine shape.

Minerals deposits provide vivid color to the hillsides

Mt. Ausangate

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Devy had arranged a BBQ party for the group at Pakchanta. After the run in from Jampa camp there was a vegetarian lunch and then the group walked over to the fireplace where the cook was preparing dinner. They had fashioned a rock oven in a hollow cone shape with an opening at the base and had burned a fire for a couple of hours to heat the rocks. Then the entire group of porters and villagers (in what appeared to be a melee) helped with opening the top of the rock pile and then potatoes, yams and fava beans were set inside the cone along with some of the hot rocks. Then the marinated alpaca meat (harvested that morning) was wrapped in brown paper from a large sugar sack and placed in the rock oven. Finally the oven was covered with grass tufts and then a piece of fabric, a piece of plastic and then the entire pile was covered with dirt and left to cook for 2 hours. Protagonist and the group went to the local hot springs and had a very pleasant afternoon drinking beer and relaxing in the hot spring pools. The pools were quite well constructed and this ended up being a highlight of the trip - bikinis, beer, warm water and sunshine… Loyal readers may be curious and possibly relieved to know that Protagonist did indeed wear a bathing suit for all of the hot spring events. The tubs at Pakchanta were more developed than the ones at Upis and soaking in warm water on a beautiful day at 14,000 feet is rather unusual. Protagonist obtained a photo of himself in the hot-springs with the Raven Hair Beauty, The Iron Woman and the Goddess - with Ausangate in the background - documenting a real "you're not going to believe this"… experience. Then the group returned to camp for a football match played between the guides and Pakchanta residents, officiated by The Raven Haired Beauty and it was humbling for the runners to see football very actively played in the ultra-thin air. The traditional feast shared with the villagers was excellent and there was more camaraderie among the group to end the day. However that night was very difficult for Protagonist, he awoke after just a couple hours of sleep unable to breathe. Being congested at high elevation is not pleasant and every few breaths, it feels like being starved for oxygen with the need to gasp in while trying to not hyperventilate. This continued for several hours and Protagonist was unable to relax, certainly unable to sleep. At that time Protagonist felt that he knew what an asthmatic feels like and it is indeed terrible and frightening even though the mind tries to force calmness. Morning did eventually arrive and Protagonist welcomed the chance to walk, breathe and then run in relative comfort.

BBQ party at Pakchanta The Tinki 10k is the name Devy has coined for the race down the hill to the village and this race was won by The Iron Woman with the Goddess very close behind. Protagonist arrived mid-pack after the Coffee Achiever and the Running Photographer. The race was described as a downhill dash, however the first couple miles was an uphill slog - at over 14,000' elevation, Protagonist could not run the hill and "fast walked" but the long downhill into Tinki was indeed fun. This ended the Mt. Ausangate circuit and there was a bus-ride return to Cusco, a dinner party with the group and a very pleasant sleep in the luxurious Cusco hotel.

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Peru is a wonderful place indeed. The word was that there would be a protest the following morning in Cusco and this required the group to awake extra early in order to travel to the airport before barricades were erected and the peaceful demonstrators took to the streets. The end result of this being that Devy and Protagonist arrived at Lima on time but the rest of the group were on a different flight and delayed a couple hours. Overall this was not so significant and the group met for a late lunch in Lima and checked into the hotel from where all would depart on their various flights back to point of origin. This was a fun and compatible group and there were emotional good-byes felt by all, certainly including Protagonist. But travel is supposed to be an adventure and Protagonist hopes to meet again and share more of this grand life together.

Aerial view of the Ausangate Massif … the adventure of life continues and there is so much more to be explored. Who knows where the future will take Protagonist? The End