This incredible hike brings us up to 15,600 feet or so and through communities that surely haven’t changed in decades. 
Our guide counsels us to give bread and school supplies to the children and families we see along the way 
and we pass farmers using hand plows designed in Incan times – almost something out of the Discovery Channel!
As the temperature fails to rise as we climb higher and higher into the mountains, I buy this award winning hat 
from a lady on the side of this
trail. The children greet us with shy smiles and thank yous in Quechua (an indigenous language shared with many in Bolivia) and at one point even sing us a ‘travelers song! 
Luckily Peru is taking steps to expand their tourism industry responsibly; tourists are asked not to hand out money but rather usable / hard to get in the mountains supplies like bread and pencils for school. Only 500 tickets a day are sold to tourists venturing up to Machu Picchu and food/beverages are prohibited within the sanctuary (more about Machu Picchu in a following blog entry).
Although I fail to realize it at the time, 
this three day hike in the Lares Valley is truly a spiritual approach the sacred site of Machu Picchu. We meet only locals as we continue on our hike ever
upwards, and I know I am not the only one in our group feeling this is more of a spiritual journey than we may have thought at the beginning.
This climb is not the time to forget your asthma inhaler!! But the views are indescribable . 
The only way to come close to appreciating these spectacular vistas is to huff and puff your way along 
– breaking frequently to try and take it all in. (Thus I freely admit some of my pictures are really just great excuses to catch my breath!)
We sleep in girls and boys tents and are awaken with steaming cups of coffee / tea in the morning before breakfast so we can be ready for the day’s climb.
And if you’re really feeling good there are always great places to practice your runway poses! 
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