Jackie appeared in Communal Room 207 at 08:30 hrs. and I joined him for breakfast. It was another nice day, the sunlight harsh on semi-closed eyes resulting from our night on the town. We went on to the Post Office where I loitered about for ¾ of an hour whilst Jackie rattled off a load of postcards.
Next, he telephoned his ma to tell her that he was still alive and well after his run in with the bandidos. Apparently, it was not possible to make a reverse-charge call to Scotland, only to England.
We did the rounds of the market again, but the abundance of wealthy American tourists made the traders reluctant to bargain. We went to the covered market and passed through the fruit and vegetable traders to settle at a juice bar by the meat market.
Jackie had some carrot juice, but I decided that in view of the unhygienic surroundings to stick to bottled dark beer. Cleaners redistributed the muck and dust around us. I went on to the San Pedro Railway Station to buy my ticket to Kilometre 88, the start of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
The legendary Inca Trail to the Lost City of the Incas in Peru is one of the world’s best known hiking adventures. It is a once in a lifetime experience with stunning views for both experienced and non-experienced hikers. After four days of hiking - from the snow-capped Andean mountains to the lush Amazon cloud forest – you will catch the first views of the breath-taking Inca Ruins Machu Picchu before sunrise at the Gateway of the Sun. Pure Magic!
A first-class ticket cost 135 I/-. At the station I met Diane, and English girl who was staying in my communal room at the Hostel Suecia, and she told me that an English bloke called Eddie was looking for someone to walk the Inca Trail with.
Jackie and I had spaghetti bolognaise for lunch and spent the afternoon looking at music cassette and jewellery stalls. By coincidence we met a trio from Glasgow in Scotland in a sweet shop and they agreed that they would take a jersey that Jackie had bought for his paw (father) back home for him. They also said that we could stay at their daughters flat in La Paz in Bolivia when we got there.
At 18:00 hrs. I met Eddie Pockney from Walton on Thames in Surrey on the corner of the Plaza de Armas and we went to buy our supplies for the Inca Trail trek. He had flown in from the UK yesterday for a holiday. I left the supermercado with a box of soups, pastas, porridge, milk powder and sweets.
Back at the hostel I packed a minimal kit and put the rest of my baggage in storage in the hostel strong room. Eddie had already hired a tent and a Calor Gaz cooker, the latter I was to carry first. At 20:00 hrs. Jackie came to call and we went out for a steak dinner. For afters we had some delicious banana pancakes.
I said goodbye to Jackie at 22:30 hrs. I hope that I will meet him again in Bolivia. I walked back under the arches while heavy rain drenched the plaza. I nipped out to get some torch batteries and the fascinated shop assistant wanted to buy my Duracell flip-top torch. I finally got into bed at 23:00 hrs.
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