Why you need to be in good shape to see anything Incan

I’m in good shape. I’ve been a trainer for 7 years. I’ve run races and I’ve played softball games in 90 degree heat. Cusco is kicking my ass.

Take a look at the stairs in this picture. They’re INSANE. They are not all uniform, and no, there is not an escalator to use in case you get tired.

In all seriousness, coming to Peru to experience Machu Picchu and the surrounding areas is not for the deconditioned. If you really want to experience the magnificence of the Incan structures and buildings, you need to be able to hike, climb, scoot, and duck... and as I’ve been doing this for the past few days, I’ve realized that most people I know would be way less equipped to deal with this than I am.

Couple this physical work I’ve been

doing of late with the fact that I now am regularly seeing adults aged 60+ carrying heavy sacks around Peru, and I can only conclude that, yes, we Americans (and probably “westerners” in general, but I can’t speak for them all) are really quite spoiled and lazy.

So, I don’t know about all of you blog readers, but I know I have a reinforced commitment to staying healthy, taking the stairs, carrying my own stuff whenever possible, and keeping my mouth shut when I get a little huffy from climbing 10 flights of stairs. After all, the Incan people not only regularly went up and down these huge complexes of theirs, they BUILT THEM BY HAND!