Lima Peru
The group was an interesting combination of personalities, ages, and professions.
Lawyers, teachers, a writer, a journalist, a medical doctor, a photographer, corporate managers, gay winery owners, and their son :), were among the mix and everyone seemed to have a story of some synchronistic event that spurred them into signing on for this adventure.
I'd like to share a couple of them as they relate to this trip.
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Our hiking group converged from all over the U.S. and Europe at a hotel in Lima Peru for a welcome dinner and orientation concerning the adventure ahead of us.
Wilderness Travel out of Berkeley California a leader in adventure travel offered this
world-class experience.
Story 1
Diane
Tom
One of the most interesting stories among them was that of a young medical doctor, who had attempted suicide after the tragic death of his wife in an auto crash. He was advised to take a trip completely out of his comfort zone to help him get over his depression. As it turned out, he was instrumental in saving the trip for one of the lawyers who developed a high fever on day 2 of our hike along the Inca Trail.
That morning was to be the start of our toughest day on the trail. This was the day we had to summit "DeadWoman's Pass" infamous for the altitude of 14,000 feet, the most dreaded point along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. The lawyer woke with a very high fever.
Energy depleted, she alerted the trip leader that she could not continue and would have to rest and turn back the next day. The problem was everything moved with us, as we moved along the trail, all tents, equipment for cooking, etc. were carried ahead every day by our porter support team. They carried everything on their backs and had the next camp all set up before we arrived.
Holly, our trip leader, decided to leave behind a couple of porters and some equipment.
They would take care of her and get her back down the mountain safely in the morning.
The doctor got wind of what was happening during breakfast in our group meal tent. He had an idea. He remembered passing a couple of cabins not far back along the trail where a couple of horses were tied up. Skipping the rest of his breakfast, he headed back down the trail to the cabins. Before we were ready to break camp, the doctor was back with a horse and a very young boy. Just a child really.
He had struck a deal for a horse. The family had agreed, with the stipulation that the boy must go along to the top of the pass to lead the horse back - Amazing. They took an alternate trail to the pass, made up of switchbacks, avoiding the many stone staircases strewn all along the Inca Trail. The doctor was confident the horse could carry her to the pass, enabling her to move with the group, giving time for the medication to work, and after a night's rest at the next camp be strong enough to continue on foot. In her favor, the next day was to be a full day of hiking but all downhill. The trail's descent was over 3,000 feet and would pass through a long Incan tunnel, then down by way of irregular stone staircases made up of over 1,500 stone steps carved into the solid granite. Terminating in a dense jungle with flowers, butterflies, and birds.
The plan was successful and they met us at the pass, where our camp was set up for the night. She continued on in the morning and with the remaining three days of hiking on foot to Machu Picchu. Kudos to the doctor. He saved a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for her. As for the boy, I hope he made it back safely. Imagine that happening back in the U.S.
We weren't in Kansas anymore.
Story 2
Jake
Jack
Jake was the general manager of all areas of production on the manufacturing floor at General Electric, where we both worked for many years. I was the manager of the C.A.D. dept. in Engineering. Jake was a big lumbering sort of guy, stern-faced - a serious type of guy. Sort of understandable, due to a large number of people, including his wife Betty, whose work he was responsible for. He was not the personal type and most people dreaded to see him coming onto the production floor.
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Everyone throughout the company knew Ralph and I were boyfriends. Ralph serviced the vending machines in the plant cafeteria every morning and had been doing so for a few years
before I started working there. We never had any problem concerning the gay issue, at least not to our face. Whisperings galore though to be sure. Jake and I interacted with the employees on the production floor but on totally different issues. We seldom interacted with each other, only when a question or problem arose concerning a drawing or a schematic. Never anything of a personal nature or idle chit-chat.
One afternoon during lunch, he came into my office. I had my credit card in my hand and
was just about to pick up the phone. He said, "What are you buying now ?". I was startled and taken a bit back, as it was not in character as to how we related with one another. I said, "Ralph and I have decided to book an adventure trip to Peru to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Pichhu. Without saying a word, he reached in his back pocket for his wallet, took out a credit card, put the card on my desk and, said, "book me too"! I thought he was joking!
Smiling, I looked at him and said, "you're Joking - Right ?". He wasn't and I was gobsmacked.
I proceeded to explain that the trip was expensive and it included a 5-day hike over rough terrain at high altitude to Machu Pichhu, trying to evade the obvious issue of his size and weight. Abruptly he said, "when is this trip ?" He finally asked something about the trip he was about to book. "We are going in June, during the solstice and the Inti Raymi Festival. The Incas worshiped the Sun and this magnificent festival is held in Cusco during the winter solstice",
I said.
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INTI RAYMI FESTIVAL
"That gives me 5 months. I can lose 30 pounds by then, book me", he said. "Should I
book your wife also?", I asked. "No, I will be going alone", he said. I picked up the phone and called Wilderness Travel and booked 3 for the trip in June. I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out his motivation for taking such a trip, especially with two gay guys who were out and known about throughout the company. It would certainly stir up gossip. A married company manager going to Peru alone with Jack & Ralph for 17 days. We were located smack dab in the middle of the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, not San Francisco or New York, and "LGBTQ" was not right on the tip of everyone's tongue.
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- But The Surprises Had Just Begun -
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The months passed leading up to the trip and Jake became much more personable. We talked a lot about the upcoming adventure. I learned he was intensely interested in the UFO phenomena. He spoke a lot about the many books he had read and the UFO sightings in the Andes and Lake Titicaca and how it was readily accepted by the indigenous people.
I recalled Shirley Maclaine's novel "Out on a Limb", describing the many government road signs marking the locations of UFO sightings, she had seen while on a trip to the Andes. Now we all know Shirley is a bit of New Ager and I don't have problems entertaining the idea of extraterrestrials but Jake was sold hook, line, and sinker. I was shocked how he was so obsessed with it.
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One afternoon, during lunch, he opened up to me. He spoke about how he believed he would leave this world in a UFO. Tongue in cheek, I asked him, "how do you know this Jake ?" He explained that ever since he was a young boy he had dreams of UFOs and extraterrestrials. He felt he did not belong in this world and that it was just a matter of time before they made contact to take him home. He told me, that day when he came into my office and I told him, I was planning a trip to Peru, he took it as a sign.
That would explain the sudden decision to book the trip, I thought to myself. Oh boy. I just listened then went back to my office - bewildered.
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- The Surprises Continued -
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The trip was only a week away when Jake extended an invitation to Ralph and me.
He was hosting a dinner party at his home and wanted to include us. Jake was high
up on the corporate ladder and they were always having their dinner parties and if you know
G.E. you know that the caste system is alive and well. I could hardly believe we were being invited to one of their get-togethers. Ralph thought they may be getting ready to move me up to a higher position within the company. "I hope not", I said, "I love my job, I'm practically my own boss, feel creative and get a great sense of accomplishment from what I do and have no desire to move up their ladder"
The night of the dinner party arrived. Ralph and I mustered up our best appearance and
following the instructions he provided, headed out to Jake's home. We arrived at a gated
community and after passing through continued on until we reached his house. The house was
beautiful and on a beautifully landscaped lot. There was only one problem, there were no
other cars. Ralph said, "Are you sure he said 7 PM." "I'm positive - here - look - it's written
right here on the instructions", I said. We got out of the car, headed for the door, and rang
the doorbell.
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The door opened. I started to say "Excuse us we have the wrong house" but I cut myself short. Certainly, that would have explained the absence of any other cars at the house.
There - standing in the open door was Jake - in full drag. No, this wasn't drag or just cross--dressing this was something else. He was grotesque looking. The wig was mussed and cocked to the side. The lipstick was smeared around the lips and those fucking red spiked heels - I didn't think they made heels that big. Something right out of Mommy Dearest. I stared - confused - then finally said," Jake?" He replied, "Please call me Loretta and please come in".
We stepped in - into the twilight zone. Ralph hadn't said a word yet. I think he was in mild shock. Betty, his wife, welcomed us with a very nervous smile and told us to go into the living room and relax and that she would bring cocktails.
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We followed Jake into the living room as he shuffled gingerly in his red spike heels. It was sad to see a man of his stature, a person that people dreaded to see coming onto
the production floor at work because of his stern demeanor, transformed into this silly hag.
This was not funny and there seemed to be such desperation in him to become this image
he had of himself in his mind. No, this was strange and I was hoping that it was all a big joke on us. But we were soon to find out it was no joke.
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In the conversation that followed, we learned that Jake had been dressing for many years and this obsession started a few years after he married Betty. Betty would do all the shopping for his outfits. I asked Jake if he was bisexual." Absolutely not, I am heterosexual. I'm a woman trapped in a man's body", he said. "He's the best lover a woman could ever want believe me",
Betty added. "Well, I guess that makes you a lesbian Jake", I said. Everyone laughed. The tense air had been broken and we were all able to relax into the rest of the evening. Jake, excused
himself or should I say Loretta excused herself to go to the bathroom. Then Betty said quietly almost in tears, "I love Jake and I can put with a couple of hours of this in the evening but he is now insisting on going to bed in full wig and makeup. I just can't do this." Then she said, "I'm really worried about him going on this trip. He is constantly saying he will not be coming back.
I don't think he is capable of doing this hike. I'm scared. This is why he insisted on inviting you and Ralph over tonight, to get all this out in the open. You're the only ones who know this about Jake. I think if something happens to him on the hike he wants me to have someone to talk with that knows our situation."
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Then it dawned on me. She didn't know about Jake's obsession with UFOs. He was not
coming back because of something to do with the ability to hike to Machu Picchu. He was
completely convinced that contact was going to be made to take him off the damn Planet.
I thought, if she doesn't know, I'm not about to tell her. So, I told her not to worry. He's lost more
than the 30 pounds he wanted to lose for the trip and we will be with one of the best Adventure Travel companies in the country. They will have all the bases covered. If Jake has any problems, they have ways of getting him out of the Andes and back to Lima.
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Betty excused herself to get dinner on the table and Jake came back into the room. He sat down, crossed his legs the best he could, and while sipping his drink that huge red high heel dangled from the tip of his big toe. It has been burned into my memory. Even today, many years later, when I think of Jake that's all I can see. The conversation turned to G.E. and how he soon would have to resign. He explained the desire to dress-up was becoming overwhelming and he would soon no longer be able to resist it. He used the metaphor of a butterfly emerging from a cocoon. We just sat there listening. Betty entered the room and announced dinner was on the table. Dinner was delicious and shortly after we begged off. It was late and we were both
exhausted. We thanked them for a delicious dinner and they apologized for the shock. As we walked out, Betty yelled, "See you next Saturday". She was driving the 3 of us to the airport for our flight to Lima Peru.