The Salkantay Trek - The 2nd Hardest Day

Day 7
Tuesday July 12

Four hours of hiking along a steady incline. Today KD and I wondered why we decided to do 4 straight days of hiking straight uphill and straight downhill. But, we didn't harbor such thoughts for long. There was still too much walking to do before reaching Machu Picchu.

Our trek up the Incan steps

The track is narrow. We march single file through unusually high temperatures to the Llactapata Inca Site where we'll get our first really good view of Machu Picchu. And here it is:

KD and PC with Machu Picchu in the background

We meet a Czech hiker along the trail who has been traveling for 6 months. He is worried because he only has 2 months left of travel. We need a Czech vacation ethic in the US.

Our trek takes us to a small, family owned coffee farm where we roast, grind, and brew the beans ourselves. All we needed to do was pick them to round out the coffee adventure. Anyone who knows me knows how I feel about coffee (and how coffee feels about me - usually ending up on my shirt, pants, the ground ... but I do end up drinking most of it). The farm was completely sustainable, entirely organic. No pesticides, herbicides, or insecticides. The entire family works the farm and no one else. It's a labor of love that occupies all their time.

Plump red coffee beans ripe for the picking - it's harvest time in Peru

You can't escape Starbucks even in the Andes (this a joke, by the way)

KD roasting those beans good

PC grinding up the beans

Cuys (guinea pigs) scrabble around in their shed. I'm challenged to catch one. I try. I fail at first. Then, the woman who owns the farm drops some coffee leaves. The cuys stop crying and eat. Now it's like taking candy from a baby.

Cuy cuy cuy

The fruits and vegetables grow plentifully, and wildly, long the trail. We see the Yucca plant, a wild ancestor of the tomato, bananas, passion fruit, avocados, and of course lots of coffee.

Yes, we have some bananas

KD and I are absolutely filthy. Even though we weren't expecting it, we end up in a campground located in a hot springs near Hidroelectrica, or the last point before the walk to Aguas Calientes or Machu Picchu Pueblo (the last town before Machu Picchu). European tour groups are drinking a lot of beer and throwing themselves in the hot springs (which are only lukewarm). The hot springs closes down and the Europeans scatter to their minibuses.

The not so hot hot springs 

We eat dinner with our trek squad. Julio, the cook, has 2 boys and a girl. Valentino has 3 boys. The dinner is really solid. Before long, our hardworking trek squad are back at work.

Now, one more day until we are within striking distance of Machu Picchu.

Best,
PC

Looks like a stock Google image, but I took this photo (seriously)