Day 6 "“Into the clouds”

The third night turned out to be quite a wet one, but not nearly as much as our camping neighbors had to endure. The rain poured hard for hours during the night and we almost at one point thought we would be washed away. In the campsite next to us the porters apparently did not pitch the tents properly and subsequently the water flowed. A long wet night for those guys with everything soaked. Thankfully we were sorted and by daylight the rain had stopped and we awoke to the usual tea in bed. The weather was cool and misty with this part of the trail taking us through a cloud forest. Another pleasant stroll with lush greenery and different species of orchids. I am sure there was a vast view to behold but with the mist you really could not see far. We passed through an Incan tunnel which had been named the tunnel of love a term I am sure was coined for the tourists. For the most part the day was down hill and we passed some of the better Incan ruins along the trail namely Phuyupatamaca. The main objective of the day was to get to the last official campsite before Machu Picchu known as the Trekkers Hostel at Winay Wayna. Although not much of a facility, they did have hot showers and BEER. It was the start of the transition back to the usual comforts we are all love. As we approached the campsite the now daily rain showers were upon us but this time it was lingering more than usual. After everything we had endured we certainly did not want to come upon Machu Picchu with shitty weather. The site was certainly not pretty but having a semi-hot shower along with a few cold beers was very welcome. We had our final dinner together followed by a small thank you ceremony for our porters. All a heart warming experience and in some way I guess we all wanted the trail to continue in some way. The end was in sight on our final night on the trail. It would be an early start tomorrow.

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2006_10_08_Into the clouds