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I had such a s***ty night sleep! It was thunder and lightning for a good hour and the rain was banging on the tent, just had a feeling it was going to be a s***ty day tomorrow. We were sleeping on gravel so my back was absolutely killing me to the point that I was pushing myself one side and pulling myself with the mattress on the other side. I also had a toothache... I managed to get to sleep around 12.30 and tossed and turned for 5 hours until the wake up call.
I wasn't very pleasant this morning I must say.
We got changed and washed in the tent and went to the food tent for breakfast. We had scrambled eggs on bread with onions, tomatoes and cheese in. (Scott had a special one with no cheese of course)
I couldn't wait to get started... the longest day in sky filled clouds and drizzly wet rain. At first we were walking up hill for almost two hours, my asthma was not helping things due to the dampness of everything last night and today.
Scott kept banging on that I pushed myself too hard yesterday that's why I was so tired. Nothing to do with the fact I had 4 hours sleep, a tight asthma chest, a toothache for the 5th day and really bad lower back pain from sleeping on stone. He's got his knickers in a twist over something, the fact that I didn't walk with him and about 3/4 others yesterday. Not that the people I walked with did the same thing as them... (took photos, had a laugh, put music on and sang, took our time and helped each other out...)
We got to the top and at about 8.40am. There was no sign of the rain stopping, I was really struggling with the mix of things I had going on with me this morning. I just wanted to stop, cry and go home.
Jess, one of the girls that needed oxygen yesterday still wasn't feeling too good. The guides think she may have picked a virus up, and now she is getting shooting pains in her back area by her lungs which they are worried its fluid on the lungs but she's insisting on keeping going. She's doing way better today than yesterday though.
We were on 80% of the real inca trail now, the parts before were remade because the incas destroyed them in the 1500s because they didn't want the Spanish to invade their main sun gate/worshipped area, Machu Pichu.
The rain was coming down heavier, we had our ponchos on and rain coats, nothing was helping. Not even music was helping me today. It was hard work walking down hill aswell becAuse it was practically vertical!
Lunch time couldn't come quick enough... we pliers on until 12.45pm. Throughout this time isn't continued to rain and pour, we went through the inca mountain trail, up and down, slowly but surely we made it.
We got to the tent and I wanted to cry, I couldn't wait to sit down inside and try to dry off a little. I wasn't even hungry. We were all cold, there was hot water waiting and so we dug in to a hot chocolate or fruit tea each. I couldn't really say much, my brain wouldn't function I was so tired, my back and all down my left leg was hurting and my tooth was killing me.
Lunch was amazing, considering I didn't want anything I couldn't say no after they specially make all of this food for us. We had a 'help yourself' today. Mash potato, veg rice, pizza, cheese salad with beans and peppers, lomo Saltado (beef in a soy sauce with peppers, onions and tomatoes) there was so much good food!
We had a surprise after food, we all had to close our eyes. The cooks came into the tent with a huge cake they had made us! It was brilliant! How on earth they made this cake at this height, plus the little time they have! (They made it this morning, how they brought it in one piece from last campsite I don't know!) plus this cake had a jelly on it right the way around, I honestly could not answer anyone on how they managed that either! Either way it was bloody delicious!
After food we all reluctantly went to the portaloo in a tent and grabbed our rucksacks from one of the tents the porters put up for us. We put our ponchos on in the food tent and headed off. We were surprised to be told that we only had about 2 hours, however it was all downhill... a very steep and slippery hill at that! We all took our time going down. Unlike the porters that run down with these huge bags on their backs and with only converse trainers on or some even in flip flops. (They have proper footwear given to them by G adventures but they prefer to wear their own because they find hen comfortable and don't have any blisters apparently!
I feel like a right loser slowly walking down the hill with two poles whilst these lot are running! We had a good old laugh and chat though and arrived at camp about 3.30pm, so 2 hours was about right. I couldn't have been more pleased to see that little red tent!! I was so bloody exhausted.
The toilets were another challenge... down a hill to the toilets and of course we have to get back up so we started taking our poles to help ease the blow! Haha.
Considering this was Jonathon's favourite day, I didn't really agree with him! I don't think the rain helped but walking downhill for almost 5 hours was damn hard! Almost as difficult as yesterday.
We didn't stop for many talks of the inca ruins today because the cloud throughout the forest was too much to see anything or the views really to understand everything fully. Not to say we didn't learn anything because we will be told all tomorrow at Machu Pichu.
We had a chill out in the tents for an hour and then went for an early dinner, seems as though we are up for 3am tomorrow to start day 4! It's gone so fast, and even though I may be moaning and we have all found it difficult, it's been such an awesome experience and adventure! I have indeed loved it! And Scott has finally enjoyed hiking!
We went to the tent for 5pm, played cards and drank hot chocolate. We learnt a new game, called spoons. It was kind of fun but I prefer a good game of s*** head or last card.
Dinner was awesome, again! We had asparagus and pea soup for starters with garlic bread. For mains we had fried chicken, a few sliced sautéed potatoes and what looked like a pasta bake slice with spaghetti and cheese on top. It was delicious!!
After dinner we all got our tips together for the guides and porters. Renzo asked Scott to take charge of gathering it all together, much to his dismay of having to take charge of something!
We split our tips ($50 each) 70% to porters and cooks and 30% to the guides. We had a little bit of a presentation, American Lauren can speak Spanish so she spoke a little about how much we appreciated them and how we thought they were all heroes, that we wish them good health and to have a merry Christmas. Hoping that the tip will help them all a little at Christmas. It's really not a lot when it's split between 21 of them unfortunately...
After the speech the head chef spoke on behalf of the porters and the two chefs about how they appreciate the tip and hope that we have enjoyed it, etc. The head chef is only 28, he began as a porter for G adventures 6 years ago. He then became a waiter on the hikes, then an assistant chef and eventually trained to become head chef at high altitude. He is practicing his English because he wants to become a tour guide. Aw they are all so lush!
We shook their hands and thanked them all individually in a circle, after this it was 7.45pm and passed our bed time if we were to be up at 3am! We all brushed our teeth and went a mile down to the toilet all together because Jonathon and Renzo had told ghost stories about the campsites and we were pretty petrified.
We had to be up at 3am tomorrow morning, a light breakfast for 3.30am on the dot and by then we have to be out of our tents ready to go hiking because the porters have to pack all of our things up and be at their train station stop for the train at 5.30am. If they don't make that one in time they have to wait until 9pm!!! So the pressure is on for us!
Hoping that I will sleep tonight, better than last night anyways! Other wise I'm going to be a mean cow in the morning...
I can't believe where three days have gone! It doesn't feel five minutes since we were all leaving Ollantaytambo, inca hiking virgins! Now we are pros at it all, up and down hill!! Plus had so much fun and tonnes of laughs along the way which is always good!
Campsite - Wiñaywayna
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