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Most of the trail is made of original Inca stones beginning on the third day. When the Incas were fleeing the Spaniards, they destroyed much of the trail to conceal their path, but only up to this point. Today was one of my favorites (I think I say this everyday though). It was easy hiking compared to yesterday’s passes. Much of the hike today was through the forest with lots of flowers and other vegetation. There were about 2,000 steps down though, so it was a tough day on the knees. On our way to camp we stopped at Phuyupatamarka, the town in the clouds. We had great weather, so we were able to see Machu Picchu Mountain, and it’s neighbor, Happy Mountain, from here. The end was in sight!

We only hiked for about five hours today (about 10 miles) before lunch and then we were at camp. And guess what… there were showers! I didn’t think I’d take one, but I also didn’t think I’d smell so bad. So a shower it is. Too bad they didn’t come with clean clothes… Jason, content in his stench, skipped the shower.

Later that afternoon we took a five minute walk to Winaywayna, the best of all the ruins we’ve seen along the way, but nothing compared to what we’ll see tomorrow.

This campsite also had a bar/restaurant to hang out at, and I think we felt like we deserved a few beers! Had to pace ourselves though. Wake-up call is 4 a.m. tomorrow so we can get to the Sun Gate early. This was a nice night because we finally got to meet all the chaskis who are making the trip with us. It’s just amazing what they carry and how hard they work to make these trips happen. And they do it all with a smile and a good attitude. We couldn’t have the great trip we’re having without them.