The second night was the coldest night, and my Peruvian long underwear wasn't quite enough to keep me warm. I woke up several times in the night trying to get warm and comfortable. The tents we had were apparently made for Incas, seeing as how short they were. They certainly weren't made for vikings, Kris barely fit.
When I opened the tent in the morning, there was a fantastic view of the clouds sitting low in the valley. I grabbed my camera, only to discover that it wouldn't work. I couldn't even turn it on. Somehow, I managed to get it to take a picture of that view, but if you notice, that's the only picture I have of the third day. I have to wait a few weeks for Kris to return to Norway and email me some pictures. Luckily (?) it was so foggy in the morning, it didn't matter. I couldn't see anything anyway, but the thought of going to Machu Picchu without a camera was enough to make me cry.
Camera or no, the third day was the best day on the trail. The first hour and a half were straight uphill, which felt a bit like deja vu all over again from the previous day, only this time I didn't have nearly as much trouble with it. Apparently day 2 gave me iron lungs. I should really run a marathon as soon as I get home. When we reached the second pass, we crossed into the cloud forest, and the weather immediately got warmer and very humid. Just before lunch, we came to some Inca ruins overlooking the valley that we couldn't see due to fog. While we were there, though the fog broke. I reached for my camera, only to remember that it wasn't working. Argh.
During lunch, it began to rain. I put on my purple poncho, and we hit the trail. Despite the rain, this was the best stretch of trail. It was the jungle, so the rain was not only expected, but it just seemed appropriate. The trail was original Inca stone that went uphill and downhill (and was flat at times!) with a couple tunnels to walk through as well. The views were spectacular. Mist-shrouded mountain tops, with the sun hitting the valleys below. (I promise I'll have some pictures in a few weeks. Stupid camera.) We hit the campsite around 5pm, making it a very long, but very rewarding day.
The last campsite included a lodge with electricity, and a shower for the cost of 5 soles. I passed on the shower, though, I'm hardcore. After dinner, I managed to fix my camera. (Hallelujah!) I was going to have to hold the shutter open myself, but at least it would function. I was more than ready to get to Machu Picchu.
Tomorrow: A Wonder of the World
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