Soaking Away Our Aches, Pains, and Dirt

Once again, we woke up to the sounds of cups of coca tea being delivered to our tents. While Dennis went to hire a local bus to take us to Hydro Electric, where we would start our hike for today, we investigated our average mountain village with chickens and dogs running through the dirt streets and people going about their normal Saturday chores. We found the school and interacted with the local children.

When Dennis returned, we loaded our knapsacks on top of the local bus and piled in. This typical Peruvian trip down the mountainside was definitely a Zen moment for me. Sitting in the middle of the second bench seat where there was no seatbelt, I was jostled about while the van was manoeuvred over the dusty, potholed road. I tried to live in the moment - taking in the sounds of the South American Pop Music that was playing on the radio; soaking up the spectacular views of the Andes Mountains and the banana tree leaves stretching over the road and protecting the coffee bean plants; enjoying the sounds of the three Peruvian men sitting in the front as they conversed in Spanish; and just giving myself up to the experience as we wound our way through the spectacular views of the Andes and their peoples.

Arriving in Hydro Electric, we were definitely in the heart of the cloud forest and for the first time we started to sweat while hiking because of the high humidity and heat. Our trek to Aguas Calientes, a quaint, touristy village, was flatter so we could enjoy the colourful flowers (particularly the Bird of Paradise, orchids, and Trumpet flowers that were growing wild along the trail), and the massive white granite formations that rested in the emerald-coloured river reminding us of giant pieces of whipped meringue. Carrie and Linda especially enjoyed crossing the railway trestle bridges with large pieces missing, leaving large gaps for them to hike over while fully loaded with packs!

Upon arriving in Aguas Calientes, we immediately sought out the natural, thermal springs, where we soaked away our aches, pains, and dirt from under our fingernails in the unsurpassed setting of the Andes. While winding our way back down to the village after our spa experience, we happened upon an open cafe with a 'four for one' happy hour! Not about to pass up this opportunity, we enjoyed several cervecas accompanied by fresh, creamy guacamole spiced with hot peppers. After a delightful dinner in another open cafe where we listened to live South American music with panpipes and guitars, we retired early as tomorrow was the day to climb Machu Picchu!