Machu Picchu trek: day two.

Got a late start this morning due to delayed horses (which were carrying the gear and our stuff) and a change in plans because of a series of "bridges" (logs over rivers, actually) being washed out recently. It was a bit of an expedition with the guide and horsemen figuring out Plan B as we went, but it worked out well and the views all around were stunning. (I suppose you will be hearing that a lot, again.)

We started in the valley at approximately 2800m and ended at 3700m or so at Charcaway... Quite a climb for one day.

setting forth in the universe

Saw lots of gorgeous yellow, small purple and black/brown/orange butterflies. The wildflowers were fading for the season but we did see one variety in red, pink and orange as well as yellow starburst flowers, tiny white clusters of white flowers with a wonderful spearmint aroma ("Andean mint" used in cooking and tea - like the Galapagos everything here is an "Andean" species!) and purple bushy flowers among others. I need an Andean field guide. And I cannot begin to imagine how amazing the wildflowers are in their spring/summer.

The valley from up high was beautiful and our lunch stop had gorgeous views of the valley and ruins we saw yesterday. The clouds were also amazing, especially against the bright sky blue sky.

Ollantaytambo ruins from above

Lunch was a buffet of sandwiches, a random assortment of snacks and "coffee" (Nescafe).

peanut butter - how did they know?!

After lunch and a rest, we hiked another 2.5 km uphill through terraced farmland. The wildflowers on the terraces were amazing and reminded me of Hawaii...

At the top of the switchbacks was our oasis for the evening. I sat with Viki for a while enjoying the view and we treated ourselves to a "Peruvian foot bath" overlooking the climb we made today.

It's 4:30pm and the clouds have started to roll in. It is very luxurious having someone else set up camp, make your meals, bring you a cup of tea and a tub of hot water in the morning/evening... But this is me, not complaining.

Things I learned today:
- between 23 north and 23 south of the equator is considered "tropical." This means that it rarely snows here even though we are up higher than most of the Sierras and Rockies. There are glaciers here left over from the last ice age but they are melting quickly... Our guide figures they have another 20 years of life in them. Thanks, global warming!
- back in the day, the Incans conquered the lands and villages by sending "diplomats" out to offer to build aquaducts and help with agriculture in exchange for the locals paying taxes. Most agreed to this plan; for those who didn't an Incan army was sent out to cut communications and water supplies until the locals gave in or died trying to fight them. Sounds awfully familiar in concept... Many villages taken under Incan wing still live exactly the same way 500 years later.
- in the 1960s Cusco and Machu Picchu were a haven for hippies; in the 1970s they were a haven for Harley Davidson fanatics. I get the hippie part but if I hear a Harley in the next week I am demanding my money back.

Dinner was grilled chicken (which I ate and enjoyed!), locally grown potatoes and very delicious soup. A little boy from a neighboring home (or possibly the son of the folks whose land we were using?) kept us entertained for part of the evening. He didn't speak Spanish, only Quechuan (the local language) so only the guide and crew could speak with him, but I have never seen any child spit out candy so quickly, and I was amused to note that "hunh?" is universal.

One of our companions told us a saying: "a farting horse never gets tired." That is the quote of the day as we had some very... um... energetic horses with us today!