Part One
The hike along the trail was a stimulus of all our senses. The sun was bright overhead and shining it’s warmth down upon us. We were blessed with cool weather which was nice since we wore long pants, long sleeved mosquito repelling shirts, and hats with a sun brim. REI in the United States is a magical place to shop for any outdoor excursion needs. We found everything we needed there right before we left. We were confident in our hiking boots and they kept us blister free the entire time in Peru and beyond. The brand we chose was Solomon. They were and are very comfortable to hike in. Our feet were very dry in the boots and water did not get in when we hiked through streams or rivers. I was super happy to photograph our boots on the Inca Trail for our memory book.
The hike had many down and uphill gradient changes with steep stairs in certain sections. The trail was carved out nicely through the forest due to many people walking on it. We loved that everyday was a workout and found everything in Peru eventually went up. The stairs to climb had very high steps which I will write more about in my blog on Machu Picchu when we get there. For now, I will stick focus on our hike to the hot springs. Before we could reach the springs, we stopped for extra water and some souvenirs along the mountain pass. These Peruvian People put a little store on the trail for tourists to take a break and it was lovely. We got to see what happens to a Poinsettia Plant when given the opportunity to grow naturally and not trimmed down. They are huge, and look like trees filled with red or pink leaves, depending on the type of Poinsettia. After this sweet little stop, we traveled on to have lunch at a local restaurant right on the river.
We set our small backpacks down in the restaurant and had some time before food was served. As we walked around the perimeter of the building we came across hammocks the owners hung outside for weary travelers to take a nap in. It was lovely to take a break and listen to the roar of the river alongside the hammocks. We also spied a beautiful green grasshopper bug inside of a brightly pink colored flower. When we were finished walking around the food was also finished being prepared. All of us gathered and sat at the table and were served to eat family style to just grab what we wanted to eat. It was a wonderful middle of the hike and we all just wanted to stay and lay in the hammocks for several hours, but we had to trek on to Santa Teresa.
Have a Miraculous Monday and thank you for reading!
-Karen Hilliard