Day 8

Hola amigos y familias! As you have heard from Allie, the hike up the mountain was obviously not the greatest day of our lives. However, I think I speak for the whole group in saying that Day 2 of the hike was MUCH more pleasurable. We woke up to fog surrounding our tents around 7:00. It had stopped raining/snowing, but it was still so cold. There were also random horses and llamas around the campsite. The Peruvian cooks with us brought coffee and hot tea to our tents…I had coffee (yes, Mom, I really did). Some locals were setting up little markets outside the tents, enticing us with warm alpaca wool hats, gloves, scarves, and socks. We got out of our tents to eat pancakes with maple syrup, toast and cheese, and hot chocolate. Then we packed up and headed down the mountain finally (no hot springs…it was either six more hours of hiking or a five hour bus ride both ways). This was the hike we had hoped for the whole trip—bright blue skies, clear views, and great pictures…plus it was mostly all downhill. At some point, some local kids booked it down the mountain in an effort to set up shop in time for us to buy things. Anyways, everyone made it safely down the mountain and were in much better moods.
Instead of the hot springs, we went to a 4 star hotel in Ollantaytambo. There, we were able to enjoy the sauna and a much-needed shower. We also dined on alpaca steaks and had brownies & ice cream for dessert (just like home!!). We waited in crazy Ollanta traffic and finally made it back to our homestays. Allie and I are staying with Gilma (27), Willie (31), and adorable Liseth (8). She and a friend came running out of the house yelling our names and greeting us with huge hugs. That simple act instantly made Allie & I feel better. It will be hard to say goodbye!! We were still full of alpaca, so we had to say no to dinner…our mama had fixed spaghetti because we told her pasta was our favorite. We had our nightly hot tea and headed to bed. Everyone has enjoyed their time in Piscacucho but we are ready for some relaxation in Ollantaytambo later this week! I’m off to finish the rest of the mural…adios for now!

--Katie