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Published: December 7th 2009
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I did not feel like I slept at all well Tuesday night (night 2). My stomach was in knots and I felt very queasy. I had taken Imodium but that didn't seem to help (I realized later than I took the wrong dosage so that may have contributed to the problem). On the positive, I never actually got sick. So Wednesday was supposed to be a long, but relatively easy day. We were awoken at 5 a.m. with breakfast at 5:30 and we set out shortly after 6 a.m. This is when I really started to not feel well. I couldn't eat anything at breakfast - I managed to get down 2 pieces of bread and that was it. To make it even worse, it was slightly rainy when we started off so it was chilly and rocks were slippery. I decided I would just hang toward the back with Persis and Allan again and even felt a little bad that I may be holding them back but they were very gracious. Seriously, I don't think I would've survived without them.
So, from our campsite at Paqaymaya (11.480 feet or 3500 meters), we did a gradual ascent toward our second
pass on the trek, Qochapata at 12, 916 feet or 3950 meters. It was an up and down hike so not as strenuous as the day before - definitely not as steep. But because I'd barely eaten anything since lunch the day before, I was starting to feel low on energy. And we were still at a pretty high altitude. So breathing was still tough. Plus the rain somehow set off my allergies again so my eyes were stinging and nose running. Not very pleasant! The one positive was at least hiking gave me something to keep my mind off my stomach.
Our first stop, about an hour and 40 minutes into the day's trek, was at the ruins at Runkurakay. David gave us a bit of a talk and the clouds cleared enough so we could get some pictures looking back at Dead Woman's Pass. From there, we continued on to the pass and then started descending to our next stop at the ruins of Sayaqmarka. By that time, David was with me, Allan and Persis at the back so we didn't miss any part of the talk at the ruins since it couldn't start until he got
there. To get up to the ruins was a very steep stone staircase but I was determined not to let not feeling well stop me from seeing anything.
On the way back down, the handle came off my walkign stick again (it came off the first time after Dave stepped on it on Day 1, so I blamed him again this time!). He was good natured about it and loaned me his walking stick to get back down from the ruins and then he and Allan did some duct tape repair on it. Next was lunch at Chaquiqocha, at 12,033 feet or 3680 meters. This is when I kind of lost it. My stomach still felt so bad and I couldn't handle barely looking at food. And everyone kept trying to suggest different stuff for me to try to eat and I just couldn't. I was so frustrated at this point, I just started crying - I couldn't help it! I was so mad that my body wasn't cooperating! I'm in good shape and did everything I was supposed to do to prevent altitude sickness and I was still sick! Everyone was very sympathetic at this point and by
after lunch I did manage to get down a little trail mix and later on I had part of an energy bar, so that helped. And again, once we started walking it took my mind off my stomach.
From lunch it was one more uphill to the 3rd pass at 12,000 feet or 3670 meters and then a descent of nearly 1000 meters. It was a long hike. Lunch was very early - around 11 or so. I think we left the lunch site around 12:10, made it to the 3rd pass arund 1:30 and then finally to the campsite at Winay Wayna around 4:20. Again, David hung in the back with me, Persis and Allan. At some point, I started feeling a good deal better and probably could've gone ahead but there was no way I could catch up with the first group and I didn't want to be walking alone.
The day was overcast and rainy for several hours but eventually it cleared enough that we could get some photos. Not nearly as many as the day before though. It was too bad because that part of the hike was supposed to be the most scenic
and beautiful but much of it was lost in the clouds. It was still enjoyable and much easier going downhill despite some difficult slippery rocks. I could at least breathe! We also bided some time by singing songs (I did some Sweet Caroline and Piano Man) and Allan played the harmonica. Just before getting to Winay Wayna campsite we caught up with Murray and Christine and LeeAnn. LeeAnn had fallend and twisted her ankle pretty good so she was struggling a bit. By the time we got to the site, some of the others had already had time to shower (they had hot showers and a bar there). I just did another sponge bath rather than showering. I hadn't brought stuff to shower and I figured, what was one more day?
We had tea at 4:40 and then Omar took several of us to see the ruins of Winay Wayna. I was feeling a lot better at this point and I also wanted to make up for some of the social interaction I mised out on from always being at the back and from being sick and grumpy earlier. So I went and so did Persis, Allan, Kelsey, Dave
and the Norwegian girls. The ruins were really beautiful - partly like an enormously steep amphitheater. And hardly anyone else was there, which was really nice. I chatted with the Norwegian girls a bit and we came to the conckusion that I got sick from eating too much coca candy on Tuesday. Didn't think of that before but it definitely would make sense. I was drinking coca tea like crazy and sucked on several (6 or 7?) coca candies on the way up to Dead Woman's Pass because they helped keep my mouth moist and I felt like they helped me breathe better. But that may have been overkill. Apparently David told Murray that too much of the coca leaves can make you sick so maybe the coca candies and tea did the same for me.
Dinner was good - I was able to get some food down finally! And the cook presented us with a very yummy cake frsted with "Welcome to Machu Picchu." After dinner there was a little ceremony where one member of the group have a speech in Spanish thanking the porters and cook. Christine got nominated for this. Then we were supposed to sing
a song and somehow we ended up deciding on "head, shoulders, knees and toes" complete with the actions. The porters seemed very amused. Finally, Allan played Waltzing Matilda on his harmonica and Chris and LeeAnn danced around to it. A couple of the porters jokingly started dancing too, which got a good laugh. Last, we went through a line and thanked the porters personally - handshakes with most, kisses on the cheek with a few. I head heard that this whole part could get cheesy, but I think we all got a good laugh of it.
After dinner, me, Kelsey, Dave, LeeAnn, Persis and Allan went to the bar for one drink (I had a Sprite). We went to bed around 9:30 or so but there were a lot of people moving around the campsite and around 11 some guy yelled out "bear!!" really loud. We also had someone in a nearby tent snoring up a storm which seemed to keep everyone awake.
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