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Published: September 3rd 2015
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Mosquito Bites
What happens when you don't wear long pants at the coffee plantation It had rained hard last night again. It was going to be another muddy hike today and I was not looking forward to it. Puma told us we would have some uphill and downhill hiking today but mostly downhill. As we prepared to head out I chatted with the Swiss group who were trying to decide to whether try to hike or just take a taxi to the next stop. It was tempting decision considering the weather.
We packed up and put on our rain ponchos before heading out. The first part was to get out of the campground which was a downhill hike through very thick mud. It was slippery and none too safe. Once we got through that part the hike got easier and we found ourselves walking through a Peruvian jungle full of Macaws, plants and flowers. It was a lovely view. The hike that day took about 6 hours and we stopped frequently at small snack stands that had drinks and bathrooms available.
I was doing pretty well until near the end when I realized use of the walking poles had cut into my thumbs. It made holding the poles harder and slowed me down. I was fairly tired when we reached Le Playa which was supposed to be our stop for that day. Le Playa has a large camp ground along with a restaurant and a bar. The rest of the groups stumbled into Le Playa with a variety of injuries including a twisted ankle. The mud had made the hike very dangerous.
Puma gave us the option of staying Le Playa after the coffee plantation or we could stay at Saint Teresa which would make an easier hike tomorrow. Also the hike from Le Playa to Agua Calientes would be dangerous and not easy with the rain and mud. After discussing we opted for staying in Saint Teresa. We next went to a coffee plantation. The van ride was interesting because of how narrow and bad the roads are in Peru.
The coffee plantation person took us through the entire coffee process. From picking the ripe beans to roasting them it was an interesting process and I was disappointed they get paid so little for their coffee beans. The cup of coffee we got at the end was quite tasty. It was a good show but I will say I got eaten alive by mosquitoes and I wished I had worn long pants because my legs were covered in mosquito bites. I posted a picture of the end results in this blog.
We next took a van with 2 other groups to Saint Teresa where there were hot sprints. In the van we had the Iranian father/son and 2 couples, 1 from England and one from Switzerland. The hot springs cost 5 Soles and allowed us to get clean and relax in the water. It was mostly tourists in the water with a smattering of locals. After the springs we went to our campsite in Saint Teresa. After dinner I went to a pharmacy and got some bandaids for some blisters and the cuts on my hand.
Tomorrow was our last hike to Agua Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu
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