Inca Trail - Day 3

---

DAY 16: THIRD DAY OF THE INCA TRAIL


The first destination for today was the Inca ruins of Runkuraqay (12,470 feet), which our group reached after a 40 minute hike. Apparently this was a religious place of training and preparation for the Inca priests. The Incas did not have writing, so archeologists have different theories about the Inca’s ruins, but not a definite one. Most of what is known about the Incas is because of the legends and myths that were passed down by word of mouth.

Shortly after leaving Runkuraqay I reached another pass and then I found that much of the hiking was either level or downhill. It was amazing to see how nature started to change as soon as I started to go down the mountain. Before arriving to Runkuraqay the plants were small and yellowish and after the ruins I started to see intense green plants and bigger and bigger trees. On the way, I had a guided visit of the ruins of Sayaqmarca located at 11472 feet and then I passed by the ruins of Qonchamarca. Sayaqmarca means inaccessible town and I can say that it is really truth. This ruin served as an administrative complex since the food was storage here to be counted and then redistributed. By other hand, Qonchamarca was a relay center between Cusco
and Machu Picchu, so when the Spaniards arrived to Cusco
the noble residents of Machu Picchu were award of what was happening there.

Around 11:45 a.m. I arrived at the lunch camp, where everything was ready for us. After eating and refreshing my head with some cold water from the faucets of the restroom, I continued my journey. From here, the view was even more beautiful and the Inca Trail
seemed almost perfect, the trees and plants surrounding the trail as if an artist had placed them there.

After a couple of hours of breathtaking views, I arrived at the ruins of Phuyupatamarka at 11930 feet. This place is well known as the town in the clouds. This was an agriculture town with amazing aqueducts.

There was an optional ruin to see before arriving at Wiñaywayna, the camp, but it meant an additional 30 minutes of hiking. I opted to see the ruin of Yunkapata (also called Intipata) and really enjoyed the extra hiking and the amazing view from the ruin. On the way to my camp from Yunkapata I saw the beautiful Orchid of Machu Picchu. The colors on this flower are so vibrant, they almost seem unreal.
Once I arrived at the camp at 5:30 p.m., after walking 10 miles, I saw some small kiosks selling everything, a small restaurant, restrooms with “toilets” and showers! So, I went to my tent and I took some clothes, shampoo, soup, and sandals, and I went to take a shower. I paid US$ 2.00 for a 5 minutes shower and US$ 2.00 for a couple of clean extra small towels. After the shower, I played some cards with my group and then we ate our final dinner, during which time Maria told us that there is a tradition in the Inca Trail and it is that the hikers tip the porters in a small ceremony for the hard and great job they do for the hikers. One of us collected the tips and at the end of dinner we hikers gathered with the guides and porters. (If you want to know how much a good tip is, I would say that anything over US$ 25.00 because what they do is astonishing.) After thanking them for the great jobs they performed and for the food, we gave them the tips. They looked so happy!

At 9:00 I went to my bed to sleep, but some people were still in the restaurant drinking beer and dancing. Around 11:30 p.m. I woke up because of the rain, which was pretty strong for about 30 minutes and then was over. While I was listening to the rain falling over my tent, I started to feel sad and happy at the same time—sad because the next day the Inca Trail would be over and happy because I would be seeing Machu Picchu for the second time and from the Intipunku or the Gate of the Sun.

http://www.latikaincatrail.com

---