Getting High in Peru, Archaeological Adventures. Year 2: Choquequirao.

Choquequirao, Peru’s “Cradle of Gold City,” is NOT the Sister City of Machu Picchu or the OTHER Machu Picchu

            Five Day Four Night Trek: this is Day 4

Waking up at Marampata above and below

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Day 4, Miercoles, 29 Octubre 2014

            I do not remember what time we got up, camping at Marampata, below and outside Choquequirao; it was early but not at 4 AM, and I was up before the others. The clouds were below the peaks and in the valley, so I took a few pics. The hike this morning would be a repeat of Day 2, except that we would be going downhill in the morning. We would begin in cool temps and they would rise as we descended to the bridge.  So, no problem for me in getting downhill to the bridge and to the campground at Playa Rosalina, where we had encountered rain and no supplies for part of Night 1. 

I wondered why the chickens had plastic attached. Different owners use colored plastic

Our bano

Froydis' mule tender

Chef Agapito with our mules

            We had another gourmet breakfast from Agapito; I do not like to repeat the word “gourmet” but a word to the company I booked with, Tierras Vivas, my compliments to Chef Agapito and the food he prepared. As we crossed the bridge to Playa Rosalina, we noticed several broken welds on the bridge supports. A few were wired together, but this new bridge needs a welder in the near future. After lunch, Edson wisely stated that we needed to take a siesta during this heat before ascending to the Day 4 campground, Huayhuacalle, where Edson and I had our first lunch without our supplies and where we met Froydis.

Approaching the new footbridge

Leaving Rosalina with the bridge and steep trail up to Marampata

Switchbacks up to Marmpata

            Once the other two got up (I dozed for 20 minutes), we prepped for our ascent. Rosalina was a nice campground, and it looks like Peru is planning ahead. They have solar panels here and buildings with electrical wiring (Rent a cot for overnight?), but all unused for now. We left in the heat; I had taken my lower pant leggings off for the ascent, but soon we were hiking in the shadows. We stopped for a rest at Campground Chiquisca, where I had bought a bottle of water on the way down on Day 1. Besides all of the animal dung, there were millions of gnats, so I put my leggings back on since I had no repellant left. I also bought a bottle of Sprite. This quenched my thirst. On our way here, Edson had picked up several empty plastic bottles which people had just dumped, and he tried to leave them here. The husband and wife team objected, saying that they weren’t theirs, but Edson insisted that they were and left them there. They did not object to my empty Sprite bottle, since I had just bought it from them. 

Chiquisca with piles of mule dung and gnats

We are surrounded by Apus, the Inca mountain gods, above and below

If you lean against this sign, you and it will wind up at the river

We continued our ascent, and I noticed that my thighs were no longer burning. Now I began to think that, hey, we could turn around and trek to Machu Picchu. And, I even jogged for a bit to a military cadence of “When Johnnie comes home with your left….” However, I had signed for 5 days/4 nights, so it was back to Cachora and Cusco. Late afternoon, we arrived back at Huayhuacalle. Our mule caretakers had already set up our tents, and it was a race to see who could be ready for a shower before the sunset. I won! This was my first shower in four days and I relished it. It was cold, but the sun was still up. A pig was rooting near me, but no pasa nada. 

Our tents

Our meal tent

One of my gourmet suppers

My stool is near my tent.

            After supper, I sat on a stool and just gazed at the snow-capped peaks surrounding us. I could still make out the switchbacks from Playa Rosalina (Night 1) up to Marampata (Night 3) from where we had come today. This was impossible to see in Bingham’s time since the foliage was so thick. Once it became completely dark, I retired to my tent.

Other pics of the trail back. Choquequirao is in the back haze.

Marampata w/telephoto lens above and below.