The rest of our trek on the Salkantay trail is technically downhill, but that definitely does not mean that it’s easier.

– Woke up bright and early at campground Los Andenes for a 7am start. Sleeping and waking with the sun has quickly become a pleasant habit.

– Hiking started with an immediate, steep downhill, made slick from the previous night’s rain. After a few miles, the muscles began to warm up.

– Trekked through the remote Andean town of Chaully, and continued on to the still being built mountain access road.

– Followed the road for a while, at which point Chris turned off onto the jungle trail, and I stayed on the road next to the river.

– We stayed in contact via GMRS radios, which finally started working again, after they dried off.

– Noticed lots of weird furry white caterpillars, and giant hummingbirds alomg the trail.

– As we descended, we notice major changes in the plant an animal life. Now, it’s starting to feel like dense jungle, with wild banana and lemon trees everywhere.

– After a long day of hiking, we stopped for a rest and soda in La Playa, and then continued on to our campground in a soccerfield cut out from the jungle.

– For dinner tonight, we each had a can of tuna, and a small packet of pasta with tomato paste.

– Hiked 18km today, and are camping at 6,600 feet. Breathing the thicker air is a nice change.