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Inca Trail & the Amazon Rainforest

Day 12 - Inca Trail Day 3

23rd August 2015

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Part 1 - Runkurakay & Sayaqmarka

 
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Day 3 of the trek - upon waking, this felt like an odd day, it promised neither the trepidation of Day 2 nor the joy of seeing Machu Picchu on Day 4 - it turned out to be a very pleasant traipse across 'Inca Flats' and the visit to a couple of well preserved Inca sites and with two passes at 3900m & 3670m it had some good walking too.

The early morning sun gilding the tops of the peaks above us...

Morning glow
 

 
Miche packing up - headtorch still on...

Miche

 
 
We set off in shadow, but we were soon under the warming rays of the Sun...
 
Sun up
Chris on the trail...

Chris on the trail


 
Miche approaching Runkurakay...


Miche Runkurakay




Sun climbing higher over the ridge...

Sun



At Runkurakay - an Inca window view back to Dead Woman's Pass...

Inca window





Looking down on Runkurakay as we quickly gained height again...

Runkurakay



Zoomed-in on another group at Runkurakay - I was a little worried that despite the daily controls that the trail would still be crowded - it wasn't and it seemed a good balance...

Runkurakay




One of a couple of unexpected lakes near the top of the Qochapata pass at 3950 metres - this one was complete with a resident duck...

Unexpected lake



Miche at the top of the pass...

Miche 2nd pass




Me top


Ros and Kristine cairn building...

Cairn building



Our eco-friendly, low impact, bijoux cairn...

Cairn


Looking down towards Qonchamarka from the other side of the pass...

Qonchamarka


Sayaqmarka

This was an impressive settlement, with a number of features remaining - window covering holes, Inca doors, toilet, etc. It was also here that I first suspected that Bobby may have a minor obsession with fountains (the impressive & very ingenious water channelling systems present at these sites)...
 
Sayaqmarka



Panorama at Sayaqmarka...

Panorama


 
Inca window looking down the valley - windows appeared to be strictly functional as viewpoints for paths - if there was no path to view, there'd be no window...
 
Inca window


Bobby explaining the site's position, features and fountains...


Bobby explaining



Windows surrounded by drilled rocks to enable a skin to cover over the gaps...

Inca window coverings



Door bar hole...

Hole





Bobby in a typical trapezoidal nook...

Nook



Fountain site - this one was dry, but many were still working...

Fountain


Looking up at the wall...


Walls




Constant maintenance is required to stop the sites becoming overgrown again...

Maintenance

View to the day's lunch spot and beyond that the final pass of the day at 3670m...

View to last pass
Bobby & Kristine on the trail through the lower site at Qonchamarka...

Heading down

Looking back to Sayaqmarka...

Looking back

Next - Day 12 - Inca Trail - day 3 - Part 2


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Day 1 - London to Amsterdam Day 2 - Amsterdam to Lima Day 3 - Lima - City & Fountains
Day 4 - Lima - Changing of the guard Day 5 - Lima to the Rainforest Day 6 - Rainforest - Macaws & Caiman
Day 7 - Rainforest - Canoe & walk Day 8 - Rainforest to Cuzco Day 9 - Cuzco
Day 10 - Inca Trail - day 1 Day 11 - Inca Trail - day 2 Day 12 - Inca Trail - day 3
Day 13 - Inca Trail - day 4 Day 14 - Machu Picchu Day 15 - Cuzco to Puno
Day 16 - Lake Titicaca Homestay Day 17 - Return to Lima Day 18 - Lima to Home