Choqueqirao Trek Day 3

Day 3: Hike from Santa Rosa (2125 m / 6971 ft)  down to Play Rosalina (1550 m / 5085 ft) then up to Chiquiska (2000 m / 6531 ft).


This was the house of a family that we tented by in Santa Rosa.  They had a little toddler.  I wanted to snap a picture of the mom because she was in her early twenties and was wearing yoga pants and a shirt.  It made me laugh--universal uniform of young moms everywhere.  Even in towns where you have to hike in for two days to get there.

I guess they don't believe in free range chickens.  Hee. Hee.

Leo felt fine in the morning and we thought his sickness had passed and it was just the not eating and then exertion that made him throw up the night before.  He ate breakfast and we booked it down to the river.  But this was the first day that was not raining or cloudy.  It had poured the night before--it was a pretty good storm, but we were so exhausted I mostly slept through all of it.  Anyway, hiking back up the mountain was entirely different from coming down.  Leo and I were both baking in the blazing sun and there was no shade and Leo started feeling sick again.  I didn't feel 100% that morning and I actually bought a gatorade and drank it down at the little store by the river because I hoped the electrolytes would be helpful.  We had zoomed by a Canadian couple we had chatted with a bit on the other side coming down--she was scared of heights and said coming down was worse than going up because she had to look down.  Anyway, they zoomed past us on the way up.  I waved goodbye and told her to enjoy her hike.  She said, "Enjoy is a very strong word." I felt exactly the same.  That was a brutal morning.  But we made it and Leo vomited again and didn't eat lunch.  I felt better by then.  And after lunch the hike to the next campsite wasn't too bad.  We took it pretty slow, but even still we were always under the time that Rosalio said it would take.

Here's us with the crew.  Two porters/horsemen and two cooks.  This is one of the most awkward photos I have ever taken in my life.  Also they were all amazed that we had seven kids and they didn't believe us for a long time.


 This pretty well sums up how I felt that day.


But it was the most gorgeous campsite I've ever stayed in in my life.


As soon as we got to the campsite, Leo went and laid down till dark.  I was left to my own devices so I took a ton of pictures.  So you can see our campsite view from every angle.

I know these pictures are pretty, but honestly they don't even slightly capture how amazing it was being there.



I got bored enough I started taking selfies.  Then I went to talk with the Canadian couple after they emerged.



And that was day three.