Day 3 Inka Trail - Peak 3900m (12,792 feet)

Oh, Day 3 makes Day 2 seem so worth the hell.

Day 3 is our longest day of trekking, at 16km. We start early again, around 5am, but I'm quickly finding that this is the most peaceful time of the day to hike, and also, I find myself quite energetic at this point in the day.

The first hour is straight up, coming from camp at 3700m, to our peak at 3900m. The view is incredibly worth it though, and if you're lucky enough to be one of the first at the top, you'll have a few extra minutes to relax, take pictures, and enjoy the utter silence of the Andes.

After this peak, we're mainly on flat, or "gentle" hills: a bit up and a bit down. Day 3 takes us on the genuine Inka Trail, and the scenery is breathtaking. Winding through the mossy grass, trees, flowers, and of course, the awe-inspiring, green Andes is a peace retreat in itself. Our wise one stopped as at one point, and told us all to close our eyes for 30 seconds...don't move, don't breathe...just listen. What an amazing and rare thing it is in life to be able to hear nothing.

Camp on Day 3 rests at a place called Winaywayna, or "Forever Young". This camp is at our lowest altitude throughout the trek, about 2600m and therefore much warmer than previous nights. This is also the main stop for all trekkers before heading to Machu Picchu in the morning, and as such, is nowhere near as private as the previous nights either. Here, you'll be able to pay 5 soles (just under $2) for a warm shower, and find beer, wine, chocolate bars and chips if you're having any particular cravings.

Our 3rd night is also our last with the porters, and for that reason we have a little celebration with them, and get to know them. After simply "doing their jobs" throughout the last three days, they now emerge as warm, compassionate, kindhearted and thoughtful people...characteristics which I find just don't come tangibly forth in our North American culture.

Our team mildly celebrates with a few beers, sitting on the edge of one of the unexpectedly superior terraces of Winaywayna, while our leader tells us the tales of how this place came to be, and what in the world the Inca's were doing when they engineered this massive agricultural centre for the Andes.