Soryapampa Lodge to Soryapampa Lodge via Lake Humantay (Day 4)

This was the main bum sniffing exercise but interestingly enough it was optional. It was a three and a half hour round trip to lake with a 1,420 foot (Nicola is sure it was more....) change in altitude. 

Nicola and I were the tail gunners again but this time it paid a dividend, namely the sighting of a Condor!  Yarik spotted it screeching down the valley and alerted me; the female local muleteer almost busted a gut making sure Nicola saw it too. I have seen many birds in my time but none so big or majestic, would love to see more. 

The trek up proved to me (Nicola) that my lungs and general aerobic capacity was going to be challenged during the trip..... Pepe encouraged me to try out a new style of walking.... Uno... pause... Dos.... pause.. the pause was not really a pause, but more of a hesitation in the foot step to relax the foot that was not walking. 

Arrived at a rickety bridge (health and safety would have something to say...) where Jon waited for me amongst the cows. I kind of got the impression that Jon was communing with the cows when I reached him. Yarik then created the lamest, but funniest joke of the trip. Hard to recreate in words, but I will try. Yarik asked “where does the expression Holy Cow come from?” Good question one could ask. Then he pointed high, high up the mountain to a white cow and my natural response was “Holy Cow how did he get up there”....... expression derivation proven :)

Once we arrived at the lake my breath was stolen not just by the beauty of the moraine lake but by the numbers of people who had made the day trek form Cusco (300+)! Yarik told me that they get up at four to drive there and then hike up an hour before heading back! 

The trek back to the lodge was challenging if only for the crowds of trekkers (in all sorts of outfits), horse carried tourists and adorable puppy’s. Ok there was only one puppy but it did almost get slipped into Nicola’s pack, negotiations did slow our forward momentum but sense won out and the dog population on the Short house hold remained at two. 

At the top of the pass we both laid a stone as an offering to the mountain and prayed initially for my Mum’s recovery but then also for all of our family and friends. 

Oh did I mention it started to snow an hour or so into the trek? 

Summer holiday! 

Back to the amazing lodge and Nicola got a massage - nice - legs and feet felt miraculous after that. Then a quick pop into the jacuzzi and steam room before dinner. And at dinner a lovely cake to celebrate Jeremy’s birthday - oh to be 38 again :)

Also we heard from Nicola’s Dad that all had gone well with the colonoscopy and nothing untoward presented itself in the results.