Inca Trail Day 2 Part 5: Relaxing at Paqaymayu

It was nice to have gotten ahead of the pack and arrived in Paqaymayu well ahead of time.

The entrance to the campsite at Paqaymayu.

I arrived with Roberta, there were only 3 from our group already there, one of which was Damian from Argentina. We shared a photo there on arrival wearing our respective country’s football shirts. Although it doesn’t look like it in the photo, this should have been something to celebrate as most people take all day to finish Day 2 of the Inca Trail and most class it as the toughest day. This was around 1.30 pm – we had killed the trail by that point.

I was still feeling the altitude however and turned to my supply of Coca products for some respite.

My tent! My clothes were soaked through and I hung them up between 2 tents to dry, on a cord. However another downpour was, obviously, on its way, so ended up walking the last 2 days with wet clothes anyway.

Our campsite. The others hadn’t arrived yet and we eat together so I had to wait but I was hungry so I had some of my Pringles. There was not much to do there but admire the views. So I updated my diary notes, read my book on Peru and gave Roberta a massage in her tent. After that I even had time for an afternoon nap before lunch.

Lunch was excellent as usual. Everyone was now here and in good spirit. We were halfway to Machu Picchu!!

Our table for late lunch – think around 4pm.

The views from that campsite were astonishing – straight into hils, forests and rock faces all surrounded in an eerie Inca mist.

I often wore my work shirt on my travels. Here at the campsite dressed in my Australian PJ Gallagher’s Irish Pub Shirt.

After lunch was more rest time. Including a cup of tea and sitting out in the cold. Here, She, Stan and Katie share a joke.

Again wearing my work shirt against a backdrop of Peruvian mountains.

Dinner was around 7 pm and this was an early night. I shared my tent with She from Taiwan that night. For the record we stayed at Paqaymayu Campsite number 15.