On the Flip Side of Saltankay

After reaching the top of Saltankay, was the wonderful knowledge during the next two hours, until lunch, were downhill. With the mountain behind us,

we hiked through the green hills.

It probably has something to do with being close to the equator but it doesn't snow up in the mountains.  There is either glacier or rock in the mountains and then all the green.   One of the hikers in the group commented he spends time and money on fertilizer trying to get his grass to grow green and up at 12K ft, it's green, green and more green and it's the dry season.  Being on the other side of the equator also means the seasons are different.  Our summer solstice (June 21) is their winter solstice and instead of fall, winter, summer, spring, they have wet season and dry season.

After lunch we hiked another 3 hours making it a 9 hour day.  It was still sunny when we showed up at camp.  A running stream nearby had a few of the campers acting like raccoons dipping into the water and cleaning their face.  This campsite was more developed than the first site and had a store where you could by beer, water and toilet paper.  It also had a shower but after learning it was cold water and I was already cold so I passed.  Plus, I was so dang tired the effort of showering just didn't seem worth it.

A soccer game of the guides and horsemen against the campers

A new structure had been built with rooms for the guides downstairs and the dining area upstairs. The dining area was long enough we didn't have to seat 12 people at an 8 person table.  It was open to the outside and a single bulb hung further down on the deck.  That single bulb attracted bugs larger than the bulb (ok, maybe a slight exaggeration) and I was freaking out over the flying beetles.

We inhaled our popcorn snack and waited, and waited and waited for dinner. I was so incredibly tired and ready to forgo dinner just so I could climb into my sleeping bag and go to sleep.

The day wasn't as strenuous and didn't require an early start.  After brushing teeth, using the portapotty, I collapsed into bed for a great nights sleep.