Day 3 starts early again. I didn't sleep well at all. Not sure why, you would think after hiking 12 miles over 11 hours and 4,000 feet of elevation change i would have slept like a baby on Nyquil. Maybe it was stuffsack makeshift pillow I was using, of the freaking rooster that decided to start crowing at 3am. Either way, I was going on about 2 hours of sleep. Coca tea to the rescue. We trek out around 7:30 and head for the heart of the valley where 2 rivers join and will eventually make their way to the amazon. I believe the name of the river is the Santa Teresa....but I could be mistaken. We follow this river all day eventually leading us to a little town called La Playa.I have to admit, I was a little bumbed when I fund out we would be hiking in jungle like 
conditions. Jungle = hot, humid, muddy, lots of vegetation, and at the time that just didn't appeal to me. I wanted to be back out in the open surrounded by snow capped mountains that seemed to reach the heavens. But as we made our way, I began to really enjoy it. We trek for about an hour toward the bottom of the valley to some local hot springs. We take advantage and soak our body's for the first time in 3 days. Maybe not the cleanest water, but it felt so damn good. The hot springs are actually little man made stone pools, but they are fed by hot spring water pumped from the ground about 30 yards away. The pools were build on a ledge right where the 2 rivers join.
conditions. Jungle = hot, humid, muddy, lots of vegetation, and at the time that just didn't appeal to me. I wanted to be back out in the open surrounded by snow capped mountains that seemed to reach the heavens. But as we made our way, I began to really enjoy it. We trek for about an hour toward the bottom of the valley to some local hot springs. We take advantage and soak our body's for the first time in 3 days. Maybe not the cleanest water, but it felt so damn good. The hot springs are actually little man made stone pools, but they are fed by hot spring water pumped from the ground about 30 yards away. The pools were build on a ledge right where the 2 rivers join. 
As we continue on, everything gets noticeably greener. The vegetation becomes very thick and lush, and the flowers become larger and more colorful. We saw many different kinds of orchids, Hubert pointing them out to us nearly ever time we came across one. Some small, some large, one named the "dancing lady" because it looked like....well, a dancing lady, and another that made you hallucinate if you ate it. As tempting as it was, we didn't try it. Something about hiking on a mountain ridge while tripping nuts didn't appeal to anyone. And when I say we were walking along a mountain ridge, I mean we were really on a ridge. At times the trail may have only been 2 feet wide. One wrong step and you fall thousands of feet. What makes it really unsettling is the number of avalanches you can see on the side of the mountains due to erosion. We were about half way through the days hike when we come up on a waterfall. We have to almost go under the waterfall to get around it and continue on. After we cross it, Hubert says " there must have been an avalanche here last week because the trail was gone." Oh, well that's good to know! None the less, being on the mountain ridge made for breath taking views.We reach the town of La Playa around 3:30. Today is our shortest hike of the trip. This town 
reminds me of something you would see in National Geographic. The houses (or huts) are very small, and most seem to have no electricity. The population here is probably around 200, and their largest source of income is no doubt the trekkers who come through there. We reach our camp site and it is in the middle of what i would call the "town market." Our tents are set up between the bathroom with a "warm shower" and a store that sells backpacking supplies and beer. We take advantage of the beer situation. I get into an intense game of chess with Hubert after dinner. I haven't played chess in probably 15 years when I would often play with my grandfather when he was in town. I felt like I was
really good at the time, but I now realize that he would just let me win because in no way would I be able to out smart my grandfather at this game. But I was able to out smart Hubert. Actually, he just made a dumb move and I pounced on it. We continue to take advantage of the cheap beer well into the night (like 9:30). Every one is in an excellent mood, exchanging stories, sharing interests and local hobbies when Hubert drops the bomb on us. "Guys, tomorrows hike may be just as hard as yesterdays. We climb for 4 hours straight." The mood turns somber and we immediately regret the last 4 big beers we split. We decide to pack it in and prepare for tomorrow.
reminds me of something you would see in National Geographic. The houses (or huts) are very small, and most seem to have no electricity. The population here is probably around 200, and their largest source of income is no doubt the trekkers who come through there. We reach our camp site and it is in the middle of what i would call the "town market." Our tents are set up between the bathroom with a "warm shower" and a store that sells backpacking supplies and beer. We take advantage of the beer situation. I get into an intense game of chess with Hubert after dinner. I haven't played chess in probably 15 years when I would often play with my grandfather when he was in town. I felt like I was
really good at the time, but I now realize that he would just let me win because in no way would I be able to out smart my grandfather at this game. But I was able to out smart Hubert. Actually, he just made a dumb move and I pounced on it. We continue to take advantage of the cheap beer well into the night (like 9:30). Every one is in an excellent mood, exchanging stories, sharing interests and local hobbies when Hubert drops the bomb on us. "Guys, tomorrows hike may be just as hard as yesterdays. We climb for 4 hours straight." The mood turns somber and we immediately regret the last 4 big beers we split. We decide to pack it in and prepare for tomorrow. 
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