Peregrine Deviation: adventures elsewhere: Mamma Letter

For those of you who didn't attend or work at Camp Green Cove, there is a weekly ritual known as the "Mamma Letter." The letter is from the camper's counselor (or Counselor in Training) to the camper's parents to give a weekly update. For this blog entry, my two travel companions (both former Green Cove counselors) wrote a Mamma Letter about the past week, namely our 5-day trek to Machu Picchu via the Salkantay Pass. The letter may or may not have been written on the return train to Cusco, over cervezas bought for us by a very nice middle-aged Argentinian man. Pictures below the letter.

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Hola from Peru!

Plettner and Liddell here from Middler Nowhere. This has been a very busy week. Munny was out on a 5-day. She has been enjoying hiking, climbing, and eating. She has also been seen looking at horses and llamas, which is closer to the barn than she has been in years. She even reported seeing the ever-elusive Andean Mountain Elk (also known as the common cow).

Her 5-day Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu was led by Ernesto, a certified DTL from SAS Travel. Though the first day consisted of light hiking, it did include a major activity (swimming) when the group encountered a surprise hail storm. The second day was more strenuous, climbing to over 15,000 feet at Salkantay Pass. Although the day was 9 hours of hiking, Munny kept a smile on her face due to the coca leaves (nature) that she chewed the entire time. On days 3 & 4 Munny and the group made their way from the snowy rocky terrain to the lush mountainous jungle along the Salkantay River. On the riverbank, she and her friends often stopped for chalk talks on how one might run the mighty Salkantay and Urubamba Rivers. After much discussion it was determined that even the legendary A.Bell wouldn't attempt such a feat. After several long days of trekking, she and her new friends relaxed in the hot springs (swimming) at the foot of Machu Picchu. The trip culminated on the fifth day with a visit to Machu Picchu. Major activities included hiking, climbing (without harnesses or ropes) up Huaynupichu Mountain, and being close to llamas (riding/barn).

Munny has done a great job of making new friends, yet keeping the old. She especially got along with two young Aussies, Dave and Kate. By the end of the trip, she and her friends even managed to charm two very tall retired Dutchman who thought they never shut up. Although we do not normally consider eating to be a major activity, the sheer quantity ingested during this trip warrants such a status. Always up for a challenge, Munny and her friends managed to eat more (and drink more tea) than seemed humanly possible. This is in special thanks to Efrain, the cook that accompanied their trip.

We are attaching some photos. Hope you enjoy them half as much as she and her friends enjoyed the trip.

Until next week,

Liddell and Plettner

Ernesto explains how to chew coca