Day 7: Colpapampa to La Playa to Santa Teresa

 Since we weren't used to sharing the trails with others, we got an early jump on the day to avoid the crowds.

After a brief walk down the road, we veered off onto a trail that led us into a highland "jungle" - often called the eyebrow of the jungle.

This trail followed the road, with a river between us and the road.

Periodically, we would see a plley bridge that allowed the villagers to cross the river.

Some of the plants along the trail...

The trail was mostly dry, with the occasional muddy spot or waterfall, and had gradual ups and downs.

After about two and a half hours, we passed through a village where we could buy snacks. We saw these turkeys on the outskirts of the village.

After about 2 more hours of hiking, we were met by a car and driven the last 2-3km down the road to La Playa, where we had a delicious lunch.

After lunch, we said goodbye to our horsemen and were then driven to our last campsite in Santa Teresa. After quickly setting up our tents, we took a taxi to the Santa Teresa hot springs. 

The hot springs had just been rebuilt after a devastating flood the prior year. I found the warmest spot and let the hot water soothe my aching muscles. It felt wonderful! After about 2 hours of soaking, we hired a car to take us back to the campsite.

After having tea and a light meal at the campsite

We headed into town to explore a bit, before heading back to the campsite for the night.

Trail Stats:

Distance: 11 km / 6.8 miles

Duration: 4 hours

Elevation gain: 40 m / 131'

Elevation loss: 810 m / 2657 '

Camping elevation: 1550 m / 5085'