Morning broke in the small hamlet of Chillipahua to the tune
of whinnying horses and canvas flapping in a gentle breeze. I stepped out of my tent into the cold air to survey my surroundings. As the
shadows retreated from the rising sun, our cooks began preparing what I knew
would be another amazing meal, thus giving me time to collect my gear and my
thoughts for the upcoming day.
This was day two of my Moonstone Trek through southern Peru,
which began near Huaracondo and would end at the mountaintop citadel of Machu
Picchu. During the previous day,
