The next morning the rain had stopped and after breakfast it was time for a little walk. Sleep was disrupted around 0300 when one group packed up to depart the area. They were a five-day group and spent the night here before leaving. Back up at 0500 for the rest of us. The hardest part was to put on wet socks and step into wet hiking boots. Had I known what I know now, the secret is Crocks. Those rubber-like shoes that protect the foot and give you traction in water. That way one can leave the boots and socks in the backpack. Two hours later, after two more river crossings, those things did not matter much. We were climbing steps, somewhere around 2000 of them. Not in one stretch however, but challenging enough, to get us to the various layers and terraces of the Lost City. By then my camera ceased to function. It was overcome by moisture. For me, here, at the most important time, I was out of the photography game for the next two days, i.e. until the end of this journey. Should have carried a small, but high quality, backup somewhere on my body. I left my camera with every port and portal open, baking on the hot rock of the Lost City. It wasn't hot or long enough. I did take my memory card out and others let me slip it into their Nikon cameras, and I was able to take some shots, after all. Saved my day and this trip. Then it was back down those 2000 steps and back to the camp to pick up our daypacks there, have lunch, and mentally prepare for a four hour walk to the last camp for the night. Sounds good, except that it started to pour again, all the way there. Slopes turned into slippery slopes and many of us slid down dome of those, involuntarily. At least I was spared that indignity. Finally, long and wet hours later, we arrived at the final camp. Supper and bed. People were exhausted. Then, shortly after I laid down to sleep I jumped up and in successive visits to the toilets, tossed every bit of food I had eaten in the last 18-20 hours. When that stopped, diarrhea began, just to make things interesting. I noticed after a while, waiting for the next event, that there was a constant running by others to the bathrooms. I was not alone. Wake-up came way too soon at 0430. But this is the more interesting day three, the early part, pre- rain and illness:

The Lost City experience.