Nomadic Reflections

It has been nearly 3 weeks since I returned home from South America. I suppose some people would say that I am back in the "real world". But what does that mean? I know that the year that I spent sitting in my cubicle doing Excel spreadsheets for 10 hours a day was surely not the real world. To me, I was out in the real world for the past 4.5 months, seeing, breathing, touching and experiencing it everyday. Being at home is strange. As I finish the last entries of my blog, I am reminded that yes - I did go to South America and no - it was not a dream. It is a strange feeling to return home and feel foreign. Toilet paper in the bathroom, clean water from the tap, a car, a bed of my own, a warm house and a full kitchen, these were all things I had gone without and of course, makes me realize how lucky I am. But it also makes me realize what I am missing out on in a way that I never knew before.

My journey through South America was more than I ever could have imagined. I walked on a glacier in Argentina, danced samba barefoot in the treetops of Brazil, slept in a hammock in the jungle of Equador, glided above the valleys of Colombia and hiked to the ancient Inka city of Machu Picchu in Peru. I was welcomed, enlightened, humbled & inspired by the people that I was lucky enough to meet. At times I felt sad, frustrated, lonely and confused. But I also felt and still do feel connected to the world in a way I never did before. I went to South America with little knowledge of the place I would call home for the last 4.5 months. And it is now a place I cannot escape. Travel is important. It is vital to understanding the world in which we live in. And because of it I am reminded that the world is vast, our possibilities are endless and people are inheritently good.

When I was in Lima, for New Years Eve, I made a promise to myself, as the clock struck 12, that I would work hard to stay true to the person I am when I travel. So often, the daily stresses of life can get in the way of who we really are or want to be. Schedules fill up, days fly by and it can be hard to take the time to actively experience each day. I know that I did that and will continue to be grateful for every new day.

The Sweet Reward

Day 4. I was awoken not by our 3:45 wake up call but from the rain pelting my tent for hours. We all dragged ourselves out of bed and ate some breakfast. If the weather did not clear up the view of Machu Picchu would not be the one I had envisioned. We trudged off into the dark with flashlights in hand and ponchos on. The sun gate is where you usually see your first glimpse of Machu Picchu but it was so cloudy and rainy we couldn't see a thing.


Not the best quality pic but it shows you how
we started the day.


Trying to stay positive.


But really, I was bummed and praying that the
weather would clear up.

When we first arrived, it was pretty foggy but not raining so that was a plus! Because we got there so early, we did have a lot of time for the weather to clear and sure enough it did. It was a little overwhelming because there were a lot of people there and it definitely felt touristy. But at the same time it is one of the most amazing things that I have ever seen. Being there you can completely see how the city functioned. You also realize how exhausting it must have been to get around. There are a hell of a lot of steps!!! Hilby our guide ended the tour by emphasizing to us that the Inka's strongly believed that you must take care of the land and environment around you. They treated their surroundings with great care and were careful to protect them. This message of conservation and respect for the environment was something that Hilbert wanted us to take home with us. And it is something that I can certainly relate to.


An amazing sight after 4 days - Machu Picchu.



The gang finally made it! A nice group photo
was nearly impossible....


Jules & I showing Hilby some love.


The crew.


Hard to take a bad picture there.


Not a whole lot behind me...good
thing I'm not afraid of heights!



The money shot.


A little delirious by the end.


Jules and I celebrating back in Cusco.


Fun times with our trail mates!

Jules and I spent one more day in Cusco before heading our seperate ways. She was headed to Sao Paolo to travel through Brazil while the time had come for me to go home. I had mixed feelings about it but knew that it was the right time. With no regrets, I boarded my plane to Lima and began my 31 hour journey home.

Inka Trailing

The second day of the Inka trail is definitely the hardest day. The group woke up at 5:30 with our usual wake up call complete with coca tea served in our tents (which was sweet!). It was especially hard to wake up because we knew it was a tough day. Not only is it the longest and steepest part of the trail but it is also 10 hours of hiking. We made our way up to Dead Woman's Pass which is the highest part of the trail at 4,215 meters. All of us eventually made it with no altitude sickness.


Onward and upwards! Kerrill, BP & I taking a
breather.


Hilby educating us.


Jules on the last stretch before the
top.


Made it to the top!


Alpaca hats are sooo in this year.


And now for some downhill.


At the top of the mountain we placed stones
that we picked up along the way and made a
wish. We also made offerings to the Gods.
Danny graciously offered an entire Snickers bar.
A real sacrifice on a 4 day trek. :)


A nice view.


I like flowers.


Self timer fun.


More vegetation.


Hilby entertaining us with his many "funny
questions" or jokes.

The third day was mostly downhill and was a piece of cake after surviving the second day. We camped at the last campsite which had showers and a restaurant. It was kind of strange being back in "civilization". I really enjoyed the time up in the mountains, probably more than Machu Picchu even though it was amazing to see. The Peruvian Andes are amazingly beautiful and you feel so far away from everything.


What a beautiful sight to wake up
to.


Rise and shine #29. The water bowls were for
washing our faces (not that I did!).


The Irish brothers bundling up.


Mountain woman.


Goofing off as usual.


Typical Aussie behavior.


A porter speeding by.


Brightly colored ponchos - also very in this year.


Cold & cranky faces.


Our hiking family.


Me and my trusty poles.


Jules and I in front of Winawayna, an
agricultural Inka site.


At the Temple of the Rainbow at Winawayna.
This temple had 7 windows to represent the 7
colors of the rainbow. The Inka religion
honored the Earth & the land that they depended
on. Temples such as this one reflect this belief.


Last dinner before Machu Picchu.


One of many intense games of Shithead.


Entertaining ourselves at the lodge.

We all celebrated our last night together at the lodge and were in bed early because we had a big day ahead of us - a 3:45 wake up call and the sweet reward, the breathtaking Inka city of Machu Picchu.

The Inka Trail is a Good Crack!

When you are going to be spending 7-10 hours of your day for 3 days straight hiking in the rain and mud and camping out in the middle of the Peruvian Andes, it is good to have some Aussies & Irish in the group. They are good fun and very entertaining! In total, there were 13 people in our group - Aussies, Irish, Americans & 1 Danish on our trek to Machu Picchu. We had a great group and had a lot of laughs. After a couple days of acclimatization in Cusco, we were off. This was one of the things on the top of my list to do while in South America and so it worked out well that it was the last stop on my journey. The first day we hiked for about 7 hours with stops along the way to learn about the Quechua people and archaeological sites. Our guide Hilbert said that the Quechua people, (which are the indigenous people who are descendants from Inka civilizations) do not like the term "ruins" because it insinuates that the cities were not in tact, which they very much are. Our guide Hilbert was a real jokester but was also very informative. He studied archaeology for 8 years and really knew his stuff (as well as spoke really good English)!


5:45 am we are on our way!


Armed with our hiking poles and ready to go.


The crew.


One of the homes of the local Quechua people
along the trail.


Our fantastic guide Hilbert or "Hilby" as we
liked to call him.


Jules and I in front of one of the many
'archeological sites'.


Lunch break. The food was excellent! Honestly
some of the best food I have had down here.


A local woman grinding corn with a stone.


Campsite #1. Jules has magically transformed
herself into a tent!


Jules and I headed out at our first camp site.


Ah the squatter! Really wasn't that bad.


It takes a lot of work to get all of us to Machu
Picchu. This is the entire crew - porters, guides
and us gringos.