Machu Picchu!!!

Machu Picchu

Before coming to Peru, I only knew of two ways to get to Machu Picchu. There is the famous 4 day Inca Trail which happens to cost around $600. Then there is the less costly but far more less awesome train ride for the elderly, disabled, out of shape or those strapped for cash. I had all but resigned to the horrific idea of joining the poor pathetic masses on the train due to cost, but once I had spent some time in Peru I began hearing rumors. Tales of an alternative epic journey to Machu Picchu were whispered by the wind. After some thorough investigation the rumors proved true and I could not have been more thrilled!

For less than half the price of the Inca Trek I would be doing the alternate 4 day route known as the Jungle Trek. It still follows some original Incan trails but the possibility and logistics of this trek have only recently been discovered by a man named Lorenzo. So, when I arrived in Cusco I tracked Lorenzo down and got on his next tour. 

I have yet to reveal what truly blows the door off the hinges of awesomeness and makes this trek amazing. But friends, the time is now. 

While others simply hike or take the train to Machu Picchu, I would be trekking, mtn biking, white water rafting, and zip lining my way to one of the 7 wonders of the world! Go ahead and read that again. Now close that gaping mouth of yours. Yeah, I zoomed across cables hundreds of feet above the jungle canopy in search of the great lost Incan city. And that was only one crazy forms of transportation I used to navigate the Peruvian jungle.

The only thing that could make that experience better would be the people with me. Yes, my group of ten were equally fantastic and the guides were super as well. 

So after three days of sweet experiences I will never forget, I still had Machu Picchu the next day. To be honest, I was a little worried it wouldn't live up to the hype, especially after the crazy fun days leading up to it. But I was not let down.

You would think waking up at 4 AM to race up 2000 steps against 400 other people might put a damper on things. False. It only makes gazing upon the forgotten city at first light that much tastier. 

After a tour of the ruins, I hiked the mountain overlooking the city. Note: the mountain is actually named Machu Picchu and no one actually knows what the city was called. Anyway, the view from the top was indescribable. So guess what, I'm not even going to try. Pictures are also incapable of doing it justice. All I can say is that it literally took my breathe away. And no, that was not an effect of the altitude. 

Now, I'm not going to bother writing all the things I learned or anymore details about those 4 days. Basically there is too much material. But please, if you would like to know more, ask me when I get back. I would love nothing more than to sit down with you over a cup of your favorite beverage, and tell you all about one of the greatest experiences of my life. And then we will hug.

Lovsies

Here, There, And Somewhere In The Middle

Meyellow!

So I have finally moved on after spending 2 weeks in the small surf town of Huanchaco, filling my time with hammocks, exploring some ruins, and yes, surfing. It was difficult to leave that little beach paradise but I could hardly complain after I arrived to hang out in the desert oasis of Huacachina. More on the Huacachina experience next time. For now, a few events that lead up to my arrival at the oasis.

The problem with opting for a taxi ride is that you dont always know what you are getting. The best you can really do is glance at the car and if it doesnt look like its going to fall apart once it hits 30, you get in. More often than not, things are just fine and you pay for an uneventful ride. And then there are times when you discover that the taxi´s primary brakes are basically nonexistant. Fortunately the driver has gotten as good as one can get at using a combination of down shifting and the emergency brake. Not the smoothest of rides, but hey, it worked.

Taxis are only one form of transportation that I have become all too familiar with. Another is buses, which happen to be how I get transported from one city to the next. So far the majority of my rides have been in the 8 to 10 hour range, happen over night, and go through some mountain range that would make those in the US consider going back to diapers.

When I was young, I remember going camping with my family. As my dad would navigate the narrowish roads up in the mountains, my mom would occupy her time flipping out worse than a baboon full of cocaine in a bounce house who had just discovered a glob of peanut butter on his tail. For some reason the combination of my dad´s driving and the ever looming steep hill/cliff on one side or the other didnt sit well with her. I would like to first point out that my dad´s driving was in no way unsafe and that my mom, as much as I love her, may have been being a bit irrational. All that is to say this, I would pay huge loads of money to see the video of my mom on one of these buses through the mountains that I have ridden. And I say video because I would refuse to ride that bus with my mom because it would no doubt wreek of urinated pants, buckets of puke, and each person would have numerous scratches from the whirlwind of freak out that my mom would no doubt create because these bus rides are exponenially crazier than anything my dad could have cooked up when I was little.

Anywho, I heard of some sweet ruins to go check out at one point, sooooo........
After six hours on a bus that can easily be catagorized as the bumpiest and least butt friendly of all time, my buns were rather irate with me and my insistance upon that trip. For the next several days, my cheeks and I were not even on speaking terms. They only began to come around once I promised them a night out with many opportunities to shake their groove thang.

And shake it they did. Before that night, if you would have told me that in a small Peruvian town, I had never heard of, that I would end up in the center of the dance floor with all eyes on me as i broke it down, quite thoroughly, to a song that was awesome like four years ago, I would never have believed you. Ok, I totally would not have been surprised because I have some odd talent for ending up in these situations. Regardless, after that night I definitely put that whole dance scenario down on my bucket list, just so I could cross it off.

Thats it for now. Future posts will consist of desert oasis tales and of course I can´t be in Peru without a little Machu Pichu action, which I begin trekking towards on Monday.

So much love. Seriously, you dont even know.