A Machu Picchu Kind of Morning

If you’re making the trek to Machu Picchu, be sure to set your alarm clock early. The sun breaking through the morning fog of the lost city of the Incas is not an experience to be missed!

To make the morning hike to Machu Picchu, resting at 7,970 feet above sea level, make your start a few hours before dawn. Strap on your walking shoes and grab a head-lamp: the climb up from nearby town Aguas Calientes is long and winding.

Your hike up the mountain will be rewarded with the still dawn rising onto the ancient grounds of Machu Picchu. Spend the morning wandering around the misty labyrinth of this UNESCO World Heritage site as the morning fog slowly dissipates. There’s no better place than this to settle in for a breakfast picnic, sharing the the fields throughout the site with llamas munching on the grass.

Fog burning off of Machu Picchu, with Huayna Picchu in the distance

There are certified and informed guides available to walk you through the history of the lost city. I would highly recommend taking a guided tour around the city to learn about the colorful stories of the site. I had a new appreciation for the effort required to transport the stones needed to build the city after my morning climb!

If you’re an adventurous type, you should tackle the mountain overlooking Machu Picchu, called Huayna Picchu. Head over to the gates early to get a pass to climb or purchase tickets beforehand. Only 400 visitors are allowed to make the climb daily to preserve the area’s structures.

Climbing a few of the final stairs to the top

The climb up is not for the timid: Huayna Picchu looms over Machu Picchu promising bursting lungs and slippery stones. You will wind your way up steep hills and weathered stairways to reach the peak at 8,922 feet, almost a thousand feet higher than Machu Picchu. The stairs are narrow and steep—many times barely wide enough for one person to navigate! In many areas a steel cable will help you steady your trip up, so hold on tight! The view from the top is unparalleled: you can see all of Machu Picchu stretching below you and down into the sloping, lush, valleys surrounding the site.

Machu Picchu is an often-visited destination, but you will understand what draws people from around the world once you step foot on its grounds. It will transport you to a different time and different world. Just remember to bring reliable shoes!

Westward Wanderings

My brother worked on a cattle ranch in Montana for the summer. When my summer job took an unexpected downhill turn (they closed our branch), I seized the opportunity to do a Westward bound road trip. We had two weeks and a lot of destinations to hit, and we did a pretty good job at seeing most everything we set out to see.

Beartooth Cattle

This is a slideshow of many of the places we explored:

The wheels on the bus...

In order to have a truly complete South American travel adventure, every explorer needs to do at least one excessively long trip by bus. The thought of a 20 hour bus ride is intimidating, but these journeys are a must....and can even be enjoyable. The flights within South America are expensive, and buses provide a cheap and easy-to-use alternative. Because buses are such popular forms of transportation, they are a relatively comfortable, clean, and safe way to move from point A to point B. The nicer buses have seats that almost fully recline to make a legitimate bed. If you're taking a particularly long trip, it's worth it to splurge for the full "cama" bus. Overnight buses also eliminate the need to book a hostel or other accommodations for the night--you're saving money while snoozing!

The buses offer food en route, but the quality of your in-transit meal varies greatly from company to company. It's always a safe bet to pack snacks 'just in case.' However, the nicer buses offer a pretty decent meal with a complimentary mini bottle of wine (definitely helpful when it comes to sleeping). On other rides, you may get stale or soggy ham and cheese medialunas that look like they've been trapped in plastic wrap for well over a week.

Be careful not to eat or drink too much. The bathrooms on the buses are predictably not the most luxurious. Additionally, as the steward explains when you arrive on the bus, there are absolutely NO 'number 2s' allowed on board. One unfortunate passenger on a bus trip I was on clearly could not restrain himself long enough to follow this rule. He was publicly chastised, turning beet red and mumbling apologies, in front of the whole bus. On long trips, they stop at rest stops to refuel along the way, and you may use the restrooms there. Make it quick...a friend of a friend was left behind at such a rest stop en route to Mendoza. He had to get on the next bus headed there and luckily had friends on the bus that left him to collect his luggage.

The "in-bus" entertainment usually leaves a lot to be desired. There are always a few movies queued to play, but you rarely are watching Oscar quality flicks. I've watched Phat Girls dubbed in Spanish THREE TIMES on bus rides. Occasionally you'll get a good one that will occupy the brain for a few hours. These movies are never censored. On a bus full of families and children, my dinnertime movie was once Lord of War. A great movie, but packed with drugs and violence and probably only appropriate for non-breastfeeding audiences. My favorite part of the entertainment selection is the music video hour. Sometimes hours on end of crazy, over-the-top reggaeton music videos: amazing. With these questionable entertainment sources, don't forget to pack a book and mp3 player in your carry-on.

Overnight bus rides do have their fair share of unpleasant moments, but overall I enjoy travelling by bus here. They are very comfortable and the time always passes much faster than you think it will. You simply have to be prepared for whatever twists and turns the trip will bring you. Below is my list of on-board essentials when preparing for a long bus ride:

• Warm socks: It gets really cold on the buses...even in the middle of summer. Many of them have air vents located on the floor, so a pair of cosy socks always serves well
• Blanket or other warm clothing: same reason as above. Also, a bit of a personal preference...I love wrapping up in blankets while sleeping
• Snacks: I always try to bring some fruit (nothing they serve you will be fresh) and a few other of my favorite goodies (Frutigrans!!)
• Earplugs: You only have to be stuck next to a snorer or crying baby once to never forget them again
• Sleeping pills: I always need a little help when trying to sleep in transit. Booze is also an acceptable substitute...especially when returning from trips to wine country. Don't knock yourself out too hard though. I've never encountered problems with theft on buses, but I've had friends that have had things taken.
• Book: Self-explanatory
• Magazine: When I get sick of (or finish) my book
• Luggage ticket: Don't lose this! They give you a little slip of paper when you check your bag below...hold on to it!
• Charged mp3 player: I actually don't have one so never travel with one, but for most this is a long trip essential.

Suerte and happy trails!

A Charmed Trip

With the knowlege that my adventure in Argentina could be slowly winding down (or for my parents, more like the hope/promise that it would be ending), my family came to visit me over New Years. We spent two weeks together travelling around the south of Argentina and eventually landed at an estancia on Lago Guitierrez. It was one of those enchanted moments in time where everything seems to click just right. It had been a year since I had seen my family (except Patch) and it was the perfect reunion. I´m thankful to have such a loving and close family, and this trip served as a great reminder of how lucky I am.

Flying Solo

After two years living the big city life in Buenos Aires, I was ready for a change. At the end of December, I packed up all my belongings--which had somehow grown into a monstrous pile--and hopped on a bus headed south. I´ve always been enchanted with the idea of moving to Bariloche...living the ¨small town¨ life in Argentina.

Bariloche seems to be a perfect mix. It´s small enough to have the warm, friendly, open small town feel. One of the most common forms of transportation is to ¨hacer un dedo,¨or hitchhike. At the same time, it´s big enough to have lots of things to do and lots of tourism (which spells ¨job opportunity¨for me).

My biggest motivation for my relocation was because I miss the outdoors. I love living in a city with hundreds of activities and options sprawling in every direction; however, at times I just have the urge to strap a bunch of weight on my back and bound up mountains. After travelling through Peru with my brother, backpacking and camping for a large portion of the trip, I realized I was ready for a change.

I have a tendency to move rather than travel. Two years ago, I transplanted to Buenos Aires and now I´m relocating again...without a clue of what the city will be like. The biggest difference between these two moves is that this is the first time that I´m travelling truly alone. When I came to Buenos Aires, I knew my friend Devan would join me in a few months. I also did a language program which served as set forum to meet people. This time, I´m without a net.

So far, I have loved travelling by myself. I´m still in the glowing honeymoon stage of moving, but now I can´t imagine ever being intimidated by setting off alone. I´m really looking forward to moving through the next stages of ¨getting to know you¨with Bariloche and am excited to see what they bring.