Take Your Breath Away at Machu Picchu
Awesome Views & Sunsets Highlight Three-Day Andes Trek on Inca Trail
The Signal - Business Section, July, 2005
What do you get when a group of over-achieving, hard-working industry leaders head out for the ultimate travel adventure? A trip to Peru and a reality check like none other, that’s for certain.
I recently returned from an amazing and rewarding journey to South America. Not only did we go to Peru, but we took the once-in-a-lifetime trek on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. This three-day excursion led us up and down thousands of stone steps hand-laid centuries ago throughout the Andes Mountains by the Mayan tribesmen. There were eight of us in the group, plus two guides and 26 porters who carried all the food and supplies on their backs. We hiked from morning until evening, camped at night and after three days and 30 miles, we made it to the breathtaking Sun Gate entry of Machu Picchu.
Even with more than 25 years in the travel business, and having seen much of the world, this trip was truly awesome and ranks up there with most memorable life experiences. It is hard to put to words the stunning vistas and sunsets from a lookout of 1,200 feet, but if every picture tells a thousand words, my photos will speak for themselves.
However, since I am writing about my adventure, the word I will use to describe it is accomplishment. The sense of achieving something that many people will never have the opportunity to experience, and the effort required to get from start to finish, is what makes hiking the Inca Trail such a remarkable lifetime event. This is what travel and life is all about anyway, right?
As hard as it was initially to break away from the office and engage in full technology disconnection, the eight-and-a-half hour flight from Los Angeles to Lima gave me a chance to get used to the idea. There is no time like the present and knowing my pile of work would still be waiting for me when I returned, the opportunity to hike to new heights, both literally and figuratively, couldn’t be missed.
Not normally a physical person, but still in fit shape and moderate age, I have always wanted to trek the Inca Trail. So I did. What was once top of my list of things to do in life, I can now proudly check it off to experience.
Machu Picchu is probably the most visited site in South America, attracting travelers from all over the world. While this major tourist destination is a great photo opportunity and offers day hikes for visitors, access to the trail is regulated to prevent overcrowding. Machu Picchu is an international World Heritage site; administered by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization these sites are recognized and preserved for their outstanding cultural or natural importance to the legacy of humankind. And I got to experience it.
The high altitude of Machu Picchu, plus its location south of the Equator, means reverse seasons and cold nights. While hiking for days over steep terrain and sleeping in tents is not considered a luxury vacation, the fact that we ate gourmet meals seated at a table each night qualifies this adventure as deluxe camping.
For some people, the altitude change and thinning air can be unbearable. Luckily I was not one. The trick to feeling as good as possible with less oxygen is to take the hike slow and easy, stay hydrated by drinking lots of water, keep the sugar intake going and avoid foods that are hard to digest, like red meat. Subtle, but what a difference it makes.
So I’m back in my natural environment again, professionally recovering from being away and am still trying to catch my breath, yet, for very different reasons. The experience at Machu Picchu was breathtaking, special and amazing; the frantic pace with which many of us live will also take our breath away. Life is too short for regrets so get out your dream to-do list and start planning your next adventure today.
Birdseye View - At the top of Machu Picchu, Peru, industry experts from ALL-TRAVEL.com and Brendan Vacations pause for the breathtaking scenery. The group hiked for three days and 30 miles to see this extraordinary view. From left, Catherine Reilly, Director of Operations, Brendan Vacations Ireland, Gary Murphy Pres. Brendan Vacations, Whitney Ramirez VP Brendan Vacations, Eric Maryanov, President ALL-TRAVEL.com, and David Van Ness VP Marketing ALL-TRAVEL.com.
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