
The last month was the most bus, sleeping bag and cold floor inundated month of my entire time abroad. Backpacking month began with a flight from Quito, Ecuador, to Cuzco, Peru, on March 13th and ended with a flight from Santiago, Chile, back to Quito on April 14th. It was a month that kept us physically above 10,000 feet, mentally out of the box, and emotionally over the clouds!
We started where many would end, with a hike through time along the path of the Inca to the sacred site of Machu Picchu. The travel group was comprised of Hudson, Priyanka and her family, a quad of Canadians, two pairs from the States, a slew of porters, cooks, and guides, and yours truly.
Acclimated from Quito and a couple of days in Cuzco, we embarked with light bags that would strangely seem to accumulate weight over the next couple of days. Weather was pristine and the bad hiking luck was fortunately held up in airport security in Ecuador. Everything was ideal, even group dynamic. Walking the stairs of the Inca I was overcome by two main thoughts: 1. How amazing it was to be hiking the same steps as the Inca once did! and 2. Which genius decided to make the stairs soo steep?! As we passed ruin after ruin and pieced together the emphatic descriptions from our proudly animated guide, Ruben, we began to understand the intricacy and planning behind these protected routes. The trail was not simply a path to Machu Picchu, but was layered with history, symbolism, and networked connections of trade, security, agriculture, and royalty. Learning and seeing the network unfold over the four days, 39 kilometers, and thousands of stairs was a truly unique opportunity that created a mental setting for the breathtaking Machu Picchu itself. On the final morning we woke up at 4:30 to begin the last 7 kilometers in the rain.
A quiet disbelieving silence blanketed all of us, no one wanting to recognize the fact that rain had caught us on the final morning, that airport security had finally allowed the bad hiking luck to pass. Sweat under my water-proof jacket only added to the clammy feeling inside, but walk on I did. The rain faucet finally sealed its drip about 30 minutes hike from Machu Picchu and by the time we reached Intipunku (The Sun Gate) the clouds appeared to have cleared, save one covering the entire site. Maybe it was not to be... but patience held us at the top, and before our eyes the last slivers of the white puff dissolved into air rendering an uninhibited view of the mystical masterpiece! Not wanting to stop there we explored the entire ruins and added several more stairs to our day in order to capture the view from the famous peak of Huayna Picchu before finally returning content and cansado (tired) to Cuzco.



Post Bolivia, we turned onto the final stretch, crossing over into Argentina for a quick bike ride through the Quebrada de Humahuaca and a more significant stop for a couple of days in Mendoza, Argentina. There we sipped on some of the Malbec wines Argentina is known for, toured the vineyards on bikes that took a blast from the past, and danced away with the host family of our buddy, Anita, Priyanka's sister who is doing a semester abroad there. Well rested and slightly spoiled, we night bused into Santiago, Chile, for our last hurrah. In Santiago we were joined by Priyanka on her spring break and our good friend Shepard, who I had spent a summer with in Ghana and who is currently starting on a two year Master's program in Chile! Our group enjoyed a getaway frequenting the cafes of the well known photographer's paradise, Valparaiso, before returning to Santiago to each take our separate ways!

All the Best,
Amit
NOTE: Scroll to bottom for most recent slideshow
NOTE: Scroll to bottom for most recent slideshow