My first Wonder of the World

How did you get to Machu Picchu?

You may venture to Machu Picchu, one of the 7 wonders of the world, through various modes of transportation. Everyday, thousands of people make their way to Machu Picchu via train, bus, car, and foot. Me? I chose mountain biking, white water rafting, hiking, ziplining, and a little bus :-) My 4 day, 3 night Inka Jungle Trail tour with Lorenzo Expeditions (Insert Link) was one of the best experiences of my life, even after getting sick! Here’s why.

Day 1:

The day began with an early wake up call at 4:45 AM…. I mean 3:45AM because of my hostel roommate who decided to pack up all of her belongings very loudly at 3:45AM. My 4 day/3night Inka Jungle Trail tour started with both the 3 and 4 day tour groups eating breakfast at Lorenzo Lodge, which was quite good.

After the tour group received our free Lorenzo Expedition t-shirt and mountain biking gear, we headed up to the top of the a mountain. The journey was on a very nice road, which is a lucky gem in South America, through the valleys.

Best part of day 1, a 3 hour bike ride almost completely down hill!

We then made our way back down the mountain on our mountain bikes. You’d be surprised to know I was the slowest person in the group. Or would you? I was informed this was all down hill and basically no peddling was required. While not required, most people still peddled a bit. Maybe they peddled a lot, but I wasn't around to see since I did not unless absolutely necessary.

At the end of the biking excursion, we made our way to this beautiful lodge tucked back in the jungle. I was quite impressed with the accommodations since we were informed they were only “basic” accommodation.

Both the 3 and 4 day tour groups had the option to go white water rafting. It was an enjoyable experience - less the sand flies that bit me in places you don’t want to know. The rapids were class 3+. I must say I did not do a very good job because I kept falling! Thankfully, I was falling into the raft and not out. I was lucky to be so close to the tour guide because few people could hear him saying the orders.

Day 2:

The beginning of a 20 km trek through the valley. This was my favorite day because it was so breathtaking. While the trekked sounded long, the day went by quickly.

We learned about the various Peruvian agriculture. Apparently they have over 4,000 varieties of potatoes! Note: my other tour guide mentioned over 1,500. Still a ton! We also had the BEST iced coffee.

One of the plants in Peru includes a natural dye, which used to be used for fabric. We used it for fance paint! It also acts as a sun block. So some of my friends got pretty funny tan lines of a sun with a smile or a cat fish.

We ended the long day with a stop at hot springs in Santa Teresa. They weren’t too nice, but helped motivate me during the day to get to the finish.

Our dinner was at a nearby restaurant where we learned the happy hour is 2x1 pisco sours means it is 50% of the full price glass.

Day 3:

We all started the day off ziplining on 5 lines over the valleys. I love ziplining in Peru because you get to do all the fun stuff I am pretty sure is illegal in the states. I got to go super-man style, upside down, and starfished. It was a blast.

We then continued our trek near the railroad line to Agua Calientes (aka Machu Picchu Pueblo). The hardest part was the last 30 minutes, which seemed to last forever until our hotel room. We ended the night with a fancy 3 course meal.

Day 4:

MACHU PICCHU!!! Yay!

Wait, you mean I have to get up AGAIN within the 3 o’clock hour? Ugh. That’s right, I had to get in line for the bus at 4AM, which didn't even depart until 5:30AM.

Okay - it was well worth it because we were some of the first people on the mountain.

Since I did come down with a bad cough at the end of Day 2, I wasn’t able to do everything I wanted in Machu Pichu. It was extremely hard to breathe so hiking was out of the question. I still enjoyed my time wandering around the archaeological site.

My guide took this photo :P

I found a nice place to nap for a bit. I woke up once to laughter and someone pulling at my hat. Well that someone was a llama trying to eat my adventure hat!