God, what a week! First we booked our RTW tickets and if that isn’t enough excitement for one week, today we secured our spots on the Inca Trail in Peru!
I have been dreaming of visiting Machu Picchu since I saw it in National geographic as a child and it must be one of the top bucket-list-destinations for many travellers around the world!
When we started looking into Machu Picchu we considered the various different options available on how to visit the sacred site of the Incas.
There is a direct train from Cusco which runs several times daily, takes 4 hours and is described as a luxury experience. Sounds comfy but not very challenging. Then there are various different hikes that are offered by literally hundreds of tour operators ranging from two to seven days.
The most famous option, of course, is hiking the classic Inca trail route which leaves from Cusco and entails four days of hiking and camping. There are many alternative treks, like the Lares and Salkantay treks and some more adventurous treks which include mountain biking for part of the route.
As you can see, it is not an easy decision.
This is probably the right moment to confess that I have actually never been camping in my whole life. Ever. I just turned 30 but somehow I never found myself in a situation which would require sleeping in a tent. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not exactly a diva, but I do have certain pet peeves which don’t exactly go well with camping, for example my fear of getting my hands sticky. Until last month I didn’t even own a pair of hiking boots.
My boyfriend Simon, however, has a past career in the scouts and is a seasoned camper. But there are more things to consider than camping. The fact that hiking the Inca Trail will usually set you back around $600 made the decision even more complicated, and that doesn’t even include hiring a sleeping bag and walking sticks.
After a lot of research and few pros-and-cons-lists later, we decided that it would be crazy to miss out on a once in a lifetime opportunity like this because we want to save a few bucks (yes I am taking up US slang already) and because we don’t went to get sticky hands from camping (ok, that’s just me).
What could be more adventurous than taking the same route the ancient Incas did centuries before us to visit their sacred place?
It is a huge challenge, but I am determined to tackle this trek. Our places are booked, the hiking boots are ready to be broken in and my training regime starts today. I will keep you posted.
Oh, and just in case, I hired a private porter who will carry my bag for me for only $60. Don’t tell Simon.
Hi, my name is Jenny. I'm a scientist, turned world traveller, aspiring digital nomad and noodle soup enthusiast. This is my blog where I share my journey to a location independent lifestyle. Join me!