Hiking the Inca Trail
by: Donna Evans

The Inca Trail, between the sacred valley of the Urubamba River and the lost city of Machu Picchu, is one of the world's classic treks. Winding through the Andes, the trail passes a number of significant Incan ruins before descending through the Sun Gate to Machu Picchu.

To hike the Inca Tail is a thrilling experience and a great privilege.

The Inca Trail that we know is actually one small portion of an incredible network of trails crossing high mountain ranges, bleak deserts and raging rivers that tie the Inca Empire together.

Day one – from km 88 to the first campsite at Huayllabamba – was a relatively easy hike in hindsight. Even so, seeing our camp already set up when we got there was a great relief. Huayllabamba is the only inhabited village on the Inca Trail; needless to say, the enterprising woman who sat in the middle of our camp selling cold bottled water and beer was almost as popular as our wonderful porters and cooks!

Day two is the killer: Huarmiwanusqa — better known as Dead Woman's Pass. At its highest, the trail reaches an elevation of 4,198 m. This is the highest pass along the trail and is a real heart-pounder for most. The reward though, is stunning views back down the Llullucha Valley and a preview of the ups and downs ahead on the trail to Runkurakay. After a hot lunch prepared by our crew, we were right back at it. There is another high pass to cross at 3998m and then some serious downhill, which to many is harder than hiking up hill.

The early morning wake-up call by the porters is a treat. They 'knock' on your tent announcing "Good Morning" in heavily accented English. When you unzip the tent flap you are greeted with smiling faces, bowls of hot water with which to 'wash' and the ubiquitous cocoa tea. I'm not sure if the tea really helps beat the effects of altitude, but as long as you think it does...

The hike up the 98, very steep and narrow, steps to the fort-like ruins of Sayacmarca is more than worth the effort. Day three also brings us to the third pass, at 4000 m, and Phuyupatamara (town above the clouds.) To reach the ruins you have to descend a long flight of Incan steps. At the entry of the ruins, there is a series of six flowing liturgical fountains or baths, which demonstrate the Inca's love of sparkling, splashing water and great engineering skills.

The remaining distance to Machu Picchu is about 10 km — much of which descends an unbelievably long series of winding steps, many cut into living rock. After about a two-and-a-half hour hike, we reached the Trekkers Hotel — where hot showers, meals and drinks can be had. From here, a side trail takes you to the ruins of Winay Wayna, said by many to be more beautiful than Machu Picchu.

Before sunrise on day four we started the two-hour hike to Intipunku (or Sun Gate) for the first, unforgettable, views of our ultimate goal of Machu Picchu. As the sun rises over the mountains, the shadows are burned away and the sun beams like spotlights on the lost city. So many hikers sit among the ruins of the Sun Gate, but even with so many people, all you can hear is hushed voices as everyone seems to speak quietly out of respect for what they are witnessing. The hike down to the ruins is a little treacherous at times, as the path is narrow and steep.

We spent many hours independently wandering among the ruins before regrouping for the long, winding bus ride down to Aquas Calientes and the end of the most amazing, rewarding trek of a lifetime.

Indonesian Spelling Bee
by : Nick Samuel

We have been traveling through Northern Sumatra in Indonesia for the past two weeks. Our time is almost up and it has been a long time since I have written. That's mainly due to the fact that email in certain parts of Sumatra can be extremely expensive. At one place during the peak part of the day it cost $25/hour. Luckily I was warned of that ahead of time.

Sumatra is wild. A glance out your vehicle window on any given road at a given time will reveal mosque after mosque (and a church to match), suicidal chickens that play on the road for fun, hundreds and hundreds of yellow mini-buses (where do they get all that yellow paint?), and volleyball courts (?)

The people here are fantastic. It's hard to spot an Indonesian without a smile on his/her face. Although they do seem to have one downfall... they seem to think that westerners are the most beautiful people in the world. In fact, they don't believe me when I tell them they are beautiful. Today I was told that I was beautiful because I had a big nose (hmmm, was that supposed to be a compliment?) Many Indonesians actually wear white make-up on their faces to look more caucasian.

The beer here is amazing! And no I'm not just saying that like I've said about India and Thailand — it really is good! It's called Bir Bintang and I've had a few to be able to give an honest opinion.

And on that note, did anyone notice my spelling of the word Beer? Bir. Seems that in Indonesia most things are spelt phonetically. It makes for some interesting reading. By the time you realize what Taksi is, your cab has already gone way past you.

We found a great place to relax for a week on a lake formed by a collapsed volcano. We rented a scooter and rode it into the ground for a couple days and spent the rest of our time sitting lakeside, soaking up the rays. Fantastic! A day after that we climbed an active volcano, which was a tad stinky. We also ventured out on a jungle trek for two days in search of Orangutans. However, I'm not sure our guides were clear on what we had signed up for. In fact, I think they were actually personal trainers on a mission to whip us into shape. This jungle trek was like the Stairmaster from Hell! We climbed straight up and then straight down over and over again.

We ended off our wild adventures with a white-water rafting tour that was more water than white or rapid. This was good, though, because we needed a day of relaxation. That leaves me sitting in a hot humid Internet room in Medan. We're spending the day here to shop and then heading back to Malaysia.

Cheers!
Nick

Family Travel on a Career Break
by: Helen Chadwick

“It was mostly about family time,” says Helen Chadwick when talking about the period she spent travelling with her husband and two sons, who turned 7 and 11 while away.

With foresight and financial planning, Helen had arranged for a one year career break. It was time to step back from the rat race and gain a little breathing room. Her husband took a leave of absence, and after consultation with teachers, they removed their children from school for three months.

February in Malta, March in the south of France and April in Britain.

“It was the perfect age for the boys,” says Dave. “They were old enough that they’ll remember it, and yet we were still their best friends.”

Rather than moving around a lot, they chose to rent villas and cottages so they would have home bases. Travel was a combination of planes, trains and automobile rentals. The free education and being part of other cultures was an amazing experience for everyone. Villagers in Malta always had a wave hello and a friendly smile; they took part in Mardi Gras festivals and parades in France; and learned about Canadian sacrifices at Vimy Ridge.

Travelling with children provided a completely different pace and perspective. A seven-year old doesn’t have the same attention span at a museum as an adult; on the other hand they can find a playground in every town, village and European capital! Talking with nannies at London parks was an unanticipated activity!

“People think you need a lot of money to travel,” says Helen. “The reality is that you have groceries, heating, and bills at home too. If at least one adult can do a self-funded leave, it’s easily manageable.”

The memories and shared experiences will last a lifetime. The opportunity to have so much quality family time, while learning and discovering new places together was priceless.

“We would do it again in a heartbeat,” says Helen.