Thanks for checking back in. Just returned from our Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu, so here are a few words & photos to hopefully help you share in the experience. Stick with the plot, because this one gets strange.

Tourism (n)
Pronunciation: 'tur-"i-sm
a) the practice of traveling for recreation
b) the guidance or management of tourists

Peru is interesting. Given that it holds the trophy site of South America, part of the country has unfortunately become overrun with tourists. Not unlike Niagara Falls, The Pyramids of Giza, or the Great Wall of China, sightseeing has created a system that feeds upon itself. Coming from Columbia, it was quickly apparent that Peru was going to present some challenges. Finding a genuine experience would be difficult. Touts take every opportunity to solicit, peddle or persuade. And with hundreds of hikers embarking each day towards Machu Picchu, tour groups herd must Patagonia-clad pilgrims like cattle. Having said that, Peru still had several surprises in store for Mike & I...

The Inca Trail takes 4 days to hike to Machu Picchu. It starts with a flight from Lima to Cuzco, then a bus from Cuzco to a wasp nest of touts called`Kilometer 82´. Once inside the park, the path itself is both literally & figuratively well-worn. Compared to Ciudad Perdida, it was a red carpet...but the much higher elevation can provide a new challenge for the lungs. The views along the way are absolutely spectacular. During the days you periodically pass lesser Inca ruins, all majestic from afar and impressive up close. In particular, Sayacmarca (pictured below with the terraced platforms) was well worth the optional side trip. At night, each tour group arrives at night to their campsite with food and tents prepared by a squadron of porters. Everything is delicious and comfy, and just a ton of fun.

Wake up. Trek. Repeat.

On the fourth day, trekkers wake at 4am and cue in line at the final checkpoint. Once you pass, it´s a veritable 2-hour sprint up the final mountain to finally see Machu Picchu. Mike & I hit the jets and arrived first to see the sunrise. The view was unobscured. Well, almost. A dozen or so tourists had already arrived that morning by bus. Yes, by bus. For those who prefer the whirlwind tour, road access to Machu Picchu now allows anyone to circumvent all that superfluous walking. Just jump on a bus, grab the postcard shot, and you´ll be back in the hotel hot tub by 2pm. Nevertheless, it's a cool place to be. In case you never get the chance to go yourself, here´s a quick video. By 10am, tourists crawl over Machu Picchu like ants on a discarded pospcicle in the sun. As the clustered crowds shuffle around the ruins, we became fascinated by this carefully choreographed ballet. Each group is led by a single guide who tells the facts & figures. Individuals are not encourage to deviate from the plan, and groups don´t talk to each other. Like strangers in an elevator, humans exist in close quarters pretending one another aren´t there. Llamas are brought in from the wild to graze for the camera in terraced landscapes, but trapped in the process. But it's still worth the experience. Well, maybe not for the llamas...but the optional climb up the opposing mountain is a steeper challenge that affords excellent views of Machu Picchu and a break from the crowds.

Education is key, and the children are our future. So for those interested in Inca history, here are the Coles Notes...

The reign of the Inca empire stretched from the present day border of Ecuador and Colombia to the deserts of northern Chile. Machu Picchu was vitally important as a ceremonial center, and housed the ¨who's who¨ of Inca culture. Location, location, location. The Spaniards capitalized on a civial war between two Inca brothers (who squabbled over shared inheritance from their ruling father), and overthrew them in 1533. Actually, it was a plague that wiped them out, but let's get into that right now. So apart from a few indigenous Quechuas, nobody knew of Machu Picchu's existence until American historian Hiram Bingham stumbled upon the overgrown ruins in 1911. Since then, Americans have continued to work tirelessly and restore Machu Picchu to its original brilliance...including amusement park turnstyles, jewelery stores, cappucino machines, Inca Kola, and 5-star hotel located at the base.

But all of this can't take away from the fact that the ruins are impressive. And it makes you think about what we're leaving for people to discover about us 500 years from now. Will they be equally fascinated by the footprint of our expansive big box shopping malls and overflowing garbage dumps? Have we lost a certain flare for creating things that we're truly proud of? Maybe not entirely...there was a Hooter's in Lima.

It was on our way back from the ruins that things started to get a little weird. Taking a train towards Aguas Calientes, the steward & stewardess left their drink cart and disappeared into the washroom. Then the dance music came on the speakers. BAMN...they emerge wearing 100% Alpaca wool products strutting their stuff up & down the aisle. It was fashion show time! Again, the touts in Peru waste no opportunity to sell anything to anyone at anytime. I shot a quick video...so check it out. Work it girl.

We punched out of Machu Pacchu, and decided to explore more of the country by motorcycle. A friend-of-a-family-of-a-friend connection saw us set off for Urumbamba. After hours of unforgettable views at every turn, we arrived in this charming town to the open-armed greeting of some real Peruvians. They showed us generous hospitality, including a home-cooked meal & home-something mulled wine. We spent most of that day bantering in broken Spanish and playing with their tireless children. The winding roads back to Cuzco were a great way to see the other side of Peru, with dozens of unmapped towns ready to be explored...or not, which actually is what makes them nice.














At that point, Mike & I were faced with two options. Continue sightseeing in Peru, or head back to Colombia. We chose the latter, and dropped into a city called Medellin. Apart from being Pablo Escobar's hometown, Medellin is known by Colombians as the place where there's "something in the water." Good looks seem to be a birthright, and the locals like to show it. No, I don't know why the Latin Hugh Hefner was crusing the streets in a silk robe, but it marked a suitable kick-off to a very long night. Medellin's upscale Parque Lleras is a great place to soak up a few beverages. The 1st club we visited...absolutely packed with an electric atmosphere. The 2nd club...absolutley packed with an electric atmosphere. Then the 3rd club...4th club...5th club...what the heck is going on here!!? Photos can't capture the passion these people have for clubbing, but Medellin easily measures up to global destinations like Ibiza and Goa. Yet no foreigners are there. Better brush up on your Spanish. After an invitation to an after-hours club called Mango's, things started to get a little strange. Well into the wee hours of the morning, literally thousands of people congregate at this Western-themed bar to drink Aguardiente (haaaaaard liquor) and dance to salsa....just like in Texas, of course. Chaos in all directions. Here's a quick video that shows only a small portion of the club. I'd show you the video of the synchronized "little people" hip-hop dancers, but that would be cruel...so here's a photo. You get the idea.

We also met up with Ian Park, a fellow Canadian who has been doing business in Medellin for over 20 years. Father to the beloved Geoff Park, Ian lives a fascinating existence in this relatively unknown pocket of the world. He's speaks Spanish flawlessly, and has been managing mining projects that mobilize entire villages. Colombia has a bad reputation, but that hasn't bothered Ian. It keeps his competition away, and he reaps the benefit of those missed opportunities. We should never listen exclusively to public opinion without exploring things ourselves. He stands as a perfect example. Actually, in this photo he's sitting.

Deep thoughts. To end this blog post, I asked myself: "So what's the best part of Peru?" The answer, of course, was Colombia.

I checked in for a few hours with parents & friends back in Canada, and am now worlds away in Tokyo. It's time to figure out why my toilet is hooked up to a computer, and which of the 11 cryptic Japanese buttons on my washing machine means "delicate." I'll keep you posted these revelations as they develop, and please drop me a note on what's happening in your world.
Check back soon...