July 10, 2005
Have you ever thought about taking the Inca trail less traveled in Peru? My friend, Mary, and I were excited to take the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, but then we found an alternative that would take us around to modern Incan communities and magnificent views of the snow-capped Andes.
Adventure Life put together a wonderful tour that took us to Cusco and the Sacred Valley and then on a four-day trek along the Cachiccata Trail. Our vacation concluded with our visit to Machu Picchu for two days.
Before our trip, I was most excited about visiting the mysterious ruins of Machu Picchu. To my surprise, hiking in the Andes turned out to be the most amazing and rewarding part of my vacation.
Mary and I are teachers in Scottsdale, and we looked forward to visiting schools and meeting the children in Peru. Along the Cachiccata Trail, we met many Andean people. They were warm and curious to know what we were doing.
One of our first stops was for lunch at a school in Soccma. We were disappointed to find that the teachers were off training, but the kids found out that we were there. We had brought along pencils, sharpeners, crayons, globes, hats and an I-Zone camera to take Polaroid pictures to give to them. They were so happy to receive these gifts. Along our four-day hike, we gave out supplies to all of the children we met. Their smiles said it all.
The Cachiccata Trail led to many ancient Incan temples and burial sites. We were able to walk up and see views of what the early Incan people had seen. One of these places was Intiwatana, a temple for the sun, which offered a magnificent view of Mount Veronica. This place offered a peaceful, almost spiritual feeling; it was my favorite part of our journey. I can close my eyes and almost feel like I am there again.
Another magical place was Lake Maracucha, where we had lunch one day. The water offered an excellent reflection of the sky. It was so relaxing and beautiful, with birds swimming in the tranquil water.
I feel that we were able to see a different side of Peru and get to meet the Andean people. Don't get me wrong, Machu Picchu is breathtaking and was worth the visit. But I know that I wouldn't have enjoyed the trip as much if we had not taken the trail less traveled, the Cachiccata Trail.
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.