Today we rise early, not just because of our anticipation for the hike, but there are some fantastic ruins to be seen in Ollantaytambo. Our hotel has an Inca aqueduct flowing by it's front door. We hike the near by ruins and learn how the Inca did their best to fight off the Spanish Conquistadors.
Hot Day For a Hike
It's time to get this hiking started. We take a 30 min van ride to the start of the trail. Out of the van we begin prepping for today's hike by slathering on sunscreen and visiting the restrooms while getting psyched up with some "Eye of the Tiger." A short jaunt to the trail control where we verify with the officials that we are who we say we are and then immediately cross the foot bridge over the Urubamba river. Well... we took turns with a fleet of donkeys hauling crops for a local farmer.
Today's hike is a good warm-up for tomorrow's climb. The trail is pretty flat and level, the air is warm and dry and everyone is in good spirits. At our first break with are entertained by some local boys playing marbles while we eat our snacks. Then off for more hiking and views of mountains and ruins.
Our next break is lunch where Samuel is entertained by all the live stock: pigs, chicken, donkeys and some dogs too. Gabs and Samuel desperately try to pet the piglets who are just too skittish towards strangers. Instead, they took up chasing chickens as the fouls try to steal our lunch supplies. My dad and uncle take a quick siesta before we head out on the remainder of today's hike.
Tonight's campsite is filled with a variety of humming bird species. My uncle is a bit of a twitcher, he, Samuel and myself spend a good hour trying to capture the elusive birds.
Kelly and Rhenee were excellent to work with on planning our trip. The logistics all worked smoothly and everyone was friendly and on time. Our accommodations were very good, particularly the incredible Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine! Our guides on every excursion were outstanding and made the hikes memorable! Overall we had a wonderful trip with incredible memories!
Scott Gibson
1 day ago
Adventure Life is definitely a first-class safari tour company, and our representative was Franny Friesz. First of all, she responded immediately after we contacted Adventure Life. We told Franny that we had never been on a safari, and she was more than eager to offer a mountain of information about the trip. She informed us fully about all the ups, downs, and all arounds! She even prepared a number of packages for us to review -- even after we made changes to the areas we wanted to explore. Friendly, helpful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable -- these words describe Franny, and what a wonderful trip she prepared! We couldn't have asked for better service than Franny of Adventure Life. We HIGHLY recommend her and her outstanding company! Bon Voyage!
Prima Burke
2 days ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.
Jennifer Howard Schroeder
3 days ago
Kevin got right on our request and had us booked within the week