Saturday's PhotoHunting: Joy

From Machu Picchu - Peru

Whether I get there by plane, train, automobile, boat or foot. 

When I travel to a place in this world, I have always dreamed of seeing.

It's difficult to find the words to describe what I'm feeling in that moment. 

Sometimes I feel like there are just no words. 

But if I had to find the words, it would only be one.

JOY!

From the Eiffel Tower-Paris, France  

Joy!

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Gattina's Keyhole Pictures website HERE!  

Saturday's PhotoHunting: Bad Weather

While exploring around Machu Picchu you have to be prepared for good or bad weather as it can change from one minute to the next.  This is one of the reasons I planned my trip for 3 days here (plus I had that spur of the moment day trip as well).  I figured it would increase my chances of getting some good shots.

At the guardhouse an artist waits patiently for the clouds to clear so she can continue to work on her artwork. It took about an hour for the clouds to clear, but it was totally worth the wait. 

But clouds aren't the only things that can affect your visit to Machu Picchu.  I carried my rain jacket in my backpack just in case I needed it.    

Here's one tourist who didn't come prepared with a jacket, but found a very creative way to stay dry during those sudden down pours. :)

I have to admit that it was very clever of him.

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Gattina's Keyhole Pictures website HERE!  

2013 Peruvian Adventures: Walking on the Edge . . .

Well, I've been back for more than a week now and the experience of standing on Machu Picchu almost seems like a dream.  But thankfully it was real and I have the photos and videos to prove it! LOL I'm not sure how many photos I took but let's just say I had to buy a bigger external hard drive from Best Buy today. :)

Here's one of my favorite video clips. It sort of captures what it was like walking along some sections in the Sacred City.  There was a lot of amazing history and archaeological finds on Machu Picchu which I enjoyed, but the experience was also quite a physical challenge. 

I was surprised that I wasn't bothered by the high altitude as much as I was by the few narrow sections I had to walk along, the many, many, many uneven steps that I had to climb up and down on and the absolutely sheer vertical drops!  In this video, I braced myself long enough to record a little bit of what it was like standing there with the wind, rain and view of some of these vertical drops. 

Many thanks and appreciation to everyone who took the time to read my (few) blog posts and comments.  I wish I had written more, but the Internet was so slow and sketchy. I did keep notes of my thoughts throughout my trip and hope to write a few post trip posts along with sharing some of my photos, first impressions, things I learned and some travel tips based upon my experiences. 

2013 Peruvian Travel Adventures: Majestic Machu Picchu

  

 

I had put off fulfilling my dream to see Machu Picchu for far too many years, because I just didn't think that I could travel there as an independent female solo traveler.  Last year while I was researching for my first South America Travel Adventure to Argentina, I stumbled upon a cool blog (My Travels: Peru) from an independent female solo traveler named Yvonne, in the Fodor's Community Forum.  Reading her blog about her experiences gave me the confidence to finally take this trip and I couldn't be more thrilled.

 

I have booked all of my lodgings, purchased my airline tickets and I am currently putting together a brief itinerary of my "must see" list. And at the top of that list is, of course, the very majestic Machu Picchu!

 

I've downloaded several e-books in preparation for my trip and although my trip is 5 months away I'm beginning to get that tingly, excited feeling.  You know what I mean, it's that sensation you get when you know that your dream is about to come true.