> > by Cheryl Menagh

Too many years later to mention, I finally arrived. Getting there though was another matter. When Taylor and I were first discussing going to Machu Picchu, we knew it would not be our average holiday.

For a start there are no direct flights to Peru. From Brisbane we went via Sydney, Auckland, Santiago, Lima and finally to Cusco. We knew not to expect the luxuries of an up-market Western holiday, however our reason for choosing Peru as a holiday destination was to experience the spectacular beauty, fascinating history and adrenaline pumping adventure it offers.

We’d been told only to drink bottled water and that English was not widely spoken, meaning getting around by ourselves could prove difficult. Enjoying the research and discussions on the how, when and where, we decided to book through Peregrine tours. Their itineraries are innovative, interactive and adventurous, yet respect and benefit the local people and environment.

With the lush Amazon rainforest, coastal desert, volcanoes, snow-capped mountains, Lake Titicaca and the mysterious Nazca Lines, as well as friendly people, interesting wildlife and a colourful culture, Peru offers the ultimate South American travel experience.

Due to time limitations we opted for a short, action-packed tour which saw us spend a few days exploring the capital city, Lima, before boarding a plane for a one-hour flight (the bus trip through the Andes takes 14 hours) to Cusco - the first stop on the way to the famous ruins of Machu Picchu.

We’d decided to have a couple of extra days in Lima before joining the tour to relax, acclimatise and practise what we learnt during our ‘Spanish for Travellers’ lessons.

This metropolis is surrounded by every aspect of nature: the sea, islands, mountains, desert and plant life, and its architecture reflects an ethnic melting pot, featuring pre-Hispanic, colonial
and modern elements.

We stayed out on the coast at Mirafl ores, known for its shopping, gardens, beaches and as a prime tourist hub. Here you’ll find some of Lima’s more luxurious accommodations if so desired. Wandering around the streets it soon became apparent that with a population of nine million, crossing the road can be a pretty hectic adventure, but the views of the Pacific Ocean from its cliffs, by contrast, are quite calming.

Meeting the rest of our small group of travellers at dinner, we chatted over an authentic Peruvian meal of ceviche, which is raw fish marinated in lemon juice (the acid in the juice ‘cooks’ the fish) then seasoned with chilli, onions, coriander and other spices, complemented by a Pisco Sour - a traditional South American cocktail. Indeed all the scrumptious food, like Peru itself, is worth exploring.

Our first day together we saw the old city centre with its intricate Spanish Colonial buildings including such superb architectural examples as Casa de Aliaga and Palacio Torre Tagle mansions. Colonial Lima also features many fine churches and convents such as Santo Domingo, San Agustín, and La Merced brimming with religious art and the remarkable catacombs of the San Francisco Monastery.

Not forgetting the absorbing museums, we visited the National Museum of Anthropology, Archaeology and History of Peru, the Gold Museum and the impressive Larco Museum.

Next stop Cusco - the site of the historic capital of the Inca Empire where a rich archaeological legacy can be found on practically every street corner.

We admired all the beauty of a glorious past which still prevails - Inca walls, colourful costumes, churches built on top of palaces such as the Convent of Santo Domingo, the artisans quarter of San Blas and the main square Plaza de Armas.

A visit to the outskirts of Cusco was a must for us to see the imposing ruins of Sacsayhuamán and Tambomachay, the towns of Pisac and Ollantaytambo as well as the wonders of the Sacred Valley.

And ladies, Cusco is the place to buy some amazing jewellery. Our tour leader, Ciro, was helpful in so many ways, and he soon noticed my passion for jewellery and clothes and arranged a couple of stops for those interested. I bought a beautiful baby alpaca woollen jumper at the Awana Kancha Cultural Centre, after feeding and learning about these cute creatures and observing traditional weaving.

A visit to the gold and silver factory meant we were not only able to see how the craftsmen work, but able to purchase unusual handmade jewellery at very reasonable prices. I consoled my credit card with the knowledge that both benefited the local community.

While the city features many attractions, which by themselves would be enough to attract visitors, another reason to stay a couple of days is to acclimatise to the high altitude. Cusco is about 3300 metres above sea level and regardless of your fitness level, anyone is susceptible to altitude sickness which is a very serious matter so read about it before your trip.

Not to be put off, we trained for a few months beforehand as we would be walking five to six hours a day for our three day trek - although the continual shortness of breath was still a surprise for us low altitude ‘girt by sea’ Aussies.

Machu Picchu (meaning ‘old mountain’ in Quechua, the ancient language of the Incas) is situated within the Andes, on top of a mountain high above
the Urubamba River and the town of Aguas Calientes. There are a couple of ways to arrive at this unique archaeological site, but the most attractive for adrenaline junkies is the Inca Trail, the most popular trekking route.

Each year, some 25,000 hikers from all over the world walk the 43 kilometre (27 mile) stone-paved trail, built by the Incas to reach the impregnable citadel of Machu Picchu.

In 2007, Machu Picchu was elected one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and this World Heritage site is deemed one of the finest examples of landscape architecture.

Even more reason to visit this year is the centennial of the discovery of the ‘Lost City of the Incas’ by North American explorer Hiram Bingham on the 24th July 1911, although as we were told by a local guide, the story goes that Bingham’s team was resting and he was actually guided to the site by a twelve-year-old village boy.

For conservation reasons the Peruvian government has introduced strict quotas on the number of permits issued for the route, and due to Taylor’s original passport renewal application being lost in transit, we missed out on walking the Classic Inca Trail with the other six of our group.

Luckily Peregrine provide an alternate Inca route, the Lares Trail, and our group ended up being just Taylor, me, our guide, cook and three horsemen - talk about personal attention! After being kitted out to ensure we were properly equipped for camping and the colder temperatures, we packed our warm gear and had a hearty breakfast.

I had shucked off my altitude sickness paranoia, and was so excited about actually starting this trek and knowing my dream was finally being realised that I had butterflies in my stomach.

We set off by car through the Sacred Valley to the Lares Hot Springs where we started our trek to reach a height of roughly 4000 metres, then descend to the Queullacocha lagoons. Usually day two means a further climb up the valley through farmlands to the beautiful turquoise Epsaycocha Lake to camp the night. Day three consists of a trail to Pumamarka to enjoy the Inca terraces before arriving at the ancient town of Ollantaytambo to board the train to Aguas Calientes.

The trek passes through some magnificent scenery with its different ecosystems and colossal archaeological sites in landscapes rich in flora and fauna.

However my beautiful butterflies suddenly morphed into some sort of nasty bug and the first day’s climb saw me stopping every hour to be sick and after a few hours, our young female guide and Taylor suggested (well insisted) I ride the horse.

We continued on reaching 3940 metres, and even though I was convinced by the severe cramping that I had a stomach bug, our guide was concerned I had altitude sickness. The cure being to return to a lower altitude, the correct thing to do was follow her advice and descend. I was extremely disappointed, but as Taylor correctly pointed out, people die from this.

It is at times like these that travellers really appreciate having a company with 30 years experience behind them. Before I knew it we had travelled back down, and were in a car heading to Cusco. Our guide had arranged for two extra nights in our hotel (where our luggage was being stored), for a doctor to meet us there and a local representative to visit the next day to change travel arrangements.

The doctor, who spoke impeccable English by the way, diagnosed a debilitating stomach illness that could only be fixed via an injection, followed by a five-day course of antibiotics and anti-spasm tablets plus a couple of days rest.

The guide was correct in not continuing the trek as the doctor advised that this illness would not have gone away by itself, and I would have ended up quite ill with severe dehydration.

On what would have been the third day of our original trek, we boarded the train for Aguas Calientes. The trip provided some pleasant sightseeing and allowed me to recover fully before spending the afternoon shopping in the markets for paintings and souvenirs at this quaint town, where we would stay overnight.

We arose ridiculously early the next day to queue in a long line of tourists trying to get the first bus departing for Machu Picchu.

Trustworthy Mercedes coaches were lined up like a military cavalcade ready to protect us, zigzagging up the steep mountainside, so close to the edges of the narrow two-way road that I had to physically keep my heart from leaping out of my body. However once past the process of entering the site, Taylor and I were finally standing upon the summit of the famous Inca citadel, which has fired the imagination of millions of travellers from all over the world.

The sky was a perfect shade of blue with very little cloud cover to obscure the view of the ruins and every other thought of how long it took to get there from Australia or not completing the trek because of illness, faded well into the background.

Sometimes when we dream about something for so long the experience doesn’t live up to expectations. At that moment, standing there with our hands in the air and huge smiles on our faces, the reality was far better than my dream.

It was just perfect ... Picchu perfect!