It was June of 2008 and I has just finished my tour of Machu Picchu, Cusco, and the Sacred Valley of Peru and arrived in the Galapagos. Thanks to being a solo traveler I got the last, single bunk on a small boat that was touring around the islands for a week. On one of our shore expeditions I went out into the crystal clear waters to snorkel. I was still very close to shore when I encountered sting rays, sea turtles, and numerous fish.
For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.- Steve Jobs
I’m moving out of my apartment this week, so I will have more up on the Peru items later this week. I apologize to those who submitted photos for me to feature; it’s coming, just give me a bit of time. I’ve given away a lot of things, put many more in storage. I have hundreds of books (maybe I will post a pic of my old library later), but decided on these to take with me. Not because they are my favorites. No, actually not one is an old friend I can fall back on. Each one is something new for me…some are old books–ones I never got around to reading although they sat in my library.
I can’t say that I have good, effective habits. I don’t know if I am an introvert or extrovert, it really depends. I don’t know if I resonate with people. I can read a financial report just fine, but never actually focused on how to “bean count,” and I love taking photographs, but I haven’t taken very many classes or instructions. One is a book with photographs and poetry from a couple who traveled the world for a year and a half after marrying. There is a guide book lost in the shuffle, and a series of beautiful photographs taken by Michio Hoshino in the far north.
I’ve been saying, “No,” to myself for a long time. Changes are coming.
Summary:
-See sunrise at Machu Picchu and avoid the crowds
-Don’t worry if the train from Cusco to Machu Picchu is fully booked- take a car part way
-Book your Huayna Picchu climb for 10am
-If you have extra days, spend them in Cusco or around the Sacred Valley
-Follow us on Instagram this week @thegentlemanbackpacker and submit your best Peru photos using #gentlemanbackpacker_peru to enter our photography contest and be featured on our feed and on this website.
One of the things I learned from my 14-country Round-the-World trip in 2008 was to be efficient. This was true whether it came to packing or travel planning. I can now plan a nice 3-day weekend in Buenos Aires, for example. Sometimes, you just can’t spend as much time in a country as you would like. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go at all. The Sacred Valley of Peru, a popular destination that usually begins in Cusco and reaches its climax at Machu Picchu, now one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, can be done in a variety of ways.
The famous Inca Trail is extremely popular with backpackers and college students. On my way back from Machu Picchu, I shared a train booth with some young ladies from the University of Florida, who apologized (unnecessarily) for the fact they hadn’t showered in 5 days and, upon hearing I lived in Tokyo, knew about and longed for the use of a Japanese washlet, given their time spent “roughing it with a leaf and a shovel.” But there I was, determined to go to Machu Picchu on a trip where I was also going to the Galapagos to cruise around by boat, visit museums in Spain and attend the opera in Vienna, oh and cruise the Nile in Egypt as well; I couldn’t lug around the appropriate equipment for camping in the mountains. So, after some careful and annoying planning, I came up with an itinerary that ticked all the boxes I wanted to tick, but was doable in just 4 days. Read on to find out how.