When news of the invaders reached the inhabitants of the citadel today called Machu Picchu, they fled. They would not allow the Spanish to reach that sacred place; abandonment seemed like the better option. With no prey to hunt, the town would remain hidden, undetected. Or at least, that’s what we hypothesise. There is so … Continue reading If These Stones Could Talk: standing Inside Machu Picchu
BOOM! THUMP! Startled, I rose from my sleep, opening my eyes to intense flashing. Thunder, Thor… why was I thinking about Nordic Mythology in the Andes… THUMP, BOOM! That one was loud. Rain fell hard… another flash and… THUMP, BOOM! The skies cracking open, the sound reverbating through the valleys of the mountains, potentially intensified … Continue reading When time stretched at the Salkantay Trek
I couldn’t believe my own body. On the third day of the trek I woke up feeling warm and cosy. It took me a few seconds to remember where I was… and when the memories of the day before hit me, I feared the moment I would have to make my legs work. The pain … Continue reading Third day in the Salkantay Trek: roasting coffee & soaking in hot springs
The tip of my nose was icy. It had been the only part of my body uncovered during the night. I had put the clothes for the next day inside my sleeping bag, knowing that these would be freezing cold in the morning. When I said good morning to my roommate, a cloud of steam … Continue reading The Salkantay Pass: beyond the Mountain
We spend years, even a lifetime, thinking we know ourselves: our limits, our strengths. Unknowingly, those limits are often self-imposed - beliefs we accepted as facts. The biggest belief I had about myself was that I was physically weak and inept. Physical stuff was just not for me. I saw myself as a bookworm, not … Continue reading Tik, Tak, Tik, Tak… the first steps on the Salkantay Trek
The Winged Bone 