I swear I went to the Rainbow Mountain with low expectations. I knew the photos we see online are heavily edited to boost colour saturation, so I had already toned down the vibrant hues one might wrongly expect from social media. But nothing prepared me for what I was actually about to find. Known as … Continue reading Snow on the Rainbow Mountain: 5,200 Metres of Cold, Awe, and Unexpected Magic
My poor body. For the past five days, it had held me steady and strong throughout the Salkantay Trek, with barely a complaint about the drastic changes in altitude and temperature, the lack of sleep, or the many kilometres of climbs and descents. I had been so proud of my limbs, my muscles. I knew … Continue reading Sacsayhuamán & Qorikancha: obligatory visits in Cusco (even with a cold)
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 Winged Bone 