Countries youd like to visit – Part 1

The earth’s surface is divided into over 200 official countries and territories, incorporating a multitude of differing terrain and contrasting cultures.

Having been inflicted with the travel “bug” from an early age, the urge to acquire first-hand experience of the diversity in the topography and civilization that adorns this planet has evolved into a passion for exploration.

However, the realistic perception lies with the awareness and understanding that both time and finance has, and will probably continue, to influence the opportunity to achieve the desired reality of having visited countless nations.

What, therefore, is a rational expectation for a life-long travel itinerary? For a personal target I have opted for a minimum of visiting a country located within each of the seven continents. If the opportunity is forthcoming and I am able to incorporate a higher number of worldwide destinations then I will view this as an unexpected extra, but for now the target remains a destination within each of the seven continents.

I have travelled across Europe, to countries including France, Italy, Romania and Cyprus, so the intentional travel itinerary will concentrate on the remaining six continents.

North America – A visit to the largest state in the United States of America, with a trip to Alaska. One travel option is for an Alaskan cruise and as my travel plans also includes the intended use of a variety of differing modes of transport, the preferred method for visiting Alaska would be aboard the cruise ship.

South America – The archaeological remnants of the Inca empire in Peru, and the citadel of Machu Picchu.

Africa – Two countries continue to dominate my thoughts: A safari in Kenya, and a visit to the north-eastern region of Tanzania with the intention of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

Asia – Kathmandu and the Himalayan peaks of Nepal. One cannot ignore a destination that includes the mountain kingdom of the Himalayas, and the pinnacle that is Everest. Climbing Everest is probably a little optimistic, but the view from base camp will be an equal experience.

Australia and New Zealand – From Alice Springs by road to view this bewildering rock formation, made of sandstone, at sunset or a dive beneath the ocean waves to explore the Great Barrier Reef. If the opportunity becomes viable then I would endeavor to plan a trip to incorporate both Australia and New Zealand within one extended vacation. Landing in Australia first for Sydney and Alice Springs, then across the Tasman Sea to the North and South Islands of New Zealand.

Antarctica – This will undoubtedly be the most extreme destination of choice, due to the nature and climate of this frozen wasteland, but future plans entail a flight to the South Pole and the viewing of the native Emperor Penguins.

Will I achieve this quest? I cannot tell, but I am hopeful of many years ahead to achieve the desired, and to be able to compile a catalogue of memories and personal experiences from across the globe.

Everything you need to know about the Sanctuary of Machu Picchu – Part 2

A whole lot has been said about who built Machupicchu and for what specific purpose, and when. Bingham, the American school teacher who claimed to be the citadel’s discoverer in 1911, fantasized about it being a resort for the Virgins of the Sun, young girls dedicated to satisfy the Inca king’s worldly necessities, including reproduction. The awesome surroundings and the apparent impossibility to build on such steep mountains in the middle of the jungle, has inspired cranks and flakes of every plumage. “A bridge to pass to other dimensions”, said some. “The center of universal energy”, argue others, who, by the way, talk about four other “centers”. Of course the famed lost city could not be overlooked by Erich Von Daniken, who would have us believe it a gem of architecture left to peoplekind by an alien race from another galaxy. More reasonable thinking proposed other ideas. One of the most commonly upheld is that it was built as a defensive outpost against warriors from the eastern stretches of the Amazon forest. Although this one has a ring of authenticity, if one is to compare to the wacky kind of explanations listed above, the truth is that the Amazonian tribes, most likely busy with mere survival, were never a real threat to the Inca kingdom. The other common “theory” was that Machupicchu was a sacred city used for religious purposes. Proof of this, this group argues, is the semi-circular temple with three windows which adorns countless postcards and books. However, archaeologists have not found evidence that religion and ritual were the main activities performed in Machupicchu at the time of the demise of the Inca Empire, around 1526. Furthermore, Andean cosmovision is of such nature that the division of work and worship, sacred and profane was inexistent, so much that Inca symbols of divinity, such as semi-circular architecture and three-windowed buildings can be found virtually wherever the Incas set foot. In the early nineties, Ronald Wright in his “Stolen Continents” mentioned the countless agricultural terraces found everywhere on the slopes around Machupicchu. He wondered why there were so many of them, when it was known that the city never held more than four thousand inhabitants at any time. He also thought most puzzling the fact that not only the terraces varied enormously in length and width, but also that they were ubiquitous around the whole complex (actually, you can even fiind them up on the top of Wayna Picchu, the peak behind the ruins)

Travel experiences: Hiking adventures

Nearly four and a half centuries ago, Spanish conquistadors, who had sailed to the Americas in hopes of finding riches and fame, arrived on the shores of a strange and foreign place. As they began to explore the diverse terrain of modern day Peru, the Spanish quickly realized that they were not alone. Waiting for them was an empire of massive proportions. Spanning over 2,500 miles, populated by 10 million people, and possessing gold and silver in amounts that the Spanish could never have dreamed of, the Inca Empire was in sole control of the South American continent.

Fast forward to today, and things have changed. Gone are the gold and silver, long ago melted down to form Spanish money. Gone are the magnificent cities sitting atop massive mountains and boasting some of the most advanced engineering seen by humans, now reduced to ruins. Gone are the once proud Inca people, who, with their bare hands, built one of the most prosperous civilizations on the planet.

Though mostly destroyed by the Spanish, some vestiges of the Incas survive today. One example is the city of Choqquequirau. Located in the Vilcabamba region, Choqquequirau is a magnificent city high in the Andes mountains. Once a sacred place inhabited by religious leaders, today the city is a tourist attraction. Unlike the nearby Machu Picchu, however, Choqquequirau is one of the remotest cities tourists can visit. There are no roads anywhere near the city. The only way to experience the majesty of Choqquequirau is to hike for 4 days, traversing some of the roughest trails imaginable, starting from the nearest city of Cachora.

Located 4 hours from the Inca capital of Cusco, Cachora is a simple small town . Comprised of a main square, a school, a few restaurants, and many homes, Cachora is where my journey into the mountains began. After leaving Cusco at 6 in the morning, a long bus ride, and an incredibly bumpy and uncomfortable taxi ride into the city, we found ourselves in the simple Peruvian town. After a delicious lunch our guide, Vincente, a native of Cusco, led us out of the city and towards the ancient Inca city.

Traveling with us was our guide Vincente, a cook, a porter, and two mules. The cook, porter, and mules departed several hours after we did. They are used to the terrain, and know many shortcuts, so they were able to leave after us, arrive before us, and were able to have our meals cooking by the time we caught up with them.

The first day of our journey was a relatively