![\"Machu](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Machu-Picchu.jpeg\")
<\/a>—————-The ‘Lost City’—————–<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n It is the most famous hike in South America<\/strong>, perhaps the world; it is said to be life changing. Making the four-day trek on the Inca Trail<\/strong> through the Sacred Valley<\/strong> to the spectacular lost city of Machu Picchu<\/strong> is said to be the perfect travel combination of the excitement of the journey<\/em> and the joy of the destination<\/em>. It is an experience that is both arduous and awe-inspiring.<\/p>\n In two weeks our flight will take us from Los Angeles<\/strong> to Lima, Peru<\/strong> and then on to Cusco<\/strong>, located near the Urubamba Valley<\/strong> where the snow capped Andes Mountains<\/strong> gives way to the lush Amazon jungle<\/strong>. It\u2019s also not far from Lake Titicaca<\/strong>, not that that\u2019s important, I just wanted to get the word \u2018Titicaca\u2019<\/strong> into the conversation.<\/p>\n The \u2018us\u2019 on this trip include, of course my hiking buddy and good friend, Patrick \u2018Trail Boss\u2019 Michael<\/strong>, newbie\u00a0Steven ‘Yogi’ Bernardy<\/strong>, a friend of Patrick\u2019s\u2019 since childhood and Steven\u2019s son, Graydon (No Nick Name Yet)<\/strong>, a recent graduate of University of San Francisco,<\/strong>\u00a0who is headed to Med School.<\/p>\n Ironically, we arrive in Peru<\/strong> on Columbus Day<\/strong> and since Columbus\u2019 explorations led to the subsequent colonization of the New World<\/strong> and specifically to nefarious Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizzaro<\/strong> and his three barbaric brothers’ conquering of the Incas<\/strong>, it is not a particularly joyous day in Peru<\/strong>. They celebrate Columbus Day<\/strong> in South America<\/strong>\u00a0with the same enthusiasm the British<\/strong> celebrate the 4th of July<\/strong> in England<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Our first order of business upon arriving in Cusco,\u00a0the ancient capital of the Inca Empire<\/strong>\u00a0which sits at 11,000 feet in elevation, will be to \u2018acclimate\u2019 to the altitude; as our four-day hike will take us to nearly 14,000 feet. Below is a graphic that\u2019s been haunting me ever since I saw it . . .<\/p>\n –After seeing this, I started looking at bus schedules–<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n Our hike is scheduled as follows:<\/p>\n Day 1<\/strong> is about 7.5 miles of slightly up-hill hiking, that evening we will sleep in a tent and have no shower facilities.<\/p>\n Dreaded Day 2<\/strong>, as you can see by the graphic, has a lot of \u2018up\u2019 in the 5.5 miles we cover going over \u2018Dead Woman\u2019s Pass\u2019<\/strong> (more on that later) \u2013 it is by far our toughest day. We will try to keep in mind that getting there is half the fun! We sleep in a tent that night and have showers, but there is no hot water. I suspect we all may be a bit \u2018gamey\u2019 after two days of no hot showers.<\/p>\n –Mist Shrouded Inca Trail–<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n Day 3<\/strong> is a little up and a lot of down, covering about 8.5 miles; our tent accommodations do have warm water showers after the hike \u2013 for a price.<\/p>\n Day 4<\/strong> is only three fairly flat miles, but we\u2019ll be getting up between 4:00 – 5:00 a.m. so that we can see the sun rise over Machu Picchu.<\/strong> The remainder of Day 4 will be spent exploring the lost city with our guide. \u00a0At the end of the day we will board a bus that will take us to the train station where we will head to the Sacred Valley<\/strong>. The Sacred Valley is a collection of small towns and archaeological sites that offers both a glimpse into daily Peruvian life as well as a full picture of the accomplishments and operation of the once-glorious Inca Empire<\/strong>.<\/p>\n After a night\u2019s stay there we will head back to Cusco<\/strong> and try to find all the things we left there before we embarked on our hike. We will spend the night and then leave for home the following morning.<\/p>\n It shouldn’t surprise any of you to know that there are no cell towers, Wi-Fi or any other kind of connectivity along the Inca Trail, so this will be the last blog you\u2019ll get from me until I\u2019m back in some form of civilization. I promise to take notes with a pencil and pad (if I still remember how to use them) at the end of each day and get them into the blog when time and connectivity allow.<\/p>\n I know that some of our readers have been to Machu Picchu<\/strong>, so please let me know if there is anything I should make sure to see or anything I should make sure to avoid. Thank you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Bob Sparrow It is the most famous hike in South America, perhaps the world; it is said to be life changing. Making the four-day trek on the Inca Trail through the Sacred Valley to the spectacular lost city of … read more<\/a><\/a>