Well everyone I have big and exciting news for you all… this summer I am hiking Machu Picchu in Peru with my dad! While I am absolutely elated about this and couldn’t be more exciting for my upcoming journey, I am also scared to death about how hard this hike will be.
I will have more on training for the hike, supplies, attire, and much more later on; however, in this blog I just wanted to address the trip as a whole and just give a bit of background.
My one goal in life so far is to make it to each of the New Seven Wonders of the World. They are as follows…
- Taj Mahal (India)
- Christ the Redeemer (Brazil)
- Chichen Itza (Mexico)
- Machu Picchu (Peru)
- Petra (Jordan)
- The Great Wall of China (China)
- Roman Colosseum (Italy)
- Great Pyramid of Giza (Egypt)
You may be confused as to why there are eight when there are only seven wonders. You can read more on this here, but basically they determined the Great Pyramid of Giza to be an ‘honorary candidate’ due to it being the only ancient wonder still standing.
Regardless of the debate over whether or not there should be seven or eight, I have only made it to one wonder so far, Chichen Itza. This means that I have quite a bit of work to do. When my dad asked me what I wanted to do for my Senior graduation trip I knew instantly that I wanted to cross another wonder off of my bucket list.
The decision to decide which of the wonders we went to visit became a little bit more difficult. After much debate we were between Petra and Machu Picchu, but I was very interested in the Inca Trail Hike that came with going to Machu Picchu so in the end we opted for this option.
To get to Machu Picchu you can take a train, but that would be too easy. My dad and I, both people who like a good challenge, decided to go with the world famous Inca Trail to get to the top of the mountain. This trail is one known to critics as “one of the best hikes in the entire world”. If we were to go all the way to Peru from Iowa, who were we to turn down this hike if we were perfectly capable of doing it. For these reasons and more, including the fact that it would be so special to climb a mountain right before I go to college, we chose the hike as our way to get to Machu Picchu.
The Inca Hike is about four days long and you are required to go with a tour company as the trail is heavily regulated by the government. Because of this, if you would like to take the trail it is highly recommended that you apply for permits as far in advance as possible (especially if you want to hike during peak season).
I am so excited to share all of the preparation that will go into this trip with you all, as well as the adventure itself. It will not be easy, but I know I will never forget this special trip I am lucky enough to take with my dad.
Stay tuned for more information in upcoming blogs!
Xoxo,
Quinn
Life in Quinn's Corner 