Jennifer hiking the NEW Inca trail

(July 2005)

When I booked my tour with Indiana Expedition in the spring I had no idea of what an amazing experience would follow. I was somewhat skeptical of planning my trip via the internet but Ivan was wonderful and always responded so quickly to any of my questions and concerns. I knew that I wanted to go with a local company in Peru. From the moment I arrived to the moment I departed everything was taken care of. I knew at all times that I was in good hands. I didn’t have to worry about anything; all I had to do was show up.

The hike along the new Inca trail was the highlight of my trip. The trail was not populated and we saw only a few people. I was nervous about the altitude and whether or not I would have altitude sickness. I had a headache the first day I was in Cusco and that was it. I think that it helped that I had a few days to become acclimatized to the altitude before beginning the hike. On the trip I joined two Australian men and we all became fast friends. The three of us were in the hands of our five crew members; Ivan, our guide the entire trip; Hugo, our guide along the trail; Antonio, who took care of the mules and whom we called our Jackaroo; Richard I, our cook; and Richard II, our assistant cook. All of the crew members took care of us with royal treatment.

Each day along the hike was a different scenery. The first day was the hardest and the coldest. We climbed up to 15,180 feet while it was snowing and we even heard and saw an avalanche in the distance. The next two days we hiked through the beautiful rain forest and semi jungle like terrain. In all I believe Ivan said we hiked a total of 2,500 feet up and 9,000 feet down. Going down the mountain on the last day was difficult for me and my knees were killing me, but the men were all patient with me and would stop and rest with me. Actually being the only women in the group they really took me under their wing and looked after me. They were all complete gentlemen. On the fourth day after awakening from a restful evening in a hotel we took the bus up to the top of Machu Picchu. We arrived early before the sun rose and beat the crowds. The lost city was more beautiful than any picture. I felt so blessed to be there and to experience the beauty and mystique of these ancient ruins.

I will never forget my trip to Peru. I was apprehensive about traveling alone but I am so grateful for my experience. The Peruvian people that I met truly touched my heart especially the children.

Thank you Ivan for your hospitality and for a wonderful time!

Note: Jennifer Cook did the CUSCO ADVENTURE tour of 10 days, on this trip she tour Cusco and hiked the NEW Inca trail to Machu Picchu. For more information on our trips, click on the "tours" button below.

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