A little background on the trip: I have an ambitious group of friends and acquaintances, all of whom have a voracious appetite for travel. (Shocking that this would be a common bond, considering I too enjoy traveling, no matter how short the distance from home.) Said group proffered up the idea of ascending to Machu Picchu sometime last summer. Because I haven't been out of the country (and no, I don't think going to the Bahamas counts as "out of the country") since my study abroad experience in Australia 8 YEARS ago, I jumped at the chance, disregarding the economic and vacation time hurdles.
By November 2007, most of us plane tickets. By February 2008, we had hostels and the last of us had passports (LARRY). By March, our Inca Trail booking was made and now, I'm getting excited. Below is the itinerary (click on image to enlarge) and our motley crew for this trip.
The Crew:
Larry is our official photographer - sure to catch every amazing moment nature has to offer, as well as action shots at every unflattering angle for each of our crew. Larry's enthusiasm for the outdoors is not just a result of the lack of oxygen at high altitude, but an innate aspect of his character. Closer to sea-level, Larry is a rock-climbing, rally car-driving IT consultant.
Ryan is no stranger to Latin America, having spent ample time in Costa Rica. With his mad Spanish-speaking skillz, there is no doubt he'll get our group out of more than a couple of tight spots. Back Stateside, Ryan works with Amanda as an environmental consultant and kicks ass in triathlons and running events.
This is me, Sarah Too. I'm going to Peru for the t-shirt. And to eat guinea pig. I have no foreign language skillz, other than thinking of French phrases when attempting to speak Spanish. Back at home, I save corals from my office desk and dream of vacations like this one.
Tami also is familiar with Latin America and speaks Spanish with ease, after spending time in the Peace Corps. This trip is Tami's reward for completing her Master's in Public Health Education this May. When not trekking the Inca Trail, she saves one adolescent at a time from STDs as a Sex-ucator (i.e., Reproductive Health Educator).Not pictured, but also joining us, is Lindsey. Experiencing the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu is part of her larger trek through Paraguay and Bolivia. Lindsey works as a lab tech at the same environmental consulting firm as Ryan and Amanda. When not sorting through samples or traveling through Latin America, Lindsey hits the road by running races with Ryan and me.
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