From the Highest City in the World...

I bring you the chronicles of dysentery in Cuzco, Peru! LOL I am actually not kidding, but I'll spare you the details other than to say at about 2am this morning I thought THE ALIEN was going to pop out of my stomach at any moment. I think one of the worst feelings is not being at home and being terribly sick- there is no one to call, no one to comfort you, and besides freaking out! lol there is a lang barrrier in describing what's wrong w/ you. Scary stuff. I am on a couple different medicines now for the next 6 days, and the doc says I am going to be fine taking the meds, but plan on being weak and in pain. Greeeeeeeeeeat way to end a trip, eh??? LOL ;p Oh well....

Machu Picchu was amazing... the feeling of being somewhere so completely ancient and still so intact! I climbed Machu Picchu Mountain, which took me a total of 3 hours!! I was seriously ready to turn back around, after the 40th flight of stone steps. lol At some points, they are so steep and uneven you are literally grabbing at the various rocks to make it up. The Incas were amazing specimens that's for sure!! What incredible strength they had to possess to place all the stones in such a manner up the face of a mountain and we're not talking pebbles here either! Going up, the cloud cover was still pretty thick, pretty crazy to think I finally' literally' had my head in the clouds! lol As was such, you couldn't see too much early in the morning since we had storms the night before, but by about 7am the clouds began to clear and when I descended the mountain, there came into view the full citadel of the Incas. Breath taking and it was there I did a little twirl on that landing (and one for you too Rhe), ate a protein bar and chilled listening to music reflecting. It was crazy peaceful... I didn't encounter anyone on my way up and just a couple of guys on my way down. Simply majestic the views from atop!

Once I made it down, I met a few ladies from England that were looking for the Sun Gate, which is at the end of the Inca Trail and so the three of us journeyed to that spot w/i the city. Needless to say, after 5 hours of trekking up and down friggin rocks, I was spent!! hehe I went to the Citadel to explore and take pics and then back to the bus to Aguas Calientes. Which is where I must have accquired my lil bug I am dealing w/ now. :( After having lunch at Chez Maggy, I boarded the never ending train to Poroy, in which I was in the last train car and I am telling you now- IF I ever ride a train again, it will NEVER be in the back car! lol- it shook me all night long shall we say? lol Back and forth, back and forth... I got off that train w/ a headache that would rival any hangover known to man! uuuuuggggggh. hahaha From Poroy, I got a taxi which took me back into Cuzco.

Now, considering that I have been sick all day!!!! I haven't been able to take any pics of Cuzco to upload tonight, but I am going to try to make it at least into the Plaza de Armas to get some before I leave on my 12:10 flight tomorrow. I feel like I have to push through and try to end this trip on a high note, no matter how miserable I feel. I am just sad I didn't get to tour the museums I wanted to see and the church in the Plaza. :( However, I am grateful for my many moments in meeting new people, seeing breathtaking views and soaking in a culture that, while similar, is still very different... not bad or wrong, just different than my own. I think that is why I love to travel so much. I feel like it opens our eyes to so much, helps us to understand more so who we are at our core, and makes us value that which we hold dear to our hearts and in turn, offering enlightenment to areas we need to improve upon in our own world.

It has been a very different experience than what I had anticipated- not bad at all, just very different than what I thought South America was really like. It is very much still a developing country, by the standards of norms we take for granted in the US. Hot water and electricity that doesn't go in and out, being able to flush toilet paper in a toilet and not worry about it backing up, having washer and dryers readily available in hotels and not having to 'pay' to have someone else do your laundry, heat that works well in a room, etc. The country of Peru is a beautiful place w/ many ecosystems all scattered amongst its landscape, and the beauty of the people and its landscape far outweigh the poverty that can also been seen in the spectrum. I spared not one side, nor the other in my photos... you'll see the beautiful and at times, the ugly, but overall, the spirit of the people is what I will take w/ me in my heart. Never have I met a more hospitable people, or those who are willing to overlook your own shortcomings to help you along your journey. The smiles of the children of Peru will forever make me smile, and the kindness I have been shown along the way by the people I have encountered will forever warm my heart. Peru, even w/ all it's differences holds one very strong commonality, love.