travels.of.tara

May 19, Airport Lounge, JFK.

Finally, the time has come for my next big international solo trip. It’s been a long 4 months of waiting for travel, even with a couple of great long weekend trips. This one is special, and I’ve been buzzing for weeks in anticipation. It’s not just a trip to Peru, and it’s not just a once in a lifetime experience of hiking to Machu Picchu. It’s doing all those things over my 40th birthday. And it’s doing all those things while I anticipate a big life change in two months – one that also revolves around travel.

Today is May 19th, a Tuesday late night. Overnight I’ll fly to Cusco via Bogota. I’ll spend 2 and a half days acclimatizing to the high altitude. Then I’ll do a two-day hike on the Inca Trail with one night of camping, conveniently arriving on May 24th, my big birthday. I’ll have two recovery days in Cusco. Then a flight to Lima, where I’ll have 2 and a half days to explore the city. I return home on Saturday May 30th, making this a solid week and a half trip. I’ll be staying in hostels, sometimes in private rooms and sometimes in dorms. And I’ll be getting around by rideshare, tours, and walking.

Normally I don’t travel this time of year, because work is in its busy season and it’s tough to step away. I had to make an exception this year as a huge gift to myself for my big birthday. But it’s also ok, because my work is starting to wind down. Because at the end of July I’ll be leaving my job to travel the world by myself for 6 months.

The last few months have been a whirlwind of logistics and planning that I’m still knee-deep in. But at the same time my heart is so full. I’ve been so happy the last few weeks, as the weather improves and the end of work is near. The uncertainty about my future that initially terrified me now grounds me in a unique sense of freedom that I am wildly grateful for.

I have a lot more I’m feeling about this big sabbatical, and some of it I am still processing. This trip feels like part one. A test case for my new energy and my new suitcase. I hope to use all my solo time to be present in my experiences while reflecting on my past as I build for the future. This birthday milestone is so perfectly timed and I’m feeling really good and grateful about reaching it.

So as I prepare to sleep so well on the plane and feel amazing when I reach 11,000 feet altitude in Cusco (manifesting!), I’m ready for whatever this trip brings me. I’m excited for this birthday and the transition into a new decade. I’m so grateful for my freedom, for the life I’ve built for myself, and for everything travel does for me. Onward.

May 23-24, Machu Picchu.

I spent a memorable few days adjusting to the high altitude in Cusco, exploring the colorful, walkable, and colonial city and seeing some incredible Inca ruins outside of the city. Coca tea and lots of hydrating seemed to help with the altitude, though I found myself getting out of breath quickly whenever I walked, especially if there was a hill, and Cusco has a lot of hills. Still, Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley area are a few thousand feet lower than Cusco, so I felt ready for the hike.

The night before the tour, I headed to a 6pm briefing at the tour operator’s office in the city.  I met my group and our guide, Victor, and picked up duffel bags to store our belongings for the porters. Alpaca Expeditions brands itself in lime green, an assault on my eyes that I came to love by the end. It’s a slightly more expensive company than others, but I chose it on the recommendation of a friend who had done lots of research for her own trip and found them to be the most ethical company that pays their porters and cooks the best. The company also offers a 2-day/1-night camping option, which after extensive back and forth I decided was the right hiking option for me given my uncertainty about the high altitude. The most common Inca Trail hike is 4-days/3-nights; some also do it in 5 days, and there are also some alternate hiking routes to reach Machu Picchu.

After taking detailed notes and asking many questions, we broke for the night, and I headed straight back to my hostel dorm room for a final packing up and very early night’s sleep, in bed by 7:30pm. Sleep did not come easy, and as I lay awake on my top bunk fearing sleeping through my 2:50am alarm I heard another dormmate stumble into bed for the night just before I was scheduled to wake up.

I got myself ready and checked out, luggage stored, and at 3:40am on the dot Victor arrived to escort me to the van. We picked up the rest of our group and drove in the pitch dark for an hour and a half. In the next small city outside of Cusco, the town was already stirring, with women setting up their bakeries and using bright plastic bags to wave cars into their shops to purchase what looked like freshly-baked bread.

Eventually, we turned onto a dirt road and let the driver navigate bumps and potholes until we reached a closed gate, which also happened to be blocked by more giant holes filled with water. Victor and the driver were making phone calls and yelling in Spanish about the gate not being opened, and we waited in concern for a few long minutes, feeling ominous in the dark. Finally, a woman came and manually opened the gate, and the driver managed to navigate the washed-out road onto an open field.

Inside the one-story building, a long table sat waiting for us. A simple but nice breakfast buffet of fruit and bread and instant coffee woke us up enough to finally talk to one another, confirming names and hometowns. I met my group:

• Maddie and Paul, a couple about my age from Chicago, who left their two toddlers at home for the first time.
• The finance bros, a father, Mark, and two sons, Josh and Cory, in their early 20s from New York, doing an extreme express visit to Peru before going back to their jobs and post-college adventures.
• “Ed and Ken, brothers,” as they reminded us many times, and their two daughters in their 20s – Lauren and Ashley, cousins – from Ohio, one who lives in NYC and works in fragrance. The daughters planned the trip after talking about it for years.
• Lynda and Seth, an older dating couple from Miami, Lynda coming off losing her husband two years ago and uncharacteristically taking big swings toward adventure.
• Tara, solo traveler from New York, celebrating a 40^th birthday and bringing joy to all!

Back in the van as the sun finally began to rise, and we drove through town a short way to the train station in the town of Ollantaytambo. There was a Catholic holiday festival in town that day, a common occurrence in Peru, paradoxically meaning extra roads were open to give us a shortcut.

We said goodbye to the driver and our duffel bags, and Victor handed us our train tickets and helped us navigate the tourist crowds onto the platform. Excitement was in the air, echoed by the dancers in red traditional Inca costumes parading and dancing up and down the platform. We took our assigned seats; I traded with a woman who was separated from her young daughter and sat with the NYC boys for the hour and a half ride. There were beautiful, snow-capped mountains and a river along the ride, and an interpretive performance through the aisle that I couldn’t quite follow about the history of Machu Picchu involving threads and forbidden love.

The train stopped at a not-train station in the middle of nowhere, and let off the groups of hikers, while the day trippers stayed on board to reach Machu Picchu town, aka Aguas Calientes. We slowly crossed a steel bridge across the river, taking in our first views of the phenomenal mountains that we would be surrounded by for the next two days as we awaited the Choquesuysuy checkpoint where we would show our passports and hiking permits. The air was humid, surprisingly welcoming us to a jungle-like climate that our guide said is technically part of the Amazon rainforest. The weather was cloudy and comfortable, perfect for hiking, with tiny clouds floating low across the mountain scenery.

There are very limited permits for the Inca Trail. I booked nice and early in December and the company confirmed my permits. For Machu Picchu itself, after Covid the number of daily permits was reduced from 10,000 to 5,000, and three separate permitted walking circuits were set up, so early booking is crucial. There are some limited in-person day passes available, but it is a journey to reach the ticket office and they sell out quickly. Machu Picchu is certainly over-touristed, and before going I had heard rumors that it would be shut down in the near future. However, our guide shared that it has become too essential to the Peruvian tourism economy that it is unlikely to close in the future.

After a quick stop in the smelly bathroom structure, which I skipped, it was finally time to start our hike! But first, a stop to explore the Inca Site just up the path. The hilly green terraces separated by stone retaining walls were a staple of Inca architecture, and they were used for farming different products including many potato varieties. Looking up at the steep mountain I found it baffling why the Incas chose to build their developments in what felt to me like an unhospitable and challenging place, even though it was beautiful and there was a river nearby. I would later learn that the Incas worshipped the sun as a god, and they believed to be close to the sun was desirable and holy.

Now, I love hiking. I have dozens of favorite hikes. This one easily jumps to the top of the list, with incredible mountain views and sprinkles of pink and red wildflowers the whole way.  Still, it was HARD. This first two-hour hiking segment didn’t include anything too physically challenging or technical, but it was entirely uphill, essentially scaling about 2,000 feet of mountain, going from about 7,000 feet to 9,000 feet of elevation. As a sea level human, I found my heart racing quickly and easily, and I had to stop much more than on an average hike. I rapidly peeled off all my layers. I knew right away that I had made the right decision to do the two-day hike instead of the longer options.

I naturally separated from the group – most were in front of me with our second guide, Wilbur, who had just joined us and spoke less English. Lynda and Seth were well behind me with Victor. I passed along some other groups so I wasn’t totally alone or abandoned, but I truly enjoyed the solo hiking time to take in the incredible scenery and let my brain wander freely. Those cloudy mountains with the river below gave me such a nature high. Sometimes I would catch up with the pack on a break, and I rationalized that they were all a lot taller than me so our pacing wasn’t all that different. I even found myself fighting my own exhaustion to give a motivational speech to another separated woman who looked miserable.

Finally I found myself at what felt like a basecamp, with many tents set up. I found our lime green tent and our group, and settled in for a break and some chicha morada, a purple corn drink and snacks. We tried out the pit toilet nearby, which was pretty gross but had amazing views. About 20 minutes later the stragglers joined us, exhausted but in good spirits.

Before lunch, we left our packs and walked a couple of minutes to another major Inca site, Winaywayna. From the first view it was absolutely incredible. The mountains themselves would have been enough, but add on top of them a huge clearing of structured terraces, well-preserved stone structures, and a waterfall, and it was like being in an ancient paradise.

Victor told us a bit about the area and the Incas, like how they would take a daily shower in the waterfall, which the conquering Europeans found to be very strange. We sat for a bit around the Temple of Rainbows, a round structure with 7 windows. I savored all the free time we were given to explore, and spent some good time sitting alone and just gazing at the scenery and pondering the ancient civilization.

Back to the tent and it was time for lunch, which ended up being a delicious family-style spread. The fact that we were hiking and not at a nice outdoor restaurant was only betrayed by the metal camping-style plates and utensils. Our cook, a woman we were introduced to named Marianely, had prepared guac and chips, mango ceviche, chicken tenders, fish, rice, veggies, and soup. Marianely, we learned, was the first female guide in Machu Picchu, and now worked as a chef.

No time to sit and digest; it was time for more hiking. This time it was a bit easier, with some flat sections, though there were still a few steep climbs throughout the hour-and-a-half segment. We passed another checkpoint, and I was feeling good mostly keeping up with the pack this time. One area challenged us with some very steep stone steps that required a little scrambling, but the reward at the top of the section was a flat expanse perfect for photos and a short break.

As I scrambled up yet another steep section, huffing and puffing, I noticed some stone walls with an opening at the top, and I knew this was it. As I approached, I turned to the left through the stone opening, and there it was! My first view of Machu Picchu, as seen from the Sun Gate, down below us under the sparking sun. It hit powerfully, the vast expanse of mountainous terrain overwhelming. It was suddenly very crowded with people taking photos and enjoying the view, so I jumped in and took a million photos alongside my group, knowing this was the iconic shot. A few minutes later Victor let us know we were actually going to get a lot closer for better photos, after a half hour hike downhill. I’m a little embarrassed by how many photos we were all taking throughout the day, but I wouldn’t have done it differently, it was so amazing.

I loved arriving to the site this way, knowing I had worked hard to reach one of the wonders of the world, and that I had done it the same way the ancient Incas had. The Inca Trail, built around the 15th Century, was used by the Inca for communication pathways in addition to serving as a sacred trek to Machu Picchu, itself a royal and holy citadel. The Sun Gate was arranged perfectly with the sun at certain times of the year. Inca sites were built very intentionally and represented what we would come to learn was smarter in many ways than modern architecture.

We passed some more ruins on our epic final hike down, including a burial site with a giant stone. Without the steep elevation gain to slow me down I bonded with the girls in my group, feeling exceptionally social as we were experiencing this wonderful thing together.

And then, all of a sudden, there we were! We were so close to the site, a giant mountain protecting a cluster of ancient stone buildings and terraces. We fell right into one of the three official walking circuits and continued to take many, many photos. The weather was clear and warm and perfect at this point. I took a photo I had been thinking about, holding up a 4 and 0 with my hands, and used the moment to tell my group that it was my big birthday. They were very excited and made me feel so good. As is common for me, they were surprised by my age, thinking I was younger (Lynda asked if I was 30!). I felt really good and full.

We had a ton of time to slowly wander around and stare into the site. We would be back tomorrow and spend more time learning, so today was just about soaking it in and enjoying the views. Several photo shoots later and we all felt ready to leave for the day. We walked to the exit where we paid 2 sols (60 cents) for a clean bathroom, then hopped right onto a bus that drove us 25 minutes down the mountain via switchbacks to the town of Aguas Calientes. I spoke with a tour guide I was sitting next to for a while, who shared that this morning the site was completely encased in clouds so that you couldn’t see the site. Fortune and joy were smiling on us that day.

The bus stopped just past a bridge over the river, letting our group off at an unofficial stop. We walked along some train tracks for about 15 minutes to arrive at our campsite, where our duffel bags were waiting for us next to our tents. The site had a vendor selling beers and we were all extremely excited about this, so after settling in we all shared a drink on some benches overlooking the river as the sun set around 5:30, letting the day settle in and enjoying the post-hike satisfaction. The campsite also had bathrooms and decent showers and power outlets. We had snacks as the sun set (so much popcorn) and then dinner, another excellent spread with a chicken stew, soup, pasta, and other great options.

We conked out around 8pm. The tent was very comfortable and spacious for me, and as terrified about the cold weather as I was it ended up being comfortable in the high 50s at night. I did have to expel a big bug, but then I got the best night of sleep I’d gotten so far in Peru. I awoke around 3:30 to roosters screaming, and then Victor came along for our official wake up call at 4.

And then it was Sunday, May 24^th, and I am 40! Not something easily processed at 4am, but still.

We got ready quickly with our headlamps and had breakfast. Then, Victor and chef Marianely surprised me with a birthday cake! She had baked it the night before. It was so kind, and everyone sang. Something in me was feeling a little guilty for being singled out as special during this very special experience for everyone, but I was able to put that aside and let myself soak in the happiness.

We left our duffels behind for our porters to bring to town later, and off we went, walking in the pitch dark 25 minutes to the bus stop in the center of Aguas Calientes, a dog accompanying us the whole time. We got a glimpse of the beautiful mountain town and river as the sun rose, then quickly hopped on the bus back up the switchbacks to the entrance to Machu Picchu.

This time, we walked the circuit that allowed us to explore the ruins up close, walking in the buildings, exploring the terraces, and feeling the expertly-assembled giant stones that required no mortar. Victor taught us a lot about the Inca people. One fact that stayed with me was that teenagers regularly had orgies. But if 15-year-old girls got pregnant they would get abortions, using herbs that often gave them deadly infections, because family and marriage was very highly valued in society.

The site had been abandoned since around the 1500s when Spaniards came and conquered the Inca people. It sat dormant until American Hiram Bingham “discovered” the site in 1911. Locals knew about the site for a few years before that, and a kid asked for money to show Bingham the site. By then any valuables like gold and silver had been taken by the locals, but Bingham took some artifacts and brought them with him to Yale. A lot of the artifacts are still there, because of a legal contract that says they will be returned to Peru “eventually.”

As we did all this learning, we were interrupted by the joy of several llamas walking around the site next to people; apparently 15 of them live there and are also domesticated. One sat close to the path, posing perfectly for us with ruins in the background.

A while later, the Ohio family and I separated from the rest of the group, because we had paid for permits to hike Waynapicchu – the big mountain above the ruins. The rest of the group walked a little more and would meet us in Aguas Calientes later. Waynapicchu translates to Young Mountain; Machu Picchu means Old Mountain.

It was a really tough hike, entirely stone steps all the way up, and it took me about 75 minutes of huffing and puffing and taking many breaks (Victor had bragged that as a child he could run up in 20 minutes, and said it would take us about an hour). Naturally, it was all incredibly beautiful on the way up.

Wilbur hiked with us, and I warned him that I would be slow. I said I preferred that he go ahead and I like hiking alone, but he stayed with me. I could feel him getting annoyed with my pace at times, though he was trying to hide it. At one point he offered to carry my backpack for me, and I got a little upset at the suggestion, telling him I needed to do it myself. Also my water and all my belongings were in there, and as a New Yorker I was raised to protect my valuables in public places. It was a bit of a low point as I fought embarrassment while trying to enjoy the experience, knowing on my own I’d be perfectly happy with my slower pace.

The hike included a good bit of scrambling, and toward the top there were lots of structured stone steps offering a final steep challenge. I did allow Wilbur to take my phone for a while at the end and be my photographer. The top offered 360-degree views of the mountainous, sunny wonderland. I could have lingered up there much longer, but there seemed to be a bit of a line for different photo spots and pressure to keep it moving. The Ohio family was only a few people ahead of me; I caught them taking photos at the top. There was also a cool little cave with steps in it that we had to pass through. After the easier descent of about 45 minutes, I met the rest of the group, and we all felt like conquering heroes. At the bottom I found another birthday girl, Angela, turning 44! We high-fived and I said we are amazing!

We had sweat a lot, so we skipped the bathroom and hopped on the bus down to Aguas Calientes to meet our group and our bags, waiting for us at a nice restaurant with several other groups from our tour company. We transferred our stuff into a shopping bag to carry it back with us, and I gratefully found the bright green t-shirt they had given us and changed out of my wet cotton. I scarfed down a big quinoa burger and potatoes and a minty lemonade.

Our group was on different trains back, and mine was in the middle at 2:30. With under an hour til then, I went out to explore the town, seeing a big local festival in the square with music and dancing children in costumes, an unexpected delight. I bought some postcards and magnets and headed back.

As I sat down at our table upstairs, Maddie asked me “Did you see your college friend?”

“Huh?” I responded with confusion, knowing she was mistaken.

But then she continued: “His name is Anthony L, he asked if that was you; he also hiked for his 40th birthday, here is his Instagram info.”

I immediately recognized his name, someone who lived in my dorm when I was 19 and I hadn’t seen or really heard from since then. I didn’t know what to do, but at her urging went downstairs to try to find him. I saw a tall man about my age and took a guess, yelling his name, and lo and behold it was him. My mind was completely blown. I recognized his face but would never have recognized him in passing, so I was impressed he recognized me. I met his wife – they had just done the 4-day Inca Trail hike with the same company, celebrating the 40th birthday. They are ER doctors in northern California. We only had a few minutes before he had to leave for the train with his group. It turned out we were on the same train, and I saw him again back in Ollytaytambo, where we had the thought to take a picture together, both of us in our lime green shirts and marveling at the smallness of the world.

I said my goodbyes to most of the group, and took a long train ride back to Ollaytaytambo, where I was crammed in with 3 tired guys and their giant backpacks that they didn’t have the decency to store on the luggage racks, so it was a bit uncomfortable for me. Fortunately the view on that side of the train was amazing, and I was able to listen to music and soak in the experience.

I somehow managed to fight the crowds and find the right Alpaca Expeditions driver in town. It was a long drive back to Cusco, starting with traffic for people watching a bull fight, an urgent bathroom stop, and chatting with some other hikers who gave me a good massage recommendation for the next day. The road back was crazy with insane potholes and rockslides blocking a lot of road; it felt very dangerous. Then we were in a small city with aggressive local traffic in the dark; it was a weird ending to an otherwise perfect two days. I transferred onto another van and got dropped off at my hostel, where I promptly picked up my luggage and collapsed into bed in my big private room. I managed to get up to the hostel bar for dinner and caught up with people at home, soaking in the birthday love on an incredibly memorable day.

City wrap up: Cusco and Lima.

I did more great things in Cusco; I took a cooking class and went to some small museums and ate a lot of good food. And then I flew to Lima and did some more great things there, exploring what I didn’t realize was a huge city of 11 million people. I marveled at the dichotomy of a city with fancy first world malls and chain stores nearby to crowded local markets and chaotic streets. I also took a private weaving workshop with a woman at her home, went to a nighttime water show with colorful interactive fountains, did a coastal walk along cliffs, and of course ate even more really good food.

It’s almost offensive to me that the wonders of exploring Peru’s cities are eclipsed for me by the bigger wonder of Machu Picchu, which is literally one of the 7 wonders of the world and brought me so much awe. And while I tried to put words to it here, the feeling of being there has been difficult to describe. Privilege and gratitude are some adjectives I’ve been coming back to in the weeks it has taken me to finish writing this.

As I search for lessons in this trip, what I’ve found is a major affirmation of my life decisions. Travel brings me so much joy and fulfillment. It brings out the curious and adventurous part of myself that too often lies dormant in my day-to-day life back home. I met a lot of backpackers in Peru, many who were in their 30s and had quit their jobs to travel. What I’m about to do is a big deal for me, but it isn’t new; lots of people do this. I know that long-term travel will be different, and as much as I’ve been preparing I have no idea what I’m in for: the ups and downs and the excitement and the challenges. And as I enter a new decade of life and of travel, all I can say is, I can’t wait.