Remembering Peru

In the summer of 2012, my family and I visited Peru for the first time. Looking back on the time I spent in such a beautiful country, I only feel a longing to pay it a visit again. But for now, I’ll reminisce about my journey in this wonderful country. The Amazonia and Machu Picchu are some of the biggest attractions in Peru, and we had the chance to visit both. 

Our adventure started after we landed on an almost remote airstrip in the middle of a forest. Excited to visit the Amazon rainforest, we picked up our luggage and exited the airport.

We took a Jeep to the nearest town’s port. Forests surrounded the roads. The humid climate created a breathtaking scenery. After driving for a while, we reached our destination and then proceeded to take a small boat through a tributary of the Amazon River. Yet again, the landscape did not cease to amaze me. A narrow river flowing through a dense jungle with thick groves of trees on either side and the occasional cabin peeking out through the overgrowth led us to our resort. 

After stopping beside a small, worn-out dock partially covered in moss, we walked into a beautiful clearing with three cabins surrounded by trees and little pathways bordered by smooth stones. We followed the walkways to a grander cabin and met the manager along with the chef. After getting acquainted, we got set up inside our cabin, which only supplied electricity and hot water for one hour a day. 

The next day, we went hiking on a forest trail with another family that was staying at the resort. After mounting a long wooden canoe, we paddled around on a serene lake; however, the sereneness was disrupted by a family of otters and two seemingly hungry crocodiles. On the third day, we decided to take another hike, this time to another cabin situated not far from a cliff overlooking a small lake. We ate a delicious lunch there alongside a cat we befriended.

The final day before we departed was the day—I was finally able to fulfill my dream of going fishing. I caught a couple of fish, namely two Piranhas that became our dinner that night.

When it came time to leave, we left on a boat and prepared for our next destination.

After arriving at a small town named Ollantaytambo, we booked a hotel for the next few nights and after getting settled, we booked a tour bus to take us to the legendary Machu Picchu. The next day, we got prepared for the journey ahead and boarded the bus. We made a couple of stops in between but nothing beats the scenery of dense mountains covered in thick jungles with fog covering the peaks and the feel of a light drizzle against your poncho. 

We got off the bus after taking a very long and very windy road up the mountains and got ready to follow the rest of the tourists onto some old, stone steps up a hill that would eventually lead us to the fourth wonder of the world. Rows of cobblestone buildings that seemed close to breaking down were situated on this beautiful hilltop with two giant mountain peaks that set the backdrop. The humidity in the air added an almost mysticism to the air. The very steps we stood on had been built centuries ago and each of the stone structures had seen the entire world move forward. The hired tour guide led us down some more steps until we reached the main landing area. We took in a breath of sharp air due to the high altitude and began our tour. 

There were statues of gods that the Incas worshipped, random Alpacas that sneezed a lot, formations in the rocks, carved stone statues, and even some broken down living quarters. After we finished walking through this once military fortress, we sat down for a while to take in our journey thus far. As we walked back to our bus, my head swam with all the questions I had about this magnificent structure that would never be answered.

We returned to our hotel and, after resting for a couple of hours, got ready to take the plane home. For a guy who didn’t touch grass much, this experience was definitely something that I would never forget. The memories I made, the places I saw, and the people I met were definitely something to cherish. I decided then and there that I would spend more time outside and experience more of this beautiful world.