Peru, Inca Trail, and Machu Picchu 2011

Peru is a fascinating South American country deeply influenced by its early Inca civilization and the Spanish influence arriving in the 1500's. Visiting Machu Picchu is on just about every adventure traveler's top ten list. We made this trip an even greater quest by arriving at Machu Picchu via a 4 day trek on the challenging, yet breathtaking Inca trail. The trail took us from 9000', over 13,376', and down the infamous 4000 stone steps to the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu at 7875'. However, Machu Picchu encompassed just 5 days of our 14 day adventure. There were many other Peruvian delights that we experienced as well such as Lake Titicaca (the highest navigable lake in the world), Uros (floating island made from reeds), and Amantani Island where we spent 24 hours living with an island family. We concluded our adventure with three nights in the Amazonian rain forest. This was a very unique experience for us.