Where's My 'Survivor" Million Dollars?by Bonique Edwards, CEO of Kaleidoscope Consulting
What on earth was I thinking when I agreed to do an adventure vacation in Peru with my outdoor junkie friend Niki? Even though I had worked out 5-6 days per week for the past three months, my body was in no condition for the rigors of Peru.
The trip started with a 7 hour bus ride to Lake Titicaca. The only thing missing on the bus were the chickens. Needless to say, we took a flight back to the city.
The elevation of Lake Titicaca is about 13,000-14,000 feet. Even a trip up a flight of stairs makes you feel like you just finished a 5K. In 20 degree weather, we slept in a room with a broken heater.
The next morning, we visited man made islands. One of the most amazing things I've seen in my life. The indigenous people literally make their homes, their boats and the island itself out of reeds that literally are grown wild in the lake. There are no TV's or Blackberries. They use the money made from tourists to purchase solar panels for electricity. How is it possible, that people on floating islands can use solar power, but we can't seem to get it together in the US?
That night, I learned we were staying with a family in their home on another island. (yes, I was slightly freaked out!) The home was clean, but I wasn't so convinced that the sheets were washed in between visitors. With no hot water, we used our Charmin Wipes to freshen up the next day. That night, we ate dinner with the family and they dressed us in traditional clothing. They had a party in honor of the tourists and we had a blast dancing with the native islanders.
The next morning, we climbed to the top of the mountain for the views. Imagine climbing up hill for one hour with limited Oxygen. I felt like my lungs were going to explode.
When we made it to the top, I literally jumped like the people you see in a "Oh What a Feeling" Toyota commercial. My P90X workout tapes did not prepare me for the hills of Peru. Of course the view from the top was spectacular.
We ventured off to see Machu Picchu. Feeling acclimated to the elevation, we decided to hike the day before actually visiting the Inca site. We were informed that the hike was steep, but short. Everything was fine until we got to "The Ladder" The first ladder had at least 100 wooden steps against the mountain at an 80 degree angle. I have never seen anything like it. We all stared at the ladder for a few minutes before attempting the feat. The goal was to use three points of contact while climbing.
I kept thinking, "Shouldn't we have a harness or something." I literally used my body to hug each piece of wood. One slip and it was over. After we made it to top, I figured we would jump for joy and enjoy the view. (Wrong!) A couple coming down the mountain told me there were "5 more sets of ladders and then one hour to the top." Hmmmmm...
I climbed one more set of ladders and decided that my definition of a short hike did not include risking my life or climbing an hour up hill at 90 degree angles. I punked out. I just didn't feel safe. I have ridden my bike in several countries with steep terrain....I have jumped out of plane....I have white water rafted in Costa Rica and I am a solid snowboarder. Hell, I think I'm pretty adventurous, but those ladders scared the sh** out of me. I felt like I was on Survivor without the option to win a million dollars. I yelled up to Niki and Faye that I was making my way down.
Eventually, another traveler in our group Chad joined me for the descend. He told me that at one point he was literally on the ground climbing up. We ran into another couple who simply said, "It just wasn't safe." I have a whole new respect for my girlfriends Niki and Faye who made it to the top. This mountain took extreme to a whole new level.
The next day, we arrived at Machu Picchu. The site will literally take your breath away. Similar to the pyramids, its a wonder how the stones were cut, molded and shaped without the convenience of modern power tools. The site is elevated above the town below, which means that the Incas had to haul heavy stones up the mountain to build the city.
The site was rediscovered in 1911 by an American Archeologist. Of course, we took all the gold and jewelry promising to return the precious goods to Peru. It never happened. People of color continue to be disenfranchised around the world.
The steps of Machu Picchu were steep and rigorous, but it felt like a walk in the park compared to the ladders of doom. We explored the location for five hours and took dozens of pictures. It was truly a site to see.
Overall, I had the time of my life. How can you be mad at a country that serves rice and french fries for every meal? I did not feel guilty for one single fry, since my body had been pushed to the limit over the past week. I'm headed off to Brazil. I may try hang gliding. Sounds much easier!
The trip started with a 7 hour bus ride to Lake Titicaca. The only thing missing on the bus were the chickens. Needless to say, we took a flight back to the city.
The elevation of Lake Titicaca is about 13,000-14,000 feet. Even a trip up a flight of stairs makes you feel like you just finished a 5K. In 20 degree weather, we slept in a room with a broken heater.The next morning, we visited man made islands. One of the most amazing things I've seen in my life. The indigenous people literally make their homes, their boats and the island itself out of reeds that literally are grown wild in the lake. There are no TV's or Blackberries. They use the money made from tourists to purchase solar panels for electricity. How is it possible, that people on floating islands can use solar power, but we can't seem to get it together in the US?
That night, I learned we were staying with a family in their home on another island. (yes, I was slightly freaked out!) The home was clean, but I wasn't so convinced that the sheets were washed in between visitors. With no hot water, we used our Charmin Wipes to freshen up the next day. That night, we ate dinner with the family and they dressed us in traditional clothing. They had a party in honor of the tourists and we had a blast dancing with the native islanders.
The next morning, we climbed to the top of the mountain for the views. Imagine climbing up hill for one hour with limited Oxygen. I felt like my lungs were going to explode.
When we made it to the top, I literally jumped like the people you see in a "Oh What a Feeling" Toyota commercial. My P90X workout tapes did not prepare me for the hills of Peru. Of course the view from the top was spectacular.We ventured off to see Machu Picchu. Feeling acclimated to the elevation, we decided to hike the day before actually visiting the Inca site. We were informed that the hike was steep, but short. Everything was fine until we got to "The Ladder" The first ladder had at least 100 wooden steps against the mountain at an 80 degree angle. I have never seen anything like it. We all stared at the ladder for a few minutes before attempting the feat. The goal was to use three points of contact while climbing.
I kept thinking, "Shouldn't we have a harness or something." I literally used my body to hug each piece of wood. One slip and it was over. After we made it to top, I figured we would jump for joy and enjoy the view. (Wrong!) A couple coming down the mountain told me there were "5 more sets of ladders and then one hour to the top." Hmmmmm...
I climbed one more set of ladders and decided that my definition of a short hike did not include risking my life or climbing an hour up hill at 90 degree angles. I punked out. I just didn't feel safe. I have ridden my bike in several countries with steep terrain....I have jumped out of plane....I have white water rafted in Costa Rica and I am a solid snowboarder. Hell, I think I'm pretty adventurous, but those ladders scared the sh** out of me. I felt like I was on Survivor without the option to win a million dollars. I yelled up to Niki and Faye that I was making my way down.
Eventually, another traveler in our group Chad joined me for the descend. He told me that at one point he was literally on the ground climbing up. We ran into another couple who simply said, "It just wasn't safe." I have a whole new respect for my girlfriends Niki and Faye who made it to the top. This mountain took extreme to a whole new level.
The next day, we arrived at Machu Picchu. The site will literally take your breath away. Similar to the pyramids, its a wonder how the stones were cut, molded and shaped without the convenience of modern power tools. The site is elevated above the town below, which means that the Incas had to haul heavy stones up the mountain to build the city.The site was rediscovered in 1911 by an American Archeologist. Of course, we took all the gold and jewelry promising to return the precious goods to Peru. It never happened. People of color continue to be disenfranchised around the world.
The steps of Machu Picchu were steep and rigorous, but it felt like a walk in the park compared to the ladders of doom. We explored the location for five hours and took dozens of pictures. It was truly a site to see.
Overall, I had the time of my life. How can you be mad at a country that serves rice and french fries for every meal? I did not feel guilty for one single fry, since my body had been pushed to the limit over the past week. I'm headed off to Brazil. I may try hang gliding. Sounds much easier!