What do you really want from your life?

"It's better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing than a long life spent in a miserable way. What do you desire?"

Hi Guys!

I just thought I'd take some time out from my assiduous schedule on the road, (yeah sure!) with an objective to provide you with a little inspiration on all things related to long term travel and how to follow your dreams and make them a reality. I've always had a thirst for adventure and a healthy lust for exploring this vast world we live in and as explained in a previous entry, the purpose of my blog is to narrate and characterise my travel experiences in the hope that my lifestyle choice will inspire others to do the same.

It's a daunting and somewhat mysterious prospect to just quit your job, leave home & embark on a mission to galavant around the globe in the way I did back in May, but it's a decision I wholeheartedly do not regret. Many people said to me before I left; "You're crazy for quitting your job to go and travel the world" and "You're so lucky to be able to do that," but in reality, luck didn't play any part in my decision at all. I worked hard for several years and I saved money to enable me to pursue my dream. If you really want to do the same; you can! You have to stop procrastinating about wether it's the right thing to do. Get off your sofa, stop equivocating and just do it! You won't regret it!

Okay, so I know that logistically speaking, it's not just as easy as that but we need to ignore what people think and push against that grain of conventionality and actually do what we dream of doing instead of plodding along in a life that perhaps were not 100% happy with. As I stated previously, it's a daunting prospect to leave the secure life behind but I'm just an average guy so if I can do it, then so can you! Applying small steps to achieve your goals is the right mentality to adopt and this mindset can be implemented for anything you want from life, not just travel.

Forget about the social castle and trying so hard to impress; working so hard just to save for irrelevant items and material things. Is this the life you really want? To some people perhaps, but for me it wasn't and thats why I took the opportunity to leave my secure life behind and opt for a life on the road instead. Since making that big decision, I've never looked back. I feel liberated and free. I get to thoroughly explore interesting cultures, meet amazing new people, get lost in back streets in unfamiliar towns, sample culinary delights that are not available to me back at home and witness spectacular new sights…. I could go on! 

I used to work so hard back at home but ultimately I was bored, unfulfilled and deflated with working 40 hour weeks just so I could afford the things that I now see as acquisitive and completely unnecessary! I've learnt to forget about the materialistic element of life and what designer T-Shirt I'm going to wear at the weekend. Instead, I'm learning a new language, new skills and a fresh outlook on life. I've learnt to appreciate other peoples cultures and beliefs and I can empathise with people in a way I could not before. There are people in this world that don't have the luxury that you and me are so familiar with back at home and take for granted but I find that these people are incredibly warm and admirable and are willing to share with you what they have, which most of the time is next to nothing. These people are the epitome of what the world should be. Not reality TV stars that wear watches around their ankles, yet lack the intelligence to be able to tell you the time. Not celebrities who are only famous for living in a house for 6 weeks while sporting fake tans, and finally, douchebags in music videos that wear expensive gold chains, sunglasses in their living rooms at night and drink MOET whilst elaborating on how much money they have! Unfortunately, this lifestyle is one that's influencing a generation! Scary shit! 

I used to read blogs and view other peoples Facebook pages with a sense of envy at where they had been in the world; the places they had witnessed that I hadn't. I used to count down the days until the end of the week & considered myself a number in a matrix, lethargically working for a company that at the flick of a switch could end your employment if they wished. I learnt that there's just no loyalty in slogging your guts out for a company for years upon end only for them to perhaps turn round after 10 years of dedicated and ardent employment and say. " Sorry, we have no work for you, we're gonna have to lay you off." I made the decision to change my life and pursue my dreams. I chose to live my life in the way that I wanted to live my life without worrying wether it was the right or wrong thing to do under the scrutiny of what society believed I should be doing. You too can do the same! Taking those small steps to achieve your goals is the right way to get the ball rolling. You don't have to be as drastic or as exorbitant as me though. Each small step taken accumulates into a bigger picture. This is the optimal strategy for you to be able do the things you really want to do and empower you to be able to harness what you want out of life. Get off that couch, switch off reality TV and start to participate in reality itself. Believe me. You can do it!

As I clarified before, I had a relatively good job albeit not a career and I would constantly daydream about the places I wasn't visiting, the people I wasn't meeting and the sights I wasn't seeing. The idea of travelling the world solo had been at the forefront of my mind for years but something always got in the way. Excuses. I used to make up every excuse under the sun and I realised eventually that I was only kidding myself in the long run. Society tells you that it's too irresponsible just to quit your job an go travelling. Society was telling me that now you've turned 30 years old you should now be looking to settle down, earn some cash, buy a house. But why? That lifestyle may appeal to some people but clearly it wasn't for me. We only get the one life to prove ourselves. One life to find out who you REALLY are. Do you really want to spend all that time working and doing something you don't really want to do? Or do you want to see the world and everything it has to offer you instead? Our lives are mitigated by routine that tell you when you should eat, sleep, work, breathe, fart…. You should have faith in whatever decision you make in life is the right one and never look back and question it. I sit here now on the roof terrace of my hostel in Arequipa, Peru and I look back at the decision I took to change my life and I smile with pride because I dared to make my dreams a reality. You too can achieve the same if you really want it to happen. 

I exchanged my old life of watching crap TV, working for a big company that couldn't give a shit about me and living for the weekend and traded it for a life where I am free, liberated and have the opportunity to better myself in life. I get to meet the most amazing people the world has to offer and get opportunities to delve right into the heart of this great planet. Social media, newspapers and international news agencies will have you believe that the world is a big and dangerous place full of nut jobs, weirdos and crazy people. This is pure sensationalism of colossal proportion. 99.9% of the world is a good place and that includes the people that live upon it also. Travelling alone in South America is an eye opener but for all the right reasons. This continent is a fascinating and extremely welcoming place with a wealth of culture that when drawing a comparison to life back home, they're both a million miles away from each other. I can wander the streets talking to everyone that happens to cross my path and I have yet to meet a bad soul here. 

Finally, I empathise with what some of you are no doubt saying. You really want to leave the secure life back home but perhaps you can't afford to do so? Let me tell you that you can! I don't have super rich parents with endless resources of money, neither did I have a job that paid me an absolute fortune but I made it happen for myself by taking those small steps that I talk about. Let me give you a few examples. You like to drink coffee and every morning on the way to work you purchase that £2 drink. Do you really need it or are you buying it because you like it? That £2 coffee every working day for a year equates to £520. Lets say you like to go out at the weekend perhaps twice a month. When you're out, you spend around £40? How about you decide to go out once a month instead, saving yourself £480 a year in the process. With those two things alone; coffee and a night out on the town. In a year you could of potentially saved £1000! That amount of money can buy you 8 weeks of travel in a country like Peru where I am writing this from now. That amount of money will by you accommodation, meals, transport and nights out. Do you see where I'm coming from? Taking those small steps can get you a long way and help in making your travel dream a reality!

I hope my blog today has provided you with just a little bit of inspiration to perhaps get the wheels in motion to pursue what you really want out of life. My passion is to travel and it worked for me so why not you? Is working for a living in a job that you hate really what you want? Are material things really what you want from life? If they are then that's fine. I'm not here to criticise you and you probably haven't arrived at reading this part anyway! If it's not then what are you waiting for. Take those small steps today in making your dreams a reality! 

Over and out and greetings from Arequipa, Peru.

Chris

How would you spend your life if money were no object?

Chris Chalk Photography 2013 Copyright

Machu Picchu & the Jungle Trek

"Ever since my childhood I've been scared I've been afraid, of being trapped by circumstance and staying in one place. So I always keep a small bag of clothes carefully stored, somewhere secret, somewhere safe and somewhere close to the door"

The Jungle Trek

After a few days of familiarising myself with Cusco and acclimatising to the altitude, I decided to book a trek through the Peruvian Jungle that would culminate at the ancient Inca ruins of Machu Picchu. The day before my departure, I had booked a 3 day/2 night trek which included a full day on mountain bikes descending from the highest point above the small Inca town of Ollantaytambo, a day walking alongside the River Urubamba to the village of Aguas Calientes and finally, an early morning hike to one of the 7 New Wonders of the world; Machu Piccu. The trek cost $220 for the 3 days and included all accommodation, all meals, tour guides and an extra treat; entry to climb up to Huayna Picchu, Machu Picchu's little brother that can be seen towering above the Inca ruins in all the famous photographs. The Quechua name Machu Picchu translates to "old mountain" in English and Huayna Picchu (sometimes spelt Wayna Picchu) translates to "young mountain". Those Inca's certainly didn't like to complicate matters! 

Jungle

I had booked the tour with a company called Peru Golden Treks who can be found just south off the main Plaza de Armas square in Cusco. I found the company to be great value for the money with the tour guides being friendly and hospitable. I'd definitely recommend them to anyone travelling to Cusco to do a similar style of adventure.

 Peru Golden Treks & friends 

The bus arrived at my hostel at around 7am and we all boarded with excitement and expectation at the next few days in prospect. The journey took around 3 hours for us to arrive at our destination, high above the small town of Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley. The views and scenery along the way were absolutely sublime despite the early morning weather conditions trying their very hardest to interfere. Our mini bus cut through jagged mountains whilst traversing bends on the sides of sheer cliff faces as we climbed to over 3000m, high within the grasp of the Andes Mountains. The terrain changed form arid mountain vastness to dense jungle foliage which crafted picture postcard images that will stay with me for a lifetime.

The Urubamba River

Whether you are a casual or novice biker content to fly 2000 metres all downhill on a paved road, or an experienced rider looking for the best the area has to offer or anywhere in-between, the 3 day Jungle Trek featuring the 1st day on mountain bikes certainly won't disappoint! The tour guides drop you off at the summit at around 10am and tell you they'll meet you at the next town for lunch. It's then up to you to ride as fast or as slow as you want to reach the bottom where a meal of quinoa soup, chicken and vegetables and a traditional Peruvian postre will be waiting for you! All the time, for security, the tour guide follows behind you in the mini-van until the last person arrives at the village. Envisioning myself as some sort of professional mountain biker with a point to prove, I wasn't one to be hanging around and eagerly set off down the long, paved descent to Santa Maria. Sometimes I question if I'm really a 30 year old adult at all! 

The jungle flow

On the way down to Santa Maria, the landscape and the culture are unforgettable and the riding is from another world; huge descents, endless flowing bends, challenging uphill sections through authentic Peruvian villages where the kids would hold out their hands as you whizz past desperate to get a high five from a gringo and then everything else in between! Be prepared to ride some of the fastest tracks in your life in the shadow of the majestic Andes while visiting ancient Inca sites! 

Once at the bottom, our tour guides were waiting at their friends restaurant for lunch! We refuelled and then it was back on the bikes to ride the remaining 3 hours to the next village, Santa Teresa, where we would be staying for the night. As we had already traversed down through the mountainous terrain, the last part of our biking adventure was through the thick and humid jungle, mainly on flat ground. It was indeed a challenge after the relatively easy downhill section and a full stomach! 

The view from a bridge

After arriving at our end point, just outside the village of Santa Teresa, the group I was with and I had around an hour to explore the surroundings and buy refreshments. It was during this time that myself and a few others managed to befriend a few locals who were playing a football match and convinced them to let us join in! Already completely shattered from our biking escapades, we then proceeded to join in the game with the "Chicos" and played for around 30 minutes. Back home in the UK, I play a lot of 5-a-side but this was different; this was 5-a-aside at an altitude of 2000 metres after cycling the best part of 20km through the sweltering jungle climate! To say this was hard was an understatement! As soon as the game finished, we made our way, dripping with sweat to the mini van for the final drive of the day to our accommodation in Santa Barbara. The journey to the small Andean village was hair-raising to say the least as the vehicle made it's way up the mountain, hugging the side of the cliffs on an unpaved and extremely bumpy road! Thankfully, we all arrived in one piece and made our way to the hot springs where we bathed in the delightful hot waters before retiring to the hostel for an early night! Day one had been a success! 

 Santa Barbara

 Young boy with ball skills

The Peruvian national team

I awoke early on day two and used the opportunity to take a few morning shots of Santa Teresa from the roof of our accommodation. Santa Teresa is situated about 7km northwest of Machu Picchu and acts as a gateway to the ancient Inca ruins and archaeological centre. In 1998, a landslide completely buried the town and destroyed the bridge that connected it to Machu Picchu and Cusco. The village sits high on the side of a mountain which acts as a prodigious vantage point that gazes down onto the valley below in which the River Urubamba dissects. Since the landslide, the people of Santa Teresa have been a true example of what determination, hard work and fighting spirit can do to resurrect a community and many years on and many political battles later, they have seen the completion of the bridge that reconnects them to Machu Picchu and allows them to take their produce to markets in Cusco. A truly remarkable story of grit and determination from a small group of villagers in a place where community spirit is sensed in abundance. They are warm and friendly and are happy to serve those who come their way as they make their journey to the lost city of the Incas.

The A team

After a breakfast of scrambled eggs, fruit, fresh juice and coffee, we were all ready to commence our trek to the town of Aguas Calientes which is positioned almost directly below the ruins of Machu Picchu. The walk would see us all pursue the river along the bottom of the valley and through the hydro electric plant that harnesses the power of the water that runs down the mountains. The final part of the trek would then take us along the railway line from the station at the hydro electric plant all the way to Aguas Calientes.

 Man made waterfall at the hydro electric plant

Waterfall and the A team

Bananas 

The first few hours of the walk were rather uninteresting as we made our way down to the river bed. The terrain was rocky and barren until we managed to hit the service road for the power plant where it flattened out and become easy to walk underfoot. The road took us past aggressive flowing waterfalls and banana plantations until we arrived at the checkpoint at the hydro electric plant. It was here that we had to register our names and show our documents before stopping for a spot of lunch in one of the many food vendors that were in place, mainly for the workers at the plant. The food was absolutely delicious! I opted for the vegetable soup and the fish. It was an incredible site watching the old Peruvian ladies frantically cooking up mounds of fresh food for the workers who were also stopping for their lunches at the time. The food stalls were tiny and in them were small tables and chairs placed neatly side by side for the workers to sit and graze on their well deserved almuezan. It were moments like these that really made me feel a part of traditional Peruvian life. I recommend sitting here for hours if possible, casually watching the world go by and sucking in the indubitable aura but unfortunately on this occasion, no sooner had I finished lunch, it was time to move on. 

 Peruvian authenticity

 Selling bananas

Waiting for a sale

My group consisted of six people; Tyler, Dustin, Emeka, Renee, Ross & myself. We had all become a close knit group of friends from before the trek begun, way back in Lima. Since the day we met, we had become inseparable and I thoroughly enjoyed travelling alongside such good friends. After our wholesome lunch, we all began the long hike alongside the railway to our final destination; the crescendo of the adventure!

Jungle tracks

PeruRail are the company that offer services between Aguas Calientes and Cusco (Ollantaytambo) The line traverses trough the steep mountainous valleys taking tourists to and from Machu Piccu. There are many different services that run on the line ranging from trains that only cater for locals at a fraction of the price that tourists pay to the luxury Hiram Bingham Express that is fittingly named after the American explorer that discovered the ruins. This service is the highest available and comes complete with meals, guides, bus service and entrance to the ruins. Be warned however, this comes at a premium. The train that most tourists catch back leave later on in the day; between 4pm and 10pm and go as far as Ollantaytambo. From here, local busses will take you back to Cusco. 

Walking alongside the railway line is a surreal experience. The line winds its way through dense jungle landscape, skirting the River Urubamba all the way to Aguas Calientes. Every now and again, a train would sound its horn and appear in the distance, giving you just enough time to stand clear and let it pass. We continued our trek through the amazing countryside until we reached our destination.

 All aboard

A train through the jungle

Aguas Calientes (Spanish for hot water/hot springs) or sometimes referred to as Machu Picchu town is the closest settlement to the ancient Inca ruins which are located about an hours walk up a series of steep and intricate steps. There are many hotels and restaurants that have appeared in the town since the popularity of the site has increased over the years. Beware of the tourist tax in the restaurants when going to dine. At the end of your meal, you may be hit with a big chunk of tax that appears at the bottom of your slip that you perhaps weren't anticipating in having to pay. Just for the record; you don't! You are totally within your legal rights to refuse to pay this tax unless it is stated on the menu. Our group found this out the hard way after eating at a Pizza place upon arrival but luckily for us, Emeka, the friend I was travelling with was a Lawyer and we soon told them to politely stick the tourist tax where the sun doesn't shine. Just make sure you tell them before sitting down that you refuse to pay the tax. We found this worked after our first experience.

After our first meal in Aguas Calientes, we resided to our accommodation for the first time to get a very early night. The next day was the big one and involved getting up at 3.30am to begin the climb to the climax of the trek! 

 Backpackers in Aguas Calientes

Wheelbarrow on the tracks

"I’ve travelled many countries, washed my feet in many seas, I've drank with grifters in Vienna and with punks in old DC. And I've driven across deserts,driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free."

Machu Picchu

My alarm sounded at a little past 3.30am and I reluctantly slid out of bed and into the shower. The following night I had prepared everything in order to capture the maximum amount of time underneath the sheets. That morning however, I felt great as I knew that at the end of the day I would have been able to say that I had witnessed the breathtaking Machu Picchu in all it's glory! With backpack full with supplies and camera fully charged, we set off into the early morning darkness to begin the climb. 


The walk from our accommodation to the gateway of Machu Picchu was about half an hour alongside an unpaved road in complete darkness. I had forgotten to pack my flashlight so all six of us relied on following one lone light that luckily Dustin had remembered to bring along! We slowly walked adjacent to the road towards the first few steps that would lead us up to the pinnacle of our adventure! After flashing our passports and entrance ticket, we were allowed to start the accent up. There were about 50 people or so waiting at the bottom of the mountain ready for an early morning climb to reach the top by sunrise. I was curious the day before as to how many steps there actually were to the top and according to the general opinion by the people I asked, there were predicted to be approximately 1000. After getting to the top in around 50 minutes I can say that there wasn't 1000 steps but in fact 1785 of the little bastards! Pouring with sweat and hallucinating through what seemed like acute altitude sickness (or just being completely unfit) I made my way to the entrance a few minutes before the gates to the ruins were opened at 6am. 

Panoramic Picchu

However, when the gates open and you walk inside, the last hour of pain and exhaustion all become irrelevant. Wow, what a sight! It's in fact, impossible to describe. We had arrived just as the sun had risen but due to the mist, the sun was out of view and instead created dancing rays of light that flashed like lasers off the ruins. It was an incredible site and one that made the whole 3 days worth every penny. Our usually buoyant and comical group were instead silent as we took in the magic that seemed to unfold before our eyes. Seeing Machu Picchu in all it's beauty will always be one of the most incredible sights I will ever have the privilege of witnessing. I believe that not much will come close to beating what I saw on that day.

 Machu Picchu

 The ancient Inca ruins

A beautiful wonder of the world

Within 20 minutes or so of our arrival, the fog had rolled in and it seemed to stay that way for most of the morning so I had felt totally blessed that I managed to see it in the first light of day and before the tourists who caught the busses appeared at around 9am. We had a tour of the site that lasted around an hour before we had to leave for the climb up Huayna Picchu. As described earlier, Huayna Picchu is the large prominent mountain you can see in the background of the photographs of Machu Picchu. It was a gruelling climb making our way up there but totally worth it once we arrived at the summit. The steps to the top are ridiculously steep and brutal. Totally not idiosyncratic of the notoriously small Incan people that built them! Our whole group were really stretching our legs to scale them so I'm amazed at how the civilisation managed to climb up and down! 

 Machu Picchu in all its glory

 Machu Picchu from Huayna Picchu

 The views from Huayna Picchu

Old Mountain from young mountain

Once at the top was the time to take in all the glory that is Machu Picchu. It was an intensely emotional moment and a joy to share with the friends I'd become so close to over the last week or so. We all stood there, posing for pictures and basking in the glory that we'd successfully made it to the top. As a team. As a unit. It's a truly amazing site and the effort taken to get there over the 3 days made it so worthwhile just to see the views from the peak. 

Machu Picchu in the early afternoon sun

Before it was discovered, Machu Picchu was completely covered by jungle

Down inside the ruins

"So saddle up your horses and keep your powder dry, because the truth is you won't be here long, soon you're going to die. So to the heart, to the heart, there's no time for you to waste, 

and you won't find your precious answers by staying in one place, 

by giving up the chase."     

After an hour or so longer at the summit of Huayna Picchu, we all made our way back down the giant steps to the bottom and spent another hour or so basking in the sunshine that had engulfed itself over the ruins as if by magic. We sunbathed alongside Llamas and relxed before descending back down to the park gates. Tyler and myself opted to walk back down the 1785 steps we'd climbed in the morning rather than catching the bus. It felt fitting to come back the same way we'd came up. We'd conquered Machu Picchu and wanted to say goodbye properly by soaking up as much of our surroundings as possible before leaving. We arrived in Aguas Calientes at around 4pm, absolutely shattered and in need of a few cold beers and some good hearty food!

Where the Incas used to grow their fruit & vegetables

Looking down from Machu Picchu, over the valley

Friendly Llama

An old Incan house. Not a bad view!

A Llama grazing

A lazy Llama

More ruins

We had one final meal with our group and tour guides before jumping on the train and bus back to Cusco. We all fell asleep on the journey back to our hostel which in my opinion was probably for the best seeing as though our driver seemed to be a complete maniac, driving at speed through the winding lanes in the early hours! Sometimes it's best just not to know! 

That night, we all slept like babies. A thoroughly recommended and fantastic 3 day trek to Machu Picchu had ended leaving behind a memory that will stay with me for the rest of my life…..

Friends at the summit

Yours truly at the summit

A similar face to mine under the influence of alcohol

Llama Picchu

Curious Llama

Renée and myself at the summit of Huayna Picchu

"I face the horizon, everywhere that I go. I face the horizon."

THE HORIZON IS MY HOME

Chris Chalk Photography 2013