The Magic and Mystery of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Anyone who wants to explore the world’s most active volcano needs to visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Located on the east side of Hawaii, Kilauea is one of the five volcanoes that comprise the “Big Island,” and it’s been actively erupting since 1983.

The Halemau'mau Crater is a great place to see the "glow" and
occassionally small licks of lava jumping up over the crater edge.

Visitors to the park should first swing by the Kilauea Caldera which currently boasts the active Halemau’mau Crater. This crater spews so much noxious sulfuric gas that the nearby Crater Rim Road is partially closed along with portions of the Crater Rim Trail. Volcanic activity is easily seen from the safe distance of the Jaggar Museum overlook and other portions of the Crater Rim Trail. The best viewing time is at dusk and after dark because glow from lava can easily be seen. Observant visitors will notice occasional flicks of lava lifting up over the edge of the crater, as well.

Thanks to a magma chamber below, your feet will be hot by the end of
this hike!

Definitely take the must-see hike at the Kilauea Iki Crater. In 1959, this crater erupted with a lava fountain 1800 feet high. Thousands of tons of lava were sprayed on the north side of the crater with a lava lake forming that eventually measured 400 feet in depth. Today hikers can trek across the mile-wide crater and imagine the scene that took place. Beware, there’s still a magma chamber under that crater. Even sturdy hiking-booted feet will be hot by the time you reach the other side! In all, it’s a 4.5 mile hike that provides wonderful views of the park. A small strip of land separates this crater from the main Kilauea Crater.

The 400-foot-long Thurston Lava Tube is another highlight of the park. This large tube was once an underground pathway for a river of lava. Today it’s a refreshingly cool walk through the rain forest and along the cave-like tube.

The 24-mile drive from Kilauea Crater down the Chain of Craters Road deposits visitors at the coast, a drop of almost 4,000 feet in elevation. Here the Holei Sea Arch, created from lava and the mighty Pacific Ocean, is on spectacular display. This is also the starting point for a 5 to 6 mile hike out to the current lava flow viewing area. The ranger station at this site is portable so it can be moved in case lava flows too close.

The Pu'u O'o vent is the site of most of the current activity.

Currently, the bulk of the lava is flowing from the Pu’u O’o vent on the east side of Kilauea. The only way to see this vent is by helicopter. Not only do choppers fly directly over flowing lava, a trip around the mouth of the vent is included in most rides. Even at 500 feet from the ground, riders will feel the intense heat coming up from the lava field. Many of the lava fields are solid on top, but have rivers of lava running directly underneath. Small openings called skylights allow a peek into these rivers of bright red lava. For a truly adventurous ride, choose a helicopter with the doors off.

Hike or take a helicopter to see flowing lava.

To get up-close and personal with liquid lava, be prepared for a strenuous hike. As mentioned, it’s a 5 to 6 mile one-way walk over rough lava fields from the end of Chain of Craters Road. From outside the national park, it’s a 3 to 4 mile one-way hike. Hikers who attempt this journey should stop at the Kilauea Visitor Center and discuss the trip with a park ranger who will provide advice on safety and water requirements. Make no mistake, these hikes are challenging and can be dangerous.

Visitors to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park can fly into either of the Big Island’s airports, Kona or Hilo, with Hilo being the most convenient. Accommodations can be found at the Volcano House inside the park or at nearby Volcano Village – a loose collection of cottages, bed & breakfasts, and restaurants. Visitors to the park should be ready for any type of weather, including rain. Bug spray, sunscreen, water bottles, hats, and sturdy shoes are all necessary for a successful visit. Vog, volcanic smog, is often present, and those with breathing concerns should take precautions. However, it’s worth all of the time and trouble for the chance to hike, eat, and sleep on the flank of the world’s most active volcano, the mighty Kilauea.

Links:

Paradise Helicopters: https://paradisecopters.com/ 

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm

Paradise Helicopters is one company that will fly you over flowing lava.

Many skylights allow you to see rivers of flowing lava underneath the surface.

It's a wonderful walk through the Thurston Lava Tube!

The Holei Sea Arch is found at the end of the Chain of Craters Rd.
This is also where you can start a 10-mile round trip hike to
see flowing lava.

Back to Peru

In the shadow of Huascaran, Peru's tallest mountain

Two trips to Peru in two years; experiencing this wonderful country twice in a short amount of time leaves me humbled. And now as I stand in the early weeks of 2014, I find myself planning another trip to this South American wonderland.  I don’t speak Spanish, I’m not fond of eating guinea pig (the Peruvian national dish), hiking in the Andes is strenuous, the rain forest is wretchedly humid...so why would I jump at the chance to go back to such a place? The bigger question is, why wouldn’t I?

Observing parrots at the clay lick near the Tambopata
Research Center.

My first journey to Peru was a trip for teachers to the Amazon rain forest. I spent a week sleeping under  mosquito nets, dodging bats (not my favorite animal), and sweating profusely without end.  However, the ability to witness this marvel of nature was worth 

all the difficult times. Never could I have believed that such a place existed. The monkeys howled in the trees, the beautiful birds soared through the sky, the frogs and insects chirped at all hours of the night; the Amazon presented itself as an alien planet, not an earthbound locale.

My second journey took me in an entirely different direction. I hiked in the Andes Mountains with 13 members of my church. Our goal was to deliver translated Bibles to the native Quechua people. These folks had never owned a Bible in their own language until our band of “Gringos” appeared in their villages to give them one. The trekking was rough, but the thrill of handing God’s word to people for the first time in their lives made every step worth it.

My third trip south of the Equator will again require a trek into the Andes to deliver Bibles to native Quechua people. As a co-leader alongside my husband, we’ve assembled a 16-person team who will walk into little-seen corners of the mountains, Bibles in hand. As heads of the team, it’s our job to get everyone safely there and back and to accomplish our mission in the process. It’s amazing experience to lead a group of friends and to have the responsibility of bringing God’s word to those who’ve ever had it. I expect that we will bless people through our actions, and the experiences of our last trip make me hopeful for our success.

For example, on the 2012 trip we visited four different villages. After the third village, we embarked upon the trail towards our last and final village. When I say, “trail,” imagine a small winding path that may be trod upon by people, donkeys, horses, or sheep at varying points throughout the day. At times we didn’t even walk on trails but just cut across country, as needed.

How privileged we were to see this man
come to Christ!

Our group was walking along one of these paths when a farmer came running to us. He’d heard about our nightly presentation where we passed out the Bibles. He’d been unable to attend the previous night, but he still wanted to talk to us. Through a translator we learned that he’d been struggling with alcoholism, and he knew he needed help. He wanted to accept Christ into his life. So, we all prayed with him right on that mountainside and watched as the joy of Christ became evident in his life.

He was thrilled that he hadn’t missed his chance, and we were thrilled to see the hand of God at work in the mountains of Peru. As we trekked on, it was unclear who was more excited, the Peruvian man we’d just prayed with or our band of travelers who’d just witnessed a miracle.

When I think ahead to the upcoming trip, I can’t help but pray for more experiences like that one. It makes all the work, the planning, the trekking, and the journey into the unknown worth it...to go back to a place I love. To go back to Peru.

Distinctly Peruvian

Two trips to Peru in two years; I am humbled to have had the opportunity to experience this wonderful country twice in a short amount of time. My first journey was a trip for teachers, and the second journey was with my church.  Both took me out of my comfort zone. I learned, saw, felt, and thought. I was changed beyond my wildest expectations, and it left me thirsting for more. And while I yearn to go back, I am left me with certain memories that are crystal clear in my mind…distinctly Peruvian moments. Allow me to turn back the clock and share a few with you.

We're waiting for the birds to arrive at the clay lick.

I’m in the Amazon rain forest sitting by a clay lick at 5:30 a.m. with twenty American teachers and our Peruvian guides. The goal for the morning is to observe macaws at the clay lick and to take notes about their behavior. The birds don’t care that we’re waiting for them. They’ll arrive when they feel like it. And so, we wait. I begin to write a few notes in my journal when a terrible cacophony starts up in the trees. It’s the howler monkeys. They all howl at the same time, and the noise sounds like a freight train. The din continues for a few moments, and then it suddenly stops. As I puzzle at the abruptness of it all, rain starts to fall. I pull out my raincoat and marvel at the timing of the monkeys. Did they know the rain was coming and call out as a warning? I’ll never know for sure, but the timing of it seems too perfect to be anything else.

It’s a dark night in the Amazon rain forest. We have spent an hour in a boat searching for caimans, relatives of alligators, along the river bank. We found a few, easily seen by their eyes reflecting our light, but it certainly wasn’t the bounty we’d hoped for. We return to the shore and stop for a few moments to listen to the sounds of the forest, the tree frogs. Their croaking sounds more like the chirping of insects. I lay down in the sand of the riverbank to watch the stars above and listen to the frog chorus. With no light pollution to mar the sky, the stars are brighter than I’ve ever seen them. I search for familiar constellations, but the southern hemisphere’s sky looks different from the northern hemisphere’s. In that peaceful moment, I feel like staying on the riverbank forever, listening to the frogs and watching the stars twinkle in the sky.

Fast forward two years, and I’m in Peru again. This time I’m standing on a mountain top. It’s cold, and I’m wearing multiple layers of clothes, plus my hat, scarf, and gloves. The sun has set and the night sky is clear. The stars above me make the sky look like it’s filled with diamonds. I can see the Milky Way cutting a path through space. My breath is taken away at the spectacle of it all. The constellation of the Southern Cross, only seen in the southern hemisphere, is visible before me. Our group spontaneously starts to sing because the sight before us is so majestic. This beautiful scene is repeated night after night. I wish I could photograph what I see, but no camera could do it justice.

This family came out to meet us as we hiked.

Now I’m walking along a mountain path heading towards a village to distribute the translated New Testament to the native Quechua people of Peru. As usual, I’m at the back of the group because I’m a slow hiker, but this time it pays off. A family comes out of their house to talk to the people at the end of our group. Through a translator we are able to have a conversation with them and give them a Bible and a children’s picture Bible. They are so touched by our gift that they run into their house and return with a large basket of potatoes. They insist that we take the potatoes as a thank you gift for the Bibles. They immediately start to look through the Bibles we’ve given them and they even walk down the road to meet the rest of our group. Later that evening, they walk two hours to the village to hear our presentation and see the Jesus video. Their excitement humbles me as I realize what a big deal it is for these families to receive Bibles written in their own native language.

It’s moments like these, plus many more, that have caused me to fall in love with Peru. The people, the scenery, the ruggedness of the place; it has seeped into my veins and become a part of me. I can’t wait to go back, to experience more of what makes this South American country “distinctly Peruvian.”

Adventures in Sleeping in the Peruvian Andes

“Sleeping in a hotel and a tent in the mountains shouldn’t be difficult, right? It doesn’t matter that the hotel and tent will be in the Peruvian Andes. This should be easy.” I deluded myself into thinking that before I left the United States for Peru. Boy, was I wrong! The simple act of sleeping challenged me during the 10 days I spent in Peru.

My first adventure in sleeping took place in a hotel in Huarez, Peru, nestled in the Peruvian Andes. Huarez is not a small town, and thus, I figured the hotels would be decent. Our hotel was not bad, but it had a few quirky qualities that kept reminding me that I was not at home anymore.

Want hot water 24/7? Then this may not be the hotel for you.

One of the most painful quirks was the lack of hot water. Strangely, our shower never had more than a pencil-width stream of water coming out of it, but it was also cold half of the time. There wasn’t a predictable pattern as to when the water would be cold and when it would be hot. In a few instances, there wasn't any water at all, but the hotel staff seemed to be able to fix that. We decided that if there was water and it was hot, then it was time to take a shower!

The particular room my husband and I bunked in allowed us to hear the conversation of our neighbors with startling accuracy. A morning conversation about bodily functions and intestinal distress left us laughing out loud. Poor Stephanie…we didn’t know who she was, but we learned a lot about her health issues that morning.

Street noise was also our constant companion. Loud singing, bands playing in nightclubs, and car horns honking provided a background for much of the night. We learned that Peruvians honk their car horns much more frequently than Americans do, but the honks aren’t necessarily angry honks, just attention getting honks.

Our first campsite, nestled in the mountains. Beautiful, but cold at night!

After leaving Huarez, we set out for the mountains. The main purpose of our trip was to hike in the mountains and distribute translated Bibles to the native people. While on the trekking part of the trip, we slept in tents. I am not a proficient tent sleeper, but I’m always up for an adventure, and I figured that tent sleeping in the Andes ranked in the adventure category.

We slept at elevations above 10,000 feet, and it dipped into the 30’s at night. During the day the sun was always out, and we were toasty warm. After the sun set, the temperature dropped rapidly. In the evening I wore two to three layers of clothes, plus a coat with a hat, scarf, and gloves. I then understood why the Peruvians chose to wear woolen clothes in those conditions. 

When it was bedtime, I still kept on two to three layers of clothes, plus my hat which was made from Alpaca wool. I had my sleeping bag, plus a fleece liner. In the four nights that we camped, I froze for three of them. My nose, the most exposed skin that I had, was the coldest part. Otherwise, I cocooned myself into the sleeping bag to stay warm.

Donkeys may look cute, but they are NOISY!

Being cold wasn’t my only challenge in the tents. It was noisy. I thought that sleeping in the mountains would be a quiet affair, but it was just as noisy as sleeping in Huarez because we were surrounded by the native peoples’ farms. Dogs seemed to be everywhere, and they barked all night long. One night a dog barked directly outside the entrance to my tent, which woke me from my sleep and set my heart thumping against my chest. Donkeys carried our gear in the mountains, so the braying of donkeys was another noise. Their braying is LOUD and long. The roosters started crowing around 4:00 a.m. and continued for hours. The entire group had something to say about the roosters, but our cooks solved the problem for us. They bought a rooster from one of the farmers, and we ate it for dinner that night. It was some of the best poultry we had!

Another night we were camped on a slope, and my sleeping back was made of slick fabric. It constantly slid down to the foot of the tent because my mattress pad was also smooth. I kept trying to scoot back up, but I was cocooned in my bag, so I wasn’t mobile. After a constant battle of sliding down and scooting up, I finally gave up the fight. By morning, I was sleeping in a pile at the foot of the tent.

The sun is starting to go down, and I'm getting cold. But,
it's all worth it for views like this!

After four nights of camping in the freezing cold, I was actually glad to go back to the hotel in Huarez with its lack of hot water, noise from the street, and talkative neighbors. Even though my sleeping wasn’t great for all those nights, all I could do was laugh about it. There’s nothing like having adventures in sleeping!

Distributing Bibles by the Light of a Generator

Thank goodness for these donkeys! They carried our gear in the mountains.

In July, I had the privilege of traveling to Peru as part of a 14-member team from my church. Our mission was to journey into the Andes Mountains to deliver the recently translated New Testament to the Quechua people, the native people of Peru. This mission required hiking between villages to places not easily traversed by vehicles.

We spent the majority of each day hiking, usually about five to ten miles a day. Our group attracted a lot of attention as we traipsed along the mountain pathways. The people living in the mountains looked on with curiosity at this group of “Gringos.” A team of 20 donkeys carried our gear: tents, equipment, and personal effects packed into duffel bags. So, in addition to the Gringos, we had donkeys and the Peruvians who traveled with us as our guides, cooks, and “donkey drivers.” We were quite a crew!

Our teens played soccer with the local kids in each village.

We normally reached our intended villages by mid-afternoon, and our first task was to make camp. After that, we attempted to interact with the local people. To engage them, the teens in our group would start to play soccer. That drew a great number of kids. It didn’t matter that the same language wasn’t spoken; soccer seemed to be the universal language. After playing with us, the kids eagerly brought their parents back later in the evening.

Yeppo, one of the Peruvian missionaries, also walked around the surrounding area with a bullhorn. He’d announce the activities for the evening, which included the “Jesus” film translated into Quechua. As the sun set, the people made their way to us. Some people walked for two or more hours to watch the video and hear what we had to say.

In an area that had virtually no electricity, we had to be fully prepared to share our message. That meant using a generator to power all the equipment. The video projector, the sound system, and a single light bulb were the extent of what we used for the presentations. One little light bulb made a huge difference in a space that was totally dark otherwise.

The “Jesus” movie was shown first. Once it was over, a Peruvian missionary shared the gospel message with the crowd. After that, it was time for the Gringos! Our leader, Pastor Adam, would give a brief introduction to the crowd which was translated by our Peruvian leader, Ade, since he could speak English, Spanish, and Quechua.  Two members from our group would then share their own testimonies, again translated by Ade. After that, we always sang a song in English. Even though the Quechua people didn’t know exactly what we were saying, they seemed to enjoy and appreciate it.




I present a Bible and calendar to one of the Quechua people.
(Photo courtesy of D. Griffieth)

The final moment of every evening was the distribution of the Quechua Bibles. This was a huge event for the villagers, as they’d never before had a Bible in their own language. The mayor of each village called families up one by one, and we took turns presenting them with a Bible. Many families opened the Bibles immediately and started to read by our generator-powered light bulb or by their own headlamps. It humbled me to think how I’d taken for granted owning a Bible in English, and here these people were getting one in Quechua for the first time. The smiles on the people’s faces said it all. This was a big deal. It filled me with joy to be able to spread God’s Word to people who were reading it for the first time…in Quechua!

Next week: Enjoying Peruvian cultural moments

Meeting the Quechua People of Peru

Holding baby Elmer from one of the
families we met along the trail.

In July, I had the privilege of traveling to Peru as part of a fourteen-member team from my church. Our mission was to journey into the Andes Mountains to deliver the recently translated New Testament to the Quechua people, the native people of Peru. This mission required hiking between villages to places not easily traversed by vehicles. We spent most of our trip hiking in-between two major mountain ranges, the snowcapped Cordillera Blanca and the brown Cordillera Negra.

Who are the Quechua people? For the most part, they are an agrarian people who farm on the sides of the Andes Mountains. They have devised methods suitable for cultivating this tough terrain, and they work the land with their hands and basic equipment. Irrigation canals cut across the mountains as the people have learned how to harness the melting snow mass to water their fields. Their methods seemed antiquated to me, an American used to flat farm fields full of modern machinery. But, how could I argue with time tested methods of farming in this unforgiving landscape?

Encountering sheep along the mountain trail

Indeed, as my team walked across the mountains, we saw many people hard at work in their fields. In one place, we encountered a man using a horse to flatten wheat and remove the grain from it. Farther along the trail, we talked to men who expressed dismay at the lack of water reaching their fields. Everywhere we went, we saw the people dressed in colorful clothes that seemed to be the uniform of the Andes Mountains. We later learned that the colorful clothes are worn so people can easily be seen as they work on the mountainsides. In particular, the shoes of people amazed us. They wore shoes that resembled “dress shoes” with thin soles. These shoes were worn by men and women alike as they walked all over the mountain trails and worked in the fields. By contrast, our team wore hiking shoes with lots of good tread.

Our visits included nightly stops in villages where we distributed the translated New Testament Bibles to families. We also made daily visits to schools. All of the materials we distributed were translated into the Quechua language, the native language of the people. The school visits gave us the chance to distribute Bible storybooks and coloring books to the students. The coloring books included pages where the students could practice their native Quechua and also begin to learn some English words. We practiced the English words aloud with the students, and this was a highlight for the students and our group. We enjoyed sharing our native language with young kids who’d never heard those words.

Me with kids at a school visit...we gave them suckers, and
they loved it!

Our group was warmly received at the schools because it included “Gringos,” a word often used to describe the Americans. We had Peruvian missionaries traveling with us, but they knew from experience that the doors would not have been opened if it had just been them coming to visit. With the addition of the Americans, the schools welcomed our group. The schools viewed this as a great cultural experience for the kids in addition to the benefit of receiving all the materials and gifts we brought with us. It was the first time many of the Quechua children had seen Americans, Gringos, and they studied us with great interest and curiosity. The kids loved getting the gifts and books that we distributed. They also loved to have their pictures taken. They wanted to see their faces on the screens of the digital cameras, and they squealed with delight. It was a cute show of emotion from a people who are normally very stoic.

The school visits were fun and easy because they took place during the day, and we had a captive audience. The nightly village visits were more challenging because people had to come to us to hear our message and receive a Bible. Plus, we didn’t have electricity. How could a message be shared in the dark without the benefit of electricity? Only by the grace of God and with the help of a generator.

Next week: Passing out Bibles in the Andes by the light of a generator

Journey to Peru

In July, I had the privilege of traveling to Peru as part of a fourteen-member team from my church. Our mission was to journey into the Andes Mountains to deliver the recently translated New Testament to the Quechua people. This was not a tourist’s vacation, but it was a trip into remote areas to mingle with the native Peruvian people.

Our journey started in Lima, Peru, the entry point into the country for international travelers. Lima, a bustling city full of life, is like any big city around the world. It has its shining buildings reaching for the sky as well as its seedier, more destitute parts. There could be plenty of work to do in a city like Lima, but our final destination was more far-flung. We boarded a bus heading northwest into the Andes to the city of Huarez.



The main Plaza in Huarez

Huarez bustles along with a population of roughly 50,000 people. It sits at an elevation of 10,000 feet and is nestled neatly in between two major mountain ranges, the brown Cordillera Negra and the snowy Cordillera Blanca. Huarez isn’t a spit-and-polished typical tourist destination, although it serves as the home base for mountain explorers trekking up into the nearby peaks. In fact, Peru’s highest mountain, Huascaran, can be seen from Huarez itself.

Because of the rapid change in altitude when traveling from Lima to Huarez, altitude sickness is a danger. Anyone planning to exert themselves with strenuous exercise at those altitudes has to take time to adjust or face the possibility of altitude sickness. Cooling our heels for a few days in Huarez gave us a chance to adjust to the culture as well as the altitude. I had a harsh reality check for what was to come as we took a practice hike one day. A steep climb up into the hills of Huarez left my legs burning and my lungs wheezing. I realized why dealing with altitude was a big deal as my head spun and my stomach churned. This wasn’t like hiking at home!



Reality check! Practice hike in Huarez...10,000 feet is rough!

Finally, the day came for us to head out into the mountains. We planned to take a small bus to the first village on our schedule, and then for the next four days we would hike in between villages. At each village we’d distribute Bibles and other materials. We would also visit schools and meet with students. All of the materials we planned to distribute were translated into the Quechua language, the native language of the people in that region. This would be the first time that most of these people would ever have a Bible in their native tongue.

As we started up the mountain in our bus, I realized how far we were from home. The road was dirt. It was a switchback road, which kept us twisting and turning up the steep mountain. The road was mainly a one lane road, although two cars could fit alongside each other, if needed.  There were no guardrails on the side of the road. As we whipped along at what seemed to be a breakneck speed, I looked out my window to see a sheer drop down the side of the mountain. We met up with groups of sheep and cattle as the bus continued its journey up the mountainside. We gave them the right-of-way, which seemed to be the best choice.

Our first campsite...what a great view!

Finally, we were at the village and our first campsite. Farmers’ fields, built right onto the mountainside, surrounded us, as well as a beautiful mountain lake. Cordillera Negra was on one side of us and Cordillera Blanca was on the other. We could see Huascaran standing tall at its 22,205 foot majesty. We were miles from anything resembling a regular civilization, but as I stood on that mountain in Peru, I couldn’t imagine a better place to be.

Next week: Meeting the Quechua people

Machu Picchu...Where Incas Once Walked

“The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail. Travel too fast and you miss all you are traveling for.” And so, as my time in Peru was coming to its end, I reminded myself of this very thing. Machu Picchu was the end of the trail for me, the final big moment of my entire adventure. But hadn’t the whole journey and everything that I’d seen and done been just as spectacular as Machu Picchu was sure to be?

I pondered these thoughts as I stood in the bus line for Machu Picchu. It was 5:00 a.m., the rain fell steadily, and I tried to reconcile my excitement for the approaching Machu Picchu experience with the rest of the trip. I also worked to temper a growing rise of despair. After a week in the rainforest where we saw virtually no rain, I now faced a rainy and cloudy day. There was no alternative to the plan. I had only one day left to see Machu Picchu, and it was today. If this weather didn’t cooperate, I would head back to Ohio without the final jewel in the crown of this trip…Machu Picchu.

The bus ride up the mountain found us on a switchback road where every turn nearly brought us into a head-on collision with another bus. The drop from the side of the road was a sheer plummet down the side of the mountain. One wrong turn would bring certain death, but I pushed that thought as far out of my mind as I could. My focus was on the ancient city of the Incas, which had been hidden in the mountains for hundreds of years. An amazing feature of Machu Picchu is that it cannot be seen from lower elevations. The Incas positioned it to be perfectly hidden. In fact, the site was unknown to the Spanish who invaded in the 1500s, even though they had taken over and plundered many other Inca cities nearby. I was filled with anticipation as we made our way up the mountainside, and I felt impatient that there wasn’t anything to be seen as we traveled.

Finally, the moment arrived. And, the moment was shrouded by rain and clouds. I was disappointed. I had hoped to enter the city and see the beautiful vista that is always shown in pictures. With the cloud cover and rain, I couldn’t see anything but the structures in close proximity to us. I felt let down, but I kept reminding myself that the day wasn’t over yet. It was still early.

Our tour guide led us around to the major sights. He spoke English, but his accent was quite thick, so I found it difficult to understand what he said. I sympathized with some of the other people in our group for whom English was their second language. I wondered how much of the information they were getting. I tried to absorb as much as I could about the Incas and this city they had built. It has stood the test of time, but much of its purpose can still only be speculated.

As the tour wound down, I felt encouraged as I realized that the cloud cover was lifting and the rain had stopped. I now realized that I might actually get to see the city as a whole. While waiting, I explored more of the city and watched as the skies started to show more and more blue sky.

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Finally, I got to see this breathtaking view of Machu Picchu!

Finally, the clouds were practically gone, the sun was out, and the sky was blue. There it was…this majestic city of the Incas laid out in front of us, and what a magnificent site it was to behold. I kept climbing up higher and higher until I stood at one of the highest peaks of the mountain. I looked down across the city, the surrounding valleys, and all the mountains adjacent to this one. A bird soared high above the summits, and I could clearly see why the Incas chose this site of splendor for their city. It truly was as if we were closer to God in this place, a place that brushed the heavens.

With the sun on my skin and the wind in my hair, I felt like I never wanted to leave. I sat down on the ground and just tried to absorb the beauty and the power that this place held. Like a scene from another world, it seemed to have a life all its own. This, my end of the trail, could not have been better. The journey, with all its trials and difficulties, was worth it. It was worth every step, every drop of sweat, and every tear. It was a journey that changed me irrevocably, and because of that, I knew I had seen everything for which I had traveled.

How to be a Rain Forest Explorer

Want to travel to the Peruvian Amazon rain forest? Here are some tips and tricks to consider before you head out on your trip.

1.  Don’t touch anything. That is, don’t touch anything without looking first. Animals lurk where you least expect them. So, shake your shoes before you put them on.  Check the floor before you put your feet down in the morning, and pull back the bed covers before you climb in. Keep your suitcases shut, and don’t grab trees and plants in the forest. Never, ever walk barefoot.

2.  Knee-high rubber boots are your friends and also your enemies. While hiking in the rain forest, knee-high rubber boots keep your legs and ankles safe from mud, animals, and plants. However, if you wear them in the boat and your boat tips over, those suckers will fill up with water and drag you to the bottom of the river.

3.  Forget all those sacred cows in your life. Electricity, running water, air conditioning, hot water, washing machines, Internet access, long showers, cell phone coverage…these things do not exist in the rain forest. Amazingly, your life will go on without them.

4.  It doesn’t always rain in the rain forest. The rain forest has a dry season and a wet season. In the dry season, it doesn’t rain much. Despite this, you’d better be ready for rain because it could rain at any moment.

Waiting along the river in the Peruvian rain forest

5.  Rain forest animals do not come out to play. Finding animals in the rain forest is difficult. You have to know what to look for and how to listen carefully. Also, you have to be quiet or you definitely won’t see anything. If you plan to take pictures, then bring a zoom lens and a memory card with lots of space. Animals don’t pose for pictures or say, “Cheese.” They are hard to photograph.

6.  There’s no sleeping in during a visit to the rain forest. Early morning is the best time to see animals. So, plan on a hike before breakfast and before the sun rises. Don’t worry, you’ll go to bed early because there won’t be much to do in the evenings. No electricity, remember?

7.  Be ready for close encounters. You’ll have some freaky animal encounters. For example, bats flew past my legs so fast that I felt wind on my calves. I had a large cockroach on my shirt. There was a frog in my bathroom, and a vicious bullet ant crawling up my arm (their bite hurts for days). Bats woke me up while they fed during the night. A guy in my group found an extremely large spider in his bed. Toughen up before you leave home. You won’t regret it.

8.  You will sweat. The humidity is high and there’s no breeze. Air conditioning doesn’t exist, and you’ll need to wear long pants over your legs. You might even need to wear long sleeves. Oh, and on some hikes you’ll need to wear those knee-high rubber boots. You can bring all the moisture-wicking clothes you want, but you will not be cool or comfortable. You will be hot, sticky, sweaty, and stinky. Don’t worry, though. Everyone else will be, too.

9.  Picky eaters had better bring snacks. Granola bars work particularly well. Rain forest food will be native food, including lots of locally grown fruits. If you want a cold drink, then you’d best search for a lodge that caters to tourists. The more rustic accommodations will not serve anything cold. Caffeine addiction? Bring your own or hope for coffee.

10. There’s no time for beauty. Leave your make up, hair dryer, curling iron, and other beautification items at home. For one thing, there’s no electricity to power all those appliances. Make up is pointless because of the heat and humidity. Make sure you can put your hair in a ponytail and then throw a hat on your head. Everyone else will look equally plain, so you’ll fit right in with the crowd.

11.  You will not blend in with the locals. No matter how hard you try, everyone you meet will know you’re a foreigner. Your Spanish won’t be authentic enough, and your clothes will be too American. If you’re taller than about 5 feet, 5 inches, your height will give you away. Blonds and redheads don’t have a chance of passing as native Peruvians. People will stare at you, and you will not be able to avoid it.

12.  Get ready for awesome. If you can handle all these tips, then you’re ready for an awesome, mind-blowing experience as you journey into the wild. You’ll learn, see, feel, and think. It will change you beyond your wildest expectations, and it will leave you thirsting for more. So pack your bags, buy your plane ticket, and get ready for the journey of a lifetime to the Amazon rain forest. You will not come home the same.

Hiking the Trails in the Rainforest

We did a lot of hiking in the rainforest. We were in search of animals. What I very quickly learned is that although there are lots of animals out in there in the rainforest, they don't just come right on out to say hello. For the most part, they are pretty hard to find. I think in my mind, I expected something like I've seen on TV. I've watched those shows on the Discovery Channel or on National Geographic, and all the animals are right there in living color, up close and personal. Well, in reality, they're pretty well hidden, and you've got to be quiet and observant if you want to see anything.


Thank goodness for the guides that we had during the trip from Rainforest Expeditions. Vico, Rodolfo, and Ruben were awesome. They found animals that I never would have seen on my own. They knew just where to look and what to listen for. They could identify lots of animals by sound, and they would also see animals that took me a few minutes to pick out even after the guides were pointing them right out to me.


As we walked through the forest, we had to keep our eyes open and our mouths closed. In all the areas where we were, paths had been cut. This didn't mean that there weren't things to step over or around, it just meant that we had a clear trail to follow. One of the things they taught us was to always look before we put our hands anywhere. When hiking, people tend to reach out with their hands and touch trees or rocks. Well, in the rainforest that could be a big mistake. There are lots of animals that bite and sting (like bullet ants), so we learned quickly to look before we touched.


We were always hiking with a guide. They really didn't want us to wander off alone. I was okay with that. Even with the trails, it would have been easy to get lost. As we walked, the guides would stop periodically to point out interesting plants and animals. Sometimes we didn't see the animals, but we would see tracks, nests, or holes that they had left behind. I used my little waterproof journal to make notes as we hiked.

When we were hiking in the rainforest, we all usually wore long pants. This was to keep off the bugs mostly. I didn't like plants brushing against my legs, so long pants were good for that, too. Most of us had those convertible pants that zipped off into shorts. I think they look ridiculous, but they were the best pants for this trip. Sometimes we wore knee-high rubber boots. I hated those things. They were not comfortable for long hikes, like the four hour hike we took one day, and they were really hot. I only wore them if I had to. I much preferred my hiking shoes, so if I thought I could get away with wearing just those, I did. On some hikes we really had to wear those rubber boots, though. They were good for walking through mud and tall grasses. For shirts, sometimes I wore a long-sleeved shirt and sometimes I just wore a regular t-shirt. Again, the long sleeves were hot, so during the day I tried to go with short sleeves. I had a few shirts where the sleeves rolled up, so those weren't too bad. I always had on bug spray, too. I usually wore my hat (unless I just got too hot). I felt braver with it on, and I didn't have to worry about bugs falling into my hair.

We hiked a lot on this trip, but I didn't mind it too much. It was the only way to experience the rainforest...we had to get out in it.