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Day 3 DownUnder

June 13, 2013 — 1 Comment

 

Day 3 DownUnder entailed our first ‘OFFICIAL’ day with Tourism Australia. We got to spend the ENTIRE day at the Tourism Australia offices in downtown Sydney, meeting their amazing crew, and learning all about this incredible adventure they’ve been planning out for us for OVER A YEAR! We could FEEL the excitement in the air as we passed through the office space- knowing glances, broad smiles and hushed whispers as we walked through to the Conference Room- everyone at Tourism Australia has been working so hard to bring this all together, and now, it’s all about to KICK OFF. It was a strange sensation, in a way- both between we Finalists ourselves, as well as between us and the Tourism Australia staff that have been following us for the past several weeks. It was like a reunion of old friends, but with people who had never actually met… A unique situation, to be sure, but it felt so natural to start putting faces and physical forms with names and titles we’ve come to recognize throughout this process. I think they may have even been more excited to be meeting us, which is saying something… Handshakes and hugs, smiles and stories- everyone finally getting together as Finals Week kicks off. It was a great day at the office, and I’m definitely looking forward to getting to know everyone better! 🙂

 

 

 

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What.a.CREW! So great to meet everyone, and cannot wait to see what these 10 day shave in store for us!

A great day at Tourism Australia was followed up by a delicious meal at Palings Kitchen & Bar at the Ivy. Lamb kebabs, baba ganoush, and tabbouleh- YES PLEASE! Good wine, great food, and better company- I even got to talk some Australian Rules Football, Rugby League, and even cricket! Good times all around on a beautiful night out in Sydney…

 

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Day 2 DownUnder

June 12, 2013 — Leave a comment

 

Here’s a quick photo-journal of what I got up to on Day 2 in Australia… Somehow, it just keeps getting BETTER!

 

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First things first- opening our BestJobs accounts @ Citibank Australia… That reminds me, I STILL have to go and pick up my card… Maybe tomorrow, if I have time… (???)

 

Then I hit up the Australia Museum for the 2013 Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit– AMAZING!

 

 

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So, one of the challenges we have to complete while on Kangaroo Island later this week is tracking an echidna in the wild- I’m guessing it will be a bit more mobile than this poor chap…

 

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After all that, it was time to relax down on Macquarie Point- one of my favorite places in all of Sydney- and enjoy the sunset over Sydney Harbour… I know, it’s a lot of photos of the same sunset, but still- it was a beautiful night…

 

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Stay tuned! There’s HEAPS more to come…

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/11Vy2tx

Twitter: @n_tilley

 

To learn more about how YOU can plan your own EPIC adventure through Australia, click HERE.

Day 1 DownUnder

June 11, 2013 — 3 Comments

 

 

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Just a quick photo-journal of what I got up to on my first day back in Australia…

Flights were all on time- great traveling with Virgin Australia

Picked up at the airport for transfer to the QT-Sydney… Very niiiiiiiiiiiiice!

 

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Tourism Australia has put us up at the QT-Sydney… GREATonthem!

 

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Getting settled in…

 

Hopped a cab out to Bondi to meet up with some friends and enjoy the beautiful arvo…

 

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Enjoying a beautiful day along the Coogee-Bondi Coastal Walk

 

 

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Checking out the old stomping grounds at Bondi Beach

 

Then down to Circular Quay to meet up with some other friends and enjoy the last night of the AMAZING VividSydney Festival…

 

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Down on Circular Quay for the last night of the VividSydney Festival

 

 

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Turned out to be a GORGEOUS evening on Sydney Harbour

 

 

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Incredible light displays on the Sydney Opera House

 

 

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SO COOL!

 

 

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Simply unreal…

 

 

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A James Bond-themed motif…

 

 

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Hangin’ out under the Bridge

 

 

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Very appropriate, from a Wildlife Caretaker’s point of view…

 

Obviously, it was a GREAT day in Sydney, and I am STOKED to be back DownUnder! What’s on next? I CAN’T WAIT to find out… Stay tuned!

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/11Vy2tx

Twitter: @n_tilley

 

To learn how YOU can plan your own EPIC adventure through Australia, click HERE.

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It’s all happening…

Here I sit, cruising at 37,000 feet, somewhere in between Minneapolis and Los Angeles, on my way to AUSTRALIA! In some ways, I still can’t believe it, but now, it’s starting to actually FEEL real- it’s finally settling in. Now I can actually begin to BELIEVE that this whirlwind dream I’ve been living for the past several weeks is not some fairytale, but reality. Let’s review:

Picked from over six-hundred THOUSAND people, from 196 different countries, to be one of 3 Finalists still vying for THE Best job in the WORLD, and now I’m headed to Sydney for what promises to be the trip of a LIFETIME?!? IN-SANE! I’m fidgeting in my seat, I’ve got a smile a mile wide, I’m telling anyone and EVERYONE that I’m on my way DownUnder… Yes, I’ve gotten a few strange looks, and I’m sure they all think I’m nuts, but heck, I don’t care! I’m headed back to AUSTRALIA, people!

If you missed my last post about Australia, check it out here. It will give you a little background as to why I am so excited to be heading back DownUnder. Not that you should need any though- it’s AUSTRALIA, for crying out loud! The Land DownUnder! The Opera House and The Outback; the land of koalas and kangaroos; the home of surf, sun, and sand- and SO MUCH more… What’s NOT to be excited about?!?

 

Kickin' it in the VIP Lounge at the Virgin Australia LOFT in LAX... SWEET AS!

Kickin’ it in the VIP Lounge at the Virgin Australia LOFT in LAX… SWEET AS!

 

This trip will be unlike any other I’ve been on before. Not only does The Best Job in the WORLD hang in the balance- along with an amazing opportunity to pursue my dreams and passions- but Tourism Australia and the South Australian Tourism Commission have gone ABOVE and BEYOND to plan an incredible itinerary for us while we’re in AUS. Now, you all know that I’m used to going ‘Backpacker Style’- hostels and guesthouses, street food and communal kitchens, rickshaws, tuk-tuks, and broken-down busses. Nope. Note here. Top-notch, first-rate, and high-class- that’s how THEY roll… It’ll be rough, but I think I’ll manage… 🙂

Here’s just a taste of what’s on tap for us in Australia:

Roundtrip to Sydney with Virgin Australia

Photo shoots and media calls with all 18 Finalists at exciting locations throughout Sydney.

Pub Tours and swanky dinners at some of the hottest spots in the city

A cruise through Sydney Harbour and a tour of the world-class Toronga Zoo

A scrimmage against the Sydney Swans Australian-Rules Football team

A guided tour of Cleland Wildlife Park in South Australia

Swimming with sea-lions at Port Lincoln

Helicopter rides and guided tours through the pristine wilderness of Kangaroo Island

Leading tours of Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island

Tracking cute and cuddly (?) echidnas in the wild

All that, and much, MUCH more…

 

It's good to be 'HOME'...

 

Now you see why I can’t wipe the smile off my face, why I cannot HELP but tell every ticket agent, food vendor, flight attendant, restroom janitor, and EVERY person sitting around me on the plane all about this crazy adventure? I’m sorry- there’s just nothing I can do about it. The excitement is OVERFLOWING, and to tell you the truth, it’s pretty contagious… I almost had a family bound for Hawaii convinced to alter their travel plans to come to Australia with me! HA! One thing is certain- it’s THEM who’ll be missing out…

This trip is going to be AMAZING, and I’m ready to throw my arms open, embrace the moment, enjoy the ride, and soak up every SECOND… Bring it ON, Australia! I.am.READY!!!!

Stay tuned- things are about to get CRAZY….

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NickTilleyForWildlifeCaretaker?ref=hl

Twitter: @n_tilley

Tourism Australia Web Portal (Should go LIVE this week): www.bestjobsintheworldmedia.com

 

 

To learn how YOU can experience the thrills of traveling in Australia, click HERE.

 

AUSTRALIA

May 25, 2013 — 4 Comments

 

backpack, backpacking, budget, adventure, explore, U, university, world, campus, field, note, professor, Australa, Sydney, New, South, Wales, opera, house, tourism, best, job,

 

It’s funny how life works out sometimes…

When you’re a kid, it seems everyone wants to know- ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’

As a 2nd grader, typical responses include things like ‘I wanna be a doctor’, or ‘I’m gonna be a baseball player!’ You might even get the adventurous ‘I’m going to be an astronaut and fly to the MOON!’ Young minds, full of dreams and a boundless future.

For me, my response to this question may have appeared curious to some:

‘I want to go to Australia, and live with the kangaroos.’

Different, to say the least- definitely not what one would expect of an 8 year-old in the Midwestern United States- but it’s true. I’m not completely sure where the idea came from, but that’s what I wrote on an elementary school survey- an old, wrinkled piece of paper my sentimental mother somehow dug up when I was heading off to Australia for the very first time- for a semester of university in Sydney at the age of 20. At the time, we smiled and laughed, waxing nostalgic about a young boy’s dream about to be realized, 12 years in the making.

So I went to Australia, and my life has never been the same. Sure, I studied, but that’s not what I remember most about the experience. I remember the kangaroos and koalas, the wallabies and the wombats. I remember getting certified to scuba dive in the bays of Sydney. I remember traveling the Queensland Coast, diving the Great Barrier Reef, and venturing deep into the Outback. I remember cheering on the United States at the Sydney Summer Olympics, and somehow finding myself joining in with the exuberant Aussies whenever they weren’t competing against the US. ‘Aussie-Aussie-Aussie! Oi-Oi-Oi!’ I remember sitting on Bondi Beach, a few days before my return home, watching the surfers and feeling the sun on my face, trying to soak up EVERY LAST DETAIL. I guess it worked, because I remember it all like it was yesterday…

6 months flew by in the blink of an eye, and before I knew it, my semester DownUnder was over. I was back in Chicago, hurdling snow drifts along the cold and windy shores of Lake Michigan- a stark contrast to the sun and the sand of Sydney. Then and there, I vowed to make it back to Australia someday- to do a proper ‘Summer DownUnder’, to go back and explore the rest of that amazing country of which I had only barely gotten a taste. A seed had been planted, a new dream began to take root.

 

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Cape Le Grand National Park, Western Australia

 

Fast-forward 8 years, and I found myself about to realize that dream as well. Giving in to the desire to travel and explore the world, I bought a one-way ticket to New Zealand in 2007, and as fate would have it, found myself meeting up with two travel mates in Sydney in October of 2008, Working Holiday visa in hand. I had an entire YEAR in Australia, and I was going to take advantage of EVERY precious second contained in those 365 days…

And I did. I spent 6 months working in Sydney, living by the beach, learning to surf, and hanging out with some of the best people I have ever met, followed by 6 months of literally traveling around the ENTIRE country- I even made it to Tasmania for 2 weeks! ‘The Summer DownUnder’ turned into an EPIC year in Australia- one full of mind-blowing adventures, countless memories, lifelong friendships, a MASSIVE road trip up the West Coast, and me finding a home on the other side of the world- that is what ‘Australia’ came to represent in my life. But once again, those 12 months flew by all too fast, and before I knew it, my visa was up, and I had to move on…

 

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Sea lion colony on the Neptune Islands, South Australia

 

Since then, I’ve often found myself dreaming (Read: SCHEMING) up different ways to get back DownUnder- apply to Graduate School, seek out international employment, go back on a ‘Tourist Visa’ and just get lost in the Outback- but none of those ever really felt like the right path… In the meantime, I began to pursue my professional dreams- beginning my ‘career’ as a travel advocate and adviser, launching BackpackU, and continuing my travels around the globe. Still, in my heart, I’ve always known that I want to go back to Australia. The question was ‘How?’

Enter Tourism Australia and ‘The Best Jobs in the World’ competition. What started with an afternoon of family fun making the application videos has ended up being one of the CRAZIEST rides I have EVER been on- to imagine that it would ever come to my making the FINALS- that is just ridiculous…

But now, here I am. I AM headed back to Australia, headed back to that incredible place that has become my ‘home away from home’- this time, to compete for my DREAM JOB- a job that will allow me to share my love for Australia and its natural wildlife with the rest of the WORLD. Seriously? Is this real?? They want me to come to Australia, talk about how amazing the country is, and highlight the unique wildlife DownUnder? That’s the job?

Ummmm… Ok…(?)

I was MADE FOR THIS. I LOVE Australia. I love the people and the places, the air and the animals. I love the ruggedness and the rowdiness, the style and the sense of unity. There really is NOTHING like Australia- it’s unique to any other place in the world.

This will be my 5th trip DownUnder, and I can honestly say that the excitement about this trip surpasses all the others. Well, maybe ‘surpasses’ isn’t the right word, because I ALWAYS get excited when I’m headed to Australia… It’s just a different kind of excitement. I’ve been working toward this moment for 6 years- countless late nights developing content for BackpackU; hours spent scouring user forums and online codices, teaching myself the ins and outs of website design; innumerable phone calls, emails, and texts to people that know a lot more than I do- and now, through all of that, I find myself on the cusp of something HUGE… It feels like that moment on a roller-coaster, when you’ve clickity-clacked your way to the top of the first drop, and then everything goes quiet. Your stomach tightens, your pulse races, you suck in your breath, and all you can do is hold on and wait for the ride to begin. It’s a moment packed with emotion- excitement, elation, achievement, promise, gratitude, joy, and above all- hope. That is what this moment feels like.

And now, I’m ready to throw my hands in the air, embrace the moment, and enjoy the ride. This experience is going to be nothing short of AMAZING, and I cannot WAIT to see what happens next…

Again- I was MADE FOR THIS.

It’s crazy- one day, I’m just an 8 year-old boy, scratching out an innocent answer on a 2nd grade survey, and the next, I’m a 33 year-old man, overjoyed at the opportunity to continue to pursue his dreams. Through it all, not much has changed…

‘I want to go to Australia, and live with the kangaroos…’

It’s funny how life works out sometimes…

 

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Sunset at the Twelve Apostles- Port Campbell National Park

 

To learn more about how YOU TOO can fall in love with Australia, click HERE.

 

AUSTRALIA OR BUST!!!!

May 16, 2013 — 1 Comment
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The 18 Finalists for The Best Jobs in the WORLD

 

CRIKEY!!!! I’ve made it to the FINAL ROUND of Tourism Australia’s ‘Best Jobs in the World’ competition!!!

It has been a CRAZY 3 weeks since the Shortlist was announced- non-stop campaigns, long nights editing videos, raising HEAPS of money for the Australian Koala Foundation… what an experience!

The next round of the competition will be held IN Australia, so I’ll be headed back DownUnder in the next few weeks… Obviously, I am EXTREMELY excited, and can’t WAIT to get back to my ‘Home away from home.’

A MASSIVE ‘THANK YOU’ to EVERYONE that has backed my campaign  in one way or another- NONE of this would’ve been possible without your help and support. You ALL are LEGENDS!!!

Ok, I’ve got to get moving- Yoda’s already got his bags packed, and keeps asking when we’re leaving for the airport…

 

Thanks again, EVERYONE! I cannot WAIT to see what happens next…

 

Stay tuned!

 

 

LET’S DO THIS!!!!

April 30, 2013 — Leave a comment

travel, backpack, backpacking, budget, adventure, explore, U, university, world, campus, expert, professor, field, notes, tourism, australia, wildlife, caretaker, best, job, world

 

Ok people, it’s time to rally the support and send The Backpack Professor DOWN-UNDER!!!

Here’s the scoop:

 

A Call to Action- we need ALL HANDS ON DECK!

 
Nick Tilley, The Backpack Professor, has been selected out of 600,000 applicants as one of 25 finalists for the ‘Wildlife Caretaker’ position in Tourism Australia’s ‘Best Jobs in the World’ competition. For the next phase of the competition, he has planned a HUGE event this Thursday here in Chesterfield, along with a MASSIVE on-line campaign to raise support for both his cause, as well as for the Australian Koala Foundation. Here is a link to the Facebook page:

Here’s all the information you need for the event, and more importantly, how to cast your vote for Nick Tilley as the best man for The Best Job in the World:
EVENT:  ‘Send the Thunder Down-Under’
               Thurs, May 2, 2013
               International Tap House- Chesterfield (161 Long Rd.)
               5-9pm
 
There will be drink specials, games, raffle prizes, good music, great beer, and one lucky winner could win a round-trip ticket to Australia. Food will include the Australian staple of “shrimp on the barbie”, with donations benefiting the AKF, as well as other delicious food supplied by PM BBQ. There is no fee to attend the event.          

For those of you who can, come out to iTap on Thursday. It is going to be a lot of fun.

More importantly, here is how YOU can cast your vote for Nick: make a donation to the Australian Koala Foundation, and type ‘NICK TILLEY’ in the ‘Further Instructions’ field at the bottom of the form. $1, $5, $10- it doesn’t matter- just VOTE. Here’s the link:
Vote for Nick, save a koala. Too easy, mate!
ALL donations ARE tax deductible, and need to be made by 8pm Sunday, May 5th.

Also, please do us a huge favor- SHARE this- on Facebook, on ‘The Twitter’, through your email networks- send this on to friends, family, coworkers, etc., and ask them to do the same, and then forward it on to their friends. Let’s take this thing VIRAL- it will make an enormous difference in Nick’s campaign to be selected for this amazing opportunity.
Finally, Nick is looking for high-profile support for his campaign, both in the ‘Wildlife’ realm, as well as in main-stream media and entertainment. If you have ANY connections that could possibly help get Nick support from anyone that fits this criteria, please, please, PLEASE get them in touch with Nick- Twitter: @n_tilley; Facebook: ‘Nick Tilley’ and/or ‘Nick Tilley for Wildlife Caretaker’.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!


 

SHORTLISTED!!!!!

April 24, 2013 — 5 Comments

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So, by now, hopefully you’ve seen the shenanigans that were my submissions for the Best Jobs in the World- if not, check them out here.

Well, apparently the panel loved Yoda, because they put me on the shortlist for the Wildlife Caretaker position!

Yes, you read that right- out of over 600,000 applications submitted, mine was one of only 150 selected for the shortlists- 25 applicants for each of the 6 jobs available.

Wait a second… Let’s read that again- together.

I AM ON THE SHORTLIST FOR ONE OF THE BEST JOBS IN THE W-O-R-L-D!!!!!

I still can’t believe it…

Excited, elated, exhausted- I hardly slept at all last night… I don’t even know how to describe how I feel. Just honored and really happy to have the opportunity to pursue this- it’s gonna be awesome…

There are 24 other applicants that have been named to the shortlist for Wildlife Caretaker- you can view all of the videos here.

We’re still getting the details on the next steps of the selection process- I’ll definitely be passing those along as I learn more.

 

In the meantime, I’ll be scheming with Yoda and assembling the rest of the Wildlife Braintrust to discuss how to tackle the next stages- getting on the shortlist is a HUGE step, but there’s still a lot of work to be done before I’m back DownUnder…

 

I guess I had better start brushing up on my SEAL…

 

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Gettin’ some FaceTime in with the seal pups…

 

Taking on The Death Road

January 19, 2013 — 3 Comments

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I’ve learned over the years that the best way to decide what to do in a new place- i.e. how to get around, where to stay, what sights to see, which activities to do, etc.- is to talk to people that have been there before. A revolutionary idea, I know… Thus it was that upon my arrival in Bolivia, I began asking those very questions to those I came across that had been there for awhile. I hadn’t done much research on Bolivia (Mainly because I like having an ability to be spontaneous in my itinerary. What’s the fun of traveling if you’ve already got it ALL figured out?), and literally had no idea what I was going to spend my time doing while in the country. Anyway, during these discussions, one thing in particular kept coming up- this thing called ‘The Death Road’. Now, if you know anything about me, you know that I’m not one to shy away from a Class 5+ adrenaline rush, but still, I found myself a bit wary of taking on something known as ‘The Death Road’ without knowing more about it. Questions began popping into my head, the first being ‘How, exactly, does a road obtain a name like ‘The Death Road’? ‘Through a close association with DEATH,’ I supposed. Regardless, I was intrigued, and with trepidation, began to look into what this ‘Death Road’ was all about.

 

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Getting our briefing before setting out- apparently, The Death Road is SERIOUS business…

 

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A sip of Bolivian Fire Water is supposed to quench any fears of going down The Death Road. We’ll see about that…

 

I came to find out that ‘The Death Road’ has an alias- ‘The World’s Most Dangerous Road’, or WMDR for short. I also learned that the road earned this nasty reputation during its use as a main thoroughfare between La Paz and the Bolivian coca plantations between 1930 and 2006, with one estimate claiming an average of 200 people killed per year along its treacherous route. Since the ‘new road’ opened in 2006, the old road has ironically become a major tourist attraction, with numerous operators in La Paz offering full-day mountain biking trips down the infamous road. While there have been several bike-related accidents reported, I convinced myself that the ‘Death Road’ moniker was more a product of the past. I had mountain biking experience, I could handle the curves and the terrain… It was a ROAD, for crying out loud! How dangerous could it be? That’s how I found myself in the lobby of my hostel at 6am on a cold morning in La Paz, waiting for the bike company to pick me up.

 

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Here we go…

 

 

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Just an example of what most of the ‘road’ looks like along The Death Road

 

Needless to say- I survived the Death Road. Barely. It was pretty close a few times, but somehow I managed to keep my bike upright and on the narrow path. It was an AWESOME day- a wind-burning, bone-rattling, adrenaline-pumping ride down one of the craziest roads imaginable. I quickly came to realize that it’s not really a ‘road’ at all- more a dirt, rock, dust, and mud trail that runs along sheer cliffs- some with drops well over 300 meters STRAIGHT DOWN- for 40 miles of blind, hair-pinned curves down into the Bolivian rainforest. The ‘World’s Most Dangerous Road’? Yeah, I could see that…

 

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Just a ride in the park… (if the park consisted of horrible trails, hair-pin turns, and 300+ meter drop offs!)

 

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We had a picture-perfect day for defying the odds along The Death Road

 

 

Our guide, an Irish lad named Patrick, gathered us together before each section of the road, described the turns and terrain, and with a quick ‘Follow me!’, would then SCREAM down the trail ahead, never thinking of touching the brakes. He was pretty crazy, but then again, I guess you have to be a little crazy to work along something called ‘The Death Road’. We would follow single-file, organizing ourselves according to how fast we were brave enough to go, and made our way down into the valley. Over rocks, through ruts in the road, dodging puddles and waterfalls along the way- there were a few minor incidents, but fortunately, no one went flying over the cliff… We did have one casualty along the route- a German man in our group got a little too careless and had one of the crashes of the season, at least according to Patrick. Luckily, it looked a lot worse than it was, and he came away with only a few bumps and bruises, a bandage or two, and a foggy head. He rode the rest of the way down in the support van. (Sidenote- a day or two after my ride, I bumped into a Turkish guy I knew back in La Paz. His arm was in a sling, and he looked pretty beat up. I asked what happened, and in his thick Turkish accent, he replied ‘I crash on da Death Road… Broken arm- 5 places. Had surgery in a Bolivian hospital… Ending my trip early- going home tomorrow…‘ Not good. ‘Broken arm’ + ‘surgery in a Bolivian hospital’ + ’going home early’ = another victim of the WMDR.)

 

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I know it looks pretty, but all I saw was my front wheel and the 15-20 meters of gravel, dirt, dust, and mud in front of it…

 

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CRAZY cliffs along The Death Road

 

Once we reached the bottom of the road, our hands aching from the non-stop vibrations we had endured over the past 3 hours, it was time to relax and celebrate. You’ve got to hand it to the Bolivians- cold beer, good music, and a place to prop up your feet after the intensity of taking on the Death Road- a perfect welcoming party at the bottom of the trail. We hung out there for awhile, and then piled back into the van for the long, slow, winding drive back up the Death Road. Honestly, that was the scariest part for me. When you’re on the bikes, you’re so focused on staying under control and keeping your wheels on the trail that you don’t have time to actually look around and see the MASSIVE drops you are whizzing past, just over the edge of the road. You’re almost oblivious to the danger (almost…). On the way back up, there’s nothing to distract you from the reality that the wheels of the van are mere INCHES away from the edge of the cliff, and a loooooooong fall down to the valley floor below. I had the privilege of sitting on the cliff-side of the van as we wound our way back up, and there were SEVERAL times I felt my stomach turn over when peering out the window into the abyss of the canyon. INSANE. Lucky for us, our driver had been up and down that road thousands of times over the past 30 years, and knew every turn like the back of his hand. Still, there’s a reason they call them ‘accidents’… Needless to say, we were all extremely happy when we finally reached the top of the road, and breathed a collective sigh of relief as we toasted an awesome day on the WMDR- we had survived The Death Road!

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Our group, feigning confidence along The Death Road

 

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Raising a toast with Ruth and Ger- after the looong bus ride back up, we’re just thankful to finally be off The Death Road.

 

For more information on the Death Road and traveling through Bolivia, click here.

For more on The Backpack Professor’s travels through Bolivia, click here.

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The Inca Trail and Machu Picchu- where to begin? Two of THE iconic activities and attractions of the entire South American continent, they are MUST SEE’s on any traveler’s list when touring Peru. I had been looking forward to the 4 day trek and my visit to the citadel in the sky ever since booking the trip waaayyyy back in May. Finally, almost 5 months later, I found myself sitting in the lobby of my hostel in Cusco- the capital city of the Inca Empire- waiting for my trekking company to pick me up. Yes it was early (6am), and sure, the Beatles cover band that played at the hostel the night before had kept me up significantly later than I had intended, but still, I was ready to hit the trail…

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 Day 1: Day 1 was an easy introduction to the Inca Trail. After a 3 hour bus ride and a quick stop off in the small town of Ollantaytambo for breakfast and last-minute supplies, the bus drove our group of 16 along a winding trail to a country outpost. We gathered our gear, sorted out sleeping bags and other camping essentials, and then headed to the first checkpoint of the Inca Trail. Once we had all shown our passports and had our permits stamped, we set off along the rocky track, our guides Edwin and Jimmy leading the way. It was pretty easy going that first day- a little up, a little down- ‘Peruvian Flat’ as the locals like to call it… We saw a couple of Inca sites from a distance, had an amazing lunch, and then hiked up to our first campsite. We got in pretty late in the afternoon, and the valley got COLD once the sun went behind the mountains. I was glad when hot tea was served, and then a huge dinner a bit later on. We were all very pleasantly surprised by the food- it was DELICIOUS, and there was lots of it… After having our fill, it was one more cup of tea before quickly crawling into our warm sleeping bags-  a 5am wake-up call and the massive climb up to Dead Woman’s Pass was looming just over the horizon on Day 2 of the Inca Trail…

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Day 2: Day 2 is commonly acknowledged as being the most difficult day of the Inca Trail- mainly because the first section of trail heads straight up to an altitude of 4,200m, finally reaching it’s pinnacle at Dead Woman’s Pass. A daunting sight when first climbing out of your tent at 5am. After a hearty breakfast, we shouldered our packs and set off on the long hike up to the pass. Fortunately, it was a perfect day for hiking- no rain, cool temps, and a bit overcast, which helped keep the sun from roasting us as we ascended the trail. Slow and steady was the mantra, and as our group made its way up the mountain side, discussion and banter became scarce as the air thinned out. We stopped several times for water and rest, each time peeking back down the trail to see the valley opening up below. It was INCREDIBLE- the scenery, as well as how far we had climbed in that morning… Insane. Eventually, we made it to the pass, running the final few steps in celebration. It had turned into a gorgeous day, and the view from the pass was awesome. Photos, videos, a few moments to take it all in (and catch your breath…), and then it was time for the long hike down the other side of the pass. Knees knocking, quads shaking, step after seemingly-unending Inca Step, we made our way down into the valley and made camp by around 130pm. And just as well, as it started raining about 20 minutes later- unfortunately for those that were still up on the trail. I couldn’t imagine how slippery the rocks would’ve been with that rain coming down- it would’ve been significantly more difficult, and much more dangerous as well. Still, the rest of the crew made it down safely, and to their credit, they all had smiles on when they made it to the dining tent. A late lunch, a few hands of cards, and before we knew it, it was time for dinner, and then off to bed. We raised a toast of a locally made warm rum drink, and then all headed off to bed, happy and EXHAUSTED from the long day on the trail.

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Day 3:  Day 3 was pretty difficult as well- as any stretch of trail nicknamed ‘The Gringo Killer’ would be…  We were up at 5am again, and knew we had a full day of hiking to make it to the final campsite before our arrival at Machu Picchu the following day. Once again, we had a hearty breakfast, and then headed out onto the trail. The first section was pretty much straight up the side of the mountain- we had seen the path the previous afternoon, and knew that the hard work would come straight away in the morning. Again, slowly but surely, we made our way up through the cloud forest and on through the second pass of the Inca Trail. After a brief rest and a lesson on the ceremonial method of chewing traditional coca leaves, we were off once again, plunging down the other side of the pass and into the valley below. It was a GREAT day of hiking- incredible views, amazing Inca sites, ever-changing foliage and landscape- just a beautiful day of hiking, and probably my favorite day on the trail. We had lunch on a peak of another mountain, followed by a brief ceremony in which we got to meet all of the local porters that were assisting us along the trail. Some of them were in their 60s(!), carrying MASSIVE packs full of food, tents, sleeping bags, and other camping equipment along the trail for us. If not for them, hiking the Inca Trail would be impossible… We thanked them all, and after a few group photos, were back on the trail. We hit a few impressive Inca sites in the afternoon, one of which we had completely to ourselves. It was incredible- once again, I found myself trying to imagine what these places would’ve been like at the peak of their civilization, but as always, it was impossible. Just impossible to fathom how these places were built, and what they looked like in their prime… After a few hours of soaking in the scenery, we made out way down to the final campsite, had an early dinner, and headed to bed. It was a 330am wake up for the final stretch up to Machu Picchu, and we all wanted to make sure we were rested up for our visit.

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 Day 4: Day 4 started out well before 330am for our group… It was raining- HARD- all night long, with cracks of thunder rumbling through the valley, and flashes of lightning illuminating the inside of the tent. Needless to say, sleep wasn’t that easy to find, and before we knew it, the porters were knocking on the tents, trying to coax us out into the downpour- not an easy task. Still, we knew we had to get going, so we donned the rain gear, broke out the backpack covers, and climbed out into the soggy darkness. We had a quick breakfast in the Dining Tent, and then had to file down to the final checkpoint, which we then realized didn’t even open until 530am… We had to stand there, in the rain, in the dark, for over an hour, before even being able to start the final stretch of trail.. I’m still not sure why they do things that way, but needless to say, we were not very happy standing there in the rain… Nevertheless, we WERE on our way to Machu Picchu, and the sky was brightening up. Thankfully, the rain stopped, and as the line began to pass through the checkpoint, we were all anxious to get up the trail. Once our group had passed through, it was a free-for-all trying to get up the final 3 kilometers to the Sun Gate, where we would get our first glimpse of Machu Picchu. Honestly, I think that was the most difficult section of the Inca Trail for me, solely because of the PACE at which we were climbing the trail. A couple of girls in our group were pretty avid hikers, so we filed in behind them, and made our way past the two or three other groups that had been in front of us in line at the checkpoint. Finally- panting for air, dripping with sweat, and begging for water- we made it to the Sun Gate, and like THAT- everything else just faded away. We had MADE IT- there was Machu Picchu, the fabled Inca citadel, spread out on the peaks below us. There was a light mist hanging in the valley, giving the place a mystical feel typical and unique to such historic sites. It literally took our breath away… We had to sit and marvel for a few moments, but as more people began to arrive, we realized that we needed to get a few pictures in before the hoards of other trekkers overran the Sun Gate. It wasn’t long before that became reality, and our group started the long trek down into the city.

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The morning went all too quickly- first we had to check our big backpacks, and then we began our guided tour of Machu Picchu. Edwin explained much of the architecture and symbolism of the site, but the crazy thing about Machu Picchu is that most of what we ‘know’ about it is actually just theory- there is no written record of the site, the Spanish Conquistadores never found it, and it went largely unnoticed until Hiram Bingham ‘discovered’ the site in 1911. Since then, the site has remained shrouded in mystery, as there is no definite answer to what it’s purpose was, who lived there, and why or when it was abandoned. The only clues lie in the exquisitely carved and crafted stonework of many of the building, which was typically reserved for royal palaces and places of religious activities in other Inca sites. Regardless of the mystery, the place is INCREDIBLE- a massive city of stone impossibly built on the peak of a mountain. As other places of such magnitude- words cannot describe…

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After our tour, we had a couple of hours of free time to wander around the ruins, check out places that weren’t on the tour, and rub shoulders (quite literally) with the thousands of other tourists at the site. Unfortunately, we were all pretty exhausted from the long night of rain and the EARLY morning, so it took a tremendous effort to hike around the site. Still- for most of the group, this was their only day at Machu Picchu, and they had to make the most of it. Finally, we had to make our way to the buses and down the mountain to the town of Aguas Calientes below- our sending-off lunch was set for 2pm, and those heading back to Cusco had to be on the train by 630p. A huge pizza, several well-earned beers, a few final rounds of cards, and then it was time for me to say goodbye to the rest of the group- I had booked a bed in a hostel for a night in Aguas Calientes and a return to Machu Picchu the next day. I knew a dead-tired half-day at the site would not be enough to do all the exploring I wanted to do. I said my goodbyes, found my hostel, had a quick bite to eat, and then hit the sack. I knew I had a LOT to see the next day, and my legs needed some rest before one last visit to Machu Picchu.

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Day 5: I got up around 8am, had breakfast, and then caught the bus back up the mountain to the entrance gates of Machu Picchu. I had booked a ticket to climb the neighboring peak of Huayna Picchu at 10am, so had about an hour or so to wander around the site before starting the climb. Huayna Picchu was AWESOME, well worth the effort of the climb. Getting to the peak provides unique views of Machu Picchu, and a great view of the valley and surrounding areas as well. True, my legs were feeling it, but again, it was well worth it. That was just the beginning of my day- I was DETERMINED to do everything I possibly could while at the site. To be honest, I think I saw EVERY stone, temple, cavern, and terrace there was to be seen at Machu Picchu that day. Climb Huayna Picchu? Check! Climb down the back side of Huayna Picchu to see the Temple of the Moon and the Grand Caverna? Check! Climb back UP the massive staircase to the summit of Huayna Picchu? Check! Climb the smaller peak of Huchuy Picchu? Check! Hike up ALL of the terraces and around to the impressive Inca Bridge? Check! Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Condor, the Casa del Inca, The Observatory, Temple of the Three Windows, the Royal Baths- CHECK! Honestly, by the time 5pm rolled around, I was the most exhausted I have been in a LONG time- but it was that magical kind of contented, elated, well-earned exhaustion. I snapped a few final photos, and said my final farewell to the citadel of Machu Picchu. I fell asleep on the winding bus ride back down to town, had a quick shower and a bite to eat, and then it was time for the train back to Cusco.

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Hike the Inca Trail and visit Machu Picchu- CHECK!!! Another AMAZING adventure for the The Backpack Professor…

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For more information on hiking the Inca Trail, visiting Machu Picchu, and traveling through Perú, click here.

For more on The Backpack Professor’s travels through Perú, click here.

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