Is True Sustainability Sustainable? I equate striving for sustainability—the practice of not depleting the Earth’s resources—with achieving a certain harmony. On my way to Machu Picchu, I can’t help but observe how the indigenous people in Peru live. The distance from farm to table here sometimes is no more than a few yards. Textiles are…
Category: Peru
In Praise of Pachamama
Experience the tranquility of a session with a shaman in Peru, in praise of pachamama, or Mother Earth
Taking the Machu Picchu Express
Short on vacation time, the Brawny Sherpa and I opt for a quick trip to Peru. Sure, we’d love to languish in the countryside for a couple of weeks, learn all there is to learn in Lima, gain clarity with the ayahuasca, canoe the Amazon. Right now, there isn’t time. Our goal is Machu Picchu;…
To Peru in a Whirlwind
Overthink, and You May Never See Machu Picchu Is Peru safe for tourists? While sipping some coca tea in a small shop in Pisac, I finally have a moment to rest—having taken two planes and a bus ride to get to where I am, on my way, generally, to Machu Picchu for a long weekend….
Long Weekend in Machu Picchu: Getting There
To Peru and Back in Less than Five Days We step out of the Cusco airport—not named anything with the word Cusco in it—and walk into a National Geographic story. The short, old women with the skirts, the knee-length stockings, the men’s black hats are right here. A strange fellow with gangly body movements gets…
Practical Picchu
What You Need to Know before Heading to Peru The weather at Machu Picchu is temperamental: cloudy one minute, sunny the next. How to cope? Layer your clothing. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini Fresh from a long weekend spent ascending Machu Picchu, I offer these suggestions for bashful and other adventurers planning a visit: To prepare,…