Machu Picchu, Peru, August 20 to 26, 2003 — Though the photography was left a bit wanting thanks in part to gray, foggy weather through much of the trek, the Inca Trail and our visit to Machu Picchu were among the highlights of our trip around the world. There’s a reason why Machu Picchu is considered one of the places you have to visit sometime in your life — when you enter the ruins it’s like being transported back to another world, and the Andean setting is spectacular. The only downside for me was I got a horrible case of giardia on the last night of the trek along the trail, so I felt truly horrible for the last 2 days of the adventure. Nevertheless, I felt great during the trek, and got over the 4,215 m (13,829 ft) Dead Woman’s pass without too much problem. And I even managed to climb Wayna Picchu (the peak overlooking the ruins) while suffering from the effects of the giardia (enough said about that).
