Last night we returned from a five day trek along the Salkantay trail to Machu Picchu and today I am busting to write down this amazing experience. Machu Picchu was on the list of places to explore here in Peru along with many other travellers. It may be very popular on the gringo trail, yet perhaps there is just a very good reason for that. Machu Picchu is place that can be described with thousands of words, yet the trek there was just as, if not more amazing. Five days of physical and emotional challenges that tested my fitness and my strength to believe that I can walk the distance!

After arriving in Peru, we scouted around for a reputable company that would hopefully give us the experience we were looking for. There are tour agencies all over town and completion is fierce. We cannot completely trust the words from the mouth off all agencies, so also rely on friend's recommendations and blogs to lead our decisions in the right direction. It just so happened that the first place we went to 'X-treme Tourbulencia', ended up being our company of choice. Some other companies had offered us prices far cheaper, however this is where porters, cooks and guides are paid poorly and not treated well so we didn't want to support anything like that. Amongst the many tour agencies in town, young women are promoting massages and pedicures which becomes extremely annoying when you're trying to get things done. We did not want a massage just yet and politely say no again and again, but perhaps we will say yes on our return. So after much careful research and dodging massages ladies, we had made our choice and there were two spots booked for us to leave on the 7th of April.

There are many treks to Machu Picchu, the most famous for all its history is the Inca Trail which must be booked months in advance. Dustin had spent some time researching alternate treks and liked the sound of Salkantay over the other options. At first I was not so sure about a five day trek and through Dustin's enthusiasm I became more and more interested in the challenge. Was I fit enough to trek what was supposed to be 55km through rocks, mud, snow and climb hundreds of meters up mountains!? I was not sure but was willing to give it a go. For this adventure we needed to hire the right equipment, so with sleeping bags, hiking boots and walking sticks organised we were almost ready to go. One trip to a local market was the best place to grab another rain jacket, two water proof ponchos and a few other camping supplies. After as much gatorade as we could carry and plenty of muesli bars and a few treats (must not forget chocolate!) we had all the supplies we would need.

The price of our booking included all accommodation, meals, water, some snacks, guide, cooks, horses and horsemen, entry to Machu Picchu and transport. We were given a satchel to pack our items into and the horses would carry them for us. We had a small day pack that we would carry ourselves. Before leaving town, we had a briefing with our guide and we met two other travellers who were in our group. In total there were six of us, a couple from France, a couple from Canada and us.

It was two days before we were to leave and my stomach was going through another round of upset travel bug issues. Nothing too serious bet enough to leave me feeling lethargic and with a low appetite. Not great when I should be warming up my muscles and eating carbohydrates. There is no option of a refund and so I push through. It is the week leading up to Easter and there are processions outside. I can hear church bells and the trumpets in the procession parading through the streets, but don't have the energy to see it. I get what rest I can and all too quickly our alarm is going off at 4.30amin the morning. We wait out in the dark for our van to pick us up feeling very tired yet full of excitement. With my stomach luckily feeling better and with eyes half open, our van arrives and before long three couples, our guide Cesar, a cook and his attendant and our driver set of down the road to start our adventure. Our first stop is breakfast a few hours out of Cusco, and until then all the travellers have quickly fallen back to sleep…..

It is still early in the morning and we have all just started to wake up properly with the help of a hot breakfast and some coffee. We eat in the garden of a local families home who have set up a café. We are given the options of three different breakfasts and all six of us say yes to the American option. The moment gave us the chance to properly introduce ourselves to one another and here we all were from different countries, setting out to explore the same adventure together along Salkantay.

We hop back into the van and travel a few more hours down the road where we are to meet the rest of our hiking team. The horses and their horsemen! We say farewell to our driver and hello to the horses and their owners, a young brother and sister. The horses carry our satchels which are not very big, the camping gear, cooking gear, food and some water. There were about five horses that would join us. Cesar introduces us to the cook and his attendant, the brother and sister and asks us if we are ready to start hiking! We say yes and he asks us again, and we say YES!

On this day we hike for about six hours. Off we go with our day packs on and we say goodbye to the horses and the brother and sister who will meet us at camp. It has already been explained to us how much walking we will do each day and how difficult it is. The first day we are told we will walk about six hours and that it is fairly moderate and not too challenging. We are told that it is the second day that will be the most challenging.

The French and Canadian couples both have their walking sticks today, but we decided to walk without them. We start walking through the valley up some fairly low mountains. The pace is slow and we follow the steps of Cesar. He guides us and asks us how we are feeling with a genuine smile. The atmosphere is so fresh up here. The grass is green, cows and horses are roaming freely and the air is crisp. This is the countryside of Peru! Never before have I seen cows that look so healthy with their glowing coats and bright open eyes. We walk so close to them and I can almost reach out to pat one. A feeling of relaxation sets upon us the further we venture into the country and although a little tiring the more we hike up and around the path, the more intriguing it becomes as we wonder what other scenery is around the mountain ranges.

Early in the afternoon we stop for lunch at a small farm. The cooks have prepared a fantastic meal of fresh avocado, soup and trout. Thoughtfully providing us with all the nutrients we need for all the trekking we will be doing. Water is collected along the way from rivers and is boiled before we drink it. Along with a hot cup of coca tea, our bodies are feeling recharged and ready to begin walking again. Coca leaves helps with the effects of being in high altitude so a cup every now and then is never said no to. However I don't think it was going to help my sore knee which I had already managed to slightly injure through some of the steep steps over rocks. I must have strained a muscle or something like that, nothing to painful but I decide to pull out my walking sticks for the afternoon trek.

Throughout the afternoon our feet carry us along the rocky path step by step as we make our way closer to Salkantay Mountain, its peak reaching over 6200 meters above sea level! We won't actually reach the mountain until the second day however we can see its icy white peaks in the distance along with the Huamantay Mountain. Along the way we pass through farms where Cesar explains to us some of the history of the Incas and the traditions of farming and life in the mountains and how some of them are still being practiced today. Halfway through Cesar's story, we move out of the way on the path for horses to come through. Horses are used all over the farms here to help carry goods from one farm to the other. We set off hiking again and make our way to Soraypampa where we will be camping for the night and to get as much rest as we can for our very long day ahead.

The sun is slowly going down and before dark we have arrived at camp. The level of care and planning the team have put into the trip so far is outstanding. Our guide, cooks, horses and horsemen have all been brilliant. Our camp is already all set up for us and the cooks are already preparing tea and snacks for us. Each couple has their own tent and we are all covered under one large tarp enclosure. There is another trekking group camping under the same roof, however they are not as tired as us tonight for they have spent the day driving to camp. After some hot tea and a little time making our tents comfortable inside, then sun is just about to go down and there is a beautiful pink glow outside amongst the green mountains. All is well, or so it seems….

I go inside the tent and Dustin is lying down feeling very tired and he tells me he is feeling a bit queasy. We think the lack of sleep and long hike must have tired him out so hopefully some rest will be what he needs. Dinner is soon to be served and poor Dust couldn't make it to the table to join us. Cesar is trained for situations like this and has some medical knowledge. Aware of Dustin's situation, we do what we can to make him feel better and luckily we had already packed what medications we thought might needed from our medical kit. As the night went on Dustin got sicker and it looked like we would both be catching a truck back into town the next day. There was no way I would let Dustin go back alone. Dustin's sickness was more severe than the bug I had picked up and it is always hard to pin point the cause. We are always sick at different times, however the advantage is that there is one of us who can look after the sick person. It was a terrible situation to be in, right out in the mountains inside a tent with no comforts of home around. However, with our strength we got through the night with a little sleep and were so grateful for our warm sleeping bags. We woke up in the middle of the night to the pouring rain pelting down on the canvas roof. It was so loud yet it felt so cosy to be dry and warm inside the comfort of the tent.

Before the sun has risen, our cook and his attendant come around to our tents with a 'Buenos Dias', a hot cup of coca tea and a 'how are you feeling'? Dustin replies with a 'much better' and it looks like we will be okay. 'Much better', does not mean feeling great though and we are both feeling exhausted and 5.30 am morning starts are not are style at all!, especially after the night we had. My legs were aching from walking the day before, my eyes are heavy and tired, my throat is sore and my concern for both our wellbeing's is uncertain. I'm thinking how will I ever crawl out of this tent and hike for nine hours today!! I'm doubtful but I'm glad Dustin is feeling better, not great but better. He is determined to push through and if it wasn't for the friendly hot cup of coca tea, I don't think we could have pulled ourselves together as easily as we did.

Within an hour we are packed and ready to begin the day. Dustin could not eat much breakfast but is drinking water and on antibiotics. We do not want to turn back now because we have already paid over $430 AUD each for this trip and there are no refunds. Our cook comes around with some boiled water and we fill up with as much as we can carry. With a little help from this and some gatorade, Dustin has some new found strength and the team set off towards Salkantay Mountain.

With walking sticks in our hands, we walk over grass, rocks, mud and icy surfaces along the path that will lead us on a nine hour journey. One of the horses and horsemen join us along the trek and already the scenery as magnificent. As the sun is still rising, so many shades of green coat the mountains, blended with bright white from the snow. It is an amazing place to be in with such contrasts of the environment all around us. Salkantay Mountain is so close and it looks so surreal seeing the magnitude of the white peaks against the blue sky.

We have been walking for a short time and Dustin and I are trying to keep up the pace with the rest of the group. Breath after breath, step after step, it is going to be a long long day. Cesar can see the struggle in our pace and the decision is made for Dustin to take advantage of the horse. We are about to start ascending around seven hundred meters and need all the energy we have. There could not have been a better time to jump on horse and save what energy you have in a situation like this. I was thinking that we would all still stick together, however the horse, Dustin, and the horsemen took off into the distance and made their ascent towards the next meeting place.

I had lost my buddy for a little while and was now on my own with the two couples and Cesar. I was full of determination to make the climb and walk the distance today. We were so close to jumping on a truck home, the thought of not making this trek was too sad to imagine and now that we were living the challenge I had found the energy I needed. On the same path yet through complete different experiences, we would meet again but at what time I didn't yet know.

With each step over the snow, mud and rocks I focus on my breathing and try and keep to a steady pace with the group. I am so taken away by the scenery around me that I get distracted and sometimes get too far behind. All I want to do is stop and look around and take it all in. To photograph everything I see and have a drink, but I must stay with the group. With a few more quick steps I catch up and then catch up with my breath. I wonder how far up Dustin is and how he is feeling. There is only one way to know and that is to keep hiking! This is our first hike and it looks like all you do is hike! We are just about to start the steep climb and then stop for a snack. Yes please! My knee is feeling a little sore still and I am grateful for the rest. An orange goes down well and gatoroade is my savour. During this break we hear a roar of what sounds like thunder and in the near distance we see an avalanche smashing down the side of Salkantay mountain! We can hear it clearly buy is not so easy to see amongst the low clouds and white snow. It almost looks like smoke coming from the bottom of the mountain as it falls down.

After a quick application of sunscreen I quickly roll up my jacket and get comfortable for the climb. The sun is strong and blinding bright and we are told to not take our sunglasses off. When we stop it is fresh but when we are walking it is very warm! Ready or not, off I go following the group up along the Salkantay pass. The first stage is okay and we are all doing well sticking together at a comfortable pace. The direction we are heading in is up and it's not until I see horses and other trekkers towards the top that I begin to realise how high this climb is! The further up I look the more tired I feel, so I keep my eyes to the path and continue. Out of breath and with the altitude getting higher each step, I begin to start losing strength but I pull myself up. The path is an icy and rocky zig zag up the mountain side. I get relief when horses need to pass because it means I can stop. About half way though I am desperate for more energy and stop to reach for a muesli bar in my pack. This means I am soon well behind the group and I can hear them calling out to me. Cesar waits for me to reach him and then he slowly guides me up along the path. At this point all I can do is focus on my breathing and forget the pain in my legs. I am tired, hot and feel heavy with the weight of my boots carry me up the mountain. The longer you stop, the harder it is to move again so I just keep going. I think to myself 'I can do it', 'I can do it'. Desperate for more oxygen and to be walking of soft sand, I put those thoughts out of my mind and concentrate. It works, and through its challenges I manage to find a pace that works for me.

Well over half way I hear one the guys yell out 'rocks coming down! Rocks run!' Cesar and I look up and we can see some lose rocks falling down the mountain. We run out of the way and are safe. We all stop on the edge of the mountain and can hear more rocks falling down. Coming the opposite way are horses and horsemen heading down the mountain and it doesn't look safe. There is a waterfall running down the mountain where the loose rocks are slipping, but lucky it is well off the path and everyone, all horses included, are safe. This moment was about our only rest along the climb. The drop down below was steep and at some points the path was quite narrow. We were almost at the peak of the climb, so close now that we had to keep going.

I find my momentum again and now by myself I am walking with my sticks guiding me. I am exhausted however I am so determined to reach the end of this challenge that I just keep on walking. I can see the summit in the distance and already the French couple have made it there. In the distance on top of a rock I can make out a blue jumper which I hope is Dustin. A short while later, out of breath and with aching knees I have made the climb and I find relief and happiness after achieving the challenge. Dustin is here too and we have both made it this far and have already completely forgoten about Machu Picchu. The trek today is so challenging and the scenery so magnificent and tests all of our physical and emotional strength, that all we can really focus on is the present moment in time.

From here we begin our descent and the path is not suitable for a horse to carry someone down. Dustin is feeling okay and together we guide ourselves down the mountain with our team. I had already been hiking for around three hours or more, I wasn't quite sure of the time but knew we still had about five more hours to go. This afternoon was the most challenging moment for me as we hiked and hiked and hiked. I felt tired so I couldn't even imagine how tired Dustin must be feeling. The longer we walked the more energy we lost and it was a struggle to keep up with the group. We ate another decent lunch cooked with lots of thought and care, however Dustin did not have much appetite. However he didn't complain and I was proud of us for making it this far given Dustin's health, I had just been sick, had a sore knee and that this was our first hike! Still we were not giving up!

Late afternoon we walk through amazing scenery where the clouds were so low we were literrely walking through them. There are mountains all around us, some peaks below us and some above us. There are moments when I can hear the clinking of bells in the distance, and it is horses coming down the path. There is a sense of achievement for making it this far, yet a sense of wonder as to whether or not we can still hike the distance! With about three hours to go, my knees have almost had enough, Dustin is tired and weak from his bug and not eating and I am fading too. Whenever I need to pull something out of my bag or stop to take a photo, I fall behind the group and don't have the energy to catch up. Because the path is so rocky, I need to look down and concentrate. I wanted to look up and around at the scenery but couldn't always do this. By this stage my right ankle is swollen and with each step sharp pain kicks in. I want to rip by boots of, but that will just cause even more problems. Before long we reach a tropical area and there is thick vegetation around us. This also bought as to a very muddy path where it would have been very difficult to cross without our sticks. There are bugs everywhere, we are exhausted, our bodies hurt all over and I have walked for nearly eight hours already. One of my shoes is not waterproof and my feet are cold, swollen and wet. The further I walk, the more painful my ankle is. There is no other option other than to keep hiking and I am begging to lose all hope.

This was one of most challenging moments of the trip for me and at this point I regretted coming on the trek. I was in so much pain and so exhausted that I didn't know how I would get through day three, four and five! I held back the tears and staggered on. We were both running on not much sleep so our bodies were exhausted. Cesar was with us and asked me if I was okay and told him about my ankle. He told us there was not much further to go, yet still I had no idea where camp was. I could see the path leading around far in the distance and no sign of any flat ground anywhere to camp. However as the path curved around, we could see Cesar in the distance walk into a yard in the middle of a small farm, we have reached camp! We made it!

The farm here is in such a beautiful setting with mountain peaks all around. There are horses, chickens and their chicks roaming about. Our cooks yet again prepare a great meal and before long we all take our tired bodies to bed. It is cold, wet and our tent is leaking and my ankle is not making me feel good about tomorrow. I'm still beginning to wonder if this trek was a good decision or not, however we have just made it through the most challenging day so tomorrow should be easier.

Day three and we again are woken up to a hot cup of coca tea in our tents. Through this hot cup of tea I pull myself together. Dustin is feeling better yet still not completely 100%. We would love a hot shower, however the cooks have bought us a tub of hot water and we wash our face at least. With some help from the medical kit I rub some cream on my ankle and take a couple of paracetamol. Dustin is able to eat some breakfast and we are ready to start a new day. Today we hike for about six hours…..

The beginning of the hike takes us over a big swing bridge, down a creek and up a small climb over the edge of a mountain. The rest of the path today is fairly flat, much easier than what we went through yesterday. There is a river running down below us and all is going fairly smoothly so far and we are keeping up with the group fairly well. The mountains are beautiful. So much bigger than any mountains I have seen before. So along the flat path we are trekking along quite well until the path never seems to end! I begin to lose hope again and by this stage I am beginning to feel like the hike is turning into a zombie like phase. I tire quickly and without knowing where our next stop is, I then tell myself that I can't' do it. I was thinking if I had the chance to do this trek again I would not do it. However it's all irrelevant now and we must keep on hiking, hiking, hiking, and hiking!!!

Soon we will be crossing the river and Cesar tells us that there is a 'cable car' that will carry us across. The mountains path on the other side is about fifty meters across and about a two hundred metre drop. With my lack of energy and enthusiasm, I follow the group down a path to the cable car. Well what a surprise we soon had! This so called cable was nothing more than a few bits of wood hammered together to form a box connected to a wire rope. We were going to be zipping across the river in that!? It was so ridiculous that is didn't even seem like it was really going to happen. Cesar gives us some very brief instructions and he and the Canadian guy jump in. We push them away and off the fly!! As they reach the other end, they need to pull themselves across with their hands on the rope. It takes about ten minutes for them to finally reach the other side. Feeling a little more trusting of the wooden box, I let go of some of my fear. We then pull the rope back to carry the wooden box back. By the time it was our turn, I had decided to not think too much about the situation and just enjoy it. I manage to film the moment zipping across and by the time we reach the other side, my body is pumping with adrenaline and no longer am I thinking that I can't do this trek.

I am now more determined than ever to get through the hike and I know that at the end of today we can rest. We walk through a small path and a thick green forest, up a steep climb over rocks and silver stones. It is so steep but we power on through and I reach the top quite quickly. I realise that my feeling before thinking I can't do this trek was in my mind and not so much my strength. With the mind and the body working together again, the rest of the hike was still tiring yet felt much more achievable. Dustin and I are now ahead of the group and have found a pace that leads as far along the path. We have both conquered many challenges mentally and physically and have found the strength to reach this point.

By the early afternoon we have arrived at camp and our hiking for the day is done! Blistered, bitten, strained, bruised, exhausted and recovering from stomach bugs we have conquered almost twenty hours of hiking. The rest of the day we are all able to relax in the surrounds of a small farm. There are a few local stores at our camp, some selling cold beer! We sip our way through our well deserved beer and rest our tired bodies. We are finally able to have a proper shower, although not hot we are still refreshed. Later that night we all enjoy another tasty meal and talk about the events of the day. Cesar later tells us that it was only his second time using the cable car today! If he had told that to us earlier, crossing the river might not have happened. We then discuss tomorrows plan and we have a few options. Looks like most of our hiking is now done and tomorrow we will be swimming in the hot springs! A sigh of relief for seven tired bodies! As the evening goes on, we soon begin to smell some delicious smells wafting from the chef's kitchen. We are all so curious and it smells like something is being baked. We are told it is a surprise and will find out tomorrow. While we enjoy our beers, Dustin goes into the kitchen and offers the chefs their well deserved beer too. Muchas gracias!!

Morning rises again and we are woken with a nice hot cup of Coca tea. Having these hot cups of tea bought to our tent as our wake up calls was a pleasant way to wake up each day. As I make my way out of the tent, I feel the pain in my muscles cramping up my legs. A little massage helps the pain but I am hoping to find much more relief in the hot springs. We all sit down for breakfast and our surprise is bought out to us….. Our chef has baked us a cake! We don't know how he managed to whip up this treat overnight with the lack of facilities, but he did it. It is about 8am in the morning and we are eating cake! Just like being in Brazil again. It was delicious and went down well with a hot cup of coffee. We really have been spoilt with the quality of food on this trip. Lunch and dinner was always a three course meal and some of the entrees were what you would see in some nice restaurants. We were going to miss our chef very much! Cesar, chefs, and horsemen all work so hard on these trips and they were all going to receive a tip from all of us without a doubt.

An hour or so later we jump into a van and drive down to the hot springs. Cesar knows this best time to swim here and today is the day they would have just been cleaned. We were very lucky to have him for his knowledge of the Incas and the mountains was very thorough. He has been a guide for over seventeen years and has hiked these trails over six hundred times. Having a friendly and genuine guide made the trip as successful as it was.

Our drive to the hot springs was eventful along the rocky narrow road. The river running along down the mountains edge was wild! Water is moving so fast over rocks and gushing down the river as far as the eye can see. Soon we arrive at the edge of a mountain where the hot springs lay. Water is coming from the earth through the rocks and filling up the clean springs slowly. They have just finished being cleaned so are starting to fill up as we arrive. It is so clear that we can see the rocks below and it looks very inviting. The surrounding landscape is even more beautiful with tall green mountains and the river running down stream. The water from the hot springs run through a series of pools and then out into the river. Stepping into the springs is very soothing and brings our tired bodies much comfort.

So far we have already experienced so much and have faced many challenges that bought us many rewards. Through all these moments I had forgotten about our final destination, Machu Picchu! Tomorrow we would be visiting this ancient wonder of the world and we were all feeling the excitement. In the afternoon we arrived in the town of Aguas Calientes where stayed in a hotel and all shared a meal at a restaurant. All of this was also covered in the cost of our trip. The hotel didn't have a booking for Dustin and I and we had been moved to another place down the road. It turned out to be amazing and had breathtaking views of the mountains and river. Finally we had a warm comfortable bed and pillow with no leaking roof above us. Over dinner Cesar explains more history of the Incas and how we will arrive at Machu Picchu tomorrow. It will be an early start with our alarms set for 4.15am! We want to beat the crowds and hope to see the sun rise over Machu Picchu.

Never before have I felt so awake with my alarm going off at such a crazy time. Today was going to be unforgettable and most likely something I will only experience once. We all share breakfast at the same hotel and meet Cesar in line for our bus to Machu Picchu. It is dark and cold yet the air is buzzing with excitement as we wait in line for the bus to leave. Driving up the mountain I wonder how far away this mysterious city of the Inca world is. Is it behind that mountain? Is it around the corner? When will we see it? There are already people walking up the mountain and the sun is slowly rising. Out the window we soon catch our first glimpse of the green grass and grey Inca walls right in the middle of all the mountains. There it was, so close and soon we would be walking through the mystery.

With our tickets and passports checked, Cesar leads us up the path to a spot that gave us a very impressive view. 'Welcome to Machu Picchu' he says, and we all stare in amazement at the landscape where we have seen hundreds of postcard photos now bought to life right in front of us. Looking down there were not many people, just a lush green mountain planted in the middle of a circle of taller mountain ranges. Against the lush green grass lie the fascinating stone walls that make up the city of Machu Picchu. I feel like I have stepped millions of miles away from the modern world and have stepped into a land of mystery. I wonder what it would have been like to be standing here over seven hundred years ago…. No one can really ever know.

Cesar leads as around a few paths that gave us the chance to see the city before it is swamped with tourists. We quickly take our photos that add to the millions of collections of images of this famous landscape. The sight of this city is magnificent, yet familiar through all the images we have previously seen. The feeling of standing here and seeing it with your own eyes cannot be captured on film or camera. The mountain ranges surrounding the city create even more mystery as it sets a backdrop of endless forests rising high up along the mountain peaks, once a land that had been lost under the thick canopy of the forest.

As we walk down the path Cesar explains to us the theories behind the Inca city. From the areas that were used for farming to the rocks formed into sundials, there was a land of so much history surrounding us. Probably one of the most curios of all questions is how did they build these walls without the technology we have today? Even with the technology of today, these walls could not be replicated. Looking at the scale of these rocks precisely cut and fitting together like a jig saw puzzle has raised many questions. Cesar explains that this mountain was covered with granite rock that is made up of many minerals. It is believed that the Incas worked with the natural minerals in this rock to build the city. Granite rock naturally forms 'cracks' in the stone that the Incas worked with to separate the scale of the rocks. Hammering holes into the cracks and using wood and water to form the separation, a month or so later the rock would separate and from here the Incas had the pieces to build the city. This is what was explained to us and perhaps there is some truth behind this theory.

Our visit today was fascinating and still I walk away with many more questions. There was still one more challenge for the six hikers today and that was climbing Wayna Picchu! The tall mountain that sits behind the city was waiting for us to reach its peak. Did we have the energy!? Yes we did, we have come this far and were ready to make our final climb. Four hundred people are allowed to make this climb each day, and our names were on the list. They say it takes about an hour to make the climb, and we all did it in less than an hour. The view at the top was spectacular and we could see Machu Picchu down below. The walk down was more difficult than hiking up and our boots were much bigger than some of the tiny steps.

This was a day that will stay in my memory for ever and will continue to make me wonder. The hike to reach this city was more challenging than I could have imagined, yet we all made it through with determination and strength. Early in the trip I believed that if I was given this opportunity again, I would say no. Now that I have reached the end and pushed through the challenges, I have changed my mind and I would say yes to an opportunity like this again. Perhaps not tomorrow but give it some time and I would do it all over again. For now we have an experience that will stay with us forever and today perhaps we will just yes to that massage. Never say never….