Here's what happens when I spend 18 hours in airport land: I type two data sheets totaling over 6000 words. I can promise you this data sheet is fresh and there is little to no information about either of these destinations.
An important part of travel for me is getting my head straight, disconnecting from the internet, telephone and reconnecting with who I am as a person. Each year, sometimes multiple times a year, I throw away communication with the outside world. Previous examples have been living in the French Alps, hiking back hills in Thailand, or having a guys weekend at a friend's summer house where we purposely leave cell phones and computers at home. This year after my jaunt in Brazil, I went to Peru for two and a half weeks, which included hiking the Inca Trail, and a week in the Amazon jungle. No, not the Amazon.com jungle, but the actual Amazon jungle full of every bit of wildlife you've seen on the Discovery Channel.
Out of the 17 days in Peru, I took exactly two hot showers, had a 1995-type internet connection for three days, approached zero Peruvian women in an attempt to have sex, and it felt great.
Part I: The Inca Trail
After a brutal 18 hour acclimation at 11,500 feet in Cuzco I set off for four nights to hike the Inca Trail. Frankly, it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. The 8-12 hour daily hike, beginning at 6AM tested my fitness at altitudes that I'd never hiked at before. One day of the hike lasts 12.5 hours and sees you begin the day at 9,500 feet, before a lung-searing climb to 13,900 feet, before dropping back down to 10,000 feet, then again closing the day with a 3-4 hour climb back to 13,400 feet. The 9.5 miles hiked with 7,000 feet in altitude change in one day left me physically and emotionally defeated.
However, the payouts are immense. The Peruvian government strictly limits the number of people allowed to hike the Inca trail, meaning that it's unlikely you'll encounter other people for days, sans the small group you're hiking with. You get to freely walk around and explore many of the Inca ruins that are inaccessible to anyone else besides people on the Inca Trail. It is largely original stonework, in tact from the Inca Empire. It was fascinating to learn about them and explore them. It was a mystical feeling walking around the ruins, especially when you got up close and noticed the engineered perfection of them, considering there is not recorded information about the type of mathematics or communication system they used.
Frankly, the greatest disappointment was Machu Picchu itself. After hiking for days, engaging in gut-busting climbs and appreciating unparalleled views of snow-capped Andes peaks in the distance, Machu Picchu was a clusterfuck of the worst kinds of tourists; the type of tourists who treat traveling like a checklist. They're rude, pushy and have traveled half way across the world for that iconic photo of Machu Picchu that you've probably seen a thousand times, just to say they've been there. At one point, I was gratuitously taking photos of the site and my accomplishments, having not showered in hot or cold water in over four days, and this British girl has the audacity to yell at me to move so I'm not in her photo. She yells at me, “I woke up at 2:30 in the fucking morning to get on a bus here today to do this, have some respect.” Instead of slapping her down an 8000 foot cliff, I looked at her and laughed with my face covered in dirt and my armpits able to be smelled from a mile away.
Part II: Off The Rails In Iquitos
Ever since I heard about the city of Iquitos, an Amazon jungle entry point in the north of Peru, and the largest city in the world inaccessible to the outside world by car I knew I had to get there. A small part of me wanted to explore this completely off the path city, but most of me wanted to see the Amazon rainforest. Of all the 'there's no way you've actually been there' destinations in the world, I can only think of Saharan Africa and Antarctica as the two that can match the audacity of going deep in the Amazon.
A bit of a clarification – there's going to the Amazon in Peru to a place called the Pacaya-Samaria reserve, which is a 3-4 hour boat ride from Iquitos, and while still the 'Amazon' it's been heavily logged and contains few endangered species. Then there's going deep into the Amazon, hours beyond where civilization as we know it exists. My traveling partner and I had the budget and time to dive deep into the Amazon and words cannot describe the shit I dealt with. We were a full twelve hours on speed boat from Iquitos. A bite from an Amazonian Pit Viper, or a serious injury and your life is in real jeopardy due to the remoteness of where we were. On the way out there, we stopped in this town, if you'd like to call it that, named Requena and we stopped the town upon our arrival. Kids were touching us because they'd never seen a white person before. There was a federal policeman in the town who asked for our passports and gave us a minute long handshake and bow because he'd never met an American before.
From Requena we continued another four hours into the jungle where we arrived at a small gazebo-like 'lodge' enclosed by a mosquito net this guy had built by hand, where we subsequently stayed for the next four nights sleeping in hammocks listening to the rhythmic sounds of the jungle at night. The dreams I had those nights were as positive, vivid and lucid of dreams as I can ever remember having, without a doubt due to the sounds from the jungle playing in my head.
A brief background on the guy who bought and preserves this part of the Peruvian Amazon: he grew up in the Brazilian Amazon, has a savant like understanding of the jungle and its flora and fauna, joined the Brazilian Army, was quickly promoted to their equivalent of their Black Ops division because of his fitness and uncanny survival skills, climbed K2 and calls Everest an overpriced hike. Easily the most bad-ass, alpha male motherfucker I have ever met. Over a few beers, he told me without actually telling me that there's people in Brazil who want him dead for one reason or another.
One day during our daily 10 hour 'walks' as he would like to call them in the jungle, we were caught in a torrential jungle downpour, basically turning the jungle we were walking through into a swamp up to our stomach. Gumboots flooded, fire-ants crawling in my head and down my back, I really thought this was the end of life as I knew it. At one point, he turns around and says, “MaleDefined, pain and suffering is all psychological. You can train your brain to shut pain out. It is just your emotions telling you that something is wrong. Nothing is wrong. You are still walking, and still alive. In fact you have never been so alive in your life.” At that point I let out a primal scream. I'm not sure if it was a release of the pain or the celebration that I was so alive, but it was one of the best feelings I've ever felt. Wow.
I'd never wish the jungle, the real Amazon jungle on anyone, but I wouldn't trade the experience for the world. It was that intense and unforgivably real. It's those moments when you realize death is a reality when you truly become alive.
If you're interested in experiencing the real Amazon, then shoot me a PM and I'll put you in touch with the guy.
I popped back into Iquitos for one night, and Jesus what a city. It's more South East Asian than South East Asia itself. Since it's inaccessible by car, the method of transportation is tuk-tuk. Iquitos is seemingly a lawless place. As an American ex-pat I was talking to put it, “No one comes out here to live in Iquitos unless they have a reason.” Thought provoking, yet equally scary. Modern formalities such as driving ages, traffic rules, and education are mere suggestions here. Cocaine is sold pretty openly in the streets and through a conversation with an ex-pat whose running a pretty decent restaurant down there, the right amount of money can buy you pretty much anything there. Anything. Organs, children, assassinations, drugs. Anything.
An interesting business proposition here would be opening an Ayahuasca themed cafe/restaurant or hostel to help comfort or prepare visitors heading out for Ayahuasca ceremonies. Iquitos is the epicenter for the Ayahuasca retreat, however for those of you interested in heading out there, be very very careful about who you're doing business with. There are a lot of hack shamans and companies who will steal your money. Remember, Iquitos is the wild west, and when dealing with things such as drugs, anything goes. Though in a way I can see one American or Brit having a bad or deadly Ayahuasca experience before the foreign governments put pressure on Peru to clean the Ayahuasca experience up. I was pretty much the only visitor I came across that wasn't there for Ayahuasca, so for some of you curious, I apologize for not being a beacon of information.
My last night there, I hit up a few bars of which I can't remember their names. I'm half certain they don't even have names. I was down at a few open air bars down on the docks of the Amazon, which are really cool spots but seemed pretty dead. I then hit up the 'in' club a few blocks away, and while I was definitely given the fish out of water stare by pretty much everyone in there, the club itself was pretty dead for a Friday. Girls will definitely give you attention, but it's more as a 'what the fuck are you doing here', rather than an overtly sexual vibe. I'd say Spanish is essential if you want to smash in this town. Moreover, the girls were collectively pretty ugly. I was absolutely drunk by the time I got to this club, so my limited Spanish was even weaker, and with an early flight the next morning, I cut my losses.
Iquitos is a pretty rough and tumble town, and if you plan on going out late at night, it's essential you speak fluent Spanish, or are with someone who does. There were a few situations where local youths were heckling us while walking around, but the gringo I was with who spoke fluent Spanish was able to diffuse the situation and even make friends with the kids.
Overall, go to Iquitos if you're looking for a one of a kind jungle experience, or have extensively studied Ayahuasca. I would not recommend Iquitos to a green traveler looking for a bit of an adventure. You'll find yourself ripped off at every turn of the corner at minimum, and in some rough situations if not careful.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed a couple of weeks without contact without the outside world. It was fun to reconnect with the world after having no idea what was going on after a week. Yet at the same time, it made me realize how little of true consequence actually goes on that's important to my life. As long as I got back to reality to find my friends and family going well, I didn't care how the market did, what politician said what, or what country dropped a bomb on who.
Health, happiness and personal growth are truly the only things a man needs to be successful in the world. Getting away from what we like to think of reality is a powerful way for us to do that. I encourage all of you to partake in experiences such as the one I had in Peru, these past two weeks. You'll be amazed at how much clutter you remove from your life and how motivated to be productive you will become.
Case in point, I wrote two data sheets totaling 19 pages when double spaced today on my flights home. Sure it was partly to give back to the community, but it was mostly to get my ideas down on a page and give my brain a chance to produce. Today's writing felt fucking great!
As always, I'll do my best to clarify and answer any burning questions.
An important part of travel for me is getting my head straight, disconnecting from the internet, telephone and reconnecting with who I am as a person. Each year, sometimes multiple times a year, I throw away communication with the outside world. Previous examples have been living in the French Alps, hiking back hills in Thailand, or having a guys weekend at a friend's summer house where we purposely leave cell phones and computers at home. This year after my jaunt in Brazil, I went to Peru for two and a half weeks, which included hiking the Inca Trail, and a week in the Amazon jungle. No, not the Amazon.com jungle, but the actual Amazon jungle full of every bit of wildlife you've seen on the Discovery Channel.
Out of the 17 days in Peru, I took exactly two hot showers, had a 1995-type internet connection for three days, approached zero Peruvian women in an attempt to have sex, and it felt great.
Part I: The Inca Trail
After a brutal 18 hour acclimation at 11,500 feet in Cuzco I set off for four nights to hike the Inca Trail. Frankly, it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. The 8-12 hour daily hike, beginning at 6AM tested my fitness at altitudes that I'd never hiked at before. One day of the hike lasts 12.5 hours and sees you begin the day at 9,500 feet, before a lung-searing climb to 13,900 feet, before dropping back down to 10,000 feet, then again closing the day with a 3-4 hour climb back to 13,400 feet. The 9.5 miles hiked with 7,000 feet in altitude change in one day left me physically and emotionally defeated.
However, the payouts are immense. The Peruvian government strictly limits the number of people allowed to hike the Inca trail, meaning that it's unlikely you'll encounter other people for days, sans the small group you're hiking with. You get to freely walk around and explore many of the Inca ruins that are inaccessible to anyone else besides people on the Inca Trail. It is largely original stonework, in tact from the Inca Empire. It was fascinating to learn about them and explore them. It was a mystical feeling walking around the ruins, especially when you got up close and noticed the engineered perfection of them, considering there is not recorded information about the type of mathematics or communication system they used.
Frankly, the greatest disappointment was Machu Picchu itself. After hiking for days, engaging in gut-busting climbs and appreciating unparalleled views of snow-capped Andes peaks in the distance, Machu Picchu was a clusterfuck of the worst kinds of tourists; the type of tourists who treat traveling like a checklist. They're rude, pushy and have traveled half way across the world for that iconic photo of Machu Picchu that you've probably seen a thousand times, just to say they've been there. At one point, I was gratuitously taking photos of the site and my accomplishments, having not showered in hot or cold water in over four days, and this British girl has the audacity to yell at me to move so I'm not in her photo. She yells at me, “I woke up at 2:30 in the fucking morning to get on a bus here today to do this, have some respect.” Instead of slapping her down an 8000 foot cliff, I looked at her and laughed with my face covered in dirt and my armpits able to be smelled from a mile away.
Part II: Off The Rails In Iquitos
Ever since I heard about the city of Iquitos, an Amazon jungle entry point in the north of Peru, and the largest city in the world inaccessible to the outside world by car I knew I had to get there. A small part of me wanted to explore this completely off the path city, but most of me wanted to see the Amazon rainforest. Of all the 'there's no way you've actually been there' destinations in the world, I can only think of Saharan Africa and Antarctica as the two that can match the audacity of going deep in the Amazon.
A bit of a clarification – there's going to the Amazon in Peru to a place called the Pacaya-Samaria reserve, which is a 3-4 hour boat ride from Iquitos, and while still the 'Amazon' it's been heavily logged and contains few endangered species. Then there's going deep into the Amazon, hours beyond where civilization as we know it exists. My traveling partner and I had the budget and time to dive deep into the Amazon and words cannot describe the shit I dealt with. We were a full twelve hours on speed boat from Iquitos. A bite from an Amazonian Pit Viper, or a serious injury and your life is in real jeopardy due to the remoteness of where we were. On the way out there, we stopped in this town, if you'd like to call it that, named Requena and we stopped the town upon our arrival. Kids were touching us because they'd never seen a white person before. There was a federal policeman in the town who asked for our passports and gave us a minute long handshake and bow because he'd never met an American before.
From Requena we continued another four hours into the jungle where we arrived at a small gazebo-like 'lodge' enclosed by a mosquito net this guy had built by hand, where we subsequently stayed for the next four nights sleeping in hammocks listening to the rhythmic sounds of the jungle at night. The dreams I had those nights were as positive, vivid and lucid of dreams as I can ever remember having, without a doubt due to the sounds from the jungle playing in my head.
A brief background on the guy who bought and preserves this part of the Peruvian Amazon: he grew up in the Brazilian Amazon, has a savant like understanding of the jungle and its flora and fauna, joined the Brazilian Army, was quickly promoted to their equivalent of their Black Ops division because of his fitness and uncanny survival skills, climbed K2 and calls Everest an overpriced hike. Easily the most bad-ass, alpha male motherfucker I have ever met. Over a few beers, he told me without actually telling me that there's people in Brazil who want him dead for one reason or another.
One day during our daily 10 hour 'walks' as he would like to call them in the jungle, we were caught in a torrential jungle downpour, basically turning the jungle we were walking through into a swamp up to our stomach. Gumboots flooded, fire-ants crawling in my head and down my back, I really thought this was the end of life as I knew it. At one point, he turns around and says, “MaleDefined, pain and suffering is all psychological. You can train your brain to shut pain out. It is just your emotions telling you that something is wrong. Nothing is wrong. You are still walking, and still alive. In fact you have never been so alive in your life.” At that point I let out a primal scream. I'm not sure if it was a release of the pain or the celebration that I was so alive, but it was one of the best feelings I've ever felt. Wow.
I'd never wish the jungle, the real Amazon jungle on anyone, but I wouldn't trade the experience for the world. It was that intense and unforgivably real. It's those moments when you realize death is a reality when you truly become alive.
If you're interested in experiencing the real Amazon, then shoot me a PM and I'll put you in touch with the guy.
I popped back into Iquitos for one night, and Jesus what a city. It's more South East Asian than South East Asia itself. Since it's inaccessible by car, the method of transportation is tuk-tuk. Iquitos is seemingly a lawless place. As an American ex-pat I was talking to put it, “No one comes out here to live in Iquitos unless they have a reason.” Thought provoking, yet equally scary. Modern formalities such as driving ages, traffic rules, and education are mere suggestions here. Cocaine is sold pretty openly in the streets and through a conversation with an ex-pat whose running a pretty decent restaurant down there, the right amount of money can buy you pretty much anything there. Anything. Organs, children, assassinations, drugs. Anything.
An interesting business proposition here would be opening an Ayahuasca themed cafe/restaurant or hostel to help comfort or prepare visitors heading out for Ayahuasca ceremonies. Iquitos is the epicenter for the Ayahuasca retreat, however for those of you interested in heading out there, be very very careful about who you're doing business with. There are a lot of hack shamans and companies who will steal your money. Remember, Iquitos is the wild west, and when dealing with things such as drugs, anything goes. Though in a way I can see one American or Brit having a bad or deadly Ayahuasca experience before the foreign governments put pressure on Peru to clean the Ayahuasca experience up. I was pretty much the only visitor I came across that wasn't there for Ayahuasca, so for some of you curious, I apologize for not being a beacon of information.
My last night there, I hit up a few bars of which I can't remember their names. I'm half certain they don't even have names. I was down at a few open air bars down on the docks of the Amazon, which are really cool spots but seemed pretty dead. I then hit up the 'in' club a few blocks away, and while I was definitely given the fish out of water stare by pretty much everyone in there, the club itself was pretty dead for a Friday. Girls will definitely give you attention, but it's more as a 'what the fuck are you doing here', rather than an overtly sexual vibe. I'd say Spanish is essential if you want to smash in this town. Moreover, the girls were collectively pretty ugly. I was absolutely drunk by the time I got to this club, so my limited Spanish was even weaker, and with an early flight the next morning, I cut my losses.
Iquitos is a pretty rough and tumble town, and if you plan on going out late at night, it's essential you speak fluent Spanish, or are with someone who does. There were a few situations where local youths were heckling us while walking around, but the gringo I was with who spoke fluent Spanish was able to diffuse the situation and even make friends with the kids.
Overall, go to Iquitos if you're looking for a one of a kind jungle experience, or have extensively studied Ayahuasca. I would not recommend Iquitos to a green traveler looking for a bit of an adventure. You'll find yourself ripped off at every turn of the corner at minimum, and in some rough situations if not careful.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed a couple of weeks without contact without the outside world. It was fun to reconnect with the world after having no idea what was going on after a week. Yet at the same time, it made me realize how little of true consequence actually goes on that's important to my life. As long as I got back to reality to find my friends and family going well, I didn't care how the market did, what politician said what, or what country dropped a bomb on who.
Health, happiness and personal growth are truly the only things a man needs to be successful in the world. Getting away from what we like to think of reality is a powerful way for us to do that. I encourage all of you to partake in experiences such as the one I had in Peru, these past two weeks. You'll be amazed at how much clutter you remove from your life and how motivated to be productive you will become.
Case in point, I wrote two data sheets totaling 19 pages when double spaced today on my flights home. Sure it was partly to give back to the community, but it was mostly to get my ideas down on a page and give my brain a chance to produce. Today's writing felt fucking great!
As always, I'll do my best to clarify and answer any burning questions.
