For many of you that know me you know that I am an outdoor fanatic. I have grown up camping with family and friends, since then have continued that with my dogs, I have backpacked whenever possible, and that any chance I get I am outside hiking, playing with my dogs, or just soaking in God’s beautiful creation.
When we got to Peru the conversations began of what we wanted to do on our adventure day (the one day a month we are able to go out and do touristy things away from our ministry). Of course being in Peru there are some AMAZING areas to hike and see, Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain being two huge must sees from what we had heard. So we talked to a few tour companies, did a TON of research and discussed it with people who had already made the trek. After making the decision as a team to go to both Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain we started making plans.
We decided to first go to Rainbow Mountain. We had booked tickets through a tour group, planned the transportation, meals, and had gotten an early start on our trail legs from hiking the ridiculous hills of Cusco. The morning came at about 4 am in order to catch the shuttle out to the mountain. We pied on the bus full of other tourists and watched out the window as the city lights faded into black. Some of us doze off and are awoken by a sudden stop. We pulled up to a small restaurant where we would be having breakfast. A small helping of eggs, bread and coca tea (made form Coca leaves, which are also an ingredient in cocaine, it is said to help with motion and altitude sickness). From there we got back on the bus for another long bus ride up into the mountains. When we got to the base of the mountain our fearless team leader prayed over the group and we started the hike up. We had heard horror stories of the climb and how difficult it was for even the most in shape hikers. Many of us thought it was a joke at first.. the first half was BEAUTIFUL, scenic, and a truly picture of God and his creation. As we rounded one of the last corners I saw it.. the mountain. It looked as if the people at the top were not moving at all, and soon we could tell it was because they were moving so slow. The higher we got the harder it was to breath. Due to the elevation made 5 steps feel like 5 miles. Fun fact the upper most peak of Rainbow Mountain is about the same elevation as the 1st base camp for Mt. Everest, roughly 17,000 ft.
After a good long hike up to the mountain and we stopped long enough to catch our breath we looked around in complete awe of what the Lord had created. Now for some this may sound silly because there is some kind of scientific explanation for the colors and the formations but we also must remember that our God created the whole Earth and everything in it. Everything that moves, lives, and exists on this Earth is because of God. The colors, the shapes and heights of these mountains were so amazing. Amazing in ways that I could never put into words. The amazing work of the Lord and his creativity was something I had never seen before. The dedication and the effort he put into making the colors perfect and exactly as they needed to be left me in pure amazement. What a true blessing it was to stand there and witness such an incredible creation. As I pushed through to the very top of the mountain it began to snow. As I got closer and closer to the top it then began to sleet, almost to the point of not being able to see. What a beautiful experience!
After a day of rest Machu Picchu was on the agenda we had the plans made, transportation booked, and knew this was going to be a long but incredible day. Our plan was to take a small bus to the train station. Once we got to the train station we decided that we would save the money and hike 7 miles along the rail road tracks. We ended our hike in a town called Aguas Calientes. We spent the night in a hostel there and after standing in line for 2 hours the next morning, boarded a bus up to Machu Picchu.
We started our hike off to the Sun Gate. This was the original entrance to Machu Picchu. It was high up in the mountains and overlooked the beautiful stone town bellow. It was also a way that allowed them to tell time down in the village. The way the sun would come through the structure would cast shadows into the sun dial area in allowing them to tell the time. As we sat at the top, watching the clouds roll in and out it was amazing to just take in the beauty of God’s creation and also to admire all the builders had done with the land.
As we hiked back down we entered into an area over taken with llamas and huge rock structures. This was one of the true wonders of the world. We found a guide that was able to speak English and set off to see this amazing place. I could not help but be amazed at the way that these people had created this place. The skill, strength, and brains it took to be able to make all of this possible is just jaw dropping. I wish that the picture could do it justice! What an amazing experience that I am so thankful I was able to have. God is so good and provides. He shows his power and his beauty in everything.
