Wander logo

The Amazing Views in Peru

Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca

By Deana RitaPublished 5 years ago 3 min read
Like
Machu Picchu

The furthest away from home I’ve ever been was when I traveled to Peru. It was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. I went on a school trip with my two best friends and we had the time of our lives.

The journey to Peru was a bumpy ride. I have terrible motion sickness, so spending 10 hours on a plan was not ideal for me. Within the last 20 minutes getting into Peru, I began to get very, very sick. Everyone knows you have to stay in your seats during landing, but that was not an option for me as I ran to the bathroom, but had to wait because someone took a tad bit too long brushing their teeth. I ended up throwing up into my shirt and all over the floor of the plane, and then continued in the bathroom for another five minutes. I tried to go back to my seat for landing, but I got sick again, forcing me to return to the small, cramped bathroom. The flight attendants were instructing me to return to me seat, but I could not stop throwing up. Finally, mid-landing, I made my way back to my seat, reeking of vomit and feeling disgusting. And although we had landed in Peru, we still had an additional hour until we made it back to our hotel.

The bus ride was long and gross. I’m still surprised my friend managed to sit next to me for the entire ride, considering she hates throwing up, as most people do. I felt better, but all I could smell was vomit, and I felt gross and sticky. Getting into our hotel was a long process, but finally I could shower, and that concluded our first few hours in Peru.

Throughout our days of travels, the most memorable was our visit to Machu Picchu. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, so being in the heart of such an incredible place was breathtaking. Getting there was a trek, between a train ride, bus ride up a winding mountain, and a hike, but it was completely worth it to see an incredible view. The most amazing part, though, was getting to walk through the paths embedded in Machu Picchu. It was fascinating to see where they would have slept, ate, worked, and practiced their religion. The architecture was beautiful, and the sight was amazing. To think each of the stones were hand crafted, and everything was built by real hands thousands of years before us was mind blowing. It truly is a wonder to behold, which is why it is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Another remarkable day while in Peru was the day we got to explore the floating islands on Lake Titicaca. The floating islands are islands made of straw that are in the middle of Lake Titicaca that are inhabited by natives of Peru, and they have been there for centuries. Everything on the islands is made of either straw or wood, making it an incredibly dangerous place to live in the case of a fire. The inhabitants of the island wear handmade clothes, made of very bright colors and patterns. They live a very natural way of life, and were very comfortable sharing their culture with us, as well as all of the children, being very friendly. It was incredible hearing about the way of their culture; childbirth, courting, marriage, death, burial. It was such a different way of life, and I’m surprised not more people know about the people living on the floating islands, as well as any of the islands on Lake Titicaca.

Peru was the furthest I’ve ever been away from home, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I got to experience such rich culture, see amazing sights, and have an incredible time with my two best friends. Going to Peru together brought us closer, and developed my love for traveling greatly, especially in South American countries. I would love to visit Peru again someday, but I have a lot more travelling to do before I begin returning to countries I have previously fell in love with.

south america
Like

About the Creator

Deana Rita

/ college student / writer / animal lover / activist / feminist / future educator /

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.