Archive for the ‘articles’ category

Peru Travel: How to Get to Machu Picchu

December 4th, 2011

Planning a trip to Machu Picchu can be a daunting one. The ancient citadel built by the legendary Inca Empire over 600 years ago is situated in the middle of the high Andes of Peru, a location enhancing every bit of its mystery and allure but a challenge to travelers. Here are some travel tips to help you achieve the ideal, stress-free Machu Picchu vacations you’ve always dreamed of.

One of the main questions visitors to Peru have is simply how to get to Machu Picchu. Indeed, there is an intricate network of opportunities that can be taken advantage of. First, many will find themselves in the capital of the country, Lima, whether coming inbound from an international flight or arriving there overland by bus or otherwise. The large city is a transportation hub, so this is no surprise. Once in Lima, one can take a bus to the city of Cusco, which takes just about 21 hours; a more efficient method would be to take a domestic flight of 1 hour. Of course, the second option is a little bit more expensive for the traveler on a budget.
» Read more: Peru Travel: How to Get to Machu Picchu

Volunteering Abroad – Building a Water System

December 3rd, 2011

We were helping to build a water system in a particularly remote village near Mae Sariang, called Ban Hue Na. They had an existing system, built by the government, but it was poorly filtered and taken from below the rice fields so the water was full of chemicals.

We found the tanks whilst looking around the village and they did not look clean. The inspection hole at the top looked like it was leaking (taking the grime from the top of tank to the inside) and the concrete was cracking. In the last year six members of the village contracted typhoid and during the hot season there simply wasn’t enough water.

The trip up to the village was exciting; Penelope wasn’t exaggerating when she said it was remote. It had been raining and the trucks really struggled to get up the muddy hills, we had to put chains on the wheel of our van. It made me wonder how they get to the hospital in rainy season. (Unfortunately I found out the answer – they walk. It wasn’t very comforting).
» Read more: Volunteering Abroad – Building a Water System