The Incas are fascinating. I guess I should say “were fascinating” since the Spanish basically wiped them out when they “colonized” South America. Not to get too dark on this blog post, but it is impossible to talk about the Incas without talking about how their culture vanished thanks to Europeans. But I’ll get to that later. I flew into Cusco on a really nice day. Peru has local airlines that take you to a few places around the country. It is easy to catch a cheap flight from Lima to Cusco thanks to the tourism industry. You cannot get to Machu Picchu without going to Cusco. (Now, before you freak out and say “but Bryan! There are actually ways to do it!” Yes, but it’s significantly harder. So unless you’re going to spend 12 hours on a bus to take a train from another city or a month hiking through the jungle/forest, let’s just say you cannot get to Machu Picchu without going to Cusco first.) Continue reading “Land of the Incas: Cusco”
Rock Top is the summit of a mountain in the Smokies. It sits just below it’s big brother, Thunderhead Mountain. The views from Rock Top are worth the grueling hike to get there. At 5,440 feet, Rocky Top isn’t the highest mountain on the Appalachian Trail, but it emerges from the woods allowing you to see just how spectacular the mountain range is and will give you a better appreciation of just how steep a climb you just made. So after taking in the sites and eating a quick lunch, I snapped a few photos and prepared to head back.
Bivy Life 