Great Scot September 2019 Great Scot 157_September 2019_ONLINE | Page 30

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VAST AND BEAUTIFUL
SOUTH AMERICA
ABOVE: HIKING THE INCA TRAIL TO MACHU PICCHU. RIGHT PAGE; TOP: SCOTCH BOYS AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE CAMINO INKA-INKA TRAIL. BELOW: BOAT RIDES ON THE AMAZON RIVER
During the June-July holidays, 13 boys
and two members of staff visited an array of
countries throughout the vast and beautiful
continent of South America, in what would
become a once in a lifetime trip. For the boys
fortunate enough to go on the 19-day tour,
much was gained in terms of experiences
and memories, which will last for a lifetime.
Our journey began after a day of flying
and an overnight stay in Lima, Peru, when
we embarked on another flight the following
day through the Andes with amazing views
of the snow-capped mountains out of the
window of the plane. This gave the boys
our first glimpse of what was to come in the
mountain trekking and sightseeing later on in
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Great Scot Number 157 – September 2019
the tour. We soon passed the mountains and
then found ourselves flying over the equally
picturesque Amazon jungle, where we would
land and reside for the next few days. Our
two nights at the Sandoval Lake Lodge went
by in what seemed like an instant, with all
of the boys occupied in a host of activities
including jungle exploring and playing soccer
with the locals.
Our trip just continued to get better, as
in the days following our departure from the
Amazon, we were given time in the Sacred
Valley located in the Andes for sightseeing
among fascinating ancient Inca ruins, to
explore the beautiful street markets, and
to immerse ourselves in the many highland
customs and cultural traditions.
This was a great part of the trip, as boys
were able to have some time to relax and
acclimatise to the altitude of the mountains,
while also being entrusted with a degree of
freedom to go around the markets and the
village of Ollantaytambo, where many bought
gifts for family and friends.
After acclimatisation in the Sacred Valley
and further acclimatisation in the city of
Cusco, also located in the Andes and at
an altitude of 3400 metres above sea level,
we began a much-awaited part of the trip –
hiking along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
The hike lasted four days and proved to be
both challenging and rewarding, producing