A lot happens on the way to my first night in Peru, including a little bit of time travel (!?) follwed by some horseback riding. I experience a very cold first night of camping in an unusual location. And yes, Peru's spectactular night sky features prominently in this chapter of the story. For me, the experience of being high in the Andes at night is an emotional one and I share the feelings that were triggered in me on this magical first night of the journey.

The unexpected happens! In this episode I tell the story of an unexpected event that happened on my Peru trek to Machu Picchu and how it nearly forced me to abandon my journey on the very first day. Unexpected events can be the most memorable of any adventure because it's by dealing with the unexpected that our determination, fortitude, and creativity are tested. Sometimes, unexpected events dramatically change our lives and this episode events that happened months before led to me choosing to go on my journey to Peru.

My journey to Machu Picchu in Peru begins! The call to adventure is a feeling we get telling us to go out to attempt a challenge, try something you have never done before, or explore a frontier. In short, it's the urge to go out and have an adventure! 

In this episode, I describe the beginning of the Moonstone Trek: four days of hiking and camping that starts at a trail head outside of Cusco, Peru and ends at the town of Aquas Calientes, a town nearby Machu Picchu.

This is the beginning of a personal story that starts months before I set foot in Peru and how events and feelings that I had back in Canada led me to seek an adventure far away in South America.