Last night I had the opportunity to attend A Million Steps: Stories, Images and Music from the Camino Santiago, a photo exhibit of Peter Coffan’s two month pilgrimage from France to Spain along El Camino Santiago. Not only were his images beautiful but the stories and the sounds that accompanied them were fascinating thanks to the wonderful talents of his violin-playing companion Oliver Schroer. The presentation stirred something in me, an often forgotten yet ever-present urge to go on a pilgrimage of my own. The appeal of a pilgrimage isn’t so much about religion as it is the participation of a sacred ritual. It’s about the journey – the walking, the gradual progression – as well as the sites and sounds along the way. I’ve always been fascinated with sacred sites, from the ancient Mayan ruins of Tikal to the temples of Angkor Wat. It’s been almost three years since my last visit to a scared sight and viewing this presentation made me realize that it is about time to go again.
After the presentation I found myself inspired and online searching for my next adventure. I came across the excellent Sacred Destinations Travel Guide and immediately came across the trip I always knew was going to be next – Peru. Given it’s rich ancient history and the fact that it is home to Machu Picchu (a place that I’ve wanted to visit ever since I first saw a picture of this magical city in the mountains) it became clear that the 4 day ascent to Machu Picchu was exactly the pilgrimage I was looking for.
The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu was my swansong for South America, towards the end of last year – I loved it. Reaching Machu Picchu was a highly rewarding experience after three days walking, and it was all the better to walk there as we got there shortly before the crowds that pile out of buses from nearby Aguas Calientes, somewhat diluting the mysterious atmosphere of the place! The people on the buses also miss some beautiful landscape on the way, that no photo I took managed to do any justice to. There are places in Peru, similar to Machu Picchu, buried further away in the forest which have as yet not got bus routes running up to them and can only be accessed by walking for three or four days… I’d like to investigate them before they get too crowded.
For me, one of the greatest joys is to find a place that hasn’t been overtrampled by huge crowds, a place where you can stand still and soak up the atmosphere. Pilgrimage, the long walk, what I would simply class as a memorable experience, is a deeply personal thing – and I think you often find memorable experiences where you least expect them – for me, it has been something as simple as an unforgettable meal.
Thanks for linking to my Machu Picchu pic – loved yours of Angkor Wat.
Thanks for you comments Nathan. I just finished reading your travel blog about your trip to Peru – very funny and interesting stuff!
I agree with you that there is something to be said about visiting places which haven’t been overrun by tourism. It is nice to make these sites more accessible, yet part of the joy in experiencing them is the process of getting there itself. Although I am sure that Machu Picchu can be appreciated on its own, it must look all that much better after spending three days hiking to get there. I really enjoyed visiting the ruins in Angkor Wat but I had an even better time exploring the lesser known ancient Khmer sites surrounding Siem Reap. The ruins of these ancient sites were fascinating but also wee bit dangerous – most of the sites haven√¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t been fully excavated and those that have are littered with landmines. Getting there by motor biking through the Cambodian countryside and visiting some of the smaller villages was an interesting and rewarding experience as well, one which I wasn’t looking for but that somehow managed to find me.
I’m currently looking at other Incan sites to visit, Kuelap being one of them, so if you know of any others I’d love to hear about them.