Lake Humantay is located approximately 75 miles from the city of Cusco, Peru. The lake is between Salkantay Peak and the Humantay Mountain. The nearest village is Soraypampa. It is a hidden gem in the region unseen from the ground due to the 13,900 ft. elevation. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited.
Cusco Region, Humantay, Peru
November 2019
Built by the Incas for the emperor Pachacuti around 1450 but was abandoned a century later. Machu Picchu was not known during the Spanish colonial period and to the outside world until the American historian, Hiram Bingham in 1911. The site was declared a Peruvian Historic Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. In 2007, Machu Picchu became one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Machu Picchu, Cusco Region, Peru
November 2019
Vinicunca, also known as, Montaña de Siete Colores (Mountain of Seven Colors), takes one on a 6 mile trek up to the top at 17,060 ft. above sea level. This has become a new adventure for hikers since its discovery in 2015. Before then the mountain was covered under snow. Located in the Andes, it is a 3 hour drive from the city of Cusco. Due to its high elevation many come prepared with small oxygen tanks or with coca leaves to chew on which helps with altitude sickness.
Vinicunca, Andes Cusco region, Peru
November 2019
The Maya name "Chichen Itza" means "At the mouth of the well of the Itza." This derives from chi', meaning "mouth" or "edge", and chʼen or chʼeʼen, meaning "well". Itzá is the name of an ethnic-lineage group that gained political and economic dominance of the northern peninsula. Since July 2007, this site was named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. The Temple of Kukulcán ("El Castillo") dominates the center of Chichen-Itza. After visiting Machu Picchu in 2019 (another New 7th wonder) and seeing this extraordinary site in 2021, the plan was set in motion to visit all the new 7 Wonders of the World. Jordan, Petra will be next.
Chichen-Itza, Yucatan region, Mexico
September, 2021
Located amid rugged desert canyons and mountains in what is now the southwestern corner of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Petra was once a thriving trading center and the capital of the Nabataean empire between 400 B.C. and A.D. 106. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. UNESCO has described Petra as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage". The Siq is the main entrance to the ancient Nabatean city where through a slit passage, one slowly views The Treasury, as seen from as-Siq, right before the passage ends. The two main attractions are the Treasury and the Monastery. In 2007, Al-Khazneh was voted one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. Petra is a symbol of Jordan, as well as Jordan's most-visited tourist attraction. Tourist numbers peaked at 1.1 million in 2019, marking the first time that the figure rose above the 1 million mark. Tourism in the city was crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic, but soon after started to pick up again, reaching 260,000 visitors in 2021. I was one of the many tourist who came after Covid lockdowns. Making Petra the 3rd, New 7 Wonders I have visited after Chichen-Itza and Machu Picchu.
Petra, Jordan
September 2022
Wadi Rum may be best known for its connection with British officer T. E. Lawrence, who passed through several times during the Arab Revolt of 1917–18, which was made into a movie titled, “Lawrence of Arabia”. In contemporary times Wadi Rum was the location for the movie “The Martian” a Ridley Scott film starring Matt Damon; the actor was quoted, “I was in awe of that place. It was really, really special. One of the most spectacular and beautiful places I have ever seen, and like nothing I’ve ever seen anywhere else on Earth.” Known also as the Valley of the Moon, is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in southern Jordan 60 km (37 mi) to the east of Aqaba; it is the largest wadi in Jordan. Wadi Rum or Wadi Ramm is believed to get its name from the early name of Iram of the Pillars, a lost city mentioned in the Quran.
Wadi Rum, Jordan
September 2022
