Showing all posts tagged things to be grateful about

In Adventure of a Lifetime, Wanderlogue

What you need to know before traveling to Cusco, Machu Picchu, and around in Peru

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What you need to know before traveling to Cusco, Machu Picchu, and around in Peru

¡Hola!

I just got back from a trip that could be perfectly summarized as the most amazing and surreal week I’ve had this year. Undoubtedly. Imagine a 23-year-old girl from Indonesia who does not even speak Spanish traveling solo to South America for the first time.. Yup, that’s me!

Recollecting memories from the journey still got me as pumped as I was when I was just about to depart from Calgary Airport in Alberta, Canada to that other continent in the other side of the world. Hence while the memories are still vividly preserved, I have decided to write down the details about my trip to the beautiful country of Peru which could be the case of many of you: a non-Spanish speaker wishing to travel solo to witness the grandeur of Machu Picchu–on a budget. If that sounds familiar to yourself, keep going! I might just have the perfect story to share with you.

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In Adventure of a Lifetime, Wanderlogue

Au Revoir, Chéticamp

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Au Revoir, Chéticamp

The day I said farewell to Cape Breton Island, it was all gloomy and misty. I had made up my mind about the appalling hostel and second-thought that it was actually a comforting space to come home after the past five sunsets. I had tried to deal with the thought of never seeing Nate and Brianna again, the two people that helped me envision my best days in Cheticamp, and I had prepared myself for not crying on the train while reminiscing all the good, nice things happened in Cheticamp and around. I had even forgiven Zac for not being completely honest about what kind of holes I’d have trapped myself during my stay there, and decided to only write good things about the stay on his guest book and keep the rest with me. (Well, and you guys too since I actually wrote this post. I’m sorry Zac.)

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In Adventure of a Lifetime, Wanderlogue

VIA Canada 150 Trip Part 8: Chéticamp, NS

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VIA Canada 150 Trip Part 8: Chéticamp, NS

Out of all places I travelled to within this nearly one month trip, Chéticamp offers the most unexpected journey indeed. Many things didn’t actually go as I planned, but at the end of the day, I realized that those are all the facts that made this journey very remarkable. And still, that shifting plans do not change the fact that this small town located just outside the entrance of the Cape Breton National Park is such a charm worth uncovering; with its bluish scene of the limitless Atlantic Ocean and the sparkling drops of goldish sun rays touching it, wildflowers of all magnificent summer hues that separates the ocean with a secret pedestrian road that I stumbled upon by chance, and of course the majestic green highlands on the other side of the road, surrounding the town with such splendid background.

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In Adventure of a Lifetime, Wanderlogue

VIA Canada 150 Trip Part 7: Cape Breton National Park (ii)

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VIA Canada 150 Trip Part 7: Cape Breton National Park (ii)

Does a single hike suffice for representing the entire and infinite grandeur of the Cape Breton National Park? Heck no. Which is why after I did the hike with Nate, I signed up for a program offered by the Cape Breton National Park; the Sunset Skyline Hike. It is basically a hike around the dusk time to the most famous trail in the entire Cape Breton, the Skyline Trail, so that we can see glimpses of sunset from the top of the mountain. The thought of sitting on top of the highland plateau overlooking the fine shades of sunset submerging into the depth of the distant Atlantic Ocean convinced me that this is not something I want to miss. And I had never been so correct about a decision in my life.

But the highlight wasn’t really about the hike only. It was also the time that I met Brianna, another Cape Breton National Park interpreter who made me realize that Nova Scotians are probably indeed the nicest and kindest people I’ve met in my entire life.

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In Adventure of a Lifetime, Wanderlogue

VIA Canada 150 Trip Part 7: Cape Breton National Park (i)

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VIA Canada 150 Trip Part 7: Cape Breton National Park (i)

To me, Cape Breton National Park simply redefines Canadian beauty to another level. The eight-hour tour of Cabot Trail gave me perfectly amazing first impression and glances of the outer boundary of the park, but the acadian, boreal, and taiga forest hidden inside the park is another gem yet to be discovered. What sort of beauty hidden behind those uprising highland plateau covered in green? What kind of wild lives disguised among those dark, yet enchanting woodland? How does it feel like to view the most picturesque sunset submerging to the depth of the ocean from the one of those soaring peaks? Never in my thoughts before I knew that I would actually find all the answers soon.

And just like that, I knew for sure I had to hike to enjoy the best sides out of it. However, I am no experienced mountain hiker with only a couple experiences in the past, and being a solo traveller did not seem to help at all for I wasn’t confident at all to explore Canadian mountain by myself as the wild animals were common sights in all national parks. But my persistence kept me going to find a possible way to hike with at least one other more experienced person, and that had led me to one of the greatest hikes in my life by far.

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In Adventure of a Lifetime, Wanderlogue

VIA Canada 150 Trip Part 6: Cabot Trail, NS

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VIA Canada 150 Trip Part 6: Cabot Trail, NS

I’m quite sure that in the back of every Canadian’s mind, there’s always this particular dream about driving along the scenic world-famous Cabot Trail in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. However, the fact that domestic flight within Canada is even a lot more expensive than international flights does not seem to help at all, hence once again I felt very fortunate to get the Canada 150 pass and be able to reach this part of Canada at last.

I must say, that even though the Rockies in the western part of Canada where I live is jaw-dropping indeed, but the coast of the eastern part of Canada is such a treasured hidden gem on another level. And the best way to possibly see the ultimate highlights of it is by experiencing a drive along the Cabot Trail which encircles the Cape Breton National Park, where the mountains meet the sea that expands into the Atlantic Ocean.

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