Sitting here looking out across the sun setting over the river at my Mooloolaba home on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia, I honestly feel there's no place like home.
Having said that - I LOVE to travel, and my recent trip to L.A. and down through Peru was a BLAST. It was an adventure of a lifetime, and my daughter Danielle and son Dane thoroughly enjoyed themselves (even with a few hiccups experienced in this 3rd world country - the runs, vomiting, altitude sickness, passports stolen - you name it, we experienced it all and STILL had fun!).
The highlight for me was rising at 4.45am before sunlight and trekking the last 5 km of the Inca Trail to see the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu appear as the clouds evaporated in the morning sun.
So many of you wanted to know (and see) more, so enjoy the photos!
Here's me with my kids - Danielle and Dane - on the streets of Peru, conserving our energy for the big trek (by this stage I had already been put on oxygen for severe altitude sickness, so was wondering what on earth I'd got myself into :-)
Danielle and Dane getting friendly with the locals (I got a bit too friendly and the llama spat at me!)
Had the wonderful opportunity to meet Daniska who we sponsor through World Vision in Peru - she was thrilled with her Barbie bag and other pressies.
So naive - here's me super enthusiastic at the start of the Inca trail, with only 32km and an ascent to 4200m to go. Ignorance is surely bliss.
Trekking the trail for 8 hours a day from morning to night we passed some beautiful scenery. We hiked near waterfalls, through the Andes snowcapped peaks, down deep gorges, into caves, over wooden bridges, through the cloud forest, into the Amazon jungle, up seemingly never-ending stone staircases and over mountain streams. It was breathtaking, exciting, tiring, exhilarating and bloody hard work - all at once!
At the highest point and loving that chilly weather. Me and my beautiful daughter, Danielle.
Through the Gateway to the sun with Machu Picchu in the distance - boy was I proud (can you tell??)
I made it! Ever since reading The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield years ago I knew I'd trek the Inca Trail one day
It was so exciting to be at this highly spiritual and magical place with my two beautiful children. What a holiday, what a journey, what an adventure!
Now... time to start thinking about Christmas, a bit hard to do when the weather is 36 C (or 102 degrees)!
Happy holidays to you all and looking forward to making your 2006 the BIGGEST and BEST year EVER!
Sandy Forster
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Sandy Forster, Award-winning Entrepreneur, International Prosperity Mentor, mother of two and world-wide adventurer is Author of the Bestseller 'How to Be Wildly Wealthy FAST'. If you're ready to discover how YOU can be Wildly Wealthy, get your FREE prosperity resources at
http://www.wildlywealthy.com/
I told my daughter - "no dogs" but when did she ever listen to me? So here's the new addition to the family - Bailey our pomeranian puppy at 6 weeks old, checking out my workspace.
