Hiking the sacred path to Machu Picchu [Video]

 Trekking the Salkantay Trail to Machu Picchu.

I had a strange sense at the beginning of the year that my next journey would be to Peru. I had heard about how beautiful and spiritual the country was, and I just felt drawn to make it happen. Porque no (why not!)? 

While the northern beaches look amazing, I decided my first trip to Peru should take me to Machu Picchu. I learned the best way to visit Machu Picchu is to trek there -- trekking allows you to fully experience the beauty of the Andes and appreciate the mysterious Incan civilization and history. I am a spontaneous traveler, so the Inca Trail was not an option (it books up months in advance). I took an alternative trek, the Salkantay Trail, which I'm told is the most challenging of the treks to Machu Picchu.

Having no overnight hiking/backpacking experience, I had about 5 days after making this decision to borrow hiking clothes and gear from friends and buy the essentials to pack for the trip: bug spray, wipes, Ziplock bags to keep things dry, a poncho -- oh, and hiking boots (kinda important!). 

After arriving in Lima, I flew to Cusco, a picturesque and vibrant city that's the starting point for the treks to Machu Picchu. I spent a couple of days acclimating to the altitude while soaking up the Peruvian culture before taking on the nearly 80 kilometer hike that reaches 15,000 feet.

I certainly got the adventure I was looking for. Here's a little video of how it went!

In the video, there was one moment when I really freaked out. I had finally started feeling better after descending from altitude. So taking advantage of a burst of energy, I went ahead of the others with instructions from my trail guide to stop one hour later when I reached a store (i.e., shack that sells water), where I would wait for the other hikers to catch up. After walking for a long time and never seeing a store, I hit a washed out part of the trail that was feet deep in mud. I looked at the time and realized I had been walking for almost two hours and had never seen any store. I hadn't seen any other hikers and had no idea where I was going. I panicked, realizing I only had about 2 hours left of daylight and I was in the middle of the Andes mountains alone. I stopped and sat on a rock for a much-needed walking break and took some yoga breaths to calm down. After about 15 minutes, I yelled out to see if I could find anyone. About 30 minutes later, I received a yell back and shortly after members of my group came down the trail behind me. I was so relieved I was crying. Apparently, the store I was told to meet them at had closed. The trail guide had rushed ahead to find me and the other hikers, but I guess with my poncho covering my head and backpack, we never saw each other. That was the only problem with the company I was hiking with: we were promised two guides, one in the front of the group and one in the back, but we only had one guide and he was often ahead of us. 

Even with the mental and physical challenges, trekking in Peru was by far one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. Physically, I didn't get off to a great start considering I arrived in Peru feeling miserable with strep throat. Once on the journey, the 15,000 feet altitude really rocked me hard with headaches, facial edema and oxygen deprivation that kept my brain from accomplishing the simple task of telling my feet to move. No amount of physical fitness can prepare you for the affects of altitude. You just have to do your best and accept it. Spending 8 to 10 hours on the trail each day was an enriching personal experience to push my limits. Anyone with an average level of fitness who believes in themselves can finish this trek.

An amazing feature of the Salkantay Trail is the various climate zones you encounter. On day two of the trek, we started out in freezing temps and headed up to blizzard conditions that just hours of hiking downhill later turned into a rainy, subtropical forest. I can't think of a day in my life when I felt more connected with the natural world. Most of the time, I was walking alone at my own pace. Never had I spent so much time with stillness and beauty, it was truly rewarding. Every bit of intense physical discomfort was worth it.

I'll post about the rest of my trip to Peru soon, including my love for alpacas, volunteering in the poverty of the Sacred Valley and finding a little time to party.

Layered cake donuts with vanilla custard and chocolate sour cream ganache

Cupcakes who? Try cake donuts with custard filling with chocolate sour cream ganache.Confession: one of my favorite things about traveling is the bakeries. Real bakeries with homemade breads and loads of unique pastries, cakes and cookies. I love checking out all the bakeries I run across when traveling, even if just for the eye candy. In the States, we really get short changed by the supermarket bakeries, it's just not the same. Not homemade, not unique and not fresh. 

When I was traveling through Bocas del Toro, Panama, last year, I came across John's bakery, which had a wonderful assortment of fresh bread and pastries. One of their beautiful treats on display were custard donuts, which were layered with custard in the middle, rather than filled like we're used to seeing at our donut chains. Inspired by the bakery, I thought I'd give this unique take on donuts a go. They are beautiful and delicious, and honestly, not that hard to make!

These layered donuts were inspired by what I saw at a bakery I visited in Panama.

Cake donut holes make perfect party food.

Basically, you can use any recipe for donuts, custard and icing, and the recipes I used are below. I prefer a true donut recipe, where you fry the dough. I didn't have a donut-shaped cutter, but found that a round cookie cutter and a plastic cap (washed well) from one of my hair products did the trick for making the hole in the center. Then you simply use a bread knife to slice the cooled donut in half like a bagel, spread a layer of custard in the center and make a "donut sandwich." Frost the donuts (I used a sour cream ganache recipe) and decorate, and these will definitely give cupcakes a run for their money!

The filling and donut dough needed to chill for a few hours, so I made them both the night before and then the donuts just took about 30-45 minutes to prepare the next morning, including the time needed to make the ganache. I have to say the custard filling turned out to be so good, I will probably make that more often, just to eat on its own! And I'll probably use these custard and ganache recipes in the future to make a "Boston Cream Trifle." If you use the recipes below, you'll end up with about 10-12 donuts. Note you will only need about half the custard recipe and half the icing recipe to use with the donuts. 

CAKE DONUTS (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book, 1998)

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Cooking oil for frying

  Procedure

1. In a large mixing bowl combine 2 1/4 cups of the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. 
2. In medium mixing bowl combine milk and melted butter.
3. In another large mixing bowl combine eggs, 2/3 cup of the granulated sugar and vanilla; beat with electric mixer until thick. 
4. Add the dry mixture and milk mixture alternately to egg mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Stir in remaining flour.
5. Cover dough and chill for 2 hours.
6. Turn dough out on lightly floured surface, roll to 1/2-inch thickness and cut with donut (or cookie) cutter. 
7. Fry donuts and donut holes (several at a time) in 375 degree oil about 1 minute on each side. Drain on paper towels.

 CUSTARD FILLING

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 3 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Procedure

1. Slowly bring first 5 ingredients to a boil over medium heat in a heavy saucepan, whisking constantly. Allow to boil one minute.
2. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.
3. Place in a bowl, cover with a lid (or plastic wrap) to keep "skin" from forming.
4. Chill 4 hours.
5. Once chilled, you may want to beat with a mixer to smooth it out again.

SOUR CREAM CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Ingredients

• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Procedure

1. Melt the chocolate chips using a double boiler or using the microwave, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
2. Whisk in the sour cream and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Use the icing immediately while still warm or reheat before using.

Connecting students from the U.S. with Sri Lankan orphans

It's been about three weeks since I returned from Sri Lanka, where I volunteered with elephants as well as orphan girls for much of December. I had an amazing time, and I'm still having a hard time adjusting to being back home. Last month, I spent my mornings walking through the jungle and picking up branches to help Sitha make her bed. Now, I wake and make my own plush, cozy bed and rush out to approach my daily agenda. I used to make up dance routines for the orphans, now I spend my time teaching dance workout classes at the local gym. I'm half a world away from that lifestyle I enjoyed so much and back to making money, paying the bills and enjoying the excess of an American lifestyle.

I miss Sri Lanka. I miss my friends (elephants and people!), the simplicity, the nature and the challenge of travel and adventure...and yes, I miss the curry. When I put on my shiny dresses and leg warmers and get dressed up for a night out dancing with friends, I feel a contradiction and disconnect from the simple life I fit in so well with just last month.

It's not the same as being there, but I still aim to help out from here in the U.S. One way I'm doing that is by connecting students in Virginia Beach, Va., with the orphan girls in Kegalle, Sri Lanka. Before I headed to Sri Lanka, I had the students write letters, which I carried over in my back pack. When I delivered the letters to the girls, they were tremendously excited to read them and write their own letters back. 

This week, I was able to deliver the orphans' letters in response back to students at Bettie F. Williams Elementary School, a title 1 school in Virginia Beach. I spent my time there talking about my experiences in Sri Lanka with Melissa Steadman Reynolds' two fourth grade classes. We started the presentation with a geography lesson and then I taught the students about Sri Lankan culture (the food, religions and languages). I shared my photos and spent time discussing the tsunami, elephant conservation and what life is like for the orphans in Sri Lanka. The kids had many questions, ranging from "Are elephants related to mammoths?" to "Did you wear heels in Sri Lanka?" I enjoyed teaching the kids and have a new-found appreciation for all of the technology that surrounded us in their classroom after seeing how different life is for the orphans. The students learned to appreciate what they have as well when I pointed out the 45 orphans shared only two bedrooms, one bathroom and did not have an XBox 360. 

We finished up the lesson by making a video for the orphans, which my friends at Inspire Sri Lanka will share via a laptop the next time they visit the orphanage. 

Volunteering can be as complicated and adventurous as traveling across the world, or it can be as easy as spending a couple of hours a week in your community. No matter where you are, the smiles, the connections and the memories you create have the same positive impact on others.

Conscious Box GIVEAWAY

Look at all of Conscious Box's December goodies. Win your very own January Conscious Box!You might remember I did a review of Conscious Box back in November. Conscious Box is an innovative, eco-friendly company offers a subscription service to monthly goodie packages filled will all kinds of eco, ethical and animal-friendly products for you to try out and enjoy.

November was their first-ever box, and I was really impressed with the launch. But they really stepped it up for December's Box! I was floored by all of the great full-size and trial-sized items they packed into that adorable little box! I mean, really, wow! I'll get to what all was inside in minute, but I know you want me to get to the good stuff first!

CONSCIOUS BOX GIVEAWAY!

Conscious Box is promising their best ever New Year box for January, and here's your chance to get the goods! Conscious Box graciously offered to give a free January box to one lucky Greater Good Life reader!

Here's how to enter:

• Leave a comment on this blog post! It's that easy. Be sure to include your e-mail on the form so I can get in touch with you if you win (don't worry, your e-mail will not be displayed to the public).

• For an extra entry, share a link to this blog post on twitter, including a mention to @consciousbox and @chelbycat (that's me!) 

I'll pick a winner at random on Friday at noon!

For now, Conscious Box is only delivering to U.S. customers (including Hawaii and Alaska), so this offer is for U.S. readers only. Sorry, international friends!

If you are curious about what might be inside, check out my video review of the November Conscious Box. 

I was truly blown away by December's Conscious Box! I still haven't even had a chance to try everything. The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was this incredible lavendar scent. It was coming from the small bar of Sacred Mountain Herbals soap that was included. One of my favorite items in the box by far was Chime's Ginger Chews. I am seriously addicted to these chewy, spicey ginger candies now. Another awesome surprise was a sample of Sparklehearts all-natural glittery body lotion. I do love all things sparkly, and am so happy to have found a petrolium-free, paraben-free, phtalate-free and cruelty-free way to shine! 

Okay, so you know what to do. Leave a comment and enter to win your very own January Conscious Box. Good luck!

Living the dream of surf and curry in Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka

I spent my last week in Sri Lanka on the beach in Hikkaduwa.I've had an incredible year of traveling in 2011, and I couldn't have picked a better way to top it all off than spending my last week in Sri Lanka living it up in the lively surf town of Hikkaduwa. After a couple of filthy weeks volunteering at an elephant sanctuary and spending a few hours each day teaching orphans English, it was time for some surfing and partying!

Hikkaduwa was the perfect place to go because there are surf breaks for every level of surfer. Hikkaduwa offered an uncrowded gentle beach break that made surfing a breeze for me. I've never been lucky to surf simple waves like that at home in the Outer Banks! There also are three reef breaks, all within a stretch of about 2 miles of beach. Along the stretch of surf and sand are many guest houses and small restaurants, bars and nightclubs. This is a great town that is unspoiled by five-star resorts. My bare bones room at a guest house on the beach (I don't even think it had a name!) ran me $8.00 a nite and was next door to the best rotti shop on the beach.  

There is fun to be had in Hikkaduwa, even if you don't surf. I spent my time walking the beach, dining with other travelers or taking tea with locals. 

I watched a sea turtle lay eggs just feet away from where I was having a drink.My first night in Hikkaduwa, I was fortunate enough to spot several sea turtles swimming during sunset. Apparently, they swim up toward a particular spot on the beach looking for food. You can wade in the water up to your thighs and actually touch them, but watch out they bite! Later the same evening, I was enjoying a beer at a beachfront bar when a sea turtle came right up next to where we were sitting and started to lay eggs! I watched her nest for about 30 minutes, and then back she went into the ocean! I was so incredibly lucky to be just at the right place at the right time. 

I also didn't have trouble filling my days in Hikkaduwa because I slept through about half of them! The night life doesn't end until the sun comes up, so if you like to party and go dancing, Hikkaduwa can be a fun. Unfortunately, I found many of local guys to be extremely aggressive. The more you travel, the more you learn how to handle these types of situations and stay safe. I was forceful in saying no when I needed to be, I never walked alone at night and I spent my nights out at the bars with other travelers and not alone. I had a particularly aggressive encounter with the surfer boys at Mambo's Place (A-frame Surf Shop). But I didn't let these guys ruin my week or make any problems for me. Fortunately, I was able to avoid the "beach boys" and hang out with fun, kind travelers from all over the world instead. I now have new friends from England, Italy, Germany and Australia! 

After having tea with the locals, I helped them decorate a Christmas tree. Sri Lanka is not a Christian country, but they decorate for the tourists.And while I had more than my share of experiences with offensive, aggressive locals, and I am not impressed at all by the overall attitude toward and treatment of women in Hikkaduwa (local women or tourists), I did in fact meet a few local men who were the exception and seemed kind given their cultural disposition. The rotti shop restaurant owner and his friends would sit and enjoy arrack and beer with us hotel guests in the evenings. One of the guys entertained us with some crazy life stories and he made all of us travellers bracelets out of coconut as a gift. He even brought me fruits and herbs from his garden.

There also was a local shop owner who made it his personal mission to help me and another solo traveler have a great time. He was always buying us drinks, he gave me all kinds of free items from his tailor shop (including a beautiful handmade quilt!) and he even cooked us an amazing rice and curry meal at his house! I really enjoyed spending time with his wife and two little girls. My last day there, he wanted to help me arrange transportation to the airport. I was perfectly fine going solo, but he and one of my new travel friends rode the 1.5 hours to Colombo with me, just to see me off. It's amazing when you travel solo, yet you never really end up alone.

I left Sri Lanka on December 24, just 2 days before the anniversary of the tsunami that killed over 228,000 people in South Asia and wiped out the south and east coasts of Sri Lanka, including the town of Hikkaduwa. As you walk along the beach in Hikkaduwa, you see many dilapidated guest houses that are evidence of the destruction. I visited the tsunami museum in Hikkaduwa, which was basically a shack with hundreds of laminated photos and handwritten signs in broken English posted.

The little-known tsunami museum in Hikkaduwa is more like a shack with laminated, faded photos to remember the victims.

This museum was a highlight of my visit to Hikkaduwa and sadly it's very unknown because it's too recent to be mentioned in the tour books. The woman who runs the museum lost her house to the tsunami, only the concrete slab remained. She went back to the spot where her house used to be and put up a few rickety walls and made it a museum and a place of remembrance. Entry to the museum is free and she simply accepts donations. She was kind enough to share with me her stories as I walked through and saw photo after photo of death and destruction.

I'm standing in front of a Buddhist memorial that was erected at the site of a train accident where 1,500 people lost their lives during the 2004 tsunami. When the first wave hit, thousands fled the beach and ran to the nearby train tracks and climbed the train for higher ground and safety. They didn't know a second wave would come soon after and take their lives.

Remembering the tsunami and honoring the victims brought my time in Sri Lanka full circle. Here I was about to head back to the United States and be due to arrive home on Christmas day -- accounting for the time zones, the very day when this horrific tsunami took place in 2004. Those images I saw and the sadness in the woman's eyes as she told me her stories will stay with me forever. And as I spent so much time working with wonderful orphan girls my earlier weeks in Sri Lanka, I was reminded that the tsunami left behind thousands of orphans. I always like to travel during December to avoid getting wrapped up in the holiday season and to stay grounded in the spirit of love and giving. This year, my trip to Sri Lanka did that for me and opened my mind and heart to so much more. I'm so grateful to be taking all I have learned from this travel experience with me into the New Year.

More photos from my experience in Sri Lanka are on Facebook.