There are a variety of things we have to consider that just don't even factor for other families. I alluded to the food. Where in South America, am I going to find Gluten free food? Or how about the physical aspects of hiking the Inca trail? The steep drop offs, and the height of the rise between the steps or the ten thousand steps themselves, is a bit of an issue for a kid with gross motor struggles.
We are going with Gap Tours, and these are things I never even thought of until my parents came over for dinner. We were talking about the trip and my mom noticed that the option I had picked was rated a 4 out of 5 on the physical scale of how hard it would be and what shape you needed to be in. I somehow missed that! She explained that family friends of ours had done the Inca trail and they are both in fantastic shape and described it as "challenging". Which would translate to "damn near impossible" for me and two Spectrum teens.
I want the trip to be fun and amazing, not difficult and terrifying! We looked further into the other trips available and found the perfect one that combined a cruise of the Galapagos Islands complete with zodiac trips on shore and guided walks ( totally doable) and the flight and train ride up to Manchu Pichu with hotel stays instead of five days of walking uphill and camping about (15 km at high altitudes per day). Parents can you translate that into how many meltdowns could be expected over 75 km of hiking? LOL? Kill me now!!!
Anyway, thank god for the presence of mind of parents who see things we miss! The kids have done such and amazing job in school this year and with the crazy pills and diet that I think we can manage to avoid bread, cheese and flour for the most part to see this amazing part of the world. We are getting to be pro's. We've got it down to a fine science. A meat, fish or chicken, rice or rice pasta, fruit and veggies and eggs. They must have all those things in South America! Red beans and rice here we come!
Just the chance to see all that amazing wildlife before human beings do something else equally stupid like dump more radioactive water into the sea and jeopardize these incredible animals. Maybe by educating more kids about what happens to our food chain when we make decisions like that, we will save ourselves from extinction some day.
And Manchu Pichu, well , what more can you say? One of the most spiritual places on the planet. Perhaps a place of awakening. Definitely a place I am called to. What impression will it make on them, I wonder.
I can't wait to start planning the trip in more detail,
In love and light,
Kathryn
We are going with Gap Tours, and these are things I never even thought of until my parents came over for dinner. We were talking about the trip and my mom noticed that the option I had picked was rated a 4 out of 5 on the physical scale of how hard it would be and what shape you needed to be in. I somehow missed that! She explained that family friends of ours had done the Inca trail and they are both in fantastic shape and described it as "challenging". Which would translate to "damn near impossible" for me and two Spectrum teens.
I want the trip to be fun and amazing, not difficult and terrifying! We looked further into the other trips available and found the perfect one that combined a cruise of the Galapagos Islands complete with zodiac trips on shore and guided walks ( totally doable) and the flight and train ride up to Manchu Pichu with hotel stays instead of five days of walking uphill and camping about (15 km at high altitudes per day). Parents can you translate that into how many meltdowns could be expected over 75 km of hiking? LOL? Kill me now!!!
Anyway, thank god for the presence of mind of parents who see things we miss! The kids have done such and amazing job in school this year and with the crazy pills and diet that I think we can manage to avoid bread, cheese and flour for the most part to see this amazing part of the world. We are getting to be pro's. We've got it down to a fine science. A meat, fish or chicken, rice or rice pasta, fruit and veggies and eggs. They must have all those things in South America! Red beans and rice here we come!
Just the chance to see all that amazing wildlife before human beings do something else equally stupid like dump more radioactive water into the sea and jeopardize these incredible animals. Maybe by educating more kids about what happens to our food chain when we make decisions like that, we will save ourselves from extinction some day.
And Manchu Pichu, well , what more can you say? One of the most spiritual places on the planet. Perhaps a place of awakening. Definitely a place I am called to. What impression will it make on them, I wonder.
I can't wait to start planning the trip in more detail,
In love and light,
Kathryn
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