Flying the flag for the Isle of Man
Isle of Man flag flies in Machu Picchu.
Manx Youth Opportunities aims to help young people in the Isle of Man to gain work experience and to develop their career path.
In November 2012, one of the young people associated with the group – James Wren – headed off for Peru to walk the Inca Trail and discover the wonders of Machu Picchu.
Starting off at the Isle of Man airport, James’ journey took him via Heathrow and Madrid airports before landing at Lima, the modern day capital of Peru. From there he took an internal flight to Cusco, a popular venue for starting the Inca Trail.
The Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is the most reknowned trek in Peru. It is a challenging journey that culminates in reaching the Sun Gate to see the sunrise over the ruins of the famous Inca city.
Following the Inca Trail.
Equipped with only a 5kg max (the maximum that walkers are encouraged to take on the trail), James found that walking at altitudes over 3000 metres was a breathtaking experience. Early on in the four day trek to machu Picchu, James – a keen runner – started jogging to the finish for that day. But as he says: “When I stopped running it felt like my heart was beating out my chest and I felt very light headed as a result of the altitude. It’s fair to say I didn’t run again!”
On the last day of the Inca Trail journey, trekkers are rewarded with their first view of the ‘cloud city’ of Machu Picchu. To quote James: “Words can’t describe the view. It was overwhelming to say the least, not only the ancient city in the distance but the beauty of the surrounding hills, valleys and countryside. We then made the final descent into Machu Picchu.”
Raising money for The Childrens’ Centre.
When James arrived at Machu Picchu he waved the Isle of Man flag and became the Manx Youth Opportunities’ Ambassador to the ancient kingdom of the Incas.
James’ journey also raised £3500 for the Childrens’ Centre in the Isle of Man.
If you would like to read James’ journal for his trip, the full text is at the link below.
http://linkd.in/12STCLn