I went to sleep soon after we arrived at our camp yesterday and I woke up feeling much better this morning. Good enough to hold down food and really enjoy this part of the trek. Ironically, this part of the trip was much easier than yesterday. We only hiked 15 km, compared to 24 km yesterday, and it was mostly flat. We also had a chance to drop by a hot spring after settling into our campsite.

Just as Jean had warned me, I got sick! The feeling I had this morning told me that things would not go well today. Fortunately, I did not skimp on my medication and opted for most of the recommended just-in-case medications. Best decision I made before leaving! Although I hardly ate anything for breakfast and only had Gatorade for lunch and dinner, I was able to keep up. It is said that today is the most difficult day of this 5-day hike. I can’t speak for the next three days, but today was nearly 24 km (15 miles), and it was very painful. Still, I am excited that I was able to make it through the day.

We started our hike to Machu Picchu early this morning. It was a slow start with a late departure from Cuzco. However, when we finally made it to the entrance of the Salkantay path, things started to come together quickly.

Things are still going smoothly. My father and I embarked on an all-day tour of historic sites in and around Cuzco. This included Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and Cinchero Church. Below are some pictures from today.

Let the explorations begin! We arrived in Peru today. I left for Machu Picchu with my father yesterday evening and after 16 grueling hours of travel and two connecting flights, we finally made it into Cuzco this afternoon.

Today, I’m leaving Singapore and will be returning home to San Francisco. I’ve had a wonderful vacation, and in all regards, this trip has exceeded my expectations. I’ve been able to connect, and in some cases, reconnect with so many great people and see so many great things. More importantly, this vacation has provided me time to consider my plans for the future and prepare for this next phase of my life. So although it’s sad that this is coming to an end, I’m looking forward to jump-starting my plans when I get home. With this in mind, here are the last of my pictures from Singapore and the last of the pictures from my Asia trip.

Surprisingly, my ride from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore was the most comfortable journey I’ve had yet! I was expecting something similar to my train ride from Beijing to Shanghai, but it turned out to be the complete opposite. The bus had ample legroom and seats comparable to first-class domestic flights, so comfortable that I slept for most of the trip.

I’ve spent the past 3 days in Kuala Lumpur and will be heading to Singapore today. While I can’t say Kuala Lumpur has been particularly exceptional, I did manage to visit several regional landmarks, including Petaling Street (Chinatown), the Petronas Towers, and the Batu Caves – places I wouldn’t have known about if I hadn’t come here. Nonetheless, I’m eager to explore Singapore, where I believe I’ll find more to do. Before I depart, here are some pictures I’ve taken in and around KL!

Today is my last morning in Shanghai and, similar to how I felt when I left Beijing, I’m also sad to leave Shanghai. It’s amazing how in such a short period of time you can grow to know people and enjoy their company so much. I think that’s one of the main reasons people decide to go backpacking. In the real world, we usually interact with each other in the context of our mundane everyday tasks. Here, however, you tend to only see a small slice of someone’s personality – the portion that’s not obscured by the inconveniences of day-to-day life.

Here are the pictures I promised from my visit to the World Expo! This was actually my second time there. The first time, it was raining, so I didn’t bring my camera. Ironically, it was raining even more this time! But since my time in Shanghai is almost up and the weather wasn’t going to improve, I decided to seize the opportunity to photograph the Expo. It was challenging, but I’m pleased with the result. Without further ado, here’s my World Expo series!