“The Sacred Valley is the valley between the city of Cuzco and Machu Picchu in Peru. I took a train between the two points. To get in and out of the valley by train, there are five switchbacks that the train manoeuvres through in order to get up and down the steep change in altitude; it’s a lengthy process but once in the valley its worth it as it’s a special place. Personally I thought the quiet farmlands and villages of the Sacred Valley a better experience than the insane crowds at Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is where I decided never to visit a tourist spot again.”

“Sailing in 2013 from Ushuaia, at the tip of South America, on the then 101 year old square rigger, Europa, was a boyhood dream of going to the Antarctic fulfilled. Sailing through the infamous Drakes Passage to reach the ice took around 7 days. We spent around a week or so on the Antarctic Peninsula and surrounds. 
From then onward we picked up on the path of Shackleton’s epic voyage from Elephant Island to South Georgia. We were dropped off on the south coast of South Georgia and hiked over the mountains, again in Shackleton’s foot steps, to the abandoned whaling station Stromness. Stromness was the whaling station where Shackleton organised the final rescue mission for his men left on Elephant Island. We sailed from Stromness to Grytviken which is the only inhabited place left on South Georgia with a population of 8 at the time. On arrival we went to Shackletons grave and had a shot of whiskey in his honour.

From there we crossed the Southern Ocean which took around 12 days to Tristan Da Cunha island. Good weather gave us an opportunity for three days of shore landings; normally the stormy seas down there hinders landings, so we were lucky. Tristan is an interesting small patch of volcanic island in the middle of the Southern Ocean. It was founded by 7 families, and it’s prevalent in the distinct features passed down through each generation. The dogs too have only about 3 different family features to them.
After that it was the home stretch and another 15 days to Cape Town. Catching a glimpse of Cape Point lighthouse blinking from a southerly direction before sunrise is an image burned into my psyche, and then drifting into cellphone range and speaking to Merle for the first time in two months was something else I wont forget.
The entire journey, from Cape Horn to Cape of Good Hope, took two months.”