COROICO, BOLIVIA – Forget Machu Picchu; escape from the hordes of tourists that arrive in the droves by taking the easy up to this old Inca heritage site. While this pre-Columbian city is truly a work of art; the disappointment transpires after trekking four long days and finding that any indolent westerner can simply hop on a train and get to the top in an hour.

So instead of following the masses, why not venture off the beaten path and hike the El Choro Trek located in Bolivia? Walk in the steps of the Inca down an isolated cobble-stoned road. You’ll travel through three ecosystems beginning with the snow-peaked mountains 15,000 feet high in La Cumbre and descending into the subtropical vegetation of the Yungas nearly 10,000 feet below.

On the first day, you are surrounded by black shiny mountains and barren golden grass that lead down into the misty fog below. Once the clouds have shifted away, it becomes apparent that the path ahead extends far into the slim valley and descends into the cloud forests until it can be seen no more.

Along this beautifully preserved path, you’ll come across local Bolivian women herding llamas in and out of the gorge; which can only be accessed by a 3 to 4 days hike up or down this narrow valley. The women are short with round plump bodies and long colorful detailed skirts that encompass their figures. Shawls over their shoulders, and tiny black round top hats that could belong to that of a child are nestled on their heads.

Descending further and further into this unknown never-ending valley, the vegetation magically changes as if you’ve stepped through to another dimension. One’s surroundings become warmer, and greener just as you’ve arrived at the first village in which you’ll sleep for the evening. Several little huts made from clay walls and straw ceilings with lush beautiful grass encompassing them can be seen as you make your entrance. Vines engulf the stone fences and houses, and it could be reminiscent of The Hobbit. A little old Bolivian woman will come out to greet the weary travelers, and speaking some form of ancient Inca dialect, your guide will have to serve as an Inca-Spanish translator.

The following morning, you’ll set off again into the deep misty jungle below; this time, passing through thick vegetation as you're hugging cliffs above the river below. By the end of the third day, and some twenty hours of trekking later, you’ll finally arrive in the small campesino coca village of Chairo where you can feel a true sense of accomplishment after a unique cultural submersion. A local bus can be taken from Coroico back to La Paz in roughly three hours.