Two years ago on this day I visited the infamous Machu Picchu in Peru, and just like they say, this ancient archaeological site is just as fascinating and even more magnificent than the photos we've seen. Planning for the trip was undoubtedly a pain; not only you must transfer a few planes then take a train to Cusco, tickets were difficult to obtain because of a poorly built government hosted website and the Peruvian government had an admission quota of how many people can enter in a given day. Obtaining ticket confirmation took weeks. I remember how frustrating I felt for me to try purchase tickets, but when I finally arrived at the site you forget about what you had to go through to get here. It was all worth it.
There is something about this place that is sacred and spiritual; you can sit there all day be surrounded by thousands of tourists but don't feel like they existed at all. The mountains and the clouds and birds, makes you feel so connected with the nature and simply mesmerized by the sound of serenity and nature. "Breathtaking" was the only word that came to mind in my entire stay. I climbed the Huayna Picchu which didn't take long and I got to experience the peak unfolding new perspectives with each step I took. It amazes me that something this grand of scale can be built by humans with out any mortar all the dry stone walls fit together flawlessly, and remained intact that lasted through ages, hundreds of years after the Incan civilization has long vanished. It still remains a mystery today how the men transported the heavy stones to the citadel. Even the Great Wall of China used a form of sticky rice with slaked lime as mortar to hold the bricks together, which increased its longevity making it lasting for centuries. Machu Picchu is a remarkable archaeological wonder and a must-see.
