"I do not seek. I find." - Pablo Picasso
In 1911 a man stepped onto the soil of a long-forgotten miracle, hidden high in the rugged mountain peaks of the ancient Andes: Machu Picchu, the lost heart of the Incan empire. Since that day, millions of tourists have visited this site and left in awe of an ancient culture that created this wonder. While traveling through Peru, my friends and I explored a little bit of Machu Picchu, an adventure well-worth the price of almost $200.
To get to Machu Picchu, we took a three-hour train ride to the small village of Aguas Calientes at the foot of the sacred mountains that are crowned at the top by this Incan wonder of the world. Aguas Calientes is a very small place that probably has more restaurants than people per square foot. The village survives off the tourists that come to visit Machu Picchu every day of the year. Since the ancient site is endangered by the large number of visitors, the number of tourist to Machu Picchu is limited to 400 people a day.
When we arrived in Aguas Calientes, we had a quick lunch and took a bus up to Machu Picchu. The dirt road was almost vertical in some places and rose sharply in alittude. In some places, the bus had to back up and balance precariously on the ledge of the mountain to let the buses going down pass. We arrived in Machu Picchu, went through the gates crowded with throngs of tourists, and went off to explore Machu Picchu. The ruins of this ancient city are well-preserved; a person blessed with a good imagination can almost see this place brimming with life five hundred years ago. We explored the ruins for a few hours; after walking up and down some very steep stairs, my legs were shaking from exhaustion. Despite a long day traveling and exploring, I did not want to leave. I felt like I could sit and watch Machu Picchu for hours or even days. The place has amazing energy, and I hope that one day I will have the chance to return and visit this wonder of the world once more.
