Peru’s Citadel in the Clouds
Sir Edmund Hillary once said, “It’s not the mountain that we conquer but ourselves.”
Perhaps Hiram Bingham, the American explorer credited with the discovery of Machu Picchu in 1911, felt the same way as he traversed the majestic Andes Mountains, searching for this mystical and elusive citadel in the clouds.
I was unable to sleep the night before heading up to see one of the “Seven Modern Wonders of the World” for obvious reasons, such as anticipation and extreme excitement. The lack of sleep didn’t matter the next morning since the adrenaline kicked in as I enjoyed an unbelievable day.
Waking up was easy, as I was already awake… however, I made a point to load up at the breakfast bar, just to guarantee that I had the calories for the day ahead. After meeting up at the central office of the tour company, we waited in line about 15-20 minutes to catch one of the many buses that continuously takes visitors up and down the mountain.
After getting off the bus, it was nothing more than a few minutes’ stroll until reaching the first, and I’m sure most photographed, “vantage points” of Machu Picchu. I almost had to pinch myself as I wasn’t quite sure that I was physically there and seeing this wonder of the world with my own two eyes. Upon verifying that I was alive and, in fact, at Machu Picchu, we proceeded to tour the area for about 90 minutes before taking the bus back down the mountain.
It was an amazing day, which I will never forget, in an amazing country, with much more to offer than Machu Picchu. In total, I spent seven days and six nights in Peru on this trip. Reach out today, and I’d love to talk more about this fantastic destination.
Visit Peru; you will not be disappointed!