Khristian Snyder – Travel Journal

I tend to shy away from the popular “touristy” sights when traveling, but I felt that being in Peru made it imperative to see one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. I had a tour guide for the trip who really hooked it up! The bus ride up to the entrance was already incredible, with jaw-dropping cliffs shrouded in layers of misty fog coming up from the jungle. 

“Few romances can ever surpass that of the granite citadel on top of the beetling precipices of Machu Picchu, the crown of Inca Land”.

–Hiram Bingham

Once we got into the site, we made our way to the top area where the popular photos are taken, but all we had was a wall of gray. I laughed to myself…some have spent thousands to get here and countless hours of travel, and this is the view! Thankfully, some wind came through and blew open a window into one of the most stunning views. On the cradle between two mountains, this ancient city, built so precisely with massive stones, is way up above the valley floor. What would it have been like to see this view 500 years ago? What was life like back then? 

I enjoyed the guide’s explanation of the site and the Inca way of life. It definitely surpassed my low-set expectations!