Machu Picchu was a destination that I put on my personal seven wonders of the world list a few years back. Of course, this led to a heavy dose of anticipation as we made our way up the mountain. Though it’s only a short 20-minute climb up to the ruined city once you disembark the shuttle bus, it is quite steep. With each step my anticipation grew until finally I reached the top and Machu Picchu was before me.
Anticipation is a tricky thing. In my years of travel, I’ve learned that sometimes the things that are the most talked about, or rather the most famous places can end up being underwhelming. The great wall of China is the example I always use. I had been told the Great Wall of China was one of the most spectacular places in the world. I thought this because of all the attention a place like that gets. Don’t get me wrong, it was amazing, but I felt a strange sense of disappointment upon seeing it. Because of this experience I was hesitant about a place as famous as Machu Picchu. I feared that my anticipation would once again get the better of me. I was happy to be wrong.
Machu Picchu did not disappoint. Reaching the top of that brief climb and observing the stone city with the mountain rising dramatically behind was every bit as beautiful as the pictures had promised. I felt out of breath from the climb and the elevation, but it seemed to fit poetically with the breathtaking view I was admiring. We walked through the ruins with commentary from our local guide. It was interesting to learn how the Incas built the civilization and how they lived but as usual I paid more attention to what I saw and how I felt than what the guide was saying. My favorite part of the tour were the alpacas lounging casually along the trails. They sat unphased by the bustle of tourists and continued to nibble grass unaffected. The best pictures I have consist of beautiful Machu Picchu with alpacas in the foreground. The perfect Peruvian photograph.
Another activity I did at Machu Picchu was hike. My dad and I signed up to hike Montana Machu Picchu. Little did I know that this was going to be the most difficult hike of my life. My dad having done the hike on a previous tour warned me that it was going to be a killer. He warned me that it was basically uneven steps all two and a half hours to the top. Even then I didn’t quite believe it would be that difficult. I was wrong, it is to this day the hardest hike I have ever done. It truly was uneven steps the entire way up with few reprieves. We trekked slowly trying to conserve our energy and stopped for breaks often. I sweat through my clothes in the first ten minutes.
There was a moment where I almost gave up. I had never felt like I couldn’t make it to the top of a hike before. But I persevered. Finally, I could see the peak, it gave me a boost of energy I didn’t know I had in me and my dad and I made it to the summit. The view would have been spectacular had it not been for the clouds drifting in and out. It allowed for brief glimpses of Machu Picchu below. I didn’t even care that the photo opportunities were less than ideal, I had just hiked 2,000 feet in two and a half hours. I felt invigorated. Perhaps had I known how difficult the hike was going to be I might have opted not to do it, but I was so glad I did. It was such a rewarding experience.
I was quite impressed with Machu Pichu and quite relieved that the hype about this place was well-founded. I’ll never forget the moment I took the last step and saw it for the first time and how impressed I was with myself for making it to the top of that hike. As far as wonders of the world go this one was pretty wonderful.