My Trip To Machu Picchu
by Bruce Reichert

So little is known about this beautiful city. We do know that it was built for the Inca leaders; that the Spanish conquistadors never found it; that its water system enthralls scientists even today; and that some people believe the Sacred City is a portal through which other-worldly forces speak to humans.

I just remember my first thought upon seeing Machu Picchu... those Incas knew a thing or two about presentation!

We first viewed the Sacred City after walking three and a half days along the 13,000 foot high Inca Trail, so perhaps my brain was addled from the altitude.

But it just struck me that there had to be a higher purpose to what I was seeing. The land was just so rugged and steep.

And the quality of the construction couldn't be accounted for by a military threat. It made little sense to the rational mind.

I arrived very early one morning and climbed the big mountain above. From this vantage point I could see the Inca Trail descending into Machu Picchu, and the hotel with the winding road below it.

I'm sure the hundreds of people pouring off the train felt the awe that we felt. But I'd like to think that the Incas had built their citadel and the trail to complement each other... that the entire package is a work of art, with its intended purpose to elevate the soul of the pilgrim.

It may make little sense to the rational mind, but sitting atop the big mountain, my heart could comprehend.


According to some of the guide books, researchers are still discovering this city's celestial secrets, some of which reveal themselves at the spring equinox. Built around 1460, Machu Picchu ("Old Peak") is considered the synthesis of Andean cosmic vision.

All pictures are clickable. To see more pictures of this abandoned city, click here.