Visiting Machu Picchu: One of the 7 Wonders of the World
An eighth grader’s perspective
O n the third day of this alluring CWW eighth grade trip inCusco, we got to go to the majestic Machu Picchu. In order to get from Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu we had to take a bus to get to the train station and from there the train took us through many different beautiful landscapes until we arrived at the entrance of the grand Machu Picchu. This blog will prove to you how glorious Machu Picchu is and will describe my sublime experience.
M y body started filling up with excitement as I showed my DNI and my ticket purchased from PeruRail at the entrance gate to proceed with my journey to Machu Picchu.
As I clumsily scramble up the stairs on the unsteady trail, I felt my lungs gradually drowning as my breath was rapidly agitated from the altitude, although I was feeling ideally healthy at all times. I was tired from the long journey of about 1 hour and 30 minutes accommodated with comfortable seating from the train that transported us to the Machu Picchu station which was called Expedition. I was so full from the great lunch we ate at Belmond Sanctuary Lodge, where they serve a filling buffet with exquisite foods (Part of a package PeruRail sells. If you get the package of both the train and the buffet, the total price would be 125 dollars.)
M y legs were in fiery flames from hiking and ascending in such great height. I highly recommend taking water because you will get tired as you hike further up. People around me were slowly breathing in and out. I wanted to take a break since I was fairly out of breath, but instead I pushed myself to keep going which is not recommended to do in altitude. Finally, I reached the top. At this point I was moderately sweating, but I feel like I had just done the ALS ice bucket challenge.
In front of me I observe the back of the grand, amazing Machu Picchu. It’s monstrous, brown, green, filled with vegetation and rocks. Bringing repellent is another essential for this adventurous hike.
I could feel the weather change with gentle breezes whacking me as I watch the clouds surrounding the green, high mountain peaks. The only thing moving is the sky and clouds changing from gleaming blue to cloudy gray, the surroundings all stay the same. A tip for this type of weather is to dress in layers, short sleeve, light jacket and poncho for the rain.
My body starts filling up with excitement as I get near the fanstastic view. Suddenly, I observe people taking pictures of an incredible view right infront of me. I noticed that I had reached the stunning and imposing Machu Picchu! I couldn’t believe it, all those pictures that I had seen, all of the wonderful celebrities who had been standing where I was standing, everything had happened right there.
I felt so greatly joyful just being there, having my whole grade with me made this experience even better. I took continuous pictures of the majestic summits, as I listened to the impressive stories told by our knowledgeable guide, Elvira. I asked many friends to take selfies to have memories for the future and remember this significant experience. I immensely suggest to take pictures in this astonishing place because I assure you that this will be a one in a lifetime opportunity. Then, the teachers took a picture of the whole grade, where we were allocated in our group colors: blue, green, purple, orange and yellow. We looked like a colorful rainbow giving color to Machu Picchu.
For a minute I felt many gentle drops of rain, and for other periods of time I felt the bright sun shining high above me along with clouds moving around the clear, blue sky. Luckily, I brought sunscreen (and you should too) since the sun can be glaring and puissant.
We hiked downwards onto the rocky trails where Incas had lived thousands of years ago, and everything was made out of stones. The constructions were eye-catching, and neatly stacked to form creative buildings and sculptures. It was incredible to think that hundreds of years ago people were living right where I was standing. It felt like I was in a baffling maze, because everything surrounding me was made out of stone and there were many compact rooms. I felt so powerful by just standing there, in the middle of what seems to be a stone maze, but is actually so meaningful to history.
Our wonderful guide, Elvira, elucidated the different uses of this land and how the Incas built these marvelous structures. If I looked above me, I could still see the incredibly white clouds moving around the sky, but behind them there was a luminescent sun light waiting to shine. Surrounding me were the towering hills that filled the environment with green. All of the different sights seemed to perfectly mix together, like ying yangs, they all are different aspects yet similar because they are all breathtaking.
