Machu Picchu: Wonderful Things!

The Visit.

Machu Picchu! Echoes of Howard Carter ring for nearly a hundred years from North Africa to South America. From the Vilcabamba River valley at the base of the mountains, to the first full view of the Inca ruins atop a plateau surrounded by clouds resting on lush green peaks, one can only utter Carter’s famous words, “Wonderful things. I see wonderful things!”

Looking and seeing prove to be marvelous gifts. The more you allow the eye to wander the more glorious the experience. It’s all magnificently beautiful as you gaze down to the river, across the valley and contemplate a world hemmed in by some of creations finest works. Experiencing it is empowering and humbling. I gratefully partook of the splendor thinking it may remain unequalled in my lifetime.

The Run.

Ah, but the majesty of Machu Picchu had only just begun. A slight drizzle damped the morning, but not my spirit. I jogged along the river road to the park entrance gate. It seemed like the sacred mountains were shrouded in regal white robes as the clouds hung low. I passed a thriving ornamental garden of vibrantly blooming plants and flowers next to the roaring water. Quickly this ranked this as one of the top runs ever for me. Then I entered deeper into the rain forest engulfed by plants on all sides. Machu Picchu had worked its, yet again.

The Wonderful Things.

Languid. Sensual. Cosmic. Machu Picchu holds a world of wonderful things. For my brief encounter I tried to savor one and all. The run itself transformed into a wonderful thing, cloaked in the sanctity of the revered locale. It was a great pleasure to enjoy a moment that Kodak can capture, but can never recreate. Long live my memory.

Tom