Thinking of You in Machu Picchu (May 31, 2026)
Wish you were here. I mean it. You deserve to be in this exact spot!
It’s every bit of epic that you could possibly imagine … and then MORE. I know, doesn’t seem possible, but if you haven’t been to Machu Picchu, I highly urge you to add it to your bucket list RIGHT NOW. And if you have been and want to relive the experience, let’s GO!
I took so many pictures, but let’s start here — the bird’s eye view
Fun Fact #1: The Name Itself
The first fun fact I’d love to share with you is that when explorers (re)discovered Machu Picchu, they asked, “What do they call this city?” And no one had an answer. So the next question was, “Okay, then what do you call this mountain?” And because the mountain was called Machu Picchu, that’s how the city was likewise named.
Fun Fact #2: Wrong Mountain!
When most people learn the first fun fact about where Machu Picchu gets its name, they (wrongly) assume it’s the mountain I have showing in the picture above. Nope. It’s the mountain directly opposite that one.
Our guide pointed, but I’m not 100% on the precise mountain, but I believe it’s the one to the far right … you come down it on the Inca Trail
Fun Fact #3: Llama-mowers
When you look at the meticulous care given to the lawn that provides the striking green contrasting with the bright blue skies and grey stone, you might marvel at what it takes to care for a lawn of this magnitude. Instead, it’s the free-range llamas that do the work. They see all that grass as food and do an amazing job of eating it to a perfect golfer’s delight height. They don’t touch the roots as that would hurt the grass and they know they can graze right there in another few weeks.
So … much … grass. Thanks, “Llama-mowers” you’re doing amazing!
By the way, have you ever seen a more CHILL animal in the wild? These are not “kept” llamas. They are very much wild and have no concerns about the more that 5,400 tourists who visit them every day (down from more than 10,000 daily tourists pre-COVID).
#4: They’re not Called “Incas”
Wait. What now? Apparently “Inca” means “emperor” or “supreme ruler” and reserved for THE leader of the tribe. What are everyone else called? The people of the empire referred to themselves collectively as Runa, which simply means "the people" in their language. How did this get distorted? Talk to the Spanish conquers. They learned the leader was called “Inca” so they assumed everyone who followed was an Incan or collectively Incas.
What are those bowls in the center of the floor of this structure?
#5: Those Are (Sky) Mirrors
So this one is cool. When explorers first came, they thought these were used to grind grains. They didn’t realize that they were actually used to look at the sun, admire a full eclipse, and possibily to stare at the stars face down instead of up. Before they learned to look directly at the sun through an obsidian lens, reflections in water was the best way to observe significant happenings with the sun, worship their sun god, and admire a solar eclipse.
#6: Inca Empire Built Real Lego
I’m not saying that Lego stole their idea from Machu Picchu, but back in 1500, the Runa (remember, "the people" of Machu Picchu, not Incas), built nearly perfect structures that could withstand earthquakes, any kind of weather and whatever mother nature had in store. That’s because of their incredible craftsmanship using a simple Lego-like system of carved stone that had both male and female parts that stacked perfectly with no trace of flaws … for the nobility, anyway. All of the stones interlocked without mortar. And stood for centuries.
For epic works, Google “Inca Lego Stone” and see incredible carvings
#7: No Windows in Runa Homes
This one was a puzzle that really had me thinking. Our guide pointed out all the stone window ceils that were completely covered up by stones. The only “windows” in structures where not for Runa homes, but rather for temples and some nobility. Why is this? When you’re a worker bee, you get up before the sun comes out and ready to start work at daybreak. You work all day until the sun goes down and when you get back to your home, what you want more than anything is rest.
With the exception of the feasts and festivals, most Runa wanted their structures to hold heat when they slept. There wasn’t time for leisurely gazing out your window which is a real bummer given how epic the 360 degree views are in Machu Picchu.
Why have one at all? Think built-in shelves mostly for idols.
#8: Inca Trail Regularly Sold Out
When I envisioned myself going to Machu Picchu, I wanted to follow the path of my best friend James Graeber. He hiked in Inca Trail. This is a 4 day hike where you end up at Machu Picchu. If you’re the outdoor nature type like me, this sounds amazing. Hiking. Camping. Hiking some more. All the while exploring ruins along the way. If you want to avoid the rainy season, you’ll want to do this in May, June, July, or August. For these four months, you must book a minimum of six months in advance. The sooner the better as these are extremely limited trips and take a lot of coordination with sherpas who carry the bulk of the weight while you hike. At 1pm, we saw these hikers entering into meet us at Machu Picchu. Looked like they had a ball.
Off to the center-left you can see people coming from the Inca Trail
#9: Epic Engagement Site!
All your friends will either be jealous or hate you when they find out you got engaged at the top of Machu Picchu (like the couple below). There are so many beautiful places in the world to propose marriage, but I would have to say this one is easily in top 5 locations of all time. Then again, I’m into nature, ancient ruins, spirituality and, if I’m being honest, llamas. From the cheering it sounded like a few people were in on it. I’m sure this story of engagement will be told over and over again. Love it!
She said yes. Hence all the loud cheering and how I discovered this.
#10: Battery Drain: Too Many Pix
Granted, this one is a personal problem. Turns out, you can actually wear down your phone camera battery from taking too many pictures and videos. There also may have been a poor cell coverage area that contributed to it, but I’m pretty sure I burned out most of my batter life taking pictures.
(And yes, Elena, when I get home I’m committed to upgrading my iPhone 8 to more than double the model numbers). By not doing that before this trip, I guaranteed I didn’t break it or leave it behind.
Hmm. How should I pose in front of this epic Machu Picchu site? Got it!
I promise you that this isn’t even 25% of the pictures I took.
Like this of a fellow tourist from North Carolina Data Center (NC/DC)
I loved her T-shirt and she gave me permission to capture it
I’m not yet running out of storage on my MacBook Air (where I move my pictures to from my phone each day), but my MacBook is nagging me that it’s been too long since my last back up and if I free up storage, the computer will run better. I’m hip. As soon as I get back to New York in a month, I’m going to do a much needed back up and then transfer all these pictures to my external storage drive for safe keeping. All I know is that my Machu Picchu day likely has the most amount of pictures taken to date and that’s saying a lot.
There are a number of fun facts that I left out. I’ll just give a few highlights I enjoyed:
On the Summer Solstice, the sun perfectly shines through a natural V in the mountains and perfectly enters the center of the window in the temple lighting up … everything.
Indiana Jones is loosely based off the explorer, Hiram Bingham III, who (re)discovered Machu Picchu. There were others who had found it before him and like him, didn’t find any gold.
There’s a famous picture of Hiram Bingham III (the Indiana Jones explorer) with his foot on a rock bench in front of a giant stone. What he totally missed is that if you stand back, the stone perfectly matches the mountain skyline. It’s so incredibly beautiful to look at.
500 years ago, they set up a series of water fountains for public drinking of fresh water that still run today. If you’re Peruvian, you can drink from them. If you’re not, you might get Monta Zuma’s Revenge the next day.
There’s a separate trail that you can buy access to that goes from Machu Picchu UP the giant rock in all the pictures. Look closely and you can see the stairs and the trail.
And, of course, there’s no substitute for the real thing. The pictures miss the “eye-max” nature of a full 360-degree epic view. Everywhere you look is gorgeous. I don’t know if you noticed, but opposite of Machu Picchu mountain you can see snow-capped mountains. I mean, really, is there anything missing from up here? There’s no question why this is one of the (new seven) wonders of the world. I know, there’s a bunch of new lists, but regardless of what awards have been granted, Machu Picchu is over the top beautiful and an incredible site to see. I know Elena would have loved to have been here with me. That’s why I’m confident I’ll be back ;-)
Speaking of Elena, her parents (fondly named “Nana and Ga” or more formerly), “Connie and Richard Knies” share a birthday on June 1st (i.e. tomorrow). They will be 93- and 94-years young (respectively). So my sister-in law, Naomi and brother-in-law, Eric Knies got together with Elena’s cousin Tara and two of her beautiful kids Mia and Remy got together to celebrate. (I believe Zoe is either still in school or working).
I love that I get updates from my family about what’s happening on the home front. Naomi took these pictures to include me in the Knies family gathering. I sincerely appreciate her efforts to include me.
Remy, Ga (94), Will, Mia on this half of the table, followed by …
Tara, Elena, Violet, Nana (93) and Eric. (Naomi is taking the picture)
Each received a hand made cookie made by Naomi’s friend. And that’s just like Naomi. Always so thoughtful and considerate — not just of the birthday celebrants, but also everyone in attendance. I didn’t catch the name of Naomi’s friend, but I want to thank them for their efforts. I have no doubt the cookies were devoured.
Happy (Early) Birthday, Nana & Ga. We are grateful for each of you!
We are so privileged to have both Connie and Richard Knies (Nana and Ga) with us. At 93 and 94, they are showing me how wonderful life can be 40 years from now. I mean, I’ve had an entire LIFETIME as I’ve traveled the world for a year. God willing, as I continue to take care of my health, I will have 40 more chances to follow in the amazing footsteps of Nana and Ga. They are two of the kindest, sweetest, loving and nurturing people I’ve had the privilege of knowing now for more than 30 years!
They have taken me in as a part of their family. They helped Elena and I raise Will and Violet. Several times, they gave both of us what we needed most in our lives: A good night’s sleep! Raising children takes more than the primary parents. It takes a community of loving people who are willing to pitch in and help out.
I can honestly say I’m a much better version of myself because of the quality time I’ve spent with Nana and Ga. I know they have rubbed off on anyone who has met them. They are both model citizens that help remind me what it means to BE LOVE. I’ve never heard either one of them say an unkind word. And neither one of them hesitates to share their love and admiration for the people around them.
If everyone had a Nana and Ga in their life, they would naturally feel better about themselves and pass on the love received. And that’s what I aim to do. Holding onto the gifts from Nana and Ga defeat their intended purpose. Only by passing on what each of them have freely given me can I truly honor their epic legacy for decades to come.
While I can’t be with Nana and Ga tomorrow, I certainly can share how proud I am to be their son-in-law. I’m a better man because of their unwavering love and support for more than three decades. And for that, I’m truly grateful.
