What Is Machu Picchu Essay

“You are Peruvian. This is your culture. Why have you never been?” They’re talking about Machu Picchu. It’s never been that simple. My response always tended to be “I have all the time in the world! I will go eventually!” In reality, that’s not what I was thinking in my head. Even as a young teenager, I knew that life was short and I needed to take advantage of every opportunity presented to me so that I could enjoy life. It wasn’t until I was seventeen that I decided I will begin saving money and pay for my own ticket to go on a once in a lifetime experience, and in the end, it turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

For those who don’t know what Machu Picchu is, it can simply be described as a 15th century citadel nearly 8,000 feet above sea level. In my eyes, it is much more than that. Machu Picchu is a magical place which holds much meaning to me because it is part of my heritage. My whole life had revolved around this one place; anytime I would mention that I am half Peruvian,

Arriving in Lima, we were greeted by swarms of taxi drivers asking if we needed rides; “No Gracias, Señor,” was a phrase that became my go-to response. I laid eyes on my cousin and uncle, and instantly let out a sigh of relief, but was met with a punch in the face of the suffocating humidity of Lima. It was close to two in the morning, and in a short thirty hours, I would be on a plane ride going to Cusco. When we were on our way to my grandma’s house, where we would be spending the night, but cousin carefully approached the subject of Machu Picchu. He told my mom and I that the rain was heavy over there, and they may have to close the park for the week due to potential floods. My heart stopped and I was about to break down. My mom instantly saw the look on my face and said, “Don’t worry, I have a feeling the rain will slow