We were high on the hills of Machu Picchu surrounded by green mountains covered with mist. The ancient Incan city spread for miles around us and each stone structure seemed like a miracle.

I tried to imagine the Incan workers meticulously building their terraces, temples and houses hundreds of years ago but the whole project seemed surreal.
 
And to think of Hiram Bingham, the man who rediscovered Machu Picchu in 1912, uncovering such a monstrous archaeological site, well I was just gobsmacked.
 
Even though I have the pictures to prove it, I almost can't believe I have wandered through the stone walls and terraces of Machu Picchu. It seems like the sort of the place you dream about because it is maze-like and there are llamas grazing freely on the very green grass.
 
But what transformed Machu Picchu into a dreamland for me was the towering mountains around the city which were covered by mist the whole time we were there.

I had been worried there would be too many tourists at the Incan city and it would ruin the magic of the place but it's a lot bigger than you ever imagine and at times it was deftly quiet and peaceful.
 
The architecture celebrates Incans' religious beliefs and makes use of intricate designs and ancient canals, which still work today. Walking with our guide we were shown how they took such care to plan every part of the city and how they stacked the rocks to make the structures earthquake proof.
 
We had hoped to see Machu Picchu on the four-day Inca trail walk but they limit the area to 500 people a day, so we didn't book far enough ahead (you have to book months in advance if you want to do the trail).

But standing there with Machu Picchu all around us, we weren't so disappointed to have missed out on the walk. It was all pretty amazing even if we did take the "lazy way up".
 
Next stop: Find out why I embarrassed myself greatly on the Machu Picchu train home.

Check out more photos from my trip in my Flickr album.

Find out about Peru.

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