Ever since junior high school, I have dreamed of exploring Machu Picchu. That dream came true, although too many years later. It was with a grand feeling of elation that I entered the Inca fortress through the historical entrance, the Sun Gate.

Flying into Cusco, the gateway city for travel to the Inca citadel, I was struck by the incredible steepness of the mountain terrain I saw below: sheer drops on every slope; jagged, razor sharp spines of mountain tops slicing through the clouds. How could any human, I wondered, find habitable space in such impossible topography?

Terraces, a vast network of terraces, constructed throughout the Inca world, with primitive tools, for agriculture and buildings. That was the Inca solution.

Photos can only begin to tell the story. You will understand the enormity of the task only by visiting the site. The only level ground has been carved into the mountainside, with meticulously stacked stone walls holding the earth in place. You will walk up and down, and up again, repeatedly, no matter where you venture. At 2,430 meters elevation, it’s work. Your efforts will be rewarded by a fascinating and memorable experience.