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“Helen had always feared that it would be an anticlimax, that something dreamed of for a lifetime would inevitably be smaller than the dream. She had lived so much of her life in the imagination that it was for her more powerful than reality. But what towered before her was greater than anything she might have conjured. Photographs were as ashes to a live body. Nothing captured Machu Picchu, a kingdom ruined but alive.”

That quote from a book says it better than we could. But what a trip. If we haven’t bored you with our stories yet, we made it back from Peru, where we hiked the Inca trail to Machu Picchu and just enjoyed our time away. There really aren’t words to describe what a great experience it was. But we’ll try. The views were absolutely amazing. The people were so kind. The food never ceased to surprise us. And Cusco is a city of stunning beauty.

But what we really went for was the trek. We hiked about 26.5 miles, up 7,000 feet, down 6,880 and over a 13,750 foot pass. And every step was worth it once we made it to Machu Picchu. You’re missing out if you don’t take this trip sometime in your life. I’d always dreamed of visiting the lost city, and it truly does not disappoint. Along with the stunning ruins and views along the way, we were lucky to take the trip with a great group of people and to have Saul and Jose as our guides.

Check out our photos here. We started with more than 1,000, so let us know if you want the extended showing! Below is our more detailed journal of what we did each day, if you’re interested.