“The power of Machu Picchu is difficult to express without being there. Photos don’t do it justice. You really do feel like you’re on top of the world, yet transported back in time. I suspect it’s similar to what you feel in the mountains of Nepal. The people are descendants who pass on ancient traditions and wisdom. The air has a special crispness to it, and the view is breathtaking. If you climb up to areas where most of the tourists don’t attempt to go, you can see for miles. I thought it would be like Stonehenge, where you stare at it for a few seconds, scratch your head, and get back on the bus. The difference is the setting. Where Stonehenge is in the middle of a field that could literally be any field anywhere, Machu Picchu is set in jagged yellow-green mountains, nestled among the clouds. It’s this bizarre geometric terracing experiment and raw evidence of human innovation. I did not expect the immenseness of it all. Those mountains are fierce and inviting …