Mountains stick up like jagged teeth across the horizon.  The sun sets in red blood and the myst slithers around the ancient stone ruins of Machu Picchu.  The stone ruins is all that remain of an ancient city upon a mountain top.  While walking through the city, you feel as if you stepped back in time a few hundred years.  lama's walk the land scape, and Peruvian flutes made of bamboo play across the stone ruins. This is the  place a person must see before they die; Machu Picchu. A few things to know before going.

1)  buy your ticket almost a year in advance sometimes the deal may be 300 dollars round trip or less.

2)  When flying to cusco it's about 13,000 feet high coming from Lima at Sea Level.  I worked out all summer hiking but the altitude got to me and I passed out right in front of all my friends.  Kinda imbaressing when your the only guy that passes out with all the girls.  Get altitude pills.

3) The best time of year to go is from mid June to mid July because Cusco has a huge festival that lasts for a week filled with dancing, old Incan rituals, and huge parties that happen in this time period.     

4) Always wash your hands!! You are in a third world country and deseases spread quickly.  Don't use the water in your hotel even for your tooth brush the best thing to do is buy bottled water.  Don't use if seal is broken.

5) Learn the history of the area it's quite unique.  Take plenty of pictures and visit the air open markets.  make deals with the sellers to get good deals.

6)  See all the ruins they are different in their own ways.

7)  Know some spanish.  I didn't know any and survived, but if you do know some you will be that much better off.