After four days of hiking to Machu Picchu, everyone in our party of 10 was walking very stiffly, even the 20-somethings who made the trip. All of us, that is, except my two children, Katrina, aged 12 and Jordan, aged 9. Although our family hasn't seen "everything" or been "everywhere" after visiting 28 countries in 52 weeks, we can say with authority that we are well traveled and have seen our fair share of wonders - ancient, modern, natural or man-made. A visit to Machu Picchu is a must for any world traveler.

I hadn't known anything about the Incas before arriving and once there, couldn't learn enough about them. I was fascinated by anybody who could build a city with stone that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle and was so intricately cut that you couldn't slip a piece of paper between the pieces. The ancient city of Machu Picchu is situated on a mountaintop with sheer cliffs all the way around. Its location suggested to me that it was meant to be more fortress than metropolis. Crafted with intricate stonework, it obviously wasn't built in a hurry. The ruins are better than Ephesus or Pompeii and on par with Angkor Wat. The dwellings of the city seem to be waiting for new move-ins and the setting is simply spectacular. All over the world Switzerland seems to be the common standard for sheer rugged alpine beauty. Machu Picchu's setting is the only place I have ever been that is more stunning than Switzerland.

There are two ways to get to Machu Picchu. First, you can take a train to the city of Aguas Calientes (literally "Hot Water" in honor of nearby natural hot springs) then take a bus to the site of Machu Picchu. Or, for the adventurous, you can make the four day hike over the Inca Trail. The physical demands of the hike cannot be understated due to the high altitudes (over 13,500 foot passes) and the steep ascents and descents. That said, 500 people hike the trail every single day and it is a rewarding, once in a lifetime experience. Click here for more details of hiking the IncaTrail. Click here for a Google Earth layer that will allow you to "fly" over the trail in see the terrain with its rugged 3D details.

My two children were the only people in our party who retained a spring in their step after our four day hike. But as we strolled through the ruins of Machu Picchu it was easy to tell who had recently returned from hiking the Inca Trail and who had simply arrived on the bus. We passed each other in the street with a nod and a wink conveying much more than words could. We all belonged to the elite brotherhood of Inca Trail hikers and walked proudly with the stride of one who had a severe case of diarrhea.

Click here for a Google Earth tour of a 52 week, 28 country adventure.