Discover the Celestial World of Peru. . . where mountains, jungle, ocean, desert and some of the most amazing archaeology in the world, meet in one country. Here you can travel almost any direction and have a great vacation. Peru is covered with archaeological sites from north to south. The most popular sites are those in Cusco and Machu Picchu located deep in the Andean mountains. Just a mere one hour and ten minutes from Lima. The Incas invite you to see their lost civilization.

In Cusco and the surrounding area, there are palaces, temples and fortresses that people from all corners of the world have come to see. One such location is that of Sacsayhauman, which has baffled architects, scientists and mathematicians. The carved rock structure is so precisely pieced together that not even as advanced as we are today, can we duplicate the fine work.

But what truly is considered the jewel of all South America is the incredible archaeological site of Machu Picchu. Here the citadel, untouched by the tyrant Spanish Conquistador's, remained for hundreds of years only to be stumbled upon in 1911 by the explorer Hiram Bingham. Searching for the Lost City of the Inca and its fabled gold, Bingham was led to the site by a local Indian guide pointing out the terraces and temples that were submerged beneath dense jungle growth. Not exactly what he was looking for, but today Machu Picchu has become the focal point of tourism in Peru.

What makes Machu Picchu so amazing is that it is one of the few locations that appear just as it must have been when the civilization was in existence. There are many hypotheses that surround this archaeological wonder on where the Inca went and why did they leave the hidden citadel.

If your looking to take a route other than the traditional tourist train, a four day back packing trip on the Inca Trail leads you to Machu Picchu as well. Here you can see many smaller sites or tambos that the Inca built on their intricate road system through the Andes. This trip was my 30th birthday celebration and my favorite. I recommend this to those who need a little time away or like the fresh outdoors.

If the mountain life is not for you, the Amazon Jungle is just around the corner. With the largest concentration of endangered wildlife, the Manu Biosphere and Tambopata Candamo National Reserve offer you the chance of a life time to view nature as it really is.

For those looking for a quick trip, the Tambopata Jungle Lodge offers three to six day trips to get a look at the Amazon. If you are willing to "rough it," an eight-day adventure can take you into Manu, one of the largest protected rainforest regions of the world. Here the opportunity of viewing giant river otter, Capybara, black cayman, monkeys, macaws, toucans and maybe even the elusive jaguar can become a memory of a lifetime.

If you are a bird watcher, then a trip to the Tambopata Macaw Lick, where hundreds of macaws and parrots come to lick the minerals from the salty clay on a daily basis. The lick is the largest known in the world, where this phenomenon occurs.

Other areas in Peru to visit that are as exciting and historically important are Lake Titicaca and its floating reed islands, the Uros, famous for being the highest navigable lake in the world. Nazca, which was documented in the movie "Chariots of the Gods," has desert markings left by the lost civilization of the Nazca Indian. Here many believe these huge designs were used as ancient landing strips for peoples from another world.

In 1987, The most significant archaeological discovery for the Americas took place in Chiclayo just north of Lima. Similar to that of King Tut of Egypt, the Lord of Sipan, was uncovered and brought to life when it toured the world and brought new interest to Peru.

Any of these trips take only a few days and are just a short flight from Lima. I recommend that everyone visit Peru at least once, to see it’s beauty that can be found almost at any point in the country. I have been to Peru more than thirty times, and I know that I will return many more times. Don’t go just to say you have been there and done that, go to learn and I am sure you will go back.