The trip is essentially over. All that remains is travel and you have no interest in hearing about travel including the LATAM Peru gate agent who adamantly refused to allow me to carry my carry-on size bag onto the Cusco-Lima flight even though I explained that I had an international connection, that I was "Preferente," that the bag had flown inside the cabin with me Lima-Cusco just two days prior; and then, for a reason I can only surmise was due to my respectful attitude, charming smile and the fact that I repeatedly said "por favor," she relented even as she collected many other bags, tagging them and ordering them swept away to the belly of our Airbus. 

There was plenty of room for my bag and the others .

Upon arrival in Lima, I went through the standard international connection steps, re-clearing security--much tighter than in Cusco--and then, without a lounge invitation, settled in at the gate.

While there settled, I marveled at what the Inca had done at the places I had been. And then it hit me. In 555 years or so, when you and I are long gone, and tourists go to where we are today, what evidence will there be that we lived? What have we created that will last that long? 

Today, as everything becomes obsolete almost as quickly as we acquire it, the idea of something lasting five centuries is ludicrous; silly. We quickly tear down what we build so that we can build there something newer. We dispose of that which we thought valuable when we bought it so that we can buy something else to replace it.

What seems remarkable to us now will, even to us, seem mundane in but a few years.

In five hundred years, we will be looked back upon as having been insignificant, unworthy of mention. Those same tourists, however, may have on their bucket lists a trip to Machu Picchu where what I saw these last few days will still stand for their eyes to behold in wonder. "How did they do this?"

Go see for yourself and let me know what you think.