Five highlights from Machu Picchu. My friend Andrew and I arrived back in Asheville Saturday after an amazing eight-day Peruvian pilgrimage. We visited Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and Lima, but by far the highlight of our trip was the day spent in Machu Picchu.

Those of you who know me know I love lists. So here are my top five highlights of our day in the sacred city.

One: You can’t take a bad photo in Machu Picchu. Every angle, every frame captures something magnificent. “Awestruck” is the only word that comes close to describing how we felt during our time there.

Two: Some say the stones of Machu Picchu radiate energy. Our guide rolled her eyes saying the stones only reflect heat from the sun. Either way, I felt something (and I choose to believe it was energy).

Three: Andrew was like a billy goat climbing up and down the steep stone stairs of Machu Picchu to photograph llamas. You can take the boy off the farm but you’ll never take the farm far away from him. I bet Andrew got at least a hundred photos of the shaggy creatures during our trip, and not one llama spit at him.

Four: Riiiing! It’s hard to believe, but I heard two cell phones go off in Machu Picchu. Worse, the people took the calls.

Five: During lunch we found ourselves mesmerized by two Asian men eating from the buffet at the elegant Sanctuary Hotel outside the grounds of the ruins. One shoveled his food while the other slowly savored each bite, reminding us to savor each delicious moment of life.

I am still processing all that I saw, learned, and experienced. It was an incredible trip, filled with beauty, inspiration, insight, and awe.