If you are looking for that memorable South American experience, make sure you include a stop in the ancient city of Machu Picchu in Peru to your travel itinerary.  The greatest achievement of the old Incan Empire, Machu Picchu beautifully sits on a hilltop between two 7,000-foot mountains.  The first Spanish explorers who visited the region hundreds of years ago did not discover the city. It was not until 1911 that archeological research unearthed it.  As a monument to ancient culture, language, technology and architecture, Machu Picchu uniquely demonstrates the close relationship the Inca had with their most revered god.