When the government restricted visitor numbers to 2,500 per day to comply with UNESCO recommendations, tourists who arrived at Aguas Calientes without entry passes blocked the bridge over the Urubamba River at the base of the winding road up to Machu Picchu. We were among those who waited for police to clear the bridge and the entry to the archaeological site of protestors. The wait was worth it. Photos of Machu Picchu can never portray the grandeur of the mountains and Incan constructions, venerating mountains and sky.