North, Central and South America are part of the so-called New World. Along with Australia and New Zealand, the Americas are unique in that the countries consist of European culture superimposed on a Native Indian civilization.
What remains is a strange mix. Sort of like weeds superimposed over a natural lawn. European languages (English, French and Spanish) dominate. However, this mixes with non-European populations.
Whether it is the immigrant populations of Canada or the United States or the hodgepodge of nationalities in Central and South America, the result is a tenuous balance.
A tenuous balance surrounded by jaw dropping space. Try finding the empty plains and vistas of the Americas in Europe or Asia.
History is probably not the strong point in the Americas. It is a little hard to get excited about Machu Picchu built in the mid-1400s (source) when one finds Mohenjo-Daro in India built 2600 BC (source). Then again by this standard Europe seems rather adolescent as well.
Nevertheless, it is precisely this lack of history which has liberated the imagination of this continent.
The Americas have defined what it means to be modern. From the Art Deco skyscrapers of Manhattan to the magical realism of Columbian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez – the New World invented much of the modern world.
The mystery of Machu Picchu begins with a train ride. From the town of Ollantaytambo you will take a train, with a glass top, through winding rivers and lush farms. The ride will whet your appetite for what is to come.
One of the best experiences in Tulum is entering it. You immediately feel the cool, hipster, bohemian, vibe. Yet first impressions can be deceiving.