The Railroad to Machu Picchu Today, I walked down a railroad with a Shaman I had met less than an hour before. What began as a casual introduction became a 10‑mile hike into the fading light. The sun set behind Machu Picchu, radiating like a beacon of memory and mystery. The Shaman turned to me and said: “Everyone needs a maestro. A maestro is like a parent teaching a child to walk. Eventually, the maestro has done his job, and then the mountains, the sky, and the river become the maestro. They teach you how to live. They teach you how to follow your personal journey. You simply need to be curious and ask.” I realized in that moment: mentors are everywhere. Sometimes they are people. Sometimes they are landscapes. Sometimes they are silence. The journey is always teaching us if we’re willing to listen. Keep shooting.