{"id":252,"date":"2014-08-30T20:40:06","date_gmt":"2014-08-30T20:40:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/cop20\/?p=252"},"modified":"2014-08-30T20:40:06","modified_gmt":"2014-08-30T20:40:06","slug":"turn-right-at-machu-picchu-should-we","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/cop20\/2014\/08\/30\/turn-right-at-machu-picchu-should-we\/","title":{"rendered":"Turn Right at Machu Picchu, should we?"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Turn Right at Machu Picchu” will make anyone excited to travel to Peru. \u00a0Mark Adams retraces the steps of Hiram Bigham, the “rediscover” of Machu Picchu. \u00a0Throughout the book, he explores various Inca ruins, treks through cloud forests and has hilarious interactions with the locals. \u00a0As someone who has been to Peru, and explored some of the same mountain regions and Inca sites as Mark Adams, there are two points to be taken away from his book. \u00a0The first has to do with the Inca people as a whole. \u00a0The Inca were arguably the most powerful and advanced civilization\u00a0in the New World, prior to the arrival of the Europeans. \u00a0Like many earlier civilizations, their relationship with the natural world ran extremely deep within the culture of the Inca. \u00a0Inca architecture<\/span><\/a>\u00a0is an incredible feat of early engineering. \u00a0In Cusco, some buildings are still built upon the foundations of Inca structures. \u00a0Another aspect of Incan architecture is its incorporation of the natural world. \u00a0For instance, at Machu Picchu, the finely crafted walls of Inca cities\u00a0are regularly broken by boulders and trees. \u00a0The Inca did not destroy natural features, but incorporated them into the cities, and respected these features. \u00a0Another example of this is that Inca towns were built in the shape of animals. \u00a0Ollantaytambo, for instance, the last stronghold of the Inca against the spaniards, is built in the shape of a Llama. \u00a0This all shows that the Inca had a great appreciation for the natural world, and Mark Adams makes you wonder, what if the Inca had prevailed over the European settlers? \u00a0\u00a0\"\"\u00a0Mark Adams, intentionally or not, teaches a very important lesson about adventures. \u00a0The age old saying “its about the journey, not the destination” rings especially true for Mark or anyone else who has trekked to Inca sites in Peru. \u00a0At the onset of his expedition, Mark believes Machu Picchu to be his final destination and the most spectacular aspect of his journey, yet he is ultimately disappointed when he finally gets there. \u00a0Throughout his travels with John, Mark is exposed to the raw power of the Peruvian landscape, and gets to see Inca ruins that are largely untouched, yet when he gets to Machu Picchu he is presented with a completely different site. \u00a0In part he is disappointed by the state of Machu Picchu, the big entrance gate, large number of people, and switchback bus road up the mountain have a spoiling effect on the place. \u00a0Now, Mark adams is not diminishing the wonder of the site, rather calling in to question peoples impact there. \u00a0Is it right for people to so\u00a0exploit<\/span><\/a>\u00a0Machu Picchu? \u00a0Does the heavy traffic and tourist style buildings take away from what the place is? \u00a0I believe Mark Adams would say yes, that the mystic wonder, the unseen substance that floats around a place like Machu Picchu is pushed back by the level of human impact\u00a0there. \u00a0Mark Adams felt it, and I felt it to when I went, so that begs the question, are people right to explore and exploit Machu Picchu?\u00a0\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Turn Right at Machu Picchu” will make anyone excited to travel to Peru. \u00a0Mark Adams retraces the steps of Hiram Bigham, the “rediscover” of Machu Picchu. \u00a0Throughout the book, he explores various Inca ruins, treks through cloud forests and has hilarious interactions with the locals. \u00a0As someone who has been to Peru, and explored some … <\/p>\n

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