¿Aguas Calientes o Niagara Falls?

Upon arrival to Aguas Calientes, the village of Machu Picchu, I woke up on the PERURAIL train to what seemed like a town constructed rapidly and haphazardly in the middle of a jungle town, where a town simply should not be. Professor Falconi had mentioned before that the town almost seemed similar to that of Tijuana, a border town. As I got off the train, I realized the main line into the town was the rail system, and that its remote location along the Inca Trail was the sole reason for existence. What should have been a backdrop of pure nature, jungle and a stream, was polluted by the horn of a train and human garbage along the stream. Hoards of Peruvian men clad in neon green from head to toe lugged the tents and sleeping bags of hikers, a porter union that is an essential component to the Inca Trail hike, done seemingly by only foreigners.

As I made my way down the narrow main stretch, every door offered a place to stay, a meal, or served as a convenience store, advertising themselves to none other than tourists. Neon signs advertised bug spray and selfie sticks, the ultimate sign of a tourist. The bricks along the railroad and up into the plaza were spotless and intact, given that they are newly constructed, as an expansion due to the influx of visitors and the boom in tourism in the Andes. As the day progressed, I looked out of the balcony of my hotel room, with sheet metal and bricks obstructing my view of a pure, green valley. Dogs barked, music played, and tourists clamored out. Not long after, we went to a restaurant, which may or may not have had the highest prices I had seen in my entire time in Peru, despite the food being nothing special. At once, the entire group left the restaurant in search of other mediocre options in the tourist trap that is the town of Aguas Calientes, which closely parallels the town around Niagara Falls. The town there is nothing but a haphazardly thrown together trap, charging passersby for everything imaginable. Neon signs advertise tours and rain jackets, and one must pass through store after store to even get somewhat near the Falls themselves. One can’t make their way towards the true nature without being accosted, people trying to sell them souvenirs, food, and any other item that they think a tourist may bite at. Laying in my bed that night, I was only able to think of my trip to Niagara Falls, with its abundance of selfie sticks and travel guides being offered. It only continued to show the commercialization of nature in our world, as businesses spring up haphazardly in attempts to gain the economic benefit of tourism, only to the cultural detriment of the surrounding areas.