The Tourist Experience at Machu Picchu

Prior to going to Machu Picchu, Professor Falconí said the thing he liked least about it was how touristy it was. However, I was certainly not prepared for how touristy it actually was. Right off the bat in Aguas Calientes, we went to a restaurant for breakfast prior to taking the bus up. There, Anna overheard two girls saying to each other “What even is Machu Picchu?” And the other replied “I don’t know, some old town or something”. To me, the fact that people go to Machu Picchu without having even some semblance of appreciation for the culture that is preserved there is astounding. Why would you even go and spend money on this if you don’t truly appreciate it? Then, in line for the bus, a man approached the group asking if we needed a tour guide. Professor responded that we already had a guide, and to this the man said “I am your guide!”. Suspicious, Professor asked for his name, which was apparently Carlos, yet our tour guide was supposed to be named Wilson (rip Wilson). Without even an ounce of shame, Carlos vaguely gestured around saying some woman had told him we needed a guide, and eventually walked away. The whole interaction was truly ridiculous. In all the other incan sites we visited, nothing similar to this had occurred. The nature of how touristy Machu Picchu is was the cause of this incident. 

When we finally made it up to Machu Picchu, this touristy nature of the trip only continued. It was 2 soles to go to the restroom (isn’t this a bodily right? This seems very wrong to me), and past the gate, there were employees stationed all around just watching people. It seemed that their only job was to prevent people from doing anything but walk along the path. Anna sat on a rock (not one closed off or anything), and this man had the audacity to blow his whistle and make her get off. Apparently having fun is not permitted at Machu Picchu, it is an observation only experience. I’m not even going to go into our real tour guide Wilson, who told us the most boring fake stories about Machu Picchu possible. I’m wondering now if we should’ve just gone with Carlos. Seriously, I am so grateful that we had actually studied the history a little bit before coming, otherwise I probably would've believed his crap. Seeing Machu Picchu was incredible, and the history and sights themselves were surreal. However, the tourist experience did make me wish I could’ve come before it became so popular. The tour especially just felt so inauthentic, and made me question everything around me.