Soundscapes of Machu Picchu

 While taking in the view at Machu Picchu I was enjoying the serenity of the birds, the wind, being enveloped in the breathtaking view of the mountains, until I heard a bus honking, which pulled me out of the moment. I was surprised that while walking around the lower grounds of Machu Picchu that I would be able to hear a bus. This sound made me sad for several reasons: firstly, it made me sad because I knew it was a sound unfamiliar to the Incas. As a visitor to this beautiful, ancient city, I was trying to connect with and immerse myself in Inca culture. I was trying to imagine what life would have been like: I was seeing remnants of what they saw and was hearing some of the nature they would have heard, until the bus… Hearing the bus was upsetting not just because it jolted me out of this contemplative state, but also because it reminded me of how touristy Machu Picchu is. Making the site so accessible by building roads right next to the site takes away some of the magic of the site. I was reminded that it is no longer the hidden city untouched in the jungle: it has been found and touched. Lastly, the sound of the bus reminded me of how programmed and structured the experience of visiting Machu Picchu. I was reminded that in a few moments, I too, would be likely riding the bus down (which didn’t actually happen). I really did not enjoy the structure of the visit, particularly the fact that we could only move in one direction and that we were constantly encouraged to move along by the guards. Even the "hike" down from Machu Picchu had built in stairs. I made Machu Picchu my own experience by venturing off the path a bit and finding a quiet rock on a river to contemplate what I had just experienced.