Why I Didn't Go to Machu Picchu

(not from my camera)

April was not a normal month, with a three-week period spent out of the country on a continent I had never been to before. All three weeks were spent in the mountains of Peru, with the city of Cusco as my home base. It was wonderful.

Cusco is only about 50 miles from Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is almost automatically assumed that anyone traveling to Peru, and especially anyone traveling to the Cusco area, will visit Machu Picchu. I didn’t go. Here are my reasons:

1. There was only one main objective for this trip, which was to focus as much as possible on developing my Spanish fluency. It was not a vacation. The trip was not designed to see the sights. It just happened that, after extensive research of language programs, the language school option which made the most sense to me in terms of structure and associated costs was in city with a lot of tourists itching to see Machu Picchu and other attractions.

2. Dealing with mobs of tourists and all of the associated things is not pleasurable to me. I don’t want to wait in lines. My experience in a beautiful place can be ruined by noise and other influences of people. Any obligation to follow a prescripted timeline stresses me out. An experience in nature should never involve having a guide telling me what to do. Though I like to have a plan, any lack of flexibility and spontaneity with the plan is disappointing. And maybe most importantly to me, I think touristy activities often miss valuable experiences with local people and culture.

3. Machu Picchu tours typically involve a significant investment of time and financial resources, with no guarantee about how things will go (e.g., weather, visibility).

4. The area around Cusco is incredible! There are many great exploring options – beautiful mountains, hiking trails, ancient ruins, and interesting towns. I had no trouble finding activities that appealed to me, without the need for special arrangements or high costs.

5. I love creating my own adventures. I spent months before my trip studying and preparing. I researched towns and hiking trails, and I sifted through many opinions from former adventurers of Peru. In the end, I was thrilled with my two Saturday outings. I took public transportation, which is challenge in and of itself that I enjoy figuring out and which I think gives a little glimpse into culture and life. I went to two popular Sacred Valley towns which have ancient ruins – Ollantaytambo and Chinchero. Both areas proved to be stunningly beautiful. I did hikes from those two towns on very peaceful and interesting trails. I saw some incredible places that most tourists never see. I had all of the time and open space I could ever desire for snapping some photos. I was back in Cusco before dark. And each trip cost me about $10 USD in total, which I get a sense of satisfaction from, I guess due to being a fairly conservative spender.

6. I find little satisfaction in going where “everyone else” has gone. I get lots of satisfaction in going places few have gone that are just as beautiful and intriguing.

I have zero regrets. My Saturday trips were blessed with good weather, and I loved everything I saw and experienced in the mountains of Peru.