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Reading Blog 9 read full post >>

is it possible? read full post >>

Tourism & Ruins ~ Machu Pichu read full post >>

Machu Picchu is without a doubt one of the most iconic archaeological sites in the world, and holds a unique position in history. As Mark Rice eloquently observes in Making Machu Picchu, “Unlike most historic sites visited by tourists, Machu Picchu is defined not by its prominence but by its relative absence in Peruvian history […] read full post >>

Reading Blog 8 read full post >>

Visiting Machu Piccu today was EXTRAORDINARY! I am grateful to have gotten the chance to read Mark Rice’s Making of Machu Piccu beforehand because it provided context that made me think of the historical site differently. It is truly a wonder why Maccu Piccu has become internationally recognized to such a degree that it is now considering the other amazing historical sites in Peru. Before arriving to Peru, I often heard of how Macchu Piccu was a testament to the Incan’s advanced architectural and engineering skills. However, after seeing many other Incan sites such as Sascayhuaman, and Moray which used more complex stone-cutting techniques, it led me to ponder the impact of the narrative that was used to bolster Macchu Picchu’s popularity using stories that are appealing to tourists. A quote that came to mind during our tour was on page 47 of Making Macchu Piccu: read full post >>

‘These assumptions continued in COPESCO planning documents that estimated that the average traveler to Peru in 1971 would be “a business man or professional between thirty-five and forty, with a high degree of education and cultural level. It is almost guaranteed this man will travel with his family.”’ (Making Machu Picchu, p. 121) Jon, I […] read full post >>

Because of unfortunate circumstances of my own making, I had to embark on a three hour round trip between Ollyantambo and Pisac. The silver lining of this misfortune is that I got to talk to a chatty taxi driver. I wish I could remember his name, but it wasn’t one that was common. He was […] read full post >>

“Although Bingham’s exploits have tended to overshadow earlier efforts, Peruvian public and private institutions boasted a long history of archeological activity and conservation.”(Rice, pg. 22) There is a history of English theft of cultural items. Often, this theft is motivated by a paternalistic view. England claims to have a better ability to preserve artifacts, and […] read full post >>

Reading blog Thoughts on one sentence from Andean Lives, Condori Mamani and Quispe Huamán. I think that there are so many sentences to write about from this book. But one sentence that stood out to me is from Condori Mamani’s section on page 30: “Well, with the donkey vanishing as if swallowed by the earth, I […] read full post >>