Peru is greater than Machu Picchu

Before I traveled to Peru, to me Peru was where Machu Picchu was, and so I wanted to go to Peru very badly. In Cusco, I lived with a host family and visited many of the volunteer projects that the organization I work for sends students. I talked with supervisors and children at schools, orphanages, hospitals, women’s shelters, animal sanctuaries, and more. In Cusco, I visited Incan ruins within walking distance of the city and touched the Incan walls that line the everyday work commute for locals.


After traveling to Peru, it is no longer just the place where Machu Picchu is, it is a place filled with warm people who are proud eager to share their culture.

It is a good thing Peru and Machu Picchu were not equated in my mind by the end of my trip, because at this time I had also lost my camera with all of my photos on it. There is exactly one photo of me at Machu Picchu that someone else took. I am more upset that I don’t have the photos of the sweet girls in my host family or the men from the chicheria I visited.