Put Away Your Camera at Machu Picchu

I have a challenge for anyone visiting Machu Picchu.

Put away your camera.

I’m not saying take zero photos. You have to take a few. 

After all, it's Machu Picchu.

But try this

Enter the park with your camera in your bag. Don’t take it out until after you’ve stopped for the first time, and really take it in. Take some mental photos. 

Then, find a couple spots for good shots, get em, and put the camera away.

It’s not that I don’t want you to document your experience. I want you to actually experience one of the most extraordinary places in the world...

That is why you need to be present.

The views are incredible, don’t get me wrong. And, of course you gotta get the postcard shot.

Oh, and probably a llama selfie.

But there’s so much more to feel. And I would hate for you to miss that.

Machu Picchu was - and is - a very sacred space for one of the most mysterious cultures in history. The energy there is unlike anything I’ve ever felt in my life. 

You can’t feel that through a camera lens.

I challenge you to find a quiet space, and just sit. 

Observe. Absorb the surroundings...observe yourself.

Take a look back in time and imagine the movement of the town 500 years ago. Look away from the site for a minute and experience the mountains all around you. 

How the heck did they find this place? 

Analyze the construction of the buildings - how the fuck did they pull that off? 

Maybe you can even spot the face of the Inca in the mountain.

Take a look inward. Reflect on your journey. How has your time in Perú affected you? What have you learned about yourself?

What, if anything, do you want to change when you get home?

I challenge you to leave Perú with more than just photos. 

I challenge you to get home and tell people about Machu Picchu before you show them.

I challenge you to put your fu#ing camera away and have an authentic EXPERIENCE.