About Me
I’m
Bachelor of Science student at the Melbourne University, so this subject
definitely stands out from my others in a pretty glaring way. I was initially
drawn to the subject due to its unique twist on approaching travel, looking at
it through a lens I had never considered before the start of this year.
I’d
say I’m decently well-travelled person, having experienced the modern wonders
of countries like the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, the more natural sceneries
of Algeria, and the rich cultural landscape of European countries like France,
England and Italy. Yet despite all of this my approach has been rather shallow,
something I intend to rectify in the future.
“Traveling
is an easy way of surrounding ourselves, as in childhood, with what we cannot
understand.”
Among
all of Pico Iyer’s assertions in “Why We Travel” this one stood out to me the
most. It reminded me of the times my gruff old man would get excited to see the
sites he only read about as a child, or how I would get starstruck by the sights
and sounds of the places I didn’t understand. There’s simply something awe
inspiring about travel that we feel but cannot name, and that’s what draws me
to my next journey.
Looking
back at the Machu Picchu, I aim to explore how this Wonder of the World has
been relegated to the box of a ‘mystical lost city,’ subsequently diminishing
the scientific ingenuity and deep cultural significance of the Incan way of
life. This oversimplification serves to bolster the Western world’s idea of
mystery and spirituality pertaining to the site, often at the cost of actual
historical accuracy and Indigenous perspectives.
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