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Easton Depp
Class of 2019 |
This spring break, I took a trip to Peru. Motivated by a desire to see the world I was missing out on, a friend and I organized a jam-packed trip to the three cities of Lima, Cusco, and Aguas Calientes. This was my first time truly experiencing a new culture, all of my past forays out of the US had been rather limited in scope. One of the moments that resonated most to me was the final glimpse I took of Machu Picchu. There is an overwhelming sense of romanticism present in the ruins of the abandoned city. Surrounded by the sacred river, the Urubamba and crowned by two sacred temples, the site holds an interesting spiritual significance to the Incas. Abandoned by the Incas during the Spanish conquest, the site was left undiscovered and evaded destruction and defacement by conquistadors.
As a result of this, modern visitors are able to catch a glimpse of how Incas lived; immersed in nature. They shaped their lives around the environment they lived among. The terraces they shaped into the mountainside created a location for agriculture, but it also protected the mountains from erosion and decay. Interestingly, modern Peruvians have incorporated a similar principle into their lives. The small town of Aguas calientes was reminiscent of a modern town, and perhaps a little touristy. Yet, it did an incredible job of incorporating and celebrating the environment that encompassed it. There were no artificial grass lawns or flat squares. The town was placed on an incline and the entirety of it was surrounded by thick jungle. It was a startling shift from the typical American towns I had experienced, but also a breath of fresh air. This trip was my first into another culture and I learned a lot from it. I look forward to future trips as additional possibilities to broaden my own horizons.
Easton Depp, of Ft. Thomas, Ky., is a junior McConnell Scholar studying political science, economics, and history.
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