Peru part II: the trouble with tourguides

[psocoptera]

The problem with tourguides is like the problem with politicians: they have to keep selling themselves to you, and not doing anything isn't a very strong selling point, so they have to keep doing something, even when not doing something would be better. (And there isn't a great feedback mechanism, because you're basically going to keep voting for them as long as the other guy sucks more, or you're going to tip them no matter what because you're a wealthy American tourist and they're a working-class guy in a country with a 50% poverty rate who happened to do better in their English classes than math or art or whatever they might have dreamed of doing and stiffing them is not actually going to make your trip any better, it's just going to suck for them.) This leads to ludicrous situations where you're standing in a field in the middle of a vast complex of ruins in a little clump listening to your guide yammer on repetitively about things you've already read about in your guidebook while all around you are fascinating stone walls you can't go look at, stairs you can't go up, doors you can't go through, hills you can't climb, until after nearly half an hour he sets you free for ten precious minutes to frantically race around and try to actually see the thing you've come to see. Because otherwise, what are you paying him for? And then later you come home and find out on wikipedia that the site is also noted for an extensive system of underground passages and *dude*, if you're going to pay to not be allowed to wander, couldn't they at least take you somewhere *awesome* while they had you on the leash?

As far as I can tell, the service tourguides offer is mediating the experience for you, telling you what you're looking at and what *to* look at and what experience you're having. I travel to have *immediate* experiences [1]. I just don't want what they're selling, and I don't think I care to do any more traveling where tourguides are the answer, I think I'll seek out alternatives where they're not.

[1] Thinking about it, all of my most profound travel experiences were while traveling alone; I've had lots of *fun* with traveling companions, but the moments that come to mind as truly outstanding were all when I was on my own in the UK, and it was just me and the deep personal resonance. One of my regrets about Peru is never finding the time to sit down and live sketch part of an Inca wall; I would have liked to have that time to really see and think about the lines and shapes, but there was just never time. I probably could have carved out some time at Macchu Picchu but it wouldn't be the same anyways with other people looking over my shoulder and me watching the clock to not hold them up too long. Even if they said it was *fine*, Josh. ::grin::

Comments

[cereph.livejournal.com]

re: Saksaqwaman
underground passageways! I can't believe he didn't even mention them in his spiel. Ugh. And I was already angry at myself for not ditching the group immediately when I saw the pictures of the site's moon temple that were in the Qosqo museum. Since we thankfully ended up with you as a guide at Machu Picchu, for me that city tour was the most frustrating of the stuck-with-tour-can't-see-what-i-want moments.