Peru…meh. Are we over traveling?

Peru, with it’s breathtaking Incan ruins, Andean culture, and natural splendor is it at the top of many to-do lists. Why then were we so unsatisfied that we came and went as fast as possible? Sure, we spent time in Cuzco and visited Machu Picchu. And yes, they were stunning but the motivation came more from obligation than a true desire to see these amazing places. What is going on? The answer is that the syndrome all long term backpackers fear had finally taken hold of us… traveler’s fatigue.

The churches, ruins and waterfalls start blurring together into indistinguishable memories. You’d rather sit in your hostel watching movies than explore the city. The thought of socializing in another backpacker bar makes your stomach turn. We’ve been lucky to keep traveler’s fatigue at bay for longer than most, but Peru caused a sudden fit. Tourists flock to Peru like fat kids to a candy store. They’ve created a place with all the things we try to avoid – restaurants with western menus and prices, aggressive touts, lame bars with cheesy music, souvenir shops with mass produced “handicrafts”, and worst of all, loud Americans. These things in themselves are not bad. If it’s your first time out of the country, I couldn’t recommend a better place to start than Peru. But for us these things have become all too familiar, and just aren’t exciting anymore.

What makes traveling great are new experiences and adventures – feeling surprised and amazed by the world’s diversity. For nearly two years, we’ve been able to maintain that sensation but unfortunately it’s fading. The “wow factor” just isn’t there anymore. This became most obvious when after visiting Machu Picchu and walking the ancient streets of Cuzco, the best part of Peru was meeting a German couple who became great friends. We realized it’s now the relationships that matter more than the experiences. Instead of talking about the next jungle adventure or trekking expedition, we talk about our loved ones and how we can’t wait to be back. As a result, we’ve decided to spend our remaining months in just a few places, skipping Columbia and Guatemala for another trip, and volunteering at farms in Ecuador and Mexico. What we now consider exciting is the idea of stopping and settling in, so we figured we should get a little practice before our biggest and most challenging adventure yet… being home.