A Lost City and its Time Machine: Vision and Affect in Rail Travel to Machu Picchu

Rail travel to Machu Picchu functions as a 'time machine,' transporting tourists back in time and reinforcing the myth of lost cities, discovery, and dispossession. This study reveals how rail journeys capitalize on historic and cultural imaginings of Machu Picchu, transforming visitors into explorers through vision and affect. The research combines archival analysis with ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Cuzco and at Machu Picchu to demonstrate the integral role of transportation in shaping the tourist experience at this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Cox Hall, A. (2020). A Lost City and its Time Machine: Vision and Affect in Rail Travel to Machu Picchu. Space and Culture, 25(4), 586–599. https://doi.org/10.1177/1206331220965418