Society has many misconceptions about people who are blind or have low vision. One misconception is that they do not get out much and may not enjoy travel. I love the documentary series “Planes, Trains, and Canes” because it helps to disprove these misconceptions. This documentary series features Mona Minkara, a bioengineering professor who is blind. In this series she documents her experiences as she travels to various countries.
In this episode titled “Can a Blind Person Enjoy Machu Picchu?” Mona is in Peru and sets out to explore this historical part of Peru. You can watch the episode below and subscribe to the Planes Trains and Canes YouTube channel for more videos on traveling completely blind.
I have to say that the journey to Machu Picchu is a very long one but I think it is very worth it. It seems that people in Peru have a good awareness of blindness and what the white cane represents.
The steps on the journey up the mountain are definitely kind of dangerous but her tour guide did a good job at guiding her. I would love to make the same journey one day.
One thing that Mona said that really stood out to me was that if you are scared to try things then you will not grow. I need to take her advice and not be afraid to try new things.
I think it is great that she got the opportunity to touch some of the things to be able to really experience it. So you may ask why a person who is blind would make that journey when they cannot see all the views. I think this episode shows that there are multiple ways to enjoy a place and a person who is blind can find the same enjoyment that a sighted person would just in a different way.
I really enjoyed learning about the history of Machu Picchu. You can learn more about This historical part of Peru here.
If you found this post interesting you can read my reaction to previous episodes here.
Would you like to visit Machu Picchu or Peru in general? Have you been to Peru? Let me know in the comments below. Thank you for reading!
A Flower in the Field of Life 