---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In a minor way it was, he suspected, like…"
description: "\"“In a minor way it was, he suspected, like Machu Picchu, or the Great Pyramid—a place you always forgot you’d never have to yourself. People imagined v..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/marcus-sakey-5370_machu-picchu_in-a-minor-way-it-was-he-suspected-like_2933129.jpg"
---

#  In a minor way it was, he suspected, like Machu Picchu, or…

![“In a minor way it was, he suspected, like Machu Picchu, or the Great Pyramid—a place you always forgot you’d never have to yourself. People imagined visiting them alone, climbing the steps in quiet contemplation of the past. They forgot about the stalls selling T-shirts and kebabs, forgot the tour…” quote by Marcus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/marcus-sakey-5370_machu-picchu_in-a-minor-way-it-was-he-suspected-like_2933129.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/marcus-sakey-5370_machu-picchu_in-a-minor-way-it-was-he-suspected-like_2933129.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/marcus-sakey-5370_machu-picchu_in-a-minor-way-it-was-he-suspected-like_2933129.jpg)

> ““In a minor way it was, he suspected, like Machu Picchu, or the Great Pyramid—a place you always forgot you’d never have to yourself. People imagined visiting them alone, climbing the steps in quiet contemplation of the past. They forgot about the stalls selling T-shirts and kebabs, forgot the tour buses of sunburned Americans, forgot velvet ropes and security guards.””

[Marcus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sakey/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Describes tourist sites as commercialized, losing their authentic, contemplative essence.

**In simple terms:** Commercialization erodes the sacredness of historic places.

Key Takeaway

Seek authentic experiences beyond tourist trappings.

Themes

authenticity commercialization heritage

Mood

nostalgic critical reflective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- travel planning
- historical education
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

cultural tourism consumerism

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you find quiet in crowded sites?
- What value does tourism bring?

A Different Perspective

Some enjoy the commercial vibe.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Americans Forgot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans-forgot-4334871/) [Forgot People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgot-people-293002/) [Kebabs Forgot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kebabs-forgot-4334873/) [Machu picchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machu-picchu/) [Past Forgot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-forgot-4334872/) [Place Forgot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/place-forgot-4334870/) [Security guards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security-guards/) [Tour bus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tour-bus/)

## Related quotes

> [“Another result of the War of 1812 was the loss of part of our history. As historian Bruce Johansen put it, "A century of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/another-result-of-the-war-of-1812-was-the-loss-of-part-of-our-history/)

[James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/)

> [I bought some land in Portugal, on the highest hill in Guimaraes, because I pictured that I wanted to build my house there. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nuno-espirito-santo/i-bought-some-land-in-portugal-on-the-highest-hill-in-guimaraes/)

[Nuno Espirito Santo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nuno-espirito-santo/)

> [“They were too much to carry so I left them behind for a new life, in a new place but no one forgot who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/they-were-too-much-to-carry-so-i-left-them-behind-for-a-new-life-in-a/)

[Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/)

> [“They were too much to carry so i left them behind for a new life, in a new place but no one forgot who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/they-were-too-much-to-carry-so-i-left-them-behind-for-a-new-life-in-a-2/)

[Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/)

> [“Perhaps it was Helen's way of falling in love--a curious way to Margaret, whose agony and whose contempt of Henry were yet imprinted with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster-2/perhaps-it-was-helen-s-way-of-falling-in-love-a-curious-way-to/)

[E.M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster-2/)

> [This happened to the people. The Constitution says of the people, by the people, for the people... but the people who got the office,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/this-happened-to-the-people-the-constitution-says-of-the-people-by/)

[Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/)

> [We just fundamentally forgot that people want to vote for something positive. They want to be shown what the good life for them personally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cleverly/we-just-fundamentally-forgot-that-people-want-to-vote-for-something/)

[James Cleverly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cleverly/)

> [I spent so much time focusing on haters that I forgot about the people that actually love me. And that's who I'm focused on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belly/i-spent-so-much-time-focusing-on-haters-that-i-forgot-about-the/)

[Belly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belly/)

> [In the quest to be clever, I completely forgot about the people that I love and that love me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/in-the-quest-to-be-clever-i-completely-forgot-about-the-people-that-i/)

[John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/)

> [“It'll get easier," Paolo said. But I knew that. That was the worst part. The worst part was that eventually you forgot about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/it-ll-get-easier-paolo-said-but-i-knew-that-that-was-the-worst-part/)

[Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/)

> [“Although Walter was the first to admit that his own memory wasn’t the best—that he forgot people’s names all the time even when he’d…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/although-walter-was-the-first-to-admit-that-his-own-memory-wasn-t-the/)

[Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/)

> [She often had to remind herself that she couldn't do everything alone. She wasn't always the best person for the job. Sometimes she got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/she-often-had-to-remind-herself-that-she-couldn-t-do-everything-alone/)

[Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/)

> [“We offer Peru adventure travel, Peru custom tours. We can make you the perfect tour of your dreams. Custom Peru tours for Inca Trail,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peruunbound/we-offer-peru-adventure-travel-peru-custom-tours-we-can-make-you-the/)

[Peruunbound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peruunbound/)

> [So let's not pretend that travel is always fun. We don't spend 10 hours lost in the Louvre because we like it, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/so-let-s-not-pretend-that-travel-is-always-fun-we-don-t-spend-10/)

[Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/)

> [When I was in my twenties and just so sexually prolific, the first time I went to Machu Picchu, this guy, a spiritual teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-was-in-my-twenties-and-just-so-sexually-prolific-the-first/)

[Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/)

## More by Marcus Sakey

> [“There was a skill to organizing your life into neatly bundled anecdotes, and he lacked it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/there-was-a-skill-to-organizing-your-life-into-neatly-bundled/)

[Marcus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sakey/)

> [“you are going to find that the heights you’ve attained make for a long fall if you don’t understand the mountain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/you-are-going-to-find-that-the-heights-you-ve-attained-make-for-a/)

[Marcus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sakey/)

> [Once I came to really understand the mechanics of three-act structure, my life got a great deal easier. It doesn't tell you how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/once-i-came-to-really-understand-the-mechanics-of-three-act-structure/)

[Marcus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sakey/)

> [“If it was to survive, America had to develop a new system of exchange, one that would be impervious to the gamesmanship of gifted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/if-it-was-to-survive-america-had-to-develop-a-new-system-of-exchange/)

[Marcus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sakey/)

> [“That was the thing about terror: it made rational people act irrationally.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/that-was-the-thing-about-terror-it-made-rational-people-act/)

[Marcus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sakey/)

> [“As politicians had long known, people preferred short, catchy answers to complex ones, even if the short answers were oversimplified to the point of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/as-politicians-had-long-known-people-preferred-short-catchy-answers/)

[Marcus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sakey/)

> [“Cooper had been at a scene once where a car had collided with an agent and pinned him against a metal barrier, shattering everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/cooper-had-been-at-a-scene-once-where-a-car-had-collided-with-an/)

[Marcus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sakey/)

> [“Data. That’s what matters. That’s what tells us something. But people want to see pictures. Supernova in vivid color. Even though scientifically it’s useless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/data-that-s-what-matters-that-s-what-tells-us-something-but-people/)

[Marcus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sakey/)

> [“intentions and results. Cooper’s intentions in killing Peters and releasing the video had been good; the results had been a disaster. Did that make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/intentions-and-results-cooper-s-intentions-in-killing-peters-and/)

[Marcus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sakey/)

> [“When a sailor’s drowned body was found tangled in lines over the port side, the men agreed he must have fallen overboard in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/when-a-sailor-s-drowned-body-was-found-tangled-in-lines-over-the-port/)

[Marcus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sakey/)

> [Trying to analyze a situation without enough data was like looking at a photograph of a ball in flight and trying to gauge its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/trying-to-analyze-a-situation-without-enough-data-was-like-looking-at/)

[Marcus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sakey/)

> [I didn't want to just write a series - I wanted to write an epic, on story that spans three books, where decisions made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/i-didn-t-want-to-just-write-a-series-i-wanted-to-write-an-epic-on/)

[Marcus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sakey/)

> [He had been someone before. That person had been the result of a lifetime of choices, good and bad. And like it or not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/he-had-been-someone-before-that-person-had-been-the-result-of-a/)

[Marcus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sakey/)

> [“Here’s the thing about freedom: Freedom is not a couch. It’s not a television, or a car, or a house. It’s not an item…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/here-s-the-thing-about-freedom-freedom-is-not-a-couch-it-s-not-a/)

[Marcus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sakey/)

> [“Now sit down and shut up, you autocratic frat boy. It’s adult swim.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/now-sit-down-and-shut-up-you-autocratic-frat-boy-it-s-adult-swim/)

[Marcus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sakey/)

[Explore all 99 Marcus Sakey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sakey/)

## More Machu picchu quotes

> [When I was in my twenties and just so sexually prolific, the first time I went to Machu Picchu, this guy, a spiritual teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-was-in-my-twenties-and-just-so-sexually-prolific-the-first/)

[Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/)

> [So let's not pretend that travel is always fun. We don't spend 10 hours lost in the Louvre because we like it, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/so-let-s-not-pretend-that-travel-is-always-fun-we-don-t-spend-10/)

[Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/)

> [“We offer Peru adventure travel, Peru custom tours. We can make you the perfect tour of your dreams. Custom Peru tours for Inca Trail,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peruunbound/we-offer-peru-adventure-travel-peru-custom-tours-we-can-make-you-the/)

[Peruunbound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peruunbound/)

> [I did the Kilimanjaro climb a few years ago, then the six-day trek to Machu Picchu in Peru so this bike ride to raise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-van-outen/i-did-the-kilimanjaro-climb-a-few-years-ago-then-the-six-day-trek-to/)

[Denise Van Outen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-van-outen/)

> [“He keeps silent for several seasons. In my mind, hundreds of questions that I don’t ask. Instead, I go to Machu Picchu, explore the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ryu/he-keeps-silent-for-several-seasons-in-my-mind-hundreds-of-questions/)

[Alexandria Ryu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ryu/)

> [All man must live in Machu Picchu for some time! Over there, you will be closer to the universe and you will realise how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/all-man-must-live-in-machu-picchu-for-some-time-over-there-you-will/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [It’s an irritating reality that many places and events defy description. Angkor Wat and Machu Picchu, for instance, seem to demand silence, like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/it-s-an-irritating-reality-that-many-places-and-events-defy/)

[Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/)

> [Night falls over Machu Picchu to the sound of Abba's 'Dancing Queen'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-palin/night-falls-over-machu-picchu-to-the-sound-of-abba-s-dancing-queen/)

[Michael Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-palin/)

> [“I thought, There is nowhere else in the universe I would rather be at this moment. I could count the places I would not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/i-thought-there-is-nowhere-else-in-the-universe-i-would-rather-be-at-2/)

[Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/)

> [The Americans only like things they can label, even if it kills them. Think of those poor Latin American writers. Some of them are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-americans-only-like-things-they-can-label-even-if-it-kills-them/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [“Separating fact and fiction in Inca history is impossible, because virtually all the sources available are Spanish accounts of stories that had already been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-adams/separating-fact-and-fiction-in-inca-history-is-impossible-because/)

[Mark Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-adams/)

> [The critics are like tourists who return from a trip saying they've "done" Machu Picchu: "Okay, we've done magical realism," so now we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-critics-are-like-tourists-who-return-from-a-trip-saying-they-ve/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [“I remembered an unpleasant weekend spent struggling to comprehend the philosopher Immanuel Kant's explanation of the difference between calling something beautiful and calling it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-adams/i-remembered-an-unpleasant-weekend-spent-struggling-to-comprehend-the/)

[Mark Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-adams/)

> [“Accept that cars aren’t necessary and that some meals take hours, that we can now fly to space, that there’s nothing wrong with crashing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aric-s-queen/accept-that-cars-aren-t-necessary-and-that-some-meals-take-hours-that/)

[Aric S. Queen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aric-s-queen/)

[Browse all 15 Machu picchu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machu-picchu/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“In a minor way it was, he suspected, like Machu Picchu, or the Great Pyramid—a place you always forgot you’d never have to yourself. People imagined visiting them alone, climbing the steps in quiet contemplation of the past. They forgot about the stalls selling T-shirts and kebabs, forgot the tour buses of sunburned Americans, forgot velvet ropes and security guards.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Marcus Sakey"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/in-a-minor-way-it-was-he-suspected-like-machu-picchu-or-the-great/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Machu picchu"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/in-a-minor-way-it-was-he-suspected-like-machu-picchu-or-the-great/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/marcus-sakey-5370_machu-picchu_in-a-minor-way-it-was-he-suspected-like_2933129.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/marcus-sakey-5370_machu-picchu_in-a-minor-way-it-was-he-suspected-like_2933129.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/marcus-sakey-5370_machu-picchu_in-a-minor-way-it-was-he-suspected-like_2933129.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“In a minor way it was, he suspected, like Machu Picchu, or the Great Pyramid—a place you always forgot you’d…” — Marcus Sakey",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Marcus Sakey",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sakey/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“In a minor way it was,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/in-a-minor-way-it-was-he-suspected-like-machu-picchu-or-the-great/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/in-a-minor-way-it-was-he-suspected-like-machu-picchu-or-the-great/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
