Susan Sarandon offically reopens Machu Picchu

by Kraig Becker on

As predicted, Machu Picchu reopened to the public on Thursday, with Oscar Award winning actress Susan Sarandon on hand to welcome visitors back to the monument for the first time in more than two months.

Back in January, heavy rains washed out portions of the railroad tracks that run from Cusco to Aguas Caliente, the nearest town to the Inca fortress. The severe flooding that followed caused a great deal of damage throughout the region, and even resulted in the closure of the Inca Trail. With Peru’s biggest tourist attraction shut down, the local economy has suffered greatly, which is why the reopening was seen as such an important event. Repair crews worked overtime to complete a crucial 17-mile section of the railway, in order to meet the April 1st deadline.

Like a microcosm of the past two months, opening day began with a downpour, but later the skies cleared, and the sun shone through, allowing the first visitors to enter the ancient city. In honor of the reopening, locals performed an ancient ritual asking for a blessing from Mother Earth to protect the site and keep the visitors safe.

During the high season, Machu Picchu sees upwards of 2000 visitors per day, and with a lot of pent up demand, those numbers are expected to swell even higher in the months ahead. Most tourists planning a trip to Peru in the weeks ahead are just happy to have the opportunity to see one of the most spectacular ancient ruins anywhere on the planet.

Machu Picchu reopens April 1st

by Kraig Becker on

The Peruvian Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Martin Pérez, has announced that popular tourist destination Machu Picchu will reopen to visitors starting April 1st, marking a return to normalcy for the 15th century Inca fortress that is the focal point Peru’s travel industry.

The UNESCO World Heritage site has been closed for nearly two months following torrential rainfall that caused severe flooding back in January. Those floods caused the famous railway to Machu Picchu to washout, stranding thousands of tourists at the site for several days. Since that time, crews have been working hard to restore access, removing major landslides from the tracks, and rebuilding sections that were completely destroyed.

With more than 800,000 visitors per year, Machu Picchu is easily Peru’s top tourist destination. It is estimated that nearly $400 million has been lost due to the closure of the site, and with more than 15,000 Peruvians earning their living, either directly or indirectly, from Machu Picchu, the impact on Peru’s economy has been nothing short of catastrophic. The news of the re-opening offers a ray of hope to those workers.

The over-emphasis of Machu Picchu by the tourism industry in Peru has become a cause for concern amongst officials there. Over the past two months, new plans have been put forth to promote some of the other archeological sites in the area, including Sacsayhuamán and Tambomachay, amongst others. Tourism experts hope that by encouraging travelers to visit these other locations, it will take some of the focus off of Machu Picchu, and diversify the industry to an extent.

Whether or not travelers can be convinced to visit these other sites remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure, both the visitors and the locals alike will be happy to see Machu Picchu open once again.
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Hundreds of tourists stranded at Machu Picchu after flooding

by Katie Hammel on

Severe flooding in Peru has caused several landslides that have left hundreds (reports range from 1500 to 2500) of people stranded at Machu Picchu. Many of the landslides happened on Saturday, killing one tourist and his guide, and leaving others stuck in spots along the Inca Trail that leads to the site. The 40-mile railway that connects the ancient site to Cuzco was also blocked by the landslides, leaving tourists stranded and the city’s only hotel overwhelmed as it tries to care for everyone.

According to the UK’s Guardian, helicopters are the only option for getting supplies in and getting people out right now. Unfortunately, the going is slow and supplies at Machu Picchu are dwindling. And, says the AFP, some of those stranded are concerned that others are bribing officials in order to be rescued first. In the meantime, those who can’t find accommodation are camping out by the train station or in the city square.

Over 1300 homes have been destroyed because of the flooding and landslides, which have been called the worst in 15 years. A 60-day state of emergency has been declared.

Photo of the Day (2.26.09)

by Kent Wien on

I’ve always wanted to visit Machu Piccu in Peru. This might be the best shot I’ve seen yet of the area, taken by Magnusvk. He even gives a few tips on capturing such a sight:

Go in the rainy season, get up as early as you can, take the first bus up and just ignore the rain. That’s the only way to have Machu Picchu more or less for yourself for a couple of minutes. The morning mood, as you can see, is beautiful and really does reward all hardship.

I think it’s only fair to award the Photo of the Day to Magnusvk for his effort.

Are you a Flickr user who’d like to share a travel related picture or two for our consideration? Submit it to Gadling’s Flickr group right now! We just might use it for our Photo of the Day!