MACHU PICCHU CUSCO PERU NEWS

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Machu Picchu - Cusco - Peru News

Wed Mar 31

Machu Picchu to reopen Thursday

Lima.- Machu Picchu, South America’s celebrated tourist attraction and one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, is set to re-open to tourists on 1 April 2010 after flooding earlier in the year forced it to close.

Landslides and flooding caused by torrential January rains destroyed the rail line that is the only access to Machu Picchu (apart from hiking), forcing authorities to close the world-famous archaeological site although it wasn't damaged.

Peruvian trade and tourism minister Martin Perez said the news about the re-opening of this UNESCO World Heritage site has generated great expectation among globetrotters.

“One of the new Seven Wonders of the World, the citadel of Machu Picchu, reopens this Thursday to the public,” reads a BBC report.

Meanwhile, Europa Press reported that "the Inca city of Machu Picchu in the southeastern Cusco region will reopen Thursday with a series of welcoming ceremonies for the first visitors to this archaeological site since being closed by heavy rains that caused a series of landslides in late January."

Peru’s National Institute of Culture (INC) pointed out that local authorities have taken all precautionary measures to ensure the safety of the tourists.

The head of the Tourism Committee at the Lima Chamber of Commerce (CCL), Alvaro Benavides, said “there is high expectation for the upcoming Holy Week holidays, we can see that hotel bookings are increasing.”

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) ranks Peru as the fifth fastest growing country for business travel and tourism, out of 20 in Latin America. The WTTC estimates the real impact of travel and tourism in Peru will be worth almost $10bn this year, rising to $18bn by 2020.

Source:

http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/Noticia.aspx?id=WXDfvF6DPng=

Machu Picchu - Cusco - Peru News

Wed Mar 31

Machu Picchu people offer special welcome in reopening of Inca citadel

Town of Machu Picchu, .- The people of the district of Machu Picchu, also known as Aguas Calientes, will offer a special welcome to the first visitors who arrive tomorrow to the reopening of the Inca citadel, the mayor Edgar Miranda reported Wednesday.

In declarations to Andina news agency, he highlighted that school children dressed with typical clothes and balloons, besides from music bands and dance groups, will welcome the travelers.

The reception will begin at the train station and continue to the bus stop where the buses go up the citadel. The first train will arrive a little after 09:00 hours (14:00 GMT).

The mayor said that the visit of Lima’s authorities is expected as well as the presence of US actress Susan Sarandon, whom might be offered an appreciation for her contribution in the reactivation of tourism, if the circumstances allow it.

Miranda indicated that there are already tourists in the town waiting for the reopening of Machu Picchu. “There are cases of hotels with an occupancy rate of 50 percent. Tourism has started to move again”.

Source:

http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/Noticia.aspx?id=21bpxK1v3x4=

Machu Picchu - Cusco - Peru News

Tue Mar 30

Machu Picchu entrance tickets rationed to avoid tourist hoards when rail service resumes

Cusco.- Two months after torrential rain wiped out train access to Machu Picchu, Peru’s National Institute of Culture (INC) confirmed it will ration the number of entrance tickets to Peru’s most popular tourist destination to ensure the Inca citadel isn’t inundated by visitors after the site reopens on April 1.

News that the INC planned to limit the number of Machu Picchu entrance tickets was first reported Saturday by the South American Explorers in an “Urgent Note” to its members, posted on its Cusco Clubhouse page.

“The sale of entrance tickets to the citadel of Machu Picchu will start March 31 only in the city of Cusco and in limited numbers, in accordance with the need for conservation of the monument, which was declared Cultural Patrimony of Humanity by Unesco in 1983,” the INC told state-run news agency Andina.

The INC also said that it will only allow hikers onto the Inca Trail if they show they have a return ticket and confirmed seat on the train from Machu Picchu to Piscacucho. Entrance tickets onto the Inca Trail are already sold out for April and May, Diario del Cusco reported.

About 33 people, including tourists, government officials and travel agents, boarded a PeruRail train Monday for a test run on the rebuilt track, daily Peru.21 said.

They traveled between the Piscacucho train station at Km82, where the entrance to the Inca Trail is also located, and Aguas Calientes – the tourist town that sits in the ravine below Machu Picchu.

Source:

http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/Noticia.aspx?id=2ncPEVo4bt0=

Machu Picchu - Cusco - Peru News

Tue Mar 30

Machu Picchu reopening celebrated with “Payment to the Earth” ceremony

Cusco.- The reopening of Machu Picchu Inca citadel, scheduled for Thursday, will be celebrated with a “Payment to the Earth” ceremony at the Explanade of the Koricancha Temple, located in the city of Cusco, south east of the country.

The event takes place at 20:00 hours (local time) and the organization is in charge of the Foreign Trade and Tourism Ministry and the Municipality of Cusco, Peru's Export and Tourism Promotion Board (PromPeru) reported.

Before these celebrations, they will screen images of the Imperial City and Machu Picchu in two big screens.

Then, the Inca and its entourage will appear accompanied by a group of musicians and dancers that will participate in the tribute to Pachamama Raymi or Mother Earth.

At the end they will exhibit fireworks and music bands will perform.

The reopening of Machu Picchu will represent a new stage in the recovery of tourism, started after the implementation of the campaign called “Cusco Pone.”

Source:

http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/Noticia.aspx?id=PMSWAwxgSxE=

Machu Picchu - Cusco - Peru News

Mon Mar 29

Susan Saradon visits Lake Titicaca, Andean communities in Puno

Puno, .- Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon is traveling around Peru and today she will visit Lake Titicaca and the floating islands of Uros in Puno region.

After visiting tourist attractions in Cusco and tasting dishes prepared with guinea pig and corn, she arrived Sunday morning in Puno but did not tour the city to avoid altitude sickness.

According to Peru21, Liliana Choy said that Sarandon is to visit today the Lake Titicaca and the indigenous community of Uros.

“Susan has not been affected by the altitude, but she has been recommended that the best thing is to get acclimatized first and then go out for some touring," said Choy.

The 63-year-old actress, who is accompanied by Peruvian TV host Veronica Ayllon, has planned to return to Cusco on Tuesday since she wants to visit Machu Picchu on Thursday April 1.

Source:

http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/Noticia.aspx?id=VYrEV/GZr5g=

Machu Picchu - Cusco - Peru News

Fri Mar 25

Machu Picchu, Amazon and Arequipa, best attractions of Peru, says The Telegraph

Lima.- Machu Picchu, the Amazon River and Arequipa are the best attractions of Peru, according to an article published by British Telegraph and writen by Chris Moss, which offers a guide to the Andean country, ahead of this year's celebrations to mark the bicentenary of Latin America's fight for independence.

According to "Peru: a guide for beginners", the top six attractions are Machu Picchu (reopening in April, after recent floods), whether by train, trek or bus; Iquitos and the Upper Amazon river; and Arequipa, known as the ciudad blanca for its buildings made from pearly white volcanic material, and a Unesco World Heritage site.

Also the archaeological site of Chan Chan, including the ruins of the largest adobe city in the world; the high peaks of the Cordillera Blanca to see tropical glaciers and turquoise lakes on off-the-beaten-track hikes; and the mysterious, geometrical Nazca Lines, thought to have been etched into the stony desert as far back as 900BC.

For Chris Moss, Cusco is the best city of Peru because it has many impressive monasteries, churches and pre-Columbian buildings and is, as Che Guevara recorded in The Motorcycle Diaries, tangibly "the navel of the Inca world".

He also recommends tourists to buy a bottle of Peruvian pisco, the national firewater, and read Hugh Thomson's The White Rock, which deftly combines a history of the last days of the Incas with a gripping story about the search for lost cities buried in uncharted corners of the Sacred Valley.

Source:

http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/Noticia.aspx?id=5s/U1IDSMSQ=

Machu Picchu - Cusco - Peru News

Wed Mar 24

Machu Picchu reopening generates worldwide expectations, says Minister

Lima.- The reopening of the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Cusco on April 1 has generated a huge expectation all over the world, said Wednesday the Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Martin Perez.

He said that press media and specialized magazines from different countries are following the development of information and have said to be interested in sending special teams for the occasion.

“Machu Picchu is an international icon renowned by tourists throughout the world. In the upcoming years, many visitors from the five continents will come to visit this historical wonder. Foreign media, aware of it, aim to inform their citizens on the conditions of our sanctuary, which will reopen its doors to the public.”

According to the railroad concessionary, the problems caused by the rain are already overcome and the road is ready for the transport of tourists, which will start on March 29, although the entrance to the citadel will be only from April 1.

Perez explained that the route from Cusco to the provisional station of Piscacucho (10 kilometers away from Ollantaytambo) will be done on an unsurfaced road, followed by a transfer in train to the Town of Machu Picchu, also known as Aguas Calientes.

Source:

http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/Noticia.aspx?id=csGlUm+PoKk=

Machu Picchu - Cusco - Peru News

Sat Mar 20

Peru Rail Time Table & Prices For Machu Picchu

Here the new Timetable and Prices that Peru rail train company will offer to visit Machu Picchu from March 29 to June 30, 2010.
The timetable and prices from May 01 to June 30 have to be confirm.
click in the imagens to enlarge.

Machu Picchu - Cusco - Peru News

Thu Mar 18

INC: Machu Picchu, Inca trail to reopen April 1

Cusco, Mar. 18.- Peru's National Institute of Culture (INC) said Thursday that the country's main tourist attraction Machu Picchu and the famous Inca Trail will reopen April 1 after heavy rains cut off the ancient citadel earlier this year.
In a press release, INC announced that starting April 1st tourists will be able to visit Machu Picchu at different hours of the day depending on the trains' passenger capacity.
INC pointed out that according to Peruvian rail concessionaire Ferrocarril Transandino (FTSA), the train service will run from the 82 km point in Piscacucho to the 112 km marker at Aguas Calientes.
The Cusco-based INC office also noted that local authorities are taking all precautionary measures to ensure the safety of visitors.
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.

Source:

http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/Noticia.aspx?id=omjh8r2r9BI=

Machu Picchu - Cusco - Peru News

Fri Mar 12

Peru announces Machu Picchu reopening in April

Lima, Mar. 12.- PromPeru today surprised ITB in Berlin by announcing the re-opening of the vital rail link to the ruins of Machu Picchu.

The line was severely damaged in heavy rains and floods which hit the country in January and eroded railway tracks between Cuzco, Ollantaytambo and the Inca citadel.

Following the successful completion of track repairs ahead of schedule, it has been confirmed that, weather permitting, PeruRail will recommence its Vistadome train service to Aguas Calientes , the station for Machu Picchu Pueblo, on March 29.

The Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu will reopen to tourists on April 1, travelmole.com reports.

Initially train services will operate between Pisacucho, a station beyond Ollantaytambo, and Aguas Calientes, with a replacement bus service from Wanchaq Station in Cuzco bringing passengers by road to Pisacucho.

The train journey will take 1 hour 20 minutes and the drive approximately 2 hours 30 minutes.

It is estimated that it will be possible to make the entire journey from Poroy station in Cuzco to Machu Picchu by rail from July 2010, subject to favourable weather conditions.

PeruRail also operates a backpacker service and the luxury Hiram Bingham train between Cuzco and Machu Picchu.

The backpacker train will resume at the end of April and the Hiram Bingham will be back in operation at the end of June.

Source:

http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/Noticia.aspx?id=FuQsfhJeeXQ=

Machu Picchu - Cusco - Peru News

Tue Mar 08

Tourists from Chile, US, France, Spain the most loyal to Peru

Lima, Mar. 09.- Tourists from Chile, the United States, France and Spain are the most loyal to Peru, with visits increasing last year despite the international financial crisis that hit this activity worldwide, stated Tuesday Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur).

“While tourism decreased worldwide last year, the arrival of tourists from Chile, the US, France and Spain kept increasing, since they regard Peru as an unmissable destination worth visiting,” said Deputy Tourism Minister, Mara Seminario.

She highlighted that during the global financial crisis, South American tourists preferred a closer destination and visited Machu Picchu, one of the new world’s seven wonders.

Besides, Spanish and French tourists decided to continue with their plans of visiting Peruvian destinations because they praise culture value.

According to a Mincetur’s report based on the data from Peruvian General Directorate of Immigration and Naturalization (Digemin), Peru received last year 2 million 23,967 foreign tourists, a 3.9% growth.

Source:

http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/Noticia.aspx?id=iQWk3CDiU38=

Machu Picchu - Cusco - Peru News

Tue Mar 08

Japanese astronaut posts his Machu Picchu picture on Twitter

Lima, Mar. 08.- Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi has posted on Twitter a photograph of the famous Inca ruins Machu Picchu taken from the space, and which has already been viewed by over 6,000 people.

The astronaut, who is in the International Space Station almost 80 days, published dozens of photos that are viewed by his fans on Twitter, who from the earth can appreciate the beauty of the third planet.

Through his twitter as Astro_Soichi, Noguchi published an image of Port-au-Prince after the earthquake that hit Haiti, which was his first photograph in this blog.

The photo of the Inca sanctuary is part of an image collection, among which are the Big Rock in Australia, Mount Kilimanjaro, the red dunes of Arabia, the glaciers of Patagonia or the pyramids of Egypt.

Source:

http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/Noticia.aspx?id=s6ewu5ejueU=

Machu Picchu - Cusco - Peru News

Thu Mar 04

Train trips to Machu Picchu to be resumed on March 29

Cusco, Mar. 04 (ANDINA).- Romulo Guidino, general manager of Ferrocarril Transandino (FTSA), concessionary of the route, reported today that tourists will be able to reach Machu Picchu by train again, between the Piscacucho (kilometer 82) and Aguas Calientes (kilometer 110) stretch since March 29.

In statements to Andina news agency, Guidino pointed out that the reopening, originally scheduled for April 1, will take place some days before thanks to the progress on works undertaken by workers and specialists.

However, the resumption of train operations is subject to the weather conditions. “In principle, there should not be any problems if rains are normal or if there are no further events like the one on January, which occurred after 90 years”.

Visitors who come to visit the Inca citadel will be able to travel by bus to Piscaccuho and then take the train to the town of Machu Picchu, also known as Aguas Calientes.

A special ceremony is prepared for March 29, which will be attended by authorities from Lima and Cusco, as well as local and foreign press.

Source:

http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/Noticia.aspx?id=/XYGLVAxHfw=

Machu Picchu - Cusco - Peru News

Tue Mar 02

Peru: People of the mountains - 1940

LIMA .- The image of Peru as one of the richest countries in history and tradition dating from the last decades. A 1940 documentary titled 'Peru: People of the mountains', makes a journey through the streets of Lima in those years, showing its architectural beauty, through the Plaza Mayor, Palacio de Gobierno The building of the former Peruvian Telephone Company and the "Universidad Mayor de San Marcos". The tape also shows the Andean man, considered the "son of Pachacutec," working in agriculture and livestock. This documentary shows also Cusco, Machu Picchu and much of the highlands of the 40s. The documentary was produced by ERPI Classroom Film. The video was found on YouTube.