Tourists visiting Machu Picchu in Peru have had a little surprise today, as torrential rainfalls in the region have caused massive flooding and landslides, stranding the travelers in the ancient Incan city. According to this story from the Guardian, the train that shuttles visitors to the site has been blocked by more than 40 landslides, effectively cutting it off for the foreseeable future. Rescue operations are underway however, with plans to airlift the more than 1500 people who have been stranded there for the past two days.
Located high in the Andes, Machu Picchu is one of the top tourist destinations in the entire country of Peru, with travelers flocking to it from around the globe. There are two ways of getting into the mountaintop fortress, either taking the 70 mile train ride or hiking for four days along the Inca Trail. Most take the train, although the trail has become increasingly popular with adventure travelers over the past ten years.
According to the story, ten helicopters have been designated to the rescue effort. There are conflicting reports however as to whether or not those efforts have actually gotten underway. Reportedly, the travelers have moved to a nearby hotel, which is booked solid of course. It is also being reported that food and water is now in short supply as well.
Talk about getting more adventure from your vacation than you were hoping for. It seems that everyone is okay at the moment, although two local residence lost their life in the mudslides. Lets hope they can evacuate the visitors in short order and everyone gets out safe and sound.
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The true backpacker is always pushing her threshold just a little bit and in new ways. It’s all about knowing your personal threshold. This means that:
http://www.newbackpacker.com/2009/10/the-true-backpacker/
I'm actually going to Peru next Thursday to attend a wedding. I was just about to book a trip to Machu Picchu, but thanks to procrastination, I didn't!
Anyone have any ideas on other spots to go in Peru for 3-4 days, areas that aren't impacted by the rainy season? Thanks!
The true backpacker is always pushing her threshold…..It’s all about knowing your personal threshold.
No, it's all about being tactful, instead of being a shameless hack and plugging your website on another person's website, thus adding nothing to the comment thread other than self-serving advertisements.
Hey Wade, It might still be worth it to make the trip to Cusco to visit the other sights in the region, like the Sacred Valley and perhaps Machu Picchu will reopen by the time you get there.
I was in Peru last year and went to Iquitos which is along the Amazon. It was great too, and you could probably get out on the river on some day trips. I'm sure the water is high there as well though, so you might not get the kind of experience I had.
Alternatively, you could head south and check out the Nazca lines, or hang out in LIma, where there is also plenty to see and do.
Sorry Wade, I accidently deleted your initial comment while clean up spam. It was definitely unintentional.
It was definitely unintentional.
Aha! I smell conspiracy!
LOL! Oh yeah, I was out to lump you in with this spammer, who left probably 100 comments across the blog last night. Yay for Mondays! 🙂