Machupicchu Travel Perú Tourist Package Inca Trail to Machupichu: 2017Machupicchu Travel Agency Perú Cusco Tours Machu Picchu

Thursday, November 23, 2017

Perú has spectacular archeological treasures. Is it doing enough to keep them safe?

LIMA, Perú – Dating to around 2,000 B.C., the mysterious murals at the Ventarrón archeological site along Perú’s northern coast are thought to be the oldest in the Americas.

But this month, just a decade after their discovery, the ancient paintings of abstract designs and a deer caught in a net were badly damaged when farmers’ fires to clear neighboring fields of sugar cane stumps ran out of control.Just a few days earlier, nearly 1,000 miles further south, it had emerged that a recently rediscovered geoglyph of a sperm whale with human features, an early precursor to the famed Nazca lines, had been all but hemmed in by private property as a result of land sales that, in theory, should be illegal that close to an archeological site.

The incidents have once again shone a spotlight on Perú’s spectacular archeological treasures and the country’s apparent inability to adequately safeguard and conserve them.

Although the Andean nation is best known for its Inca heritage, that great pre-Colombian empire was in fact just the last in a series of cultures as diverse as those of the Mediterranean basin that once flourished here stretching back over eight millennia.

Those myriad peoples have left Perú dotted with an estimated 20,000 known archeological sites, ranging from the positively tiny to around 20 comparable in scale to Machu Picchu.

Sarcophaguses made of clay from the Chachapoyas culture are seen at the Karajia archeological site, in Chachapoyas, Peru,
Yet as few as 200 have any kind of protection, usually no more than one or two signs and a single guard, says Alejandro Camino, the former Perú director for the Global Heritage Fund, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that works to save archeological ruins.

He warns that Perú is failing to protect its archeological patrimony while also missing out on the badly needed opportunity for economic development that many of these sites represent for often impoverished neighboring communities.

“These two cases [Ventarrón and the whale geoglyph] are the ones that have come to light but how many others are there across Perú that we never even hear about?” asks Camino.

The Peruvian government dedicates roughly 0.32 percent of its national budget to the culture ministry, which manages the country’s archeological heritage. But the ministry, which did not respond to NBCs requests for comment, also has numerous other responsibilities, everything from tackling racism to defending the human rights of indigenous peoples and, of course, promoting contemporary Peruvian culture.

“Faced with the magnitude of the problem, it is ridiculous and unviable,” says Camino of the public resources dedicated to archeology beyond the handful of well known sites, such as Machu Picchu, that represent a cash cow for the national and local governments.

“Our experience has been that even a small trickle of tourists can have a significant impact on the local economy of often isolated rural communities,” he says. “Investing just a small amount, and getting the local community on board, is always money well spent.”

As well as saving important local heritage and bringing in tourist dollars, better protecting many of these sites would lessen the pressure on Machu Picchu, which is overwhelmed by the 3,000 visitors it receives each day, and the rest of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, which runs from the spectacular citadel perched across a sugar loaf mountain, to the old imperial capital of Cusco.

A view of Machu Picchu in Peru's Cusco region. JTB Photo / UIG Via Getty Images
In 2008, UNESCO, the United Nations’ cultural agency, even issued public warnings about its “grave concern” that Perú was failing to protect Machu Picchu from the wear and tear of so many visitors, and that the small town of Aguascalientes, which is the gateway to the site, was turning into a tourist trap.

The government of then president Alan García implemented various measures, including banning the helicopter over flights for wealthy tourists that ruined others’ once-in-a-lifetime experience, thus managing to avoid a formal warning from UNESCO.

But issues persist, everything from land trafficking to the culturally accepted ransacking of archeological sites that has been going on for centuries and even has its own verb in Peruvian Spanish; “huaquear,” based on the Quechua term “huaca”, meaning “sacred” but which is often used to simply denote an archeological site.

Items such as ceramics, gold or silver jewelry, textiles and even mummies, have all been fetching high prices on illegal international markets since even the colonial era.

In the case of Ventarrón, experts say the murals can be largely restored, although some 15 percent is now damaged beyond repair.

As for the sperm whale geoglyph, Johny Isla, the local government archeologist who led the recent work to restore it — including painstakingly replacing the missing stones that had rolled from the 200 ft-long image down the hillside — says he is now looking at legal ways to recover the 150 acres of land around the site, just a few miles from the original Nasca lines.

When the site is up and running, Isla adds, there will be a road to it through the desert, a perimeter fence, signposting and a viewing platform. There are other nearby geoglyphs, including of a pelican and a scorpion, that he also wants to preserve, all from around the time of Christ.

Yet committed professionals like him and Camino, it seems, still have a long road to travel before all of Perú’s vast archeological legacy is truly protected

Friday, July 7, 2017

New Regulations for visitors of Machu Picchu since July 2017

The Peruvian Ministry of Culture is set to roll out a new regulation for visitors of Machu Picchu.

Starting on July 1, tourists visiting Machu Picchu must be accompanied by a licensed tour guide for either a morning tour (6 a.m. to 12 p.m.) or an afternoon tour (12 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.) In addition, a group of visitors will be limited to a maximum of 16 people.

Ticket prices will remain the same at 152 Peruvian Sol (US$46.45) for adults. Those wanting to spend a whole day at the Incan citadel will pay for both the morning and afternoon tours. Tickets are available at Machu Picchu’s official website and can also be purchased from tour operators.

“We anticipate that the new system introduced by the Ministry of Culture will regulate the flow of travelers entering the site and help to preserve the authenticity of this national treasure,” said Tony Mason, CEO of the Latin American Travel Association (LATA), as reported by kompas.com.

Tickets already purchased will still be valid through December 2017 and these ticket holders will not be subjected to the new time restrictions, according to The Independent.

Ministerial Resolution No. 070-2017-MC prohibits the use of:

Tripods, supports or extensions for cameras, cell phones or any other element of stabilization or extension for the filming or photography of the Sanctuary Machu Picchu; As well as the so-called selfie stick or monopie that fits the mobile phone to take pictures or film.
The use of backpacks or bags that exude the size of 40 x 30 x 20 cm, If the size is exceeded, these should be left in the wardrobes that are located in the access to Machu Picchu.
The entrance of food and utensils.
Income with any type of illegal substance or under its effects.
The entrance with any type of alcoholic beverage or in ethyl state.
Entry with animals (except for guide dogs being strictly necessary.)
Income with any type of aerosols.
Entry with any type of musical instrument, megaphone or speakers.
It is not allowed to use virtual applications with cell phones or mobile devices in narrow arteries, trails or congestion sites (it is allowed only in large spaces or places of explanation)
No return is allowed with heels or hard-shoe shoes. (Only athletic shoes with soft or rubber sole are permitted.)
No access with baby carriages, Only with baby backpacks without metal frames.
It is prohibited to enter with any type of sharp objects or weapons of any type, or to enter with banners. It will only be allowed for guides with groups of more than 5 people.
It is not allowed to cause tumult, jump, jump or generate disorder in the access to Machu Picchu or in the interior.
It is not allowed to enter with clothing intended for advertising purposes.
It is not allowed to climb or lean on walls and / or structures, move, touch or extract lithic elements.
Prohibited to make graffiti, as well as disturb, extract or collect native flora and fauna and / or cultural elements.
Activities that distort the sacred character of the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu are not allowed, such as fashion shows, dances and social engagements, ceremonies of any kind.
It is not allowed to enter portable seats, among others; Entry of canes with metallic or hard tip (the use of walking sticks for elderly people or with obvious physical incapacity, as long as they have a tip of jebe)
It is prohibited to carry out any type of activity that implies the impairment or deterioration of the llaqta of Machu Picchu, its natural environment and / or facilities.
Obscene acts contrary to morality and good manners are not allowed, nor are they stripped, disguised, recumbent, running and / or jumping.
It is forbidden to make loud or annoying noises such as clapping, screaming, whistling, singing, among others.
Smoking is not allowed or vapear.

No fire is allowed.
Dispose of waste of any kind.
Do not respect established circuits and routes.
The ambulatory trade to the interior of the llaqta of Machu Picchu and spaces bordering to the bridge Ruinas.
Feeding domestic and wild animals.
Fly over with paragliders, drones or any kind of smaller craft; As well as making films or photographs for advertising purposes or in places of high risk.
Finally, illegal entry to the llaqta of Machu Picchu is prohibited by routes not allowed.

Peru Machu Picchu packages

Machu Picchu has not been designated in danger of extinction by the UN

The UN doesn't plan to add Machu Picchu to its list of endangered heritage sites, Peruvian officials say.

UNESCO experts agreed at a meeting in Krakow, Poland, that the steps taken by Peru to address concerns about the condition of the Inca citadel were sufficient to keep Machu Picchu off the list, the Cuzco regional culture office (DDC) said in a statement on Thursday.

"There was not even a debate or discussion, which means that UNESCO retires its intention to add Machu Picchu to the list of endangered world heritage sites," DDC director Vidal Pino said.

In 2015, UNESCO gave the Peruvian government two years to make needed improvements in the administration of the ruins, which receive more than 3,000 visitors a day on average.

Peru has established some new guidelines for tourists at Machu Picchu, including bans on bringing food and drink, baby carriages, pets, umbrellas, or musical instruments onto the site.

Visitors will also be prohibited from climbing on or leaning against the walls.
The new rules limit the number of tourists entering the complex to 5,940 per day.
UNESCO's decision "is an important achievement of the Culture Ministry and the Peruvian state," Pino said.
Machu Picchu, made famous by the 1911 expedition of US explorer Hiram Bingham, was designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1983.

Machupicchu Travel: http://www.tourmachupicchutravel.com/