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&Cusco ClubhouseCusco Clubhouse Events - Click here!UPDATE on Travel in Cusco/Sacred Valley/Machu PicchuSunday, March 14th, 2010
LATEST ON TREKKING - Many trekkers are discovering the route to the fabled Incan site of Choquequirao (´cradle of gold´), a site that most experts agree rivals Machu Picchu in size and splendor, and is still in an early stage of discovery - so visitors can feel just as Hiram Bingham did when he first came upon the vegetation-covered ruins of Machu Picchu. The route takes about 4 days of fairly strenuous hiking (there and back), but all report it is well worth it! Despite the rains, Choquequirao has remained largely accessible, with the exception of occasional days when small mudslides cover the trail. Check with us in the SAE Cusco clubhouse for current status of this trail.
LATEST WORD ON MACHU PICCHU - The Diario de Cusco reports that the Minister of Transportation (Enrique Cornejo) has confirmed that visits to Machu Picchu will begin on March 29th, with train service from Piscacucho (KM 82), about 10 km from Ollantaytambo (previously the last train stop prior to Aguas Calientes). There will be bus service from Ollantaytambo to the new embarcation point of Piscacucho, he says. The section of rail between Piscacucho and Ollantaytambo and on to Cusco will take longer to repair, the minister says, because there was more extensive damage done to this section of the rail line. The current estimate for repairs on this section is around June or July.
Previously, the Peruvian Times reported on March 7th: ¨ The chief of Peru’s National Institute of Culture (INC) said Sunday that maintenance on the Inca Trail is on schedule for an April 1 following damage from torrential rains that also washed away portions of the train to Machu Picchu…. Last week, the chief of railway concessionaire Ferrocarril Trasandino (Fetransa) said train access to Aguas Calientes, the tourist town located in the gorge below Machu Picchu, would be restored March 29 — three days ahead of schedule.
Fetransa General Manager Rómulo Guidin said that travelers would be able to reach the 15th century mountaintop ruins, from the train stop at Piscacucho, where the Km 82 entrance to the Inca Trail is also located.¨ Peruvian Times - ¨Peru’s National Culture Institute chief says Inca Trail to reopen April 1¨
In other news, Due to further rain in recent days, the town of Taray (close to Pisac) has been severely affected once again. The reservoir above the town has burst, several people have lost their lives and as there are 3 rivers flowing through the town causing a great deal of damage to buildings and infrastructure. A local project in the area, Pachamama's path, is working together with locals night and day to provide relief for victims of the latest disaster. Teachers at their school in the area, Kusi Kawsay, are helping to provide food and shelter for the children of the area and any donations of food and clothing would be greatly appreciated. For further information on how to donate, as well as updates on the area please visit www.pachamamaspath.org THE OUTLOOK ON VISITS TO MACHU PICCHU - As stated above, officials both with the INC, Tourism Ministry as well as Peru Rail are still holding with the beginning of April for access to Machu Picchu (weather depending). Fetransa, the company in charge of rail routes to Machu Picchu, had previously released a statement saying that the company expects to have the railway ready between the town of Piscacucho (Km.82) and Machu Picchu (Km.110) by early April. This would allow visitors access Machu Picchu on a bus-train combination consisting of a road journey from Cuzco to the Sacred Valley followed by a 50 minute bus ride from Sacred Valley (Ollantaytambo station) up to Piscacucho (Km.82) followed by a 80 minute train ride to Machu Picchu.
The Instituto Nacional Cultural (INC), who manage the MP Sanctuary, also have denied access to helicopter tours, citing safety issues among other concerns.
See also:
Fertur - ¨Peru Rail press releases¨
Fertur - ¨Peru Government Takes Action¨
and
Peruvian Times - ¨Tourism Minister: No Damage to Machu Picchu¨
GOOD NEWS - TRAVEL NOW NORMAL BETWEEN LIMA AND CUSCO!!!Bus travel between Lima and Cusco, as well as from Cusco to Puno and Arequipa is now back to normal.
The other good news is that you can visit many important Inca and other historic sites in and around Cusco, including Sacsayhuaman, the Qoricancha, the Cathedral and Plaza de Armas, etc.. In the Sacred Valley, Pisac and its ruins can still be visited, and Ollantaytambo can also be visited. The town of Chinchero, with its famous market is intact, as are the famous Inca circles of Moray and the nearby Salineras of Maras (amazing salt pond terraces in use since pre-Inca times). The many sites to the southeast are also intact and accessible, including the ruins of Tipon and Pikallacta, and the town of Andahuaylillas with its beautiful colonial church.
For those thinking of going to the Sacred Valley, in the words of an SAE member staying in Ollantaytambo:
¨the town is lovely as ever, or even more so because all the mountains surrounding it are a brilliant emerald green from all the rain, and flowers are blooming in vast numbers. Songbirds and hummingbirds are everywhere, as are butterflies of all colors. … Rains are not as heavy or as frequent as at Cusco’s higher altitude, and the bus or taxis trip from Cusco is spectacularly scenic. Shops, restaurants, and hotels are open, and visitors are most appreciated. Electrical outages are periodic, as problems at the hydro power plant near Machu Picchu are sorted out. The spectacular ruins adjacent to town are open, and work continues on repairing isolated flood damage (mostly the tracks and the main vehicle bridge on the highway toward Santa Teresa and the jungle…a temporary bridge should be in place any day now.
There are several beautiful day hikes that bring walkers into the midst of the town’s lovely surroundings, and offer beautiful views of the surrounding peaks, valleys, and ruins.¨
TREKKERS TAKE NOTE! - You can still do the treks in the Lares area, as well as the Choquequirao trek. On Lares - both the village itself and the majority of the treks remain in good condition, and these go through beautiful mountain areas and past lovely, traditional Quechua-speaking villages.
Choquequirao itself is an amazing, extensive site considered the ´second Machu Picchu´ - in fact, many consider this visiting this site to be an even more authentic experience, like visiting MP before it became so ´touristy´. Only about 30% of the site has been uncovered, so you have a chance now to see this site in its authentic state, before it is ´restored´.
HOW TO HELP- Many of you have asked how you could help the victims of the devasting floods and mudslides that have hit Cusco, the Sacred Valley and areas around Machu Picchu. Here is a short list of non-profit organizations that are working directly with the affected communities and can accept donations of money, clothing, food, etc. They may have needs for volunteers, but please contact them directly prior to heading out to these areas:Living Heart Foundation - Ollantaytambohttp://www.livingheartperu.org/help.htmThe devastation to families living in adobe houses near the river has meant they they have lost everything…The most important thing is of course money. The main concern of Living Heart is also being able to maintain the help to the 400 mal nourished children in remote areas where we have maintained help during the past 3 years. Volunteers would need to speak Spanish and/or Quechua to be able to help out.
DESEA Foundation and Kusikawsay School
DESEA work in various sustainable projects in the SV, and the Kusikawsay School building at a cultural centre in Taray (near Pisac, where the bridge washed out). was severely damaged by flooding and erosion - and they’re now appealing for additional support to help with the reconstruction.
Wayki TrekA trekking agency owned and operated by local community members, Wayki have been bringing donations of food, water, clothing and other items to Anta and other remote villages in the SV.
Colectivo Fuerza UrubambaThe groups´public Facebook site for more info A group of volunteers working together with Foundation Ninios Del Arco Iris to get help to the people left without homes after the flooding. They are using money raised to provide: food, blankets, clothes, doctors, medicines, vitamins, diapers, toothbrushes and paste, TP, cooking equipment, plastic tarps for their tents, and other things to keep people clean and healthy. They are also starting the second phase of rebuilding, putting community centers in every town/camp for the people who lost their homes to use while they rebuild. You can donate through:
http://www.spiritsoftheearth.com/foundation.html
Cusco MunicipalityFor those already in Cusco, the municipal government and other organizations have had collection points up in the Plaza de Armas for dropping off food, water and clothing.
SAE Clubhouse– you can also bring your donations to the clubhouse and we will make sure to get them into the hands of one of the above organizations.Be sure to come to our Pub Quizzes each Wednesday, as 100% of the funds will be dedicated to aiding the victims of these recent floods. During the month of February, the Pub Quizzes will be held at the Muse, Calle Plateros 316, 2nd floor, at 7:30 p.m. BACKGROUND -Due to heavy rains over a period of several days in late January, the Cusco area and surrounding regions experienced flooding, mudslides and bridge outages that have severely affected transportation in several sectors. Services/travel affected include the trains to Machu Picchu, which are not currently running due to damage to the rails, hikes to Machu Picchu are also still out of the question, and the Sanctuary itself remains closed.Within the city of Cusco, services are in normal operation. Travel between La Paz is still possible, as highland Bolivia has not been affected as much as the Cusco area. The lowland of Bolivia, including the Amazonas, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz and Trinidad areas are experiencing some disruptions so check for updates before travel. Mary Finn Manager, SAE Cusco Clubhouse; cuscoclub@gmail.com; 51 84 245484 Cusco Clubhouse Events - Click here!Founded in 1999 the Cusco clubhouse is now well established and welcomes lots of visitors through its doors. Due to its proximity to Machu Picchu, the Inca Trail and the Peruvian Amazon, it is one of the busiest clubhouses. The clubhouse is located in the San Blas District at 670 Atoqsaycuchi. Contact InformationAtoqsaycuchi 670, San Blas, Cusco
Services on offerAs well as the usual SAE services such as trip planning, access to the trip reports and volunteer database, extensive library, reference books, maps guidebooks for sale, luggage storage, safety deposit box, book exchange and wireless internet, we also offer a weekly events program, and the chance to learn about and contribute to local community and environmental projects. Volunteer ResourcesWe have information binders dedicated to those members who are looking for a volunteer project or want to learn about and contribute to local community and environmental projects. The binders are packed with information about organizations looking for volunteers across South America. We also have a collection of greetings cards, notepads and textiles for sale at the clubhouse on behalf of local projects that work with street children, disadvantaged young people and women from rural communities. Supporting local community projectsHere in Cusco , SAE tries to get involved in, and support community projects. In the past successful river clean ups have been organized, involving local students. More recently we have organized clothes donation trips to remote communities in collaboration with local businesses and NGOs Our weekly events program also gives local projects a springboard to promote their work. We often invite local organizations to the clubhouse to give a short presentation about their work in the community and how SAE members and other tourists can get involved. Weekly events ProgramWe have varied social and cultural events ranging from Peruvian Food & Drink Night, Latin American Film Night and BBQs to Quechua class, Andean Medicine talks, Salsa class and visits to a Peruvian fair-trade textile project to name a few!
Our Environmental PolicyIn following one of the aims of South American Explorers to: “ Support scientific field exploration and research in the social and natural sciences as well as charities and NGO´s with aims to improve social, economical and ecological conditions”, last year we set up a recycling center. It is possible to recycle plastic, paper, tins and glass. There is also a facility to refill your plastic bottles with mineral water. We also try to use low energy appliances and attempt to keep our ecological footprint as low as possible in running the clubhouse. We also sell biodegradable soap at the clubhouse for trekkers to reduce their environmental impact when out in the mountains. Cusco Clubhouse Environmental Campaign in the Sacred Valley - Click here for more information!Useful PublicationsThe Cusco Clubhouse has produced a number of free information leaflets offering advice and recommendations to members. The titles are: “Cusco ´s Ultimate Eating and Drinking Guide”, “Enjoy Cusco Safely” , "Weaving in Cusco" and “How can you help?”. Additionally, the "Cusco & Machu Picchu", "Bolivia Climbing", "Jungle", and "Alternative Inca Trails" Information Packets have been updated and are for sale at the clubhouses and on-line. HoursThe Cusco Clubhouse is open from Monday to Friday, 9:30am-5:00pm and on Saturdays from 9:30 - 1pm. Where we areOur main clubhouse is now located on Atoqsaycuchi 670, in San Blas. If you want to come directly to the clubhouse in Cusco, an airport taxi will cost 10 soles (US$3) to anywhere in Cusco, the drivers have a badge which says “Corporación Peruana de Aeropuertos y Aviación Comersial SA” which also has their name and photo. Alternatively, if you go outside the airport you can usually flag down a taxi for 3 -5 soles (US$1- 1.50). If you decide to do this (especially if you have valuables on you) make sure you check carefully for the authorized sign, which is a sticker with “2006 TAXI Autorizado” on the windscreen. Taxis also often have a black and yellow chequer board on the side doors and the license number painted on the doors. Tell the taxi driver to take you to Tandapata in San Blas. He will drop you off at the corner of Tandapata and Atoqsaycuchi and then you go down a few steps and the clubhouse is there on the left. View the clubhouse from space! (needs Google Earth) Cusco Founding Life Members:
If you would like to donate to the Cusco Clubhouse, please click the button below! |
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