|
|
Cusco ClubhouseCusco Clubhouse Events - Click here!UPDATE on Flooding and Travel in Cusco/Sacred Valley/Machu PicchuFriday, February 5th, 2010
A glimmer of hope? The ´back door´ to Machu Picchu may be open sooner than first thought, possible by end February. Of course, this depends a lot on whether it keeps raining.
ALSO - add to your still to be experienced list - we had word from the village of Lares, that you can still do the treks in that area. Both the village itself and the majority of the treks remain in good condition, so trekkers, take note! See Fertur - ¨Peru Government Takes Action¨
and
Peruvian Times - ¨Tourism Minister: No Damage to Machu Picchu¨ WHERE YOU CAN GO - The 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. In the words of a 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.¨
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.
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 Quiz on 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.
OUTLOOK FOR TRAVEL -Current information from Ferrocarril Transandino S.A. (owners of the rail line between Cusco and Machu Picchu) sent out a press release in which they estimate that the repairs of this rail line will take approximately 8 weeks from today. They are also working on the repair of the trail that can be hiked from the Hidroelectic plant south of Santa Teresa, and estimate that this will be operational in about 3 weeks. The city of Cusco itself is in normal condition; you can visit all of the Inca sites here and the immediate surroundings (Sacsayhuaman, etc.). Parts of the Sacred Valley (Pisac, Ollantaytambo, etc.) are still putting things in order but are reachable with some possible detours.BACKGROUND -Due to heavy rains over a period of several days, the Cusco area and surrounding regions have 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 out of the question, tho you may be able to do alternate treks in Lares, Choquekirao for ex.. Transportation to Lima via Abancay has been suspended, and some areas of the Sacred Valley (ie the road to Pisaq) are also unpassable though alternate routes have been opened. Flooding had been reported on the road out of Cusco at Urcos heading towards the Puno direction. However, we´re told that travel to and from Puno and Arequipa is still possible.Within the city of Cusco, services are in normal operation (with exception of flights suspended or delayed during heavy rains). Mudslides have been experienced in some of the steeper, surrounding hills. Check back with us for further updates. Both Pisac and Ollantaytambo are still open for visit however take into account that there are some detours and through this some delays upon arrival. It's possible to visit the ruins in Pisac although it may be a bit difficult to visit the one in Ollantaytambo because they are across the river. Travel to and from 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. Please note that at tonight's pubquiz we will be raising fonds for victims of the flood. Besides this all donations of water, food and clothing are welcome at the SAE Clubhouse. 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! |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
