Macchu Piccu with Cruise-???

[marazul]

Greatam,

 

I posted some news from Diario del Cusco further down the thread. Yesterday's paper said that Machu Picchu will be closed for at least seven weeks starting from the date when they start the works. The first phase will be from the hydroelectric plant to Aguas Calientes. The second will be up to Piscacucho and the third to Ollantaytambo. When the second phase is finished, it might be possible to take tourists by road to Piscacucho and then board the train to Aguas Calientes. Their best estimate is that Machu Picchu will reopen at the end of March.

 

It does sound optimistic. Hopefully you will be able to get some "real" info from your contacts.

 

We are keeping our fingers crossed for our trip at the end of May.

 

Marazul

[greatam]

Greatam,

 

I posted some news from Diario del Cusco further down the thread. Yesterday's paper said that Machu Picchu will be closed for at least seven weeks starting from the date when they start the works. The first phase will be from the hydroelectric plant to Aguas Calientes. The second will be up to Piscacucho and the third to Ollantaytambo. When the second phase is finished, it might be possible to take tourists by road to Piscacucho and then board the train to Aguas Calientes. Their best estimate is that Machu Picchu will reopen at the end of March.

 

It does sound optimistic. Hopefully you will be able to get some "real" info from your contacts.

 

We are keeping our fingers crossed for our trip at the end of May.

 

Marazul

 

I think you will be fine at the end of May. I read the newspaper article you posted yesterday while I was at the Lima airport last night. If the government butts out, the people will get the rail fixed in as short a time as possible. There are a lot that depend on the attraction of MP to feed their families. BUT if, as Solana states, it is a contest of wills between the government and OE, it will definitely take longer. Only time will tell.

[dixiechick]

I am currently in South America on the Regent Mariner. Our passengers that were stranded in MP just got here yesterday from Valparaiso. Some reports we are hearing from newspapers, etc. is that is could be months before the railroads are fixed. It is just not mudslides but parts of the tracks are dangling in the river. Alot of repair work is required. If you are planning on going to MP in the next 6 months I would stay on top of it. With that said, I am sure the area will want to get things back to normal asap since they are so dependent on tourism. We were very lucky, we just got out in time and got one of the last flights out of Cusco.

[woodley]

I am sorry, but I do not think there will be any trips going to macchu pichu for quite some time due to the fact that the railway can no longer run because of damage caused by land slides and heavy rain and flooding.

 

My heart goes out to the people in Aguas Caliente that have lost there livelyhoods and some that lost their lives.

[xcountry]

thanks for all the updates, Marazul and Greatam.

 

Fortunately, our trip is not until August. Hopefully, everything will be back to "normal" by then....

[bubbachief]

I am sorry, but I do not think there will be any trips going to macchu pichu for quite some time due to the fact that the railway can no longer run because of damage caused by land slides and heavy rain and flooding.

 

My heart goes out to the people in Aguas Caliente that have lost there livelyhoods and some that lost their lives.

 

Hi-- Was looking at some pictures taken in Aguas Caliente and hard to believe the damage. Glad we both saw MP when we did. Hope you both are doing well. John and Jo

[JoAnneV]

 

The second time, we did it pre-cruise. Two nights in Lima (the first one is "short" as a lot of flights from US arrive in Lima at midnight), one night in Manchu Picchu (Sanctuary Lodge just outside the ruins), two nights in Cusco, then boarding the ship in Lima. (2008)

 

.

 

Did you get much communication from the tour company about details for the trip? We will be going post-cruise from Celebrity Infinity in February. We are looking forward to it, but feel a little in the dark.

 

Is there anything that you could have done or known that would have made the trip better? How was it on your own in the free time that you had in the various cities?

 

Thanks for your help.