It’s been raining almost non-stop here in Cusco (up until today). Cusco has declared a state of emergency. The situation is not too bad here in the city. There’s mud all over the streets and no water, but in the Sacred Valley things are not good. There have been landslides, homes and lives have been lost.
In Pisac the bridge has collapsed and Tambo de Gozo (Bro. Rudy Johnson’s camp) has been flooded. The walls have fallen. I was told that most all of the buildings are flooded except for Daniel and Laura Dukes house. Daniel is in Argentina and Laura and the kids are in the states for a brief visit. Please be praying for them!
The following is what the U.S. Embassy in Lima sent out:
This warden message is being issued to alert U.S. citizens residing and traveling in and around Cusco, Peru of travel difficulties due to bad weather. Heavy rains since January 22, 2010 have caused landslides throughout the Sacred Valley, blocking routes into and out of Cusco. Travelers should consider postponing visits to Cusco and Machu Picchu until the weather clears and the roads and train are re-opened.
We have received reports of the following:
? The airport in Cusco is closed;
? The train to/from Cusco and Machu Picchu has been cancelled since January 23 due to landslides;
? The roads into and out of Machu Picchu are currently closed;
? The Pisac bridge has collapsed;
? The Huallabamba bridge is under water; and
? There was a landslide in Oropesa en route to Puno, travel is limited.
Peruvian authorities are working to open a route out of Machu Picchu. The U.S. Embassy will continue to monitor this situation. Travelers to this region should consider postponing until the weather clears and the roads are open. U.S. citizens may wish to monitor local media sources for new developments and exercise extreme caution if travel to this region is unavoidable.
Cusco y Cosas 