AP News, March 29th, 2007
A village near Peru's Machu Picchu has built a bridge over a turbulent river to open another route for backpackers trekking to the lofty Inca ruins.
The bridge was inaugurated Saturday in the village of Santa Teresa despite the objections of government cultural experts, who fear increased tourism could threaten the UNESCO World Heritage site as hostels and restaurants spring up to serve travelers.
They also say more tourists could imperil rare flora and fauna in the highland jungle surrounding the ruins, which are dramatically perched on a ridge 300 miles southeast of the capital Lima.
But authorities in Santa Teresa, less than 10 miles from Machu Picchu, are hoping the bridge over the Vilcanota River will help the local economy get a piece of the tourism pie. Most travelers would likely spend the night in the village before continuing on to Machu Picchu.
The site, a complex of stone buildings built by the Inca empire that controlled the area when the Spanish conquistadors arrived in Peru in 1532, has been reachable by train from Cuzco and via a days-long hike on a mountain footpath.
The new route, involving a daylong bus ride through twisting dirt roads and a seven-mile hike along railroad tracks, targets thrifty backpackers who want to avoid the pricey train tickets.
"It's a door to our development and all the people are happy," Santa Teresa Mayor Reynaldo Vargas told The Associated Press by telephone. "Three or four years ago in Santa Teresa it was a novelty to have five or six tourists, but now we are receiving 200 tourists a day."
An average of 2,000 tourists a day visit Machu Picchu, with a maximum set at 2,500. Some archaeologists say the limit should be much lower, arguing that large numbers of visitors trekking over the stone steps will eventually damage the ruins.
UNESCO has expressed concern over rapidly expanding tourism to Machu Picchu, and will send a delegation in April to determine whether the new bridge threatens the ruins.
