UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS – State of Emergency in six provinces of Cusco and all of Apurímac. Weather service reports rain around 67% in excess of the norm. 66 people rescued from Aguas Calientes by helicopters, 3000 tourists and locals are trapped. 8 people dead, including two foreign tourists, and more than 7000 families left homeless.
Category: "Nature"
Lima sees six months of rain in one week
Lima – the mild rainless desert city, but for how long? Winters have been growing colder and wetter, summers arriving later than ever.
This week alone, supposedly the first full week of the first month of summer if we discount November – a time when most of the population of Lima usually heads to the beach – has seen 50% of Lima’s typical annual rainfall after an already wet winter.
Peru begins reforestation, 60 million trees to be planted
After centuries of heavy deforestation, Peru is undertaking a campaign to reforest the highlands with 60 million trees – an act that not only helps prevent the terrible flash floods that plague the tree-less mountains, but also hopes to make a small dent in climate change affecting the country.
NBC Nightly News: Melting Glaciers lead to water wars
Three reports from NBC’s Nightly News program about the devastating impact on Peru from melting glaciers due to changing climate patterns.
Kandozi tribe ravaged by disease and neglect
Peru’s subsidiary of the WWF has warned that over 60% of the ethnic Kandozi people in the Peruvian Amazon are dying from the ravages of Hepatitis B and neglect from the Peruvian state.
Brutal deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon [Featured]
Forests are converted into deserts due to the advance of informal mining that illegally extracts gold. Regular buying and selling of mercury is demanded by locals, who use it for the extraction of the precious metal.
Hundreds of Sea Lions poisoned in Colán
A terrible sight on Piura’s most picturesque beach – hundreds of Sea Lions washed up dead on the white sands. In front of homes and hotels, the bodies of these animals rot, all so that the fishermen that poisoned them can continue dangerous and unsustainable over-fishing the seas.
Islas Palomino: Boat trip in Callao
Just off the coast of Callao, or more precisely, about 4km from the tip of La Punta, are two rocky uninhabited islands, which together with a few other rocky outcrops are called the Islas Palomino. The two major islands, one large and one small, are called San Lorenzo and El Frontón. Each have their own stories to tell.
Lima – Weekend Getaways
So, what is the tourist, with more time in Lima then they’d prefer and no interest in a city experience, to do?
The truth is, Peru is such a magical place that you do not need to go too far outside the city of Lima to find attractions that rival those elsewhere in the country. From desert oases, pretty Andean villages and ancient pyramids to hiking trails, white water rafting and horseback riding – here’s the run down of nearby weekend getaways.
Machu Picchu, the nature reserve
Machu Picchu: Its more than 32,000 hectares are home to 423 types of birds, 352 kinds of butterflies, 41 species of mammals and 13 species of river creature that are protected by the National Institute of Natural Resources (INRENA). To see them you simply need to travel along the Inca trail, which is offers the best access to the biological reserve.
Cruz del Condor
About 50km west of Chivay, Cruz de Condor is a lookout point over the Colca Canyon that is considered one of the best places to witness Condors in flight in their natural habitat.
The lookout, 1,200m above the canyon river, fills up with crowds each morning hoping that conditions are right for the condors to fly.
The Condor
The largest bird in the Americas is the Andean Condor, having a wingspan of sometimes more than 3 metres, or 10 feet, and weighing as much as 15kg.
