For travelers to Peru, 2011 was arguably the year of Machu Picchu. We saw an internationally acclaimed, giant celebration commemorating the 100th anniversary of Hiram Bingham’s “discovery” of the iconic Inca ruins. And we witnessed the historic, and long overdue, return of thousands of artifacts that Bingham took to America on loan.
“It is said that when the anthropologists arrive, the
[Originally published September 12, 2011] Peru’s Culture Minister Susana Baca warned that allowing a major daily increase in the number of tourists to Machu Picchu could mean not only the deterioration of the Inca Citadel, but also risk the wrath of UNESCO, which could add Peru’s top tourist attraction to an infamous list of endangered sites.
For nearly 500 years, the Moche culture dominated more than 300 miles of Peru’s northern coast, extending inland from the Pacific Ocean to the high western slopes of the Andes.
Machu Picchu Centennial Parade 10:00 a.m.
Location: City of Cusco
