Machu Picchu nears endangered status

Machu Picchu - the 13th century "Lost City of the Incas" located in Peru - is currently #1 on my travel wish list and it has been for some time. I'll tell you, I'm kinda in a pickle on this one as the other travel pirates have already been there. They are too interested traveling to new places and not very interested in revisiting the old. Meaning, this pirate may have to make a solo trek - or needs new friends...probably both!

But enough with my problems. I found out that Machu Picchu itself is having some big problems. A case presented this week at the UNESCO World Heritage Committee stated that the vast growth in tourism (about 800K visitors/year) is accelerating the deterioration of the famed site:

Unregulated growth, including a boom in hotel and restaurant construction in the nearby mountain town of Aguas Calientes, is putting pressure on erosion-prone riverbanks and could undermine the site, the report said.

"Machu Picchu was never made for lots of people," noting the original citadel was designed for sandals and bare feet. "If we put tourists with boots that are jumping, running, climbing the walls, etcetera, that's the danger."

The village lacks adequate sanitation and Peru's government has done little to address landslide concerns on the winding, mud thoroughfare that leads to the citadel, according to the report. Officials also have no way to detect fires in the stone citadel or its heavily wooded environs, the report said.

This week UNESECO officials will discuss which cultural treasures should be added to the list as well as the status of those that are already on the list. There are currently 851 locations on the World Heritage List and 30 of those are considered endangered.

Maybe I should adjust my travel wish list to hit some the endangered sites first. I also need to get off my a$$ and get to Machu Picchu. It'd be freaking awful if you couldn't get up close anymore...that would suck.

Anyway, I'll report back if we hear of a change in Machu Picchu's status.

Too much tourism, development at Machu Picchu may earn it endangered status [Seattle Times]
Machu Picchu [Wikipedia]
Cusco and Machu Picchu travel guide [Fodors]
UNESCO World Heritage List [Official Site]

[Gorgeous photo via Flickr]