Living in Peru : your everyday companion

(LivinginPeru News) -- According to Peruvian geologist Patricio Valderrama, shutting down visitor access to the Incan sanctuary Machu Picchu two days per week will help reduce geological 'wear and tear' at the popular tourist site.

Valderrama, an environmental geologist from Peru's National Geological Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, explained that the estimated 3000 daily visitors and the constant flow of buses and trains in the area "could provoke the land to unsettle."

According to Valderrama, granite rocks that make up the mountain where Machu Picchu is situated upon is currently fractured. This, according to the geologist, has already led to some minor superficial earth movements, such as small landslides.

A study is currently being conducted which will determine the approximate number of daily tourists that the land underneath the fabled Incan sanctuary can support.

Although no specific figures have been released, Valderrama indicated that giving the site a couples days rest, that is restricting access to the site for two days, would be advisable.

Valderrama also informed that the Incan residents who built the site were also aware of the "fragile" nature of the land, as the construction of platforms, terraces, contention walls, and drainage systems were likely built to help stabilize the mountain.

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