CUSCO-MACHU PICCHU RAILROAD
TO BE REOPENED ON JUNE 25

ANDINA. Cusco (kilometer 0)-Machu Picchu (kilometer 110) railroad will be fully reopened on Friday and operators will resume its operations normally from Cusco, Poroy and Ollantaytambo stations but with some speed restrictions.

Ferrocarril Transandino S.A. (FTSA) -concessionaire of the route in the south and south east of Peru- recalled that after two months of work, the rehabilitation of the Piscacucho (kilometer 82)-Machu Picchu railroad was finished on March 29.

From June 20 to 25, FTSA and the rail operators will test out the Poroy (kilometer 18)-Machu Picchu road with cars and locomotives so that they get use to the new stretch and guarantee a safe operation.

Although, operators will be able to resume their operations in the entire railroad since June 25, they will have to do it under certain speed restrictions during the first three months (July, August and September).

In addition, FTSA will continue working on the integral rehabilitation of the 110 kilometers of the Cusco-Machu Picchu road until the end of this year.

Peru helicopter ban at Machu Picchu protects fauna

Helicopters have been banned from the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in an effort to protect local wildlife.

Cusco province has published regulations banning choppers at Machu Picchu and the surrounding 125 square miles (323 square kilometers).

In January, thousands of tourists were evacuated by helicopters from Machu Picchu and nearby towns after flooding and mudslides severed access by train and footpath.

The director of the Machu Picchu archaeological park says the noise of helicopter rotors affects habitat for the spectacled bear and red-plumed Andean cock of the rock. Fernando Astete said Saturday that wild guanacos and vicunas are a concern, too.

It is not clear whether helicopters still have emergency access.

PeruRail says train service to the famed Machu Picchu ruins will be fully restored July 1.

The popular 68-mile rail line from Cuzco is the only land route to the Incan citadel. The line was damaged by heavy rains in January that left hundreds of tourists stranded.

Partial rail service was restored in March, though most of the trip from Cuzco had to be done by bus.

The Incan ruins are Peru's main tourist destination, with 1,500 to 2,000 tourists visiting daily.

In a bid to promote the consumption of one of the country's most popular dishes, Peru has declared the fourth Sunday of June as the Day of the Pollo a la Brasa, rotisserie chicken grilled over coals.

“If we have a day to celebrate our ceviche and pisco sour, why not having a day dedicated to our pollo a la brasa,” said Peruvian Agriculture Minister Adolfo de Cordova.

De Cordova announced that his ministry and the Peruvian Poultry Association will  be hosting a special event this Sunday, June 27.

Pollo a la Brasa is a delicious rotisserie chicken marinated and cooked with Peruvian spices, generally served with French fries, a side of salad and condiments such as mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, and aji sauce.

More than 60 years ago, Swiss immigrant Roger Schuler came up with the idea of cooking chicken on a spit roast with charcoal and wood underneath at his farm in Chaclacayo, a town outside of Lima.