91% down... but the bounce has started

If you Google in English, you may well read, "Machu Piccu is closed indefinitely." That's not true. It reopened two weeks ago, but it will take a while for tourist numbers to recover from the 91% drop.

Just yesterday, I met a pensioner from Sydney, and she complained about how utterly useless the English language press is when it comes to Latin America and Peru in particular. I helped her out with info she couldn't find.

To be clear in the South, and we are still in the South, there is still a state of emergency, and in key spots, riot police are highly visible. That said, they are in a good mood and smile to tourists, and there is no sign of any imminent unrest.

For us, the current situation turns out to be a huge bonus. Prices are down, and so we can afford a nicer hotel. Just look at the breakfast room photos. Of course, it's weird to be alone in a 7 storey hotel. It also means we can fly after this to Lima and on to Iquitos for less than half the normal price. Indeed, we got lucky, since tickets I bought last week for less than $100 now cost $240.

Our savings, and more importantly, the vast drop in visitor numbers, are immediate losses for local businesses and workers. Here they are not happy with the protesters , and in Arequipa I noticed a band playing in the main square was also against the protesters, so it's difficult to know what to make of the current state of affairs. My read is that it's a far right versus far left clash, and what the people need is a pragmatic middle way. But that is a readout I could make in 95 out of a 100 political crisis.

Putting the politics behind us, we marvel at our breakfast location, and we look forward to visiting the Inca city this afternoon.Les mer