Hundreds of tourists are stranded in Peru, working to figure out a safe return to their homes.
What You Need To Know
- A recent change in power in Peru created political instability
- Several tourists from the United States are stranded
- Kathy Martucci is from Central Florida, and is trying to find a way out
Protests over the ousting of the county’s former president, Pedro Castillo, sparked international travel warnings from the U.S. government.
Among the travelers waiting on reliable transportation out of the country is a woman from Central Florida. Kathy Martucci isn’t sure when she’ll officially make it back to the United States.
“The crux of the anxiety is not knowing,” explained Martucci.
On Dec. 7, she flew to Peru, anticipating an exciting trip and an opportunity to create significant memories. What she wasn’t expecting to be caught in was the middle of a country-wide state of emergency.
“A lot of people are very nervous because they haven’t seen their kids or grandkids for a while, and they have holiday plans,” Martucci said.
Martucci and her travel group initially planned to be in Machu Picchu for two days, Monday and Tuesday. That changed when protests escalated.
Martucci says that she is doing okay, but because of the current circumstances, she’s now out of her daily medication, and the city she’s in doesn’t provide what she needs.
“There are no roads to Machu Picchu. Just a walking trail and these railroad tracks that have been destroyed by the protesters,” she told Spectrum News.
A helicopter was scheduled to fly in on Saturday to take her and others to a safer location. Those evacuation efforts were canceled because of poor weather.
“I don’t know how many people total are stranded,” said Martucci before picking up a phone ringing in her hotel room.
The message on the other end of the call was from her trip leader, letting Martucci know of an alternative exit plan. A cargo loader that runs on railroad tracks was the best option. The vehicle had to travel 8 miles to a hydroelectric plant. From there, a vehicle relay takes the group to the city of Cusco.
“We want to go home,” Martucci sighed.
Martucci says that she believes the first tentative flight out of Cusco to Lima is Monday, Dec. 19. From there, she’s hoping to make her way back to the states and her home in The Villages.