UJ #9 - Adventure in Peru

Do academics find it so difficult to understand
the coexistence of the different opinions that are
beginning to form about the road? You have the
visions of the walker, the local resident and now
the tour guide and tour operator…
It’s a difficult subject, but it is just the first step in participatory
management. The first thing is to accept that we,
as a ministry, are not the owners of the site nor do we
have the only solution, rather we are facilitators. From
that viewpoint, our mission is to encourage discussion.
We have to give them some space because there is
always a story, and it has to be as close to reality as
possible. It should be true, you should be able to see
and walk it, and in this sense the road is the ideal environment.
The narratives give this sense of progression,
continuity and integration, and that is exactly the general
idea of cultural itineraries.
TWO FURTHER SECTIONS ARE BEING GIVEN PRIORITY: VILCASHUAMAN-PISCO,
WHICH RUNS FROM AYACUCHO TO THE COAST AT ICA, AND THE CUSCO-
PUERTO INCA SECTION, WHICH STARTS IN CUSCO, ENDS ON THE COAST NEAR
AREQUIPA AND ALSO PASSES CLOSE TO LAKE TOTOCACA IN PUNO
Above: Paved stretch of the road in Pomata,
Puno on the banks of Lake Titicaca. The road
is still used daily by local people.
Right: In addition to the roads and
archaeological sites, the Unesco World
Heritage declaration includes examples
of intangible heritage such as dances and
traditional fiestas.