Starkers tourists catch ire of Machu Picchu police

Side View of a Shirtless Young Man Taking Selfie Photos at the Beach While Sitting on Big Rock Under the Heat of the Sun.

A Frenchman, 28, and an Englishman, 23, have been arrested by Peruvian tourism police for taking nude pictures of themselves at the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu.

Culture Ministry guards alerted tourism police last Wednesday to the presence of two tourists in the agricultural area of the archaeological park taking nude selfies with a mobile phone.

Peruvian police arrested Frenchman Eric Xavier Mariec and Englishman Adam Burton, both still naked, and took them to the Machu Picchu police station, the state news agency Andina reported.

Both tourists then had to appear before the judge at the Paz Letrado Courthouse in Machu Picchu to be tried for offences against good behaviour.

The Decentralised Culture Directorate of Cuzco said Thursday that the Inca Road’s network of trails that lead to the ruins of Machu Picchu was reopened after the maintenance work was finished that had kept it closed during the month of February.

The route has been accessible since last Tuesday, when a group of tourists started their hike first thing in the morning after waiting for its reopening since the day before.

The visitors, including the two who were arrested, started their trek along the Inca Road network at Kilometre 82 of the railroad line connecting Cuzco with Machu Picchu.

The head of the Decentralised Culture Directorate of Cuzco, Daniel Maravi, said the road system is in excellent condition for visiting tourists.

“We have carried out projects of cleaning, conservation and maintenance of archaeological monuments like Patallaqta, Inkaraccay, Huayllabamba, Runcuraccay, Sayacmarca, Conchamarca, Phuyupatamarca, Winay Wayna and Chachabamba,” Maravi said.

The Inca Road to Machu Picchu is habitually travelled by some 200 tourists and 300 bearers, who take four days to make the 48km walk to the Inca citadel.

Image credit: iStock

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