Heritage cities of the world, unite

Who knew that cities designated world heritage sites had their own club? The Organization of World Heritage Cities, with 254 member cities, is holding its 13th congress this week in Arequipa which is, needless to say, a world heritage site. 

According to the Peruvian Times, the theme of the congress is the resilience of heritage cities in the face of change, with speakers from countries as diverse as South Korea, Germany and Mexico.

First aid for cultural heritage

Fresh on the heels a recent proposal to deploy UN Blue Helmets to protect world heritage sites in conflict zones, UNESCO announced this week a course on "first aid to cultural heritage in times of crisis."

Organized jointly by the Smithsonian Institute and the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), the course provides "strategies for interlocking humanitarian  specialists with cultural ones in order to better integrate cultural responses during an emergency situation ... The course [also] imparts practical skills and knowledge for taking simple measures to secure and stabilize endangered cultural heritage."

Anyone interested in taking the course must act quickly: the deadline for applications is November 9, 2015...

Huaqueros, or the scourge of Peru's ancient grave sites

When it comes to the pillaging and loss of cultural heritage, the Middle East is currently top of mind given recent events in countries such as Syria, Iraq and Yemen. However, destruction and looting of historical sites remains a problem the world over, and especially in those places where the rule of law is more shaky.

One such country is Peru, which has an incredibly diverse historical legacy, ranging from the City of Cuzco,  to the lines and geoglyphs of Nasca. Yet it also suffers from corruption and endemic poverty among large segments of the population. Combined with the demand for pre-Columbian artefacts on the international market, these factors have created permissive conditions for the pillage of sites like this ancient cemetery near the Pan-American Highway south of Lima.

Looted ancient cemetery in coastal Peru

A stone's throw from the highway the desert sand was pockmarked with pits. Skulls, bones, rotting fabric and clay pots were strewn everywhere. Visiting the site, one could not but wonder what would drive someone to show such a lack of respect for the deceased, whether they died ten years ago or a thousand. Sadly, huaqueros - as those who specialize in looting forgotten graves or burial sites are known - continue to operate throughout Peru.

Mont-Saint-Michel regains its island status

Mont-Saint-Michel, a Benedictine abbey established in the 11th century in a bay off France's Normandy coast, has - according to Fox News - officially become an island again upon the completion of a decade-long project to replace an longstanding artificial causeway with a bridge.

While this may result in some inconvenience for the 2.5 million tourists who visit the Abbey each year, the bridge will allow water to flow freely around the world heritage site and help remove the sand infilling the bay. I'm sure the site will be all the more impressive without dozens of tour buses trundling up to the base of the Abbey every day.

Photo before a fall at Angkor Wat

It is with good reason that Angkor Wat receives millions of visitors each year. The temples, carvings, statues and surrounding landscape are exquisite, and one could easily spend several days absorbing everything the site and its surroundings have to offer. 

 

However, my memories of my include an uncomfortably close shave with serious injury or worse for the sake of a photo. Not paying attention to where I was placing my feet as I framed a photo inside the temple of Angkor Wat I tumbled off a wall and fell 12 to 16 feet before landing in the mud below. Apart from a few cuts and bruises (and a destroyed camera) I was able to continue my visit, but it was certainly a strong reminder of the need to tread more carefully during the remainder of the trip. The photo above is the last one I took before my camera met its end.