PERU - Carla Valpeoz, 35, traveler from Michigan, Pariwana Hostel, Cusco, 11 Dec 2018 *blind*

[cybervampira]

Visually impaired Detroit woman disappears in Peru while traveling solo

Carla Valpeoz has been missing for days and her cell is turned off, her family says as they plead for help. She's a world traveler but also a Detroiter with strong ties to the community.

Valpeoz is a community leader, social worker and author of "Visionless Adventures." She works and travels all around the world and is known as a brave trailblazer for the visually impaired.

Earlier this month she set off to South America for a friend's wedding, and according to her brother in New York, she stayed to check a few items off her bucket list.

"Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, the Mountain of 7 colors and a couple other sites," Carlos said.

Adding to the concern -- she is traveling alone and is nearly blind.

"She has extremely low vision. She uses a walking cane when she travels by herself. And she was having some difficulty getting into Machu Picchu based on her disability," Carlos said.

A group of tourists overheard her dilemma and invited her along, spending an entire day with her

"The were excited about their adventure and they wanted to go out to celebrate, so they they went out to a club in downtown Cusco. And hey returned to the hostel around 4 a.m.," Carlos.

She went to bed and apparently continued her adventure alone in the morning.

"When the rest of the tour group woke up they went looking for her," Carlos said.

Valpeoz missed her flights home and her phone is off. There has been no activity on her credit cards. She works at the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn as a docent.

She may have been traveling in Cusco, Pisac, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain.


Detroit resident Carla Valpeoz goes missing in Peru, last seen Dec. 11

Blind Michigan woman goes missing on vacation in Peru: 'Please help'

Cusco: piden ayuda para encontrar a turista extranjera desparecida hace 1 semana

Arab American National Museum on Twitter

 

[cybervampira]

Michigan woman, legally blind, goes missing on vacation in Peru: 'Please help,' family asks

A legally blind social activist from Detroit has gone missing in Peru in a disappearance that has triggered a U.S. State Department and Peruvian police investigation with her family pleading for the public's help in finding her.

Carla Valpeoz, a 35-year-old social worker and trailblazer for the visually impaired, has not been heard from since Wednesday when she was staying at the Pariwana Hostel in Cusco, a city in the Andes about 350 miles southeast of the country's capital of Lima but almost 700 miles by car. She has missed her flights home, her phone has been off for days and investigators are looking into her credit-card activity for clues on her whereabouts, according to family and friends.

[...]

But Steele's friend never showed up for the return flight either. Worried, Steele filed a missing persons report with the police and has stayed in Peru to look.

"We've been searching ever since," Steele told the Free Press in a phone interview Monday from Peru. "The last thing we heard is that a man who works at the entrance of Machu Picchu saw her. She was by herself on the 15th and was going to climb up Machu Picchu. ... She looked well and she looked good."

[...]

After the night of dancing at the club, his sister sent a message in Spanish to one of her new traveling friends at 10:02 a.m. Dec. 12, according to Carlos Valpeoz.

It read: "Hi. I wanted to tell you I am going on a trip today to check out some places. But I think I'll be back around 1 p.m. and I'll message you to see where you are and maybe we can meet up and see some museums. I hope you got some rest."

That same morning, police have surveillance video of Carla Valpeoz entering a taxi and heading to a street with a bus terminal. It is not known if she got on a bus.

He said the State Department has tracked her to a town called Pisac, about an hour north of Cusco. It's a route people would take if they were headed toward The Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu.

 

[Elainera]

"The last thing we heard is that a man who works at the entrance of Machu Picchu saw her. She was by herself on the 15th and was going to climb up Machu Picchu. ... She looked well and she looked good."

This is weird. Didn't she leave her belongings at the hostel in Cusco where she planned to return to on the 12th at lunchtime? Yet three days later she is seen at the entrance of Machu Piccho? I don't have a good feeling about this. Either the man is mistaken about the date, or he saw a different woman, or he is lying. jmo

I'm very worried for Carla.

 

[squid]

I visited Cusco and Machu Picchu about 20 years ago. It was one of the most incredible, beautiful and surreal places I have ever been to. But not easy for those physically challenged.

I would like to know what is meant by "the entrance of Machu Picchu." If it is the entrance to the citadel (the ruins) then a ticket purchased in advance and a passport are required.
Ministerio de Cultura del Perú - Boleto Electrónico a Sitios Arqueológicos Seems like there would be no question of whether she was there on the 15th or not.

Pisac is a tourist destination in and of itself. It is one of the day trips we took when staying in Cusco https://www.theonlyperuguide.com/hiking-pisac-ruins/

 

[JerseyGirl]

According to Carlos Valpeoz, his sister met with a tour group of three Spanish travelers Dec. 11 and a man from Argentina and toured the Machu Picchu site nearly 8,000 feet above sea level together. He has photos of her at the ancient site and the Ministry of Culture has a record of his sister visiting the site that day.

Carlos Valpeoz said he also learned that his sister went to some hot springs with the travelers she met along the way, had lunch with them and went out dancing at a club.

"She seemed happy and in good spirits. They had a few drinks and danced all night," Carlos Valpeoz said the other travelers told him.

It read: "Hi. I wanted to tell you I am going on a trip today to check out some places. But I think I'll be back around 1 p.m. and I'll message you to see where you are and maybe we can meet up and see some museums. I hope you got some rest."

That same morning, police have surveillance video of Carla Valpeoz entering a taxi and heading to a street with a bus terminal. It is not known if she got on a bus.

He said the State Department has tracked her to a town called Pisac, about an hour north of Cusco. It's a route people would take if they were headed toward The Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu.

Michigan woman, legally blind, goes missing on vacation in Peru: 'Please help,' family asks

 

[squid]

"She’s done everything in her life to prepare to eventually go blind," said Valpeoz's brother Carlos.

He adds that his sister is losing her vision and was on a mission to see the world before she no longer could.

Metro Detroit woman on mission to see world before losing her vision goes missing in Peru

 

[JerseyGirl]

Investigators are looking into her credit card activity for clues as to her whereabouts.

Valpeoz had gone to Peru with a friend for a wedding and had planned to stay two weeks in the country touring various sites. She spent the first six days of the trip in Lima with her friend, Alicia Steele, 32, of Detroit. The two were supposed to return to the U.S. on Dec. 15.

According to Steele, after the wedding, Valpeoz had planned to go to Machu Picchu. Steele said that her friend went alone on that trip and had plans to meet her back in Lima on Dec. 13.

On Dec. 11 at 11:47 p.m., Steele received a text message from her friend about her trip to Machu Picchu.

"I can't wait to tell you all about it. It was absolutely worth 100%," the text message read. "I'm coming in on Thursday afternoon so I will send you the details through email once I check in. It would be a wonderful welcoming to have all of you come pick me up."

But Valpeoz never showed up in Lima. She was supposed to arrive at 6:43 p.m. on a flight she had purchased on Orbitz.

Steele thought that her friend might have lost her phone, so she decided to just meet her at the airport on Dec. 15 for their return flight back to the U.S.

But Valpeoz never showed up for the return flight, either. Worried, Steele filed a missing persons report with the police and has stayed in Peru, looking for her friend.

Blind Michigan woman goes missing on vacation in Peru: 'Please help'

 

[JerseyGirl]

Visually impaired Michigan woman missing in Peru, family says

Texas Tech graduate missing in Peru, family asking for public help

Valpeoz is a 2008 Texas Tech graduate. Valpeoz first began studying Arabic as an undergraduate at Texas Tech University, which then led her desire to study abroad.

“She was last seen at 4am December 12th at the Pariwana Hostal in Cusco,” Carlos wrote. “She may have been traveling to The Sacred Valley, Mountain of Seven Colors, Pisco, Macchu Piccu or other tour sites in the Cusco region by herself.”

Valpeoz is described as having “extremely low vision” and uses a cane for mobility.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Blind Detroiter missing in Peru

 

[Mauge]

Local (kinda, I'm Peruvian) here. People in Cusco normally take care of tourists because their economy's based on tourism. Of course, there are exceptions. Some months ago an Ecuadorian woman went missing, and it turned out she had been thrown to the river by her tourist guide and an accomplice.
The problem here is geography. Most trails in the sacred Valley are treacherous, and I would never ever recommend a tourist go hiking or trekking by themselves without guidance. Most of the times, when a tourist goes missing in Peru it's due to an accident while hiking rather than to foul play.
Hope she's safe. I'll try and do some research in local media.

 

[squid]

Carla Valpeoz: Padre de turista desaparecida en Cusco llegó a Lima para buscar a su hija | VIDEO | FOTOS

>> Translated using Google Translate <<

Carla Valpeoz: Father of disappeared tourist in Cusco arrived in Lima to look for his daughter

Carlos López , father of the foreign Carla Valpeoz , reported that he will hold a meeting at the US Embassy and then fly to Cusco to support the search of his daughter.

The Police continues with the search of the American tourist Carla Valpeoz (35), reported as disappeared in Cusco , to where she arrived to do tourism.She arrived in our country to visit the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu and her whereabouts are unknown for more than a week.

Lima arrived this morning Carlos López , father of the foreign citizen and in conversation with the press, thanked the police authorities for their support in the search for his daughter.

"We have an appointment at the embassy [in the United States] then I will fly to Cusco . [Carla] is very independent and travels a lot. She is a very intelligent and very good girl. I do not know if someone will have hurt her. Last week I spoke with her, "Carlos López said in brief statements for the news program América Noticias.

According to the police report, Carla Valpeoz was reported missing since the last weekend. She is blind, uses a cane to move. It was the American Alicia Ann Steele (32), friend of Carla, who reported the disappearance.

He said that both were in Lima and on the last Monday 10 Carla traveled to Cusco to make a tour to Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu with the company Machupicchu Terra SRL. "It's been days since I know anything about my friend [...] She went up to Huayna Picchu," said Alicia Ann Steele.

 

[JerseyGirl]

some foreign news:

Cusco: piden ayuda para encontrar a turista extranjera desparecida hace 1 semana

Buscan a turista extranjera invidente desaparecida hace una semana en Cusco

 

[squid]

Most trails in the sacred Valley are treacherous, and I would never ever recommend a tourist go hiking or trekking by themselves without guidance. Most of the times, when a tourist goes missing in Peru it's due to an accident while hiking rather than to foul play.

Your post reminded me of two young men who died in the last couple of years while hiking in that region. Harry Greaves was hiking in the Pisac area Missing tourist found dead in Peru

Seth Thomas was hiking on Cerro Picol in Cusco Cuzco: US Medical Student Perishes in Hiking Accident - Livinginperu.com

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Legally blind American woman vanished during Peru vacation

Carla Valpeoz, 35, traveled to Peru for a wedding and told a friend she was going alone to explore Machu Picchu.

 

[Mauge]

It takes almost three hours to get from Cusco to Machu Picchu, and according to the text message she sent to the Spanish tourist she was planning to return at 1 pm. So I don't think she was planning to go there. Besides, she had already gone the day before.
According to MSM her best friend mentions Huayna Picchu, although i don't get if she means that she was going there or that she had already climbed it. But i don't see it as a possibility. Huayna Picchu is a very, very hard hike, and since they only allow a certain number of people a day you have to make a reservation at least two months before.
Pisac is one hour away from Cusco by car, and it's full of archaeological places and ruins. You can do some trekking too. There's a crafts market on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays (she went missing on a Wednesday) so there's heavy tourist traffic. Thing is, there's also a river crossing the town.

Here's a video of Huayna Picchu. It's in Spanish, but it shows the mountain, the entrance and the trail.

 

[cybervampira]

Legally blind woman from Detroit missing in Peru - CNN

In videos posted last year to YouTube, Valpeoz says she was diagnosed with optic nerve atrophy when she was 10 years old. The American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus says the condition is "mild to severe damage to the optic nerve that can adversely affect central vision, peripheral vision and color vision." There is no treatment that can reverse optic nerve atrophy, it says.
Valpeoz, who uses a cane when she walks, says on one video: "I want to create a platform and I want to bridge communities of cultures ... so we can learn to work together."

 

[JerseyGirl]

Visually Impaired Michigan Woman Vanishes While Vacationing in Peru: 'Please Come Back Safe to Us'

“The last thing we heard is that a man who works at the entrance of Machu Picchu saw her. She was by herself on the 15th and was going to climb up Machu Picchu. She looked well and she looked good,” Steele told the newspaper.

The sighting on Valpeoz at Machu Picchu on the 15th came as quite the shock considering she would have already visited the Incan civilization by that time.

“This would have been after her flight back to Detroit,” Valpeoz’s brother Carlos told the Free Press. “She already did that. She spent the entire day there. Why would she have to go back.”

He also says “she was having some difficulty getting into Machu Picchu based on her disability.” Seeing that she was alone, a group of local tourist invited her into their group. The group then spent the entire day together and even went out dancing at a club before returning to their hostel around 4 a.m. on Dec. 12.

Around 9:30 a.m. that same morning, a woman from the group noticed Valpeoz was gone as were all of her belongings.

A receptionist at the hostel claims she saw Valpeoz leave in a taxi.

 

[tiffkinsadder]

Oh dear, I hope she is found soon,

 

[Elainera]

The group then spent the entire day together and even went out dancing at a club before returning to their hostel around 4 a.m. on Dec. 12.

Around 9:30 a.m. that same morning, a woman from the group noticed Valpeoz was gone as were all of her belongings.

I have difficulties with the timeline here.

They spent the whole day with Carla out and about at Machu Picchu, then spent the evening/night at a club dancing until 4 am. Yet she had already packed and left by 9.30 am. That leaves less than 5 hours for sleep if you factor in time for packing/showering etc. I wonder when was seen leaving in a taxi.

Why would she leave in such a rush with little sleep? And why would she take all her belongings if she planned on returning to the hostel at lunch time, as per her text quoted earlier? It all doesn't make sense to me. Something else is going on imo.

 

[squid]

Detroit woman missing in Peru wanted to see world before going totally blind, family says

"Friends and family members are also putting out a call for help on social media" below which are screenshots of posts from Facebook giving Carla's timeline from her Lima to Cusco trip then on. Some things there I had not seen mentioned before.