Continued foul weather slows evacuation of stranded tourists in Peru

Judith Boutelle plopped herself down on Wednesday and prayed for a helicopter -- the only way out of town.

She's one of the hundreds of tourists stranded by days of heavy rain near the majestic Incan ruins of Machu Picchu, in the mountains of southern Peru.

The rain triggered mudslides that blocked a rail line leading out of a city near the ruins. Authorities have evacuated many by helicopter, but bad weather has posed challenges for them.

"There's stress," Boutelle said by phone to CNN, "but we're comfortable."

She and her husband, Jerry -- 65-year-olds from Petersburg, Illinois -- went to Peru to see the famous ruins. They've been stuck in a town near the ruins for the last three days, waiting for choppers to whisk them out.