Saturday, May 9, 2009

Peru's new highway to give 60,000 Brazil tourists access to Cusco

Thanks to the construction of the Inter-Oceanic Highway, which is to be inaugurated in 2010, approximately 60,000 Brazilian tourists will arrive to Cusco's Imperial City every year.

Furthermore, the construction of the highway will allow farmers to sell their products to markets in the neighboring country, said Jean Paul Benavente, head of Cusco's tourism and foreign trade directorate.

He explained that one of the government's first goals was to generate more tourism from Peru's rainforest regions to the highlands and then to the country's coastal areas.

Benavente explained that to do this it would be necessary to create areas where tourists could rest and even shop. Among these key areas were the communities of Quincemil and Marcapata.
Aside from building the new highway, construction companies and government agencies are working on fostering tourism in the areas near the new road, said Benavente, explaining that projects were already taking place in the regions of Puno, Cusco and Madre de Dios.

Driving along this highway will be a very interesting experience for tourists, said the head of Cusco's Chamber of Tourism, stating visitors would be able to go from the jungle which is 200 meters above sea level to the Andes, which are 4,700 meters above sea level.

resource: livinginperu.com

Peru: A walk in the clouds to Machu Picchu

Trekking to Machu Picchu traditionally means roughing it on the Inca Trail. But if you take the lesser-known Salkantay Pass, you can break your journey in comfortable lodges, says Anna Murphy.

There were a number of things that had long made me want to walk the Inca Trail: the idea of scaling the Peruvian Andes; of feeling as if you could reach out and touch the clouds with your hands; plus the thought of walking early one morning into the ruined city of Machu Picchu.

But there was a raft of other things that put me off. The horror stories about altitude sickness. The idea of camping, when night-time temperatures – even during the hiking season of May to September – regularly drop to below freezing. Finding yourself caught up in a peculiarly 21st-century commuter belt as you and up to 500 other people each day passed each other on a rubbish-strewn and erosion-stricken pathway.

Then last year I heard of the Mountain Lodges of Peru, a small company that had recently opened four Andean lodges, each a day's walk apart along a trail called the Salkantay Pass. Here was the chance to sleep in something approaching if not luxury then comfort, and to walk a trail upon which you might come across only one other group a day if you were unlucky.

Added to which, this company seemed to take the risks of altitude sickness seriously, making you spend a day acclimatising at the first lodge (at 12,705ft) and from there doing a trial day trek to just over 14,000 ft to check that your body is up to the challenges ahead. It sounded just the trip for me.

We were to meet the rest of the group in the mountain city of Cuzco. It proved to be one of the most wonderful places I have ever visited. Clinging on to the mountainsides, its perilously steep cobbled streets were lined with pretty 19th-century houses with blue doors and balconies.

The foundations of many of these buildings were huge Flintstones-style rocks which once formed part of the earlier Inca city upon which Cuzco was built. What else made the place so special? Its pretty garden squares and rococo cathedral and churches.

Then there were the brightly dressed women down from the villages, leading a recalcitrant llama or two and carrying a baby (child or sheep) in a papoose over their shoulders.

There was the stunning Museo de Arte Precolombino, and the beautiful shops selling less precious versions of what was in the museum, bits of old Andean embroidery, and countless little carved stone animals – sheep and llamas, mostly.

And not forgetting the excellent restaurants and the pastry-producing nuns who sell their melt-in-the-mouth croissants for pennies at the Panaderia El Buen Pastor. But above all else it was just an atmosphere, an uplifting sense of serenity, that made it a difficult town to leave. Then again, that might have been something to do with the growing sense of dread I was feeling. And not just about the actual walking.

A group trip, my friend and I came to realise, as we gathered to meet our co-trekkers, is like an extended blind date. What if you don't get on? We were the only two English people, it transpired; the other seven were from the US. Our differences soon became apparent. Most obvious was our approach to altitude.

What was the highest altitude we had ever been to, the others asked. We were stumped. Well, what altitude did we live at? Stumped again. For Americans, it seems, altitude is something one knows about, and – in this context – talked about at length. They lived in high-up places like Denver (5,281ft) or went up mountains at the weekend.

In the UK, we told them, unless you are a mountaineer, you never thought about such matters. It transpired that we were also, by the group's calculation, woefully under-medicated. I know the importance of packing things like Dioralyte and Imodium, and I always have some paracetamol in my travel medical kit.

But suddenly we were with people who would put a high-street chemist to shame when it came to painkillers and God knows what else. We felt both afraid (was it really going to be that bad?), and relieved (well, if it was, we were with the right people). We drove for several hours, passing adobe villages, each house with a tiny cross on its rooftop flanked by terracotta animals, and women dressed in the traditional embroidery accessorised with many bits of different coloured knitwear. Some were wearing bowler hats, too, a sign of status. When we began to walk it was on an easy track, but already the views were epic.

The slopes were a scrubby brown colour, but above them were vast snowy mountains, one minute sharply drawn by sunlight, the next festooned with garlands of clouds. The first lodge, which we reached in about two-and-a-half hours, was situated on a high plain between two giant snowy peaks. We arrived just in time to watch the sun set, turning the snow as pink as bubblegum, and to watch the poor souls who were camping pitch their tents on a small campsite near the lodge. Even after a minute on the lodge terrace I felt as if my blood
was freezing.

The lodge, like all those we were to stay in, was architecturally stunning, built to reflect the environment with a multi-peaked roof and adobe walls. It was simply and comfortably furnished and, best of all, warm. The campers were long gone when we started out at 8am the next morning. Our two guides explained that campers generally became too cold to sleep, so start out as early as 4am. Most carried their own backpacks, too, which may not sound like much until you experience how hard it is even to transport your own weight at about 15,000ft. Today, the acclimatisation day, we would return to the same lodge, but for the days ahead our luggage would be carried by mule. But we had the "ambulance" with us, a saddled mule, should anyone find the altitude too much.

It proved to be a glorious day, as we walked up to a blindingly blue glacier lake, with giant condors circling high in the skies, looking tiny despite their 35ft wingspan. There were huge rococo cornices of snow hanging off the top of the slopes, as if a giant plasterer had gone crazy with the Artex, and beneath them, the icy glaciers crept and crunched their way imperceptibly down the slopes (sometimes you would hear one of them shift, or catch the deeper rumble of an avalanche).

Quickly we began to understand something of the mountains, the way the temperature can rise or fall with unbelievable suddenness depending on your altitude, as can your ease of breathing – just a few hundred feet making all the difference. A big part of the day was giving us psychological strength – the highest point of the trek ahead of us would be only 1,000 ft higher than we had gone today.

We had done this; we could do that, too. The next day would be, we were warned, the toughest. Within an hour of leaving the lodge we had climbed 1,000 feet – yes, my friend and I too were becoming altitude bores – following a serpentine celandine stream up through a series of flat, grassy plains cupped between the foothills of the mountains. Then we had an incredibly hard hour-and-a-half of ''switchbacks'', a series of zigzags and the only way to climb what at times feels like a near-vertical slope.

Physically they are tough, but mentally they are even tougher as at times, turning back on yourself again and again, it feels as if you are going nowhere. Even so, the isolation that I felt – a glorious kind of oneness in which there is just you and the breathtaking natural world – made it bearable. Finally we reached another much higher plain where we were to have a break.

And there, above us, was a truly magical thing – a rainbow encircling the sun, the sky within it a darker and more luminous blue than the sky outside it. We continued, climbing higher still, the ground now rocky scree and the temperature turning from hot to freezing.

However fit you are, you have to stop and take regular short breaks (but not for so long as to let your body temperature fall). But no one in the group, who ranged in age from twentysomething to sixtysomething, was suffering from any altitude sickness, thank goodness.

Every so often a couple of locals passed, leading mules laden with everything from gas canisters to giant boxes. Their mouths and teeth were black from coca leaves, which they chew for energy and to alleviate altitude sickness.

Clamped to their ears there was often a tinny transistor radio; sometimes the women spun wool as they walked, spindle in one hand, wool in the other. We reached the highest point, at 15,340ft, and had our photos taken at the Salkantay Pass sign, but it was far too cold to linger, and we were eager to begin to make our way down the other side.

The next two days brought many more wonders, like our walk through the cloudforest, a kind of jungle that is, as its name suggests, so high up as to be in the clouds. Here we saw countless orchids, myriad butterflies, and an iridescent hummingbird slurping nectar from a flower right by the path. Finally, on our last day, we glimpsed the reason we were all there: Machu Picchu, on a mountain directly in front of us.

Yet suddenly it dawned on us that Machu Picchu wasn't why we were there after all; it was the trek itself that had become the raison d'être of our trip. When we visited Machu Picchu the next day (the only disadvantage of this trail is that you can't actually walk into the ruins), we found it amazing but somehow beside the point. It sounds pretentious, but somewhere back there, up in the mountains, we experienced something else, something other, and none of us will ever forget it.

resource: telegraph.co.uk

Former Workington woman Julie takes on Inca trail for charity

Julie Hinchliffe, 40, spent her early years in Branthwaite, near Workington, and is a childhood friend of Clive Jenkin’s sister Louise. Clive, of Ennerdale Close, was diagnosed with the disease over a year ago.

Julie, who now lives in Paisley, Scotland, will walk the Inca trail in Peru to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

She said: “Louise and I met 29 years ago at Derwent School, Cockermouth, and have been friends ever since. It didn’t take long before I felt part of their family.

“As our 40th birthdays were approaching, I suggested to Louise that we should do something different, like the Great Wall of China. I knew that Clive was going through tests at this time, but believed that he would be okay.

“When Louise told me that he had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease, I was devastated. I then looked online for the association to see what charity events were available.”

Julie signed up for the walk along the Inca trail to the lost city of Machu Picchu.

She must raise £3,000 before June 28, and has received help from Clive’s family to get the money.

Last month her daughters Emma, 12, and Cara, nine, took part in a triathlon with Clive’s daughter Rebecca, 10, and other friends.

Money has also been raised through bag-packing at a supermarket and further events are planned.

To donate visit http://justgiving.com/juliehinchliffe


Saturday, May 2, 2009

Peru: Interoceanic Highway to be ready by 2011 first quarter

The South Interoceanic Highway, which construction will require US$ 1.6 billion, will be finished in the first quarter of 2011, reported the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC)

"Brazil has already built roads along the border. That means that in 2011 (once the road is completed) both countries will have an great interconnection", said Enrique Cornejo, the minister.

“This road will be a great contribution for all South America, because it will not only communicate Pacific and Atlantic oceans, but also allow commercial and tourism trade” he said.

The minister said that more of 50% from the budget has already been invested in the construction.

This 2,000km highway will cross the Peruvian regions of Arequipa, Ayacucho, Apurimac, Cusco, Madre de Dios, Puno, Moquegua and Tacna.

resource: livinginperu.com

Cusco to present energy and tourism projects at Brazil-Peru Border Summit

Cusco’s governor, Hugo Gonzales Sayan, said that his region will present energy and tourism projects to Brazilian authorities attending Peru- Brazil Border Summit to be held in the city of Rio Branco on April 28.

"We are to promote travel packages to Cusco via the Inter-Oceanic Highway to attract Brazilians entrepreneurs --through Camisea's natural gas-- to invest in a cement plant," Gonzales told Andina.

The summit will be chaired by Peruvian President Alan Garcia Perez and the President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

It will be attended by governors of Ayacucho, Arequipa, Apurimac, Ica, Cusco, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Puno and Tacna, regions linked to the Inter-Oceanic highway, as well as the Brazilian governors of Acre, Rondonia, Mato Grosso and Amazonas.

According to the regional authority, Cusco seeks to stimulate trade exchange of some agricultural products and promote initiatives to take advantage of the Inter-Oceanic Highway, built to accelerate the inter-regional development.

resource: livingperu

Monday, April 27, 2009

Cusco to present energy and tourism projects at Brazil-Peru Border Summit

Cusco’s governor, Hugo Gonzales Sayan, said that his region will present energy and tourism projects to Brazilian authorities attending Peru- Brazil Border Summit to be held in the city of Rio Branco on April 28.

"We are to promote travel packages to Cusco via the Inter-Oceanic Highway to attract Brazilians entrepreneurs --through Camisea's natural gas-- to invest in a cement plant," Gonzales told Andina.

The summit will be chaired by Peruvian President Alan Garcia Perez and the President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

It will be attended by governors of Ayacucho, Arequipa, Apurimac, Ica, Cusco, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Puno and Tacna, regions linked to the Inter-Oceanic highway, as well as the Brazilian governors of Acre, Rondonia, Mato Grosso and Amazonas.

According to the regional authority, Cusco seeks to stimulate trade exchange of some agricultural products and promote initiatives to take advantage of the Inter-Oceanic Highway, built to accelerate the inter-regional development.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

On top of the world

Sinking Spring, PA - Kirstan Ulrich of Spring Township took a monthlong trip to South America in November, spending 10 days in Peru, four of them hiking on the Inca Trail.

Ulrich spent six weeks preparing her body for the trip, training with Shawn Stanislaw, an advanced personal trainer at Spring Valley Athletic Club in Lower Heidelberg Township.

Ulrich started her journey in Cusco, the historic capital of the Inca Empire. Ulrich stayed in Cusco for two days, taking the recommended amount of time acclimating to the altitude of approximately 8,500 feet. From there, Ulrich took a bus to the start of the Inca Trail at 8,900 feet. She eventually got to 13,800 feet during the hike.

Ulrich, 34, was inspired to get fit for her trip due to the challenging nature of the Inca Trail. After speaking with a friend who works at Spring Valley about the trip, she was set up with an advanced personal trainer. Stanislaw proved to be the right person for the task.

"She needed to improve her cardiovascular and muscular endurance," Stanislaw said.

They worked out one hour per day, twice a week, for six weeks prior to her trip.

"I am so glad I took the time, effort and money to work with Shawn - when I was on the trail, I really felt it helped," she said.

Ulrich spent three nights and four days on the Inca Trail, typically starting her days at 6 a.m.

"We had porters who carried our tents, food and everything," she said.

She would hike four to five hours with her group before stopping for lunch, and then hike until dark before settling into a campsite for the night. Ulrich hiked from seven to 11 hours a day. Ulrich's tour group of six people was accompanied by one guide and 11 porters.

Overall, her muscular strength held up well, but it wasn't without some challenges given the high altitude.

"After the 12,000 mark it was hard - you literally took about 20 steps and had to catch your breath and then take another 20 steps," she said. "Your heart was kind of pounding out of your chest."

Ulrich planned the trip with her sister, Megan Ulrich, 26, of Brentwood, Calif. Megan always wanted to go to South America, and she put together the month-long trip through the Llama Path tour company.

In addition to the hike, they spent the rest of the month touring South America.

"I'm thankful enough to have a career where I have flexibility in my job," she said.

Ulrich is a financial advisor with Waddell and Reed, covering Berks, Chester and Delaware County for 13 years. She always wanted to see Machu Picchu, Peru, but never imagined getting there.

Ulrich and her group hiked the Inca Trail along the Andes mountain range before hiking to Machu Picchu, located at 7,800 feet. "Machu Picchu is fascinating and beautiful, but hiking the Inca Trail itself was the most extraordinary and challenging thing I've ever done in my life, without a doubt," she said.

Ulrich's trip provided a welcome relief from her hectic life.

"The sense of awareness that you were completely removed from society and everything we know of day to day - you have no choice but to be in the moment," she said.

She felt a great sense of accomplishment given the difficult terrain and high altitudes.

"I was really proud I made the hike," Ulrich said.

However, it didn't happen without a minor problem.

"I sprained my ankle two and a half days into the trip and that definitely made the last leg of the hike more challenging," she said.

Kirstan said she was able to work through her injury thanks to her training.

The program Stanislaw developed for Ulrich consisted of joint stability exercises and muscle strengthening.

"If you get injured, it's going to be harder to make it through, and it will be more difficult to get to you if you need to be rescued," Stanislaw said.

Stanislaw encouraged people to take as much time as they can to get ready for a trip such as the one Ulrich took, stressing the importance of preparing your body.

"The average Joe can't just get on the Inca Trail and accomplish what Kirstan did," he said.

Her hours spent working out were very hard, but it paid off when Ulrich was hiking.

"I saw the benefit of it for my own well-being," she said.

In addition to getting in shape, she also lost some weight, which she was happy about.

The highlight of Ulrich's trip was her time spent on the highest peaks, she said.

"When you look around and are looking across at the snow tops, you felt you were on top of the world," she said.

Resource: readingeagle.com

Delaware Valley Friends School Students Hike Inca Trail

Delaware Valley Friends School (DVFS) students enrolled in ABLE (Adventure Based Learning Program) traveled to Peru last month, hiking the Inca Trail and delivering supplies to the Poques School in Cusco.

The ABLE program is a hands-on, outdoor experiential education program providing students with an alternative way to learn important life skills such as teamwork, problem solving and decision making.

ABLE Director Ken Sinapius led students on the trail soon after their arrival. “The Inca Trail has an elevation of over 5,000 feet ending at an altitude of 13,769 feet. Teamwork was critical to their successful hike and provided the self-confidence to achieve even more the next day.”

After three days of hiking and sightseeing, the students visited the Poques School in Cusco, Peru, delivering warm clothing and school supplies. DVFS students also helped to paint two of the classrooms.

“The Poques students enjoyed interacting with us, even though language was a bit of an issue. While some of our students can speak Spanish, at the Poques School they speak Quechua,” said Sinapius. “The local families prepared a festive meal for us — guinea pig and baked potatoes — to thank us for visiting.”

DVFS students closed their trip with a hike to Machu Picchu.

For further information on DVFS and ABLE, visit www.dvfs.org.

Lily Williams can be reached at society@thebulletin.us.

Photos Courtesy of DVFS.

Artisans from Apurimac and Cusco to export their works to Italy

The cooperation of Vicariato San Agustín de Apurímac, the Regional Directorate of Trade and Tourism, and the NGO Apurímac Onlus, made possible the creation -in 2006- of Taller San Nicolás (Saint Nicholas Workshop), institution intended to help young artisans by providing them with art classes and with the knowledge to let then create their own business (and keep them running).

According to Michele Mattioli, Project's Coordinator, San Nicolás has sold more than 32,000 soles (US $10,300) to Italian markets, in only two years. Pottery, andean frames and replicas of cusco-style colonial paintings were amongst the most demanded works.

“Our first export was small: only 2,000 soles. Then requests rose to 10,000 soles and in the most recent one we have sold more than 20,000 soles” explained Mattioli.

Now, due to the increasing success, 25,000 euros have been assigned to improve the project and broaden its action towards adjacent provinces.

Not only that: the students are widening their horizons. “We want to create a cooperative, because that would ensure we will have jobs in the future, as well as the possibility of opening more workshops to give the same opportunity to more youngsters” said Rubit Quintanilla, Painting student at San Nicolás.

The success of San Nicolás has inspired a similar initiative, this time intended to young native artists from Cusco and Apurimac, who will receive training in pottery, knitting, textiles and business seminars: but this projects contemplates also the possibility of giving them small loans to allow them afford their own projects (and make the existing ones grow).

The main goal of these projects, in the long term, is to teach the people in these Andean areas --considered amongst the poorest ones in Peru- how to organize a business and improve their lives.

(El Comercio)

Hamilton-Wenham students collect items for high school Peru trip

The Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School Peru trip will take place over April vacation. Forty students and their chaperones will travel to various exciting locations in Peru including Lima, Cuzco (the historic capital of the Inca Empire), Lake Titcaca and Machu Picchu, immersing themselves in the culture and lifestyle of this fascinating country.

Although traveling to Peru will certainly be a vacation, an important part of studying South American culture is exposure to the extreme poverty present in third world countries. Through a student-run outreach program, the high school students will see how the impoverished people of Peru live and have an opportunity to give to those less fortunate than themselves. Donating both recreational and educational items will help show Hamilton-Wenham students the positive and life-changing effects of charity, and be the most fulfilling part of the Peru trip.

Donations have been gathered from all students in the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District. Principals at all grade levels, kindergarten through 12, at Cutler, Buker, Winthrop, Miles River and the Regional High School, have successfully collected items to fill suitcases with age appropriate material for every grade level. Those traveling to Peru will personally travel light, but bring 42 suitcases with them filled with school supplies, clothing, shoes, socks and much more in order to share some of their wealth with children from far away.

For further information, or if you would like to donate materials for the trip, please contact Kevan Sano, Foreign Language Department, Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School.

Resource: wickedlocal.com

1.8 million tourists to travel around Peru during Holy Week

At least 1.8 million Peruvian tourists will travel around the country during the long Easter weekend, which begins tomorrow and runs through Sunday, said Peru's Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (Apavit).

Apavit’s president Publio Santander explained that this number includes those who leave their place of residence to travel to other areas during the holidays.

“This number includes people who depart from Lima to places like Canta, Pachacamac, Yauyos, Lunahuana, Barranca and the beach resort of Asia," said Santander.

He mentioned that the southern department of Ica, with the Ballestas Islands and Nazca Lines as its main attractions, is one the most popular destinations for local tourists.

According to Santander, other places people love to visit are Lunahuana in Cañete, Chiclayo, Huaraz, Huancayo and Ayacucho, where tourists can still find accommodation to suit any pocket.

He also explained there are two types of Peruvian tourists, those who travel on their own without a travel agent's assistance, representing 95 percent of the total tourists in Peru.

And tourists who book tickets through travel agencies and arrange a full travel itinerary, accounting for five percent.

Resource: Andina



Saturday, April 4, 2009

Peru: California choir to sing in Cusco

The Arzobishopric of Cusco is organising a Holy Week concert, and the main artists are the members of the San Marino (California) chamber choir, reported Selmira Vera, spokesperson of the archibishopric.

The concert will take place in the San Blas next Tuesday, April 7th, at8:00pm.

The San Marino Chamber Choir is conformed by children and youngsters between 13 and 18 years old, students from california's San Marino School, who are known to perform sacred music with amazing professionalism.

Vera remarked that chis chamber choir has toured many countries around the world, and has also performed at the Vatican City, in Rome.

Arequipa to promote voting for Colca Canyon and Lake Titicaca

More than 100 students will participate on Friday as promoters in the Peru-Bolivia binational campaign, to attract votes to favor nominations of Colca Canyon and Lake Titicaca in the contest to choose the new seven wonders of nature.

Carlos Corrales, Coordinator of Campaign of the Self-Governing Authority of Colca (Autocolca), said that since 09:00 hours (14:00 GMT) young will encourage local people inside internet booths to vote for these two places.

Some girls wore traditional costumes of province of Caylloma, in Arequipa, and visited internet booths of centre of town, in order to attract votes to favor Colca Canyon and Lake Titicaca.

The campaign will be launched simultaneously in cities of Iquitos, Juliaca, Puno and Arequipa (Peru) and in Achacachi, Copacabana, Oruro, El Alto and La Paz (Bolivia).

Corrales pointed out that the campaign will end at 20:00 hours, but people can vote until July, when second stage of this contest is finished.

Organizers have scheduled other four dates to develop similar actions in Peru and Bolivia for April 17, May 8 and 22, and June 12.

Colca Canyon is located in the province of Caylloma, four hours from Arequipa City. To support this initiative, people can enter New Seven Wonders website and vote.

resource: andina

Machu Picchu a marvel no matter your route

CUSCO, Peru - When Hiram Bingham stumbled upon Machu Picchu on a 1911 expedition, it took him days of travel by foot and mule to get from Cusco to the general vicinity. Then he crossed a rickety bridge on hands and knees before climbing several hours up a steep slope to reach the hidden ruins.

Now you can hop on a luxurious Hiram Bingham train from Cusco and be there in 3 1/2 hours, sipping pisco sours and listening to a pan pipe group while you dine. It almost feels like cheating.

When the Incas ruled a large swath of the continent, their empire extended as far north as southern Colombia and as far south as northern Argentina and Chile. Carefully engineered trails through the mountains connected cities and military outposts. With no horses or mules on the continent at that time, all movement through the kingdom was on foot.

If you want to get to the ruins of Machu Picchu on foot yourself, or at least hike part of the way, there are several organized treks that will get you there. This way you can still feel like an explorer making discoveries in the Andes Mountains. Much of the time you will be walking through landscapes that have not changed much since the conquistadors arrived in 1532.

To hike the original Inca steps and arrive by foot at the Sun Gate of Machu Picchu, this famous route is the way to go. The trail lives up to its billing as one of the world's great travel experiences.

You walk on stone paths built hundreds of years ago, exploring impressive ruins along the way that cannot be reached by any vehicle. After three days and nights, you make a grand entrance to the main attraction at sunrise on the last day, exploring the citadel in the early morning light. There are public restrooms, designated camping areas, and regular trail maintenance along the way. Carry in/carry out regulations keep the area garbage-free, and there are some 250 varieties of orchids complementing the mountain vistas.

The popularity of this trek means crowded trails and packed campsites outside of the rainy season. (It is closed each year in February, the rainiest month.) You have to put a deposit down with an outfitter well before your trip. As a spokesperson from Q'ente, one of Cusco's long-established tour agencies, says, "If you want to hike the Inca Trail in July or August, you had better be signed up by March." Permits are limited to about 200 hikers and 300 porters per day. Since porters outnumber hikers, someone will be carrying your luggage, setting up your tent, and cooking your group's meals.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Thank you so much Peter Sherratt

testimonials about guide Silvio II

testimonials about guide Silvio





Thursday, March 26, 2009

Peru: Junin expects to welcome 70,000 tourists in Holy Week.

According to regional president of Junin, Vladimiro Huaroc Portocarrero, that region is expecting to receive 70,000 tourists during the upcoming Holy Week holidays.

The regional director of Tourism, Jose Ramos Alvarez, expressed his confidence in placing Junin as the second tourism destination, pointing out at the efforts made in Lima -with travel agencies, media, and population with relatives living in Junin- to promote Junin's attractions.

In order to protect national and foreign tourists as well as people from Junin, the Territorial Police Directorate VIII (DIRTEPOL) has developed a contingency plan to ensure optimal security -in the nine provinces of this jurisdiction- during the seven days of catholic Holy Week's festivities.

Resource: livinginperu.com

Peru tourist attractions promoted on Facebook and Youtube

Peru's Export and Tourism Promotion Board (PromPeru) has began to promote various Peruvian attractions online through Facebook, Youtube, Flickr and Twitter, besides offering the opportunity to download promotional videos for Ipods.

In the case of Facebook, Flickr and Twitter, Promperu has introduced information as well as visual content of a group of tourist destinations as a way to attract potential tourists.

"We are introducing a new version of our tourist promotion web site intended fo foreign travelers, which presents a new design and tools for users to interact with other people interested in Peru", said Mara Seminario, Director of Tourism Promotion of PromPeru.

She said PromPeru has signed an agreement with YouTube to have a Branded Channel, specially designed for the promotion of Peru, showing videos under the campaign "Peru, live the legend."

resource: andina

Auburn library photo exhibit showcasing Great Inka Trail opens today

Auburn University's Ralph B. Draughon Library will be home to "Qhapac Nan: The Great Inka Trail" an exhibit of 80 photographs showcasing South America's Great Inka Trail beginning today.

The exhibit is presented by the Office of the Consulate General of Peru in Atlanta in conjunction with the Auburn University Libraries and will be on display in the main lobby until April 14.

Constructed in the 14th and 15th Centuries, the Great Inka Trail, known as the Qhapac Nan, is a complex road system that serves as an amazing example of pre-Columbian engineering.

resource: www.ledger-enquirer.com

Pachatusan Mountain in Cusco declared cultural heritage

Cusco, Mar. 26 (ANDINA).- The Pachatusan Mountain located in the Andean city of Cusco has been declared national cultural heritage by Peru's National Institute of Culture (INC).

Pachatusan, a Quechua word that means “the one that holds the world”, is one of the five sacred mountains that surround Cusco, the historic capital of the Inca empire.

Local authorities said this recognition will help to preserve the site's natural and archaeological legacy as well as promote Andean religious traditions such as the land worship.

The recognition includes 3,909 hectares located between Cusco and Incas valleys, in the towns of Oropesa, Saylla, San Jeronimo and San Salvador.

Besides its impressive natural beauty, people can find important archaeological vestiges in this 4,000-meter high mountain.

Another important sacred mountain near Cusco is Apu Huanacaure, considered as the main oracle or huaca (archaeological complex) of the Inca empire that will be soon declared cultural heritage.

Ayacucho eyes US$3 million in tourism revenues during Holy Week

Ayacucho, Mar. 26 (ANDINA).- Holy Week celebrations in the Andean city of Ayacucho could generate over US$ 3 million in tourism revenues this year because of increasing tourist arrivals, said Ayacucho governor Ernesto Molina.

"Holy Week generated more than US$ 1.5 million last year and in 2009 we expect there will be over US$ 3 million in revenues,” said Ernesto Molina, who detailed that this year's celebrations will be held from April 3 to 12.

During these days, local people and tourists will participate in religious ceremonies and processions, as well as cultural, artistic and commercial activities.

Molina pointed out that they have prepared a program of activities which include a series of measures to ensure the safety of tourists.

“Holy Week in Ayacucho is the world's second most important event of its kind, after Sevilla in Spain; this religious festival is becoming increasingly popular with thousands of tourists attending it every year,” he noted.

Molina explained that in the last years Ayacucho has usually received over 10,000 visitors, however this year and despite the international crisis, "we expect to attract more than 15,000 tourists".

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Cafe owner takes Inca trail to raise charity cash

A CAFE owner from Teignmouth is undertaking the challenge of his life to raise cash for the Shelterbox charity.

Roger Palmer, 28, from East Cliff Café, will be heading to Peru to trek at high altitude along the ancient Inca Trail.

His mission comes after a year of dramatic weight loss following hospitalisation for a pancreas illness.

Shelterbox sends the boxes around the world to disaster areas to people in need.

One box contains a 10-person tent and ancillary equipment designed to enable a family to survive for at least six months. Other items may include insulated groundsheets, thermal blankets, a multi-fuel stove, cooking equipment, tools and mosquito nets.

Roger decided to raise money for Shelterbox following the earthquake in China last May which killed thousands.

He said he felt inspired when he saw how quickly Shelterbox reacted in sending aid instantly to the people who need it.

Throughout the last year he has been raising money by jumping out of an airplane at 15,000 feet, having sponges thrown at him while encased in stocks and has held coffee mornings at his café.

His fund-raising efforts have resulted in boxes being sent to victims in Sudan, Gaza, Congo, Nepal and Haiti.

He said: "I think the scary thing about doing the Inca Trail is that it is nearly the same height as my skydive, where it was freezing and hard to breath."

Roger initially thought he was unable to do it due to his weight.

He explained: "I knew a few friends who did it and said it was tough, but I had always thought I couldn't do it because I was too big — I was nearly 25 stone.

"But I thought about it and decided there was no reason not to do it anymore: I had lost nearly 10 stone in the last year as I had a spent three weeks in hospital with pancreatitis."

He signed up for the Inca Trail Challenge and has spent 11 months training for it.

"I thought if I can give myself a year to get ready for it, I could do something I've always wanted to do", he said. "It would give me one big push to lose that last bit of weight and get fit. To raise money for Shelterbox at the same time would be fantastic."

Roger, who has run the resort's seaside refreshment premises for nine years, has been training up to six times a week, adding: "I've never been so fit in my life, I weigh less now than when I was in high school.

"The trouble is I can get bored when exercising so have mixed my training up with lots of walks, going to the gym, swimming and doing training with the Teignmouth Beach Surf Life Saving Club."

The Inca Trail is 45km long and crosses rugged mountains at over 14,000 ft high.

Roger will spend four days hiking when he reaches the final destination of Machu Picchu.

He leaves on April 24.

For more information on Roger's challenge visit www.RogersChallenge.co.uk

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Cajamarca expects to receive over 5,000 tourists during Holly Week


Cajamarca, Mar. 24 (ANDINA).- The department of Cajamarca, located in northern Peru, expects to receive more than 5,000 domestic and foreign tourists during Easter holidays from April 9 to 12, reported Tuesday the Regional Directorate of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Dircetur) director, Julio Palacios Matute.

Palacios explained that most of the visitors will be domestic tourists, who take advantage of the long weekend looking for tranquility; some prefer to enjoy the countryside, visit tourist attractions, enjoy the food, and participate in church activities organized by the Bishopric.

In spite of Cajamarca has major tourist attractions and an exquisite cuisine, this season of the year is very competitive due to the promotion campaigns carried out by the central, southern and northern regions of the country, he said.

The main attraction during Easter holidays is the “Feast of the Cross”, which takes place every Palm Sunday in the village of Porcon, ten kilometers from the city and over 2,900 meters above sea level.

"It's a big party attended by the whole community, led by butlers who decorate the crosses with mirrors, pictures and flowers", stated the regional official.

The B-52's will visit Machu Picchu



The B-52’s Band, which reached their highest peaks of popularity during the first years of the 80’s, will perform in Peru for the first time next April 23rd (at the National Stadium), and have announced that they also have book a trip to Cusco after their performance because of their interest in visiting Machu Picchu.

“We’ve been on the road since months ago, and when we scheduled our dates for Peru we all agreed that it would have been crazy not visiting Machu Picchu”, commented to a local newspaper Lisa Arzt, the band’s manager.

The authors of “Private Idaho” and “Rock lobster” will travel to Cusco the day after the concert; they will spend a day at the city and will also take the luxurious train Hiram Brigham, that will take them to Machu Picchu citadel, where they will stay.

Reportedly, they have also booked a session with an expert in ancient naturist medicine, who would show them the healing properties of the coca leaves.

Resource: www.livinginperu.com

Lake Titicaca tops wonders of nature ranking



Lake Titicaca, a nomination shared by Peru and Bolivia, moved into first place in Group F (Lakes, Rivers and Waterfalls) of the New Seven Wonders of Nature campaign.

"This is rewarding for all local authorities and public institutions that have been supporting the promotion campaign,” said Julián Barra Catacora, executive president of Lake Titicaca Binational Authority (ALT).

Last weekend, Bolivian President Evo Morales also joined ongoing efforts by voting for Lake Titicaca during his visit to the border town of Copacabana.

Lake Titicaca, which straddles Peru and Bolivia, is the highest commercially navigable lake in the world.

By volume of water it is also the largest lake in South America. The lake is located at the northern end of the endorheic Altiplano basin high in the Andes on the border of Peru and Bolivia.

It is composed of two nearly separate sub-basins that are connected by the Strait of Tiquina which is 800m across at the narrowest point.

Meanwhile, other Peru nominees including Amazon River and Colca Canyon ranked second and fifth in Groups D and E, respectively.

resource: andina.com.pe

Monday, March 23, 2009

Salkantay Trek

Salcantay

Salkantay's proximity to Machu Picchu makes trekking around it it attractive as an alternative to the oversubscribed Inca Trail. There are three possible routes starting from Mollepampa. All three begin with a day of approach, heading north along a dirt road. Then they diverge:

The longest route, heads north to the base of the mountain, then turns right, following the east side of the mountain, then heads northeast to eventually join the Inca Trail itself at Wayllabamba. This route takes 4 days to reach the Inca Trail, then another 2 days to reach Machu Picchu.

The most common route used by trekking companies heads north, then west around the west side of the mountain, over Salkantay Pass at 4600m. It continues as far as the village of La Playa, where buses usually make the connection to Santa Teresa. From here, trekkers walk to the Hydroelectric project then either train or walk to Aguas Calientes, at the base of Machu Picchu. This route takes 4 days in total.

A more satisfying variation on this route turns right before reaching La Playa, over a ridge and arriving directly at Aguas Calientes two days later. This route takes 6 days in total.

Choquequirao

Choquequirao (Southern Quechua: Chuqi K'iraw, Cradle of Gold) is a partly excavated ruined city of the Inca in the south of Peru. It bears a striking similarity in structure and architecture to Machu Picchu and is referred to as its 'sister'. Choquequirao receives far fewer tourists than its sister but the ruin is no less delightful and is a good alternative to the sometimes overcrowded Machu Picchu. Unlike Machupicchu, you cannot visit Choquequirao by train and bus. The only way to visit the site is to go on a scenic 2-day hike from outside Cusco.

The ruins at Choquequirao are comprised of buildings and terraces at different levels from the lower level Sunch'u Pata to the truncated hill top. The hill top has been leveled and ringed with stones to form a platform of 30x50 meters wide.

Machu Picchu had controversy with Yale University

In 1912 and 1914-15, Bingham excavated the treasures from Machu Picchu—ceramic vessels, silver statues, jewelry and human bones—and took them from Peru to Yale University in the United States for further study. Yale has retained the artifacts until now. The National Geographic Society, which co-sponsored Bingham’s explorations, has acknowledged that the artifacts were taken on loan and is committed to seeing them returned to Peru.

Eliane Karp, an anthropologist who is the wife of the former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo, accused Yale of profiting from Peru's cultural heritage by claiming title to more than 250 pieces removed from Machu Picchu by Bingham in 1912, which had been on display at Yale's Peabody Museum ever since. Some of the artifacts Bingham removed were returned to Peru, but Yale kept the rest saying its position was supported by federal case law involving Peruvian antiquities.

On September 19, 2007, the Courant reported that Peru and Yale had reached an agreement regarding the requested return of the artifacts. The agreement includes sponsorship of a joint traveling exhibition and construction of a new museum and research center in Cusco about which Yale will advise Peruvian officials. Yale acknowledges Peru's title to all the excavated objects from Machu Picchu, but Yale will share rights with Peru in the research collection, part of which will remain at Yale as an object of continuing study.

On June 19, 2008, National Geographic Society’s vice-president Terry Garcia was quoted by daily La República. “We were part of this agreement. National Geographic was there, we know what was said, the objects were loaned and should be returned.” In November 2008, the Peruvian government decided to sue Yale after all the negotiations to have the pieces returned failed.

Resource: wikipedia.org

Intihuatana stone in Machu Picchu

The Intihuatana stone is one of many ritual stones in South America. The Spanish did not find Machu Picchu so the Intihuatana Stone was not destroyed as many other ritual stones in Peru were. These stones are arranged to point directly at the sun during the winter solstice. Intihuatana also is called "The Hitching Point of the Sun" because it was believed to hold the sun in its place along its annual path in the sky. At midday on March 21 and September 21, the equinoxes, the sun stands almost above the pillar—casting no shadow at all. Researchers believe that it was built as an astronomic clock or calendar.

The Intihuatana stone was damaged in September 2000 when a 450 kg (1,000-pound) crane fell onto it, breaking off a piece of stone the size of a ballpoint pen. The crane was being used by a crew hired by J. Walter Thompson advertising agency to film an advertisement for a beer brand. "Machu Picchu is the heart of our archaeological heritage and the Intihuatana is the heart of Machu Picchu. They've struck at our most sacred inheritance," said Federico Kaufmann Doig, a Peruvian archaeologist.

Resource: wikipedia.org

Architecture of Machu Picchu

The central buildings of Machu Picchu use the classical Inca architectural style of polished dry-stone walls of regular shape. The Incas were masters of this technique, called ashlar, in which blocks of stone are cut to fit together tightly without mortar. The Incas were among the best stone masons the world has seen, and many junctions in the central city are so perfect that it is said not even a blade of grass fits between the stones.

Some Inca buildings were constructed using mortar, but by Inca standards this was quick, shoddy construction, and was not used in the building of important structures. Peru is a highly seismic land, and mortar-free construction was more earthquake-resistant than using mortar. The stones of the dry-stone walls built by the Incas can move slightly and resettle without the walls collapsing.

Inca walls show numerous design details that also help protect them from collapsing in an earthquake. Doors and windows are trapezoidal and tilt inward from bottom to top; corners usually are rounded; inside corners often incline slightly into the rooms; and "L"-shaped blocks often were used to tie outside corners of the structure together. These walls do not rise straight from bottom to top but are offset slightly from row to row.

The Incas never used the wheel in any practical manner. Its use in toys demonstrates that the principle was well-known to them, although it was not applied in their engineering. The lack of strong draft animals as well as terrain and dense vegetation issues may have rendered it impractical. How they moved and placed enormous blocks of stones remains a mystery, although the general belief is that they used hundreds of men to push the stones up inclined planes. A few of the stones still have knobs on them that could have been used to lever them into position; it is believed that after the stones were placed, the Incas would have sanded the knobs away, but a few were overlooked.

The space is composed of 140 structures or features, including temples, sanctuaries, parks, and residences that include houses with thatched roofs. There are more than one hundred flights of stone steps–often completely carved from a single block of granite–and a great number of water fountains that are interconnected by channels and water-drains perforated in the rock that were designed for the original irrigation system. Evidence has been found to suggest that the irrigation system was used to carry water from a holy spring to each of the houses in turn.
According to archaeologists, the urban sector of Machu Picchu was divided into three great districts: the Sacred District, the Popular District to the south, and the District of the Priests and the Nobility.

Located in the first zone are the primary archaeological treasures: the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun and the Room of the Three Windows. These were dedicated to Inti, their sun god and greatest deity. The Popular District, or Residential District, is the place where the lower class people lived. It includes storage buildings and simple houses. In the royalty area, a sector that existed for the nobility, includes a group of houses located in rows over a slope, the residence of the Amautas (wise persons) was characterized by its reddish walls, and the zone of the Ñustas (princesses) had trapezoid-shaped rooms. The Monumental Mausoleum is a carved statue with a vaulted interior and carved drawings. It was used for rites or sacrifices.

As part of their road system, the Inca built a road to the Machu Picchu region. Today, tens of thousands of tourists walk the Inca Trail to visit Machu Picchu each year, acclimatising at Cusco before starting on a two- to four-day journey on foot from the Urubamba valley up through the Andes mountain range to the isolated city..

Resource: wikipedia.org

Location of Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is 80 kilometers northwest of Cusco, on the crest of the mountain Machu Picchu, located about 2,350 meters (7,710 feet) above sea level. It is one of the most important archaeological sites in South America and the most visited tourist attraction in Peru.

It is above Urubamba Valley. From atop the cliff of Machu Picchu, there is a vertical rock face of 600 meters rising from the Urubamba River at the foot of the cliff. The location of the city was a military secret, and its deep precipices and mountains provide excellent natural defenses. The Inca Bridge, an Inca rope bridge, across the Urubamba River in the Pongo de Mainique, provided a secret entrance for the Inca army. Another Inca bridge to the west of Machu Picchu, the tree-trunk bridge, at a location where a gap occurs in the cliff that measures 6 metres (20 ft), could be bridged by two tree trunks. If the trees were removed, it would leave a 570 metres (1,900 ft) fall to the base of the cliffs, also discouraging invaders.

The city sits in a saddle between two mountains, with a commanding view down two valleys and a nearly impassable mountain at its back. It has a water supply from springs that cannot be blocked easily, and enough land to grow food for about four times as many people as ever lived there. The hillsides leading to it have been terraced, not only to provide more farmland to grow crops, but to steepen the slopes which invaders would have to ascend. There are two high-altitude routes from Machu Picchu across the mountains back to Cusco, one through the sun gate, and the other across the Inca bridge. Both easily could be blocked if invaders should approach along them. Regardless of its original purpose, it is strategically located and readily defended.

History of Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu was constructed around 1462, at the height of the Inca Empire. It was abandoned less than 100 years later. It is likely that most of its inhabitants were wiped out by smallpox before the Spanish conquistadores arrived in the area, and there is no record of their having known of the remote city. Hiram Bingham, the credited discoverer of the site, along with several others, originally hypothesized that the citadel was the traditional birthplace of the Inca of the "Virgins of the Suns".

Another theory maintains that Machu Picchu was an Inca "llacta", a settlement built to control the economy of these conquered regions. Yet another asserts that it may have been built as a prison for a select few who had committed heinous crimes against Inca society. Research conducted by scholars, such as John Rowe and Richard Burger, has convinced most archaeologists that rather than a defensive retreat, Machu Picchu was an estate of the Inca emperor, Pachacuteq. In addition, Johan Reinhard presented evidence that the site was selected because of its position relative to sacred landscape features — such as its mountains, which are purported to be in alignment with key astronomical events that would have been important to the Incas.

Although the citadel is located only about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Cusco, the Inca capital, it was never found by the Spanish and consequently not plundered and destroyed, as was the case with many other Inca sites. Over the centuries, the surrounding jungle grew over much of the site, and few knew of its existence. On July 24, 1911, Machu Picchu was brought to the attention of scholars by Hiram Bingham, an American historian employed as a lecturer at Yale University. Bingham was led up to Machu Picchu by a local 11 year old Quechan boy named Pablito Alvarez. Bingham undertook archaeological studies and completed a survey of the area. Bingham coined the name "The Lost City of the Incas", which was the title of his first book.

Bingham had been searching for the city of Vilcapampa, the last Inca refuge and spot of resistance during the Spanish conquest of Peru. In 1911, after years of previous trips and explorations around the zone, he was led to the citadel by Quechuans. These people were living in Machu Picchu, in the original Inca infrastructure. Although most of the original inhabitants had died within a century of the city's construction, a small number of families survived so by the time the site was 'discovered' in 1911, people still were living on the site, and many mummies—mostly of women—were discovered as well. Bingham made several more trips and conducted excavations on the site through 1915, carrying off artifacts. He wrote a number of books and articles about the discovery of Machu Picchu in his lifetime.

Simone Waisbard, a long-time researcher of Cusco, claims that Enrique Palma, Gabino Sánchez, and Agustín Lizárraga left their names engraved on one of the rocks at Machu Picchu on July 14, 1901. This would mean that they 'discovered' it long before Bingham did in 1911. Likewise, in 1904, an engineer named Franklin supposedly spotted the ruins from a distant mountain. He told Thomas Payne, an English Christian missionary living in the region, about the site, Payne's family members claim. They also report that in 1906, Payne and another fellow missionary named Stuart E McNairn (1867–1956) climbed up to the ruins.

The site received significant publicity after the National Geographic Society devoted their entire April 1913 issue to Machu Picchu.

An area of 325.92 square kilometers surrounding Machu Picchu was declared a "Historical Sanctuary" of Peru in 1981. In addition to the ruins, this sanctuary area includes a large portion of adjoining region, rich with flora and fauna.

Machu Picchu was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1983 when it was described as "an absolute masterpiece of architecture and a unique testimony to the Inca civilization".

On July 7, 2007, Machu Picchu was voted as one of New Open World Corporation's New Seven Wonders of the World. The World Monuments Fund placed Machu Picchu on its 2008 Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered Sites in the world because of environmental degradation resulting from the impact of tourism, uncontrolled development in the nearby town of Aguas Calientes that included a poorly sited tram to ease visitor access, and the construction of a bridge across the Vilcanota River that is likely to bring even more tourists to the site in defiance of a court order and government protests against it.

Resource: wikipedia.org

Floating beds on Lake Titicaca

Five families promote the experience of staying at "floating beds", unique in the world and live with them in one of the islands of the Uros, totora manufactured artificially in Lake Titicaca, to three thousand 810 meters above sea level in the department of Puno.

Visitors wishing to enjoy this experience, including reservations for August next year, according to Cristina Suan, a promoter of tourism and sustainable living on the island Qhantati, located about 40 minutes by boat from Puno.

During his stay in the tourist island fishing, reed cutting, do craftwork, hear stories, dance and sharing everyday activities with other families, in addition to wearing traditional costumes and enjoy food and Novoandina "floating beds" said.

Suan said that visitors do not suffer from cold when on the island overnight, although located in the middle of the plateau and have no heating, then with hot water and blankets and quilts for shelter.

Uros - Notiviajeros.com

Indicated that young people are trained on the island in order to give continuity to the project, assisted initially by Puno Cusco Corridor Project, and currently enjoys a five families comprising 20 persons working in the tourism existential Uros Qhantati.

Also, the Suan goal is to get all the islands of the Uros provide the hosting service to national and foreign tourists, for which purpose will train other families in the community.

However, to realize this goal, he said, should resolve the problem of sanitation in the rest of the islands.

Explained that the eight double rooms and two single island are lit by solar panels, after ruling out candles on his dangerousness.

They also have portable toilets and for washing and use purified water and bottled water, referred in statements to the agency Andina.

He said that the price to enjoy a day and a night on the island Qhantati is $ 40 per person, excluding transportation (20 soles) and income (5 soles) to the community.

"For now we are reinvesting. Perhaps just this year we will start to win (...) We are in the process of promotion and are three to four pairs a month, "he said.

Those interested can book a visit by writing to email uroskhantati@hotmail.com.

Suan disseminate its innovative project, initiated in 2005 thanks to a suggestion by a pair of Dutch visitors, in an event on sustainable tourism to be held next week in Lima.

The Catholic University organizes 25 to March 27 the I International Forum on Sustainable Tourism PUCP 2009 to promote tourism awareness through an interdisciplinary reflection on the significance and trends of tourism as a strategy for sustainable development and combating poverty.

The event, whose slogan is "Let us be responsible travelers, tourism is everyone", will be attended by specialists from Spain, Argentina, Cuba and Brazil, along with exhibitors from the national public, private, rural communities and civil society.

Resource: www.andina.com.pe translate to english

Hotel rooms fully booked in Ayacucho for Holy Week


All hotel rooms in the historic center of Ayacucho city, southern Peru, are fully booked as Holy Week celebrations draw closer.

According to the Regional Directorate of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Dircetur), 14,000 tourists are expected to visit this Andean city on the occasion of its religious celebration.

Tourism official Rosa Lopez told Andina that there are a total of 79 hotels in the city of Ayacucho, of which 50 percent are located in the city's center and are fully booked.

Lopez said this year it is expected to receive 14,000 foreign and Peruvian tourists, coming mainly from Lima, Cusco, Ica and Huancayo (Junin).

She added that the regional government plans to hold a press conference next week in Lima to provide further details on the schedule of Holy Week activities in Ayacucho.

Regarding the security issue, she said that local authorities are to implement a joint plan with Peru’s National Police and District Attorney’s Office to provide security to visitors.

Easter celebrations in Ayacucho, which begin on Palm Sunday and end next Sunday (Easter), include processions, folk dance shows, as well as craft and cattle fairs.

During the first Sunday of the Holy Week, people do a remembrance of the triumphal entrance of Jesus to Jerusalem. Very early in the morning, donkeys and llamas, with herbs from the area, enter the city. Later those herbs are incinerated during the next Sunday (Easter).

Then, on Wednesday, the image of Jesus is venerated. All the pilgrims surround the image holding candles in their hands, and in that moment, the light from the city is turned down. Images of some other saints, taken from churches of the area, accompany this procession.

After that, on Thursday, people do their visit to 33 churches of the city.

On Friday, there is a big procession to the Saint Sepulcher. It begins during the evening from Santo Domingo Church. A coffin made of crystal with the image of Jesus that lays on white rose petals, go over the city, followed with another images and women from the city all dressed in black.

Saturday is the day in which "Morochucos", riding on horses, climb the Acuchimay Mountain with people from Ayacucho.

Then, on Sunday all the people wake up with the ringing of the bells from all the churches in Ayacucho. After that they go to the Cathedral, carrying out a very big image of Jesus brought back to life, this image is carried by more than 250 men. They go around the city, with many pilgrims, giving end to this special Holy Week.

resource: www.andina.com.pe

Pre-Inca citadel, cemetery found in Amazonas region


A pre-Inca citadel and cemetery have been discovered near the Chucmar village in Bagua Grande, capital of Utcubamba province in the jungle region of Amazonas.

The discovery was made by a group of local people including Utcubamba deputy mayor Teofilo Rojas, cameraman Humberto Cedano, tourist guide Olga Cabanillas and authorities of Nuevo Jerusalem , La Palma, Jordan Sachapoyas and Chucmar villages.

The archaeological complex consists of circular stone houses, located in one of the highest part of a mountain with lush vegetation, five kilometers from the village of Chucmar.

The expedition did not only find circular stone houses, located in an area of approximately ten hectares, but also stone pestle to crush seeds, as well as stone axes and pottery bowls.

In the pre-Inca cemetery, there were a number of skulls and other skeletal remains of ancient people who lived in the area.

resource: www.andina.com.pe

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Smallest Andean frog discovered in cloud forests of Peru

At 3,000 meters (9,842 feet) in the Andes herpetologists were surprised to discover a frog so small it could sit on a dime with room to spare. Further study showed that this new species, named Noble's pygmy frog, is the smallest frog in the Andean mountain range.

The tiny frog took biologists by surprise since as a general rule species in higher altitudes tend to be larger than similar species in lower regions. Measuring at less than half an inch, the Noble's pygmy frog is not only the smallest frog in the Andes, but one of the smallest vertebrates in the world above 3,000 meters.

Unlike most of her relatives the female Noble's pygmy frog lays eggs that hatch not tadpoles, but actual infant frogs. Instead of laying hundreds of eggs, she lays only two in a moist place, like under moss or the leaf litter. The mother protects the eggs from drying out and hungry insects.

The status of the Noble's pygmy frog population is unknown, however the chytrid fungus that has devastated amphibians globally has also taken its toll in Peru. Herpetologists hope the nature of the ecosystems in the Andes allows endangered frogs places to retreat to avoid the plague.


Male Noble's pygmy frog on index finger.



Female Noble's pygmy frog attending her two eggs.

The frog was discovered in the cloud forests of Manu National Park in Peru. The frog inhabits cloud forest, montane scrub, and the high-elevation grasslands located in the park and the privately-owned Wayqecha Research Station. Ten new frog species have been discovered in these cloud forests in the last two years alone.

The new species is described by Edgar Lehr from the Senckenberg Natural History Collections in Dresden and Swiss-Peruvian ecologist Alessandro Catenazzi from the University of California at Berkeley in the latest issue of the journal Copeia.

Citation: Lehr, E., and A. Catenazzi. 2009. A new species of minute Noblella (Anura: Strabomantidae) from southern Peru: the smallest frog of the Andes. Copeia 2009(1): 148-156.

resource: news.mongabay.com

Hiking pair off to Peru to help sick babies

THE Lost City is beckoning for one Dormansland grandmother.

Valerie Hadwick is taking part in a tough charity challenge to climb Machu Picchu, in Peru, for charity.

The 54-year-old financial controller will be swapping her computer and ledgers for hiking boots and a backpack in June, together with work pal Rosemary Styles, who is also taking part.

The duo must raise £3,000 each for the medical charity Action Medical Research.

Valerie and Rosemary will be supported by Peruvian Porters and sleep under canvas on the demanding nine-day trip along the Inca Trail.

Valerie, of Locks Meadow, said: "My son thinks I am having a mid-life crisis and my daughter was equally shocked as my idea of 'walking' is usually around a shopping mall in a comfy pair of heels.

"I am very fortunate in having healthy, happy children and so far one beautiful healthy granddaughter."

By leaving their footprints on the Inca Trail, Valerie and Rosemary will help Action Medical Research's Touching Tiny Lives Campaign - a special campaign to help sick and vulnerable babies.

Rosemary said: "We are both passionate about the cause, it is weird how it came about. We both saw the same advert at different times and wanted to do it, but didn't have anyone to do it with.

"It will be challenging but we are looking forward to the task ahead."

To go on the expedition Valerie needs to raise £3,000 which she hopes to do through themed-dinner parties, table top sales, flipping pancakes, raffle and a beetle drive.

Rosemary will also be taking part in sponsored car washes and quiz nights to raise funds.

To find out more about their challenge, or to sponsor them, visit www.action.org.uk/~Valerieh1.

resource: www.thisissussex.co.uk


Brazilian tour operators interested to visit Arequipa's tourist attractions


Arequipa, Mar. 20 (ANDINA).- Brazilian tour operators attending Peru Travel Mart (PTM) from April 24 to 26 in Lima are interested in obtaining additional information about tourism opportunities in the city of Arequipa, which is why they announced their participation in the post tour to be held in that southern city.

Alvaro Benavides, vice-president of the National Chamber of Tourism (Canatur) who arrived today in Arequipa, said Brazilians expressed their interest to know the Ciudad Blanca (White City) – Arequipa, to be considered a potential tourist center when the construction of Peru-Brazil South Interoceanic Highway is completed.

According to Benavides, 60 of 115 operators attending the PTM are Brazilian entrepreneurs, most of whom will participate in the post tour to Arequipa.

So far, 50 operators, most of them Brazilians, have expressed their interest in participating in the post tour scheduled to Arequipa after attending the PTM. They are expected to travel on April 27 in order to visit its local tourist attractions in two days.

Colca and Titicaca rise in N7W of Nature rankings

Lima, Mar. (ANDINA).- Colca Canyon and Lake Titicaca, two of the three Peruvian nominees competing to be a wonder of nature, improved positions in the latest rankings table.

According to the N7W Foundation website, Colca Canyon moved up four places to fourth in Group D (Caves, Rock Formations and Valleys), while Lake Titicaca climbed one spot to sixth in Group F (Lakes, Rivers and Waterfalls).

Unfortunately, the Amazon River dropped to second place in Group E (Forests, National Parks and Nature Reserves), which is now led by Puerto Princesa of the Philippines.

Moises Bendezu, head of the Amazon River promotion campaign, said the support of local authorities has been crucial to gain more votes for Peruvian nominees.

The 21-finalist list will be released by the organizers in July this year.

Foreign tourists spend on average US$89 a day in Peru



Foreign tourists visiting Peru spend on average US$89 a day during their stay in the country’s different regions, with Japanese tourists being those who spend the most ($168 per day), reported today the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur).

According to Mincetur figures, most of foreigners’ daily expenses (28%) are used to cover hotel accommodation while 20% is allocated for transport services which include traveling by car, train and bus, among others.

Other expenses include handicrafts purchase with 14%, food (18%), recreational and cultural activities (11%), travel agencies (6%) and other costs (3%).

The main tourist destinations visited by foreigners are the departments of Lima (94%), Cusco (84%), Puno (58 %), Arequipa (35%) and Ica (18%).

Meanwhile, the Mincetur report shows that Peruvians spend an average of 324 soles in their trips to different regions across the country, with people from Huancayo and
Arequipa being those who spend the most and the least money, respectively.

(ANDINA)