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.