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

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

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.

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

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.