Peru: "Incan Empires" cruise includes Lima and Salaverry ports

Holland America Line is offering a luxury cruise: “Incan Empires,” that follows the path of the ancient Incas, reports TNews.

With two overnights in Callao (Lima), this cruise offers time to explore Lima and even to take a domestic flight and visit Cusco.

“Incan Empires” is a 30-day round-trip cruise that starts at San Diego (US) and goes to Lima, and then back to San Diego, visiting seven countries; stops at Puerto Vallarta, Zihuatanejo (Mexico), Puerto Quetzal, Fuerte Armador (Panama) and Salaverry on its way to Callao, and at Guayaquil, Manta, Puerto Caldera (Costa Rica), Puerto Chiapas, Acapulco and San Lucas Cape on the way back to San Diego.

15-Day cruise segments from Callao, Lima, are also available, and can be sold by Peruvian tourism operators.

This may be the perfect itinerary for those who seek an affordable opportunity to visit South America without booking an international flight.

Tours Cruises facilities in North of Peru

Churches of volcanic rock in Arequipa, Peru: Travel the religious route

Touring the historic center of Arequipa, Peru, you will have a religious experience. A peaceful route full of history, stunning architecture and strange miracles.

Renowned for its stunning blue sky, its towering volcanoes and lush vegetation in the valley, the White City encourages Peruvians and foreigners alike to come and see two ancient cloisters that now function as museums.

The itinerary may take from three hours to an entire day: it all depends on your interest and available time. The trip involves two convents that will take you to the past and provide you with a perspective of the beliefs of Peruvian societies of past ages.

Foto: Cesar Moncloa

Colonial Treasure

During the day you can visit the Convent of Santa Teresa, which was built in 1700 and received women from different social strata who wanted to devote their lives to prayer.

Upon entering its five rooms open to the public, you can feel the loneliness they felt and their strength during the long years of confinement.

Even though this was a modest convent, inside, magnificent works of religious art, depicting the Nativity and the most important scenes of the life of the Lord are displayed.

Jewelery works in gold and silver are displayed in what was formerly the infirmary. Eighteenth century sculptures adorn the halls and classrooms.

In addition the site has a spectacular colonial architecture, with original vaulted ceilings, walls made of volcanic rock (sillar) and small gardens where one can only hear the birds singing.

The silence lingers in Santa Teresa, since currently, 21 nuns remain in this cloister that will soon be 300 years old.

Foto: Martin Tremblay

The mysterious convent

The monastery of Santa Catalina, known as one of the most important tourist attractions in Arequipa, is the next place on the itinerary.

To walk in the footsteps of women who dared to surrender entirely to God, leaving family and friends behind, is extremely interesting. But visiting it at night makes an entirely different experience: much more dramatic and spiritual.

We believe that that is the reason that led to its opening during the night twice a week (Tuesday and Thursday). We recommend you enter at 6 p.m. so that you can visit its 21 rooms and beautiful plazas and walkways illuminated by the moonlight.

It was August 15, 1970 when this convent opened its doors for the first time to the public and presented 400 refurbished pieces, dozens of works from the Cuzco School and an important collection of religious art.

According to the story, cells were built for the nuns due to the earthquakes, where currently equipment and utensils from that time are in exhibition.

The local guides explained that some of the nuns decided on the closure because of an impossible love, a marriage that they did not wish to realize or because they lacked maternal vocation. We know, too, that they came from wealthy families and some were interned along with their maids so that they would wait on them.

Its architectural style is colonial, but emphasizes the fusion of Spanish and Indian elements and its gardens suggest a stay of hours with a good book.

Santa Teresa Convent

Melgar 303, Historic Center of Arequipa.

Monday through Saturday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sunday: 9 a.m.-1:00pm.

Entry is 10 soles, 5 soles for students.

Santa Catalina Convent

Santa Catalina 301, Historic Center of Arequipa.

Monday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Tuesday and Thursday: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Entry is 30 soles.

Tour Suggested:

The Best Peru Tour: Taste of Peru

The Best Peru Tour: Peru Explorer

Peru eyes to double annual cruise ship arrivals

Peru is keen to boost its tourist sector increasing the number of tourist cruise ships arrivals from 30 to 60 each year, Peru’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism Martin Perez reported Thursday.

Paasengers od these cruise ships dock at Callao’s port take a tour around Lima city, but the idea is to make them visit other places such as Pisco (Ica) and Salaverry (La Libertad).
"In this way, tourists would stay longer. We will be addressing that issue in the coming months to attract tourists from around the world," he said.
Minister Perez will be heading to the United States in June to hold a meeting with Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and include those routes in the list of cruise ship destinations.
Minister Perez noted that Panama has already offered its support to Peru in this area as it is one of the world leaders in cruise business.
The 30 cruise ships that annually arrive into Peru's main ports contribute with an average 40 million dollars, this number is expected to double as the number of cruise ships arrivals increases.
These ships arrive between October and April with an average of 3,000 passengers who stay 12 days.

Relax and surf: Peru offers the beaches of Pacasmayo

Growing up in Lima, on the coast, made going to the beach part of my regular life. It’s sad that the beaches in Lima aren’t that good unless you drive 40 minutes south. So the idea of going up north to look for a nice beach within walking distance of my accommodation sounded appealing.

A beach at Pacasmayo.

For most people, the best beaches are way up north in Máncora. I agree, but it’s a long drive, 16 hours. I had only the weekend and a long bus ride wasn’t my idea of fun. So I was open to new ideas.

I went to buy a bus ticket and it was right there where I made a decision. The destination would be: Pacasmayo, about 10 hours from Lima. Pacasmayo seemed to be what I was looking for: a laid back beach town, not crowded, but still lively and most importantly sunny, warm and with an endless beach. The only thing I knew for sure about it was that there’s a huge cement factory called Cementos Pacasmayo. I was thrilled of the idea of discovering somewhere new!

We left Lima at 7 p.m. It was a night bus, no options to see the landscape but no big deal since the Peruvian coast is mostly a desert. It was around 5 a.m. when we arrived to Pacasmayo. My first thought was: "This is definitely a small beach town."

A small town with colonial touches

Coming from a city with more than eight million inhabitants, a town with about 27 thousand people was tiny, but they all are very friendly. They let me check in to my lodging although it was very early, just because they assumed I would be tired.

After a nap and a quick shower I was ready to explore the area. Streets are narrow, there are few cars but a lot of mototaxis, not only because of the small size of the town but also due to the warm weather which lasts all year long. It was really quiet. I was expecting a bright sunny day, but it looked a bit gloomy. The positive side: Walking around was more comfortable.

In Pacasmayo you will find very pretty colonial houses, similar to the ones you see in Trujillo. Unfortunately they are not that well preserved, but the charm is still there.

Sure, a beach town is different than small towns in highlands, just think about the houses with flat roofs. But I could also notice differences in the locals. I found people more outgoing and ready to talk to you, while in highlands they could be shy at the beginning. I think people in Pacasmayo are like the architecture of the area, a mix of lovely colonial buildings, nostalgia for a wealthy past, new buildings and high expectations for the future. Everyone seemed to know to each other here and I felt a bit like an outsider, but this feeling didn’t last very long thanks to the people’s warm welcome wherever I went.

Well, it was time to look for something to eat and I knew exactly what to get: a ceviche! I found a small and cozy place selling ceviche, which cost not even half the price of a similar dish in Lima.

Beach time

Pacasmayo is blessed with nice beaches, but there is one, El Faro, which is especially attractive for surfers. It wasn’t a big surprise seeing young people running to the beach to check the waves and then coming back carrying their boards. (One of the most popular and maybe also the biggest store was a surfshop.)

Surfing is becoming more popular in Peru, not only by Peruvians, but also foreigners looking for the perfect break. They like it here because it’s still uncrowded and there are plenty of places to discover. The best waves can be found from April to October. To entice surfers even more, the fishing village of Chicama has waves that stretch two kilometers wide, and is located 30 kilometers from Pacasmayo.

Next morning was Sunday and the sun came out very early, a perfect beach day. But first I went to the highest point in town to get a nice view. As in many other places in Peru, on top of the highest point there was a tall white Christ, arms wide open, like if he was guarding the whole town. From there I saw the pier and couldn’t help it walking along it, which is one of the longest in Peru.

The beach was getting crowded, mostly with locals who wanted to enjoy a quiet day. The only noise I heard came from the waves and children playing. After a couple of hours at the beach, sitting on the porch of the hotel with a cold drink and a book was perfect.

A tip: Pacasmayo is still a small town, so if you miss lunch time, you’d probably have to wait until dinner. Sunday evening is so quiet here. It seems to be everyone goes to bed early either to wake up early to start the work day or to look for waves.

Next morning I left Pacasmayo. There was no bus going to Lima, so I went to Trujillo and from there back to Lima. It was a great opportunity to walk around this lovely city. Pacasmayo will suit you if you want to stay away from the crowded beach areas and prefer a beach town lost in time.

Surfing information
Pacasmayo is recommended for experienced surfers. The best spot is El Faro beach.
Wave quality: World Class
Wave type: reef-rocky
Normal wave length: 300-500 meters.

How to get there

Go to Trujillo and make a connection to Pacasmayo. Buses from Lima to Pacasmayo don’t run often. (Trujillo is a lovely city and spending a few hours in this colorful city would be a wonderful idea.)

Relax and surf: Peru offers the beaches of Pacasmayo

More about beaches in the North of Peru

Peru to invite Sandra Bullock to boost tourism in Machu Picchu

As part of the campaign planned to boost tourism in Peru, authorities are assessing the possibility of inviting Oscar winner Sandra Bullock to visit Machu Picchu Inca citadel, alike US actress Susan Sarandon, Peru's Foreign Trade Minister Martin Perez said Tuesday.

“We are trying to contact her agents so she can join the group of famous people we seek to attract to Machu Picchu; our campaign continues,” he said.

Perez pointed out that the visit of famous American actress Susan Sarandon for the reopening of the Inca citadel had a huge impact overseas, which demonstrates that this type of campaigns produced positive results.

According to Peru's Export and Tourism Promotion Board (PromPeru), the visit of Susan Sarandon, had a great advertising impact of several million dollars, having international media coverage in different languages.

“The idea is that every 2 months we can attract one celebrity, and we will continue along this year,” he added.

Other future possibilities are Sting, lead singer and bassist of the rock music band The Police; American film director and film producer Steven Spielberg; and also Dominican singer Juan Luis Guerra.

Tour Suggested:

The Inca Experience - Peru Tours

Machu Picchu receives some 1,500 tourists daily since reopening

The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu receives some 1500 visitors a day from Thursday, when it officially reopened to domestic and foreign tourists, reported the manager of the Archaeological Park of Machu Picchu Marco Palomino.

Most visitors are European -mainly French and British- and Latin American -Argentine and Brazilian. Domestic tourists are mainly from Lima.
"Visitors have great expectation of seeing Machu Picchu due to its status as one of the Seven Wonders of the World and the recent events," Palomino said adding that he noted the presence of families, young people and even seniors.

He said maintenance and restoration works were undertaken during the closure of the famous citadel, mainly in the area of mount Huayna Picchu.
According to Palomino, the Institutional Image Department of the National Institute of Culture (INC) in Cusco will soon issue a statement with further information on the subject.
Heavy rains caused the Vilcanota River to rise to its highest level in 25 years, flooding roads and destroying the railway near the famous Inca citadel, which forced the closure of this tourist attraction for the past two months.

Machu Picchu reopening celebrated with “Payment to the Earth” ceremony

The reopening of Machu Picchu Inca citadel, scheduled for Thursday, will be celebrated with a “Payment to the Earth” ceremony at the Explanade of the Koricancha Temple, located in the city of Cusco, south east of the country.

The event takes place at 20:00 hours (local time) and the organization is in charge of the Foreign Trade and Tourism Ministry and the Municipality of Cusco, Peru's Export and Tourism Promotion Board (PromPeru) reported.

Before these celebrations, they will screen images of the Imperial City and Machu Picchu in two big screens.

Then, the Inca and its entourage will appear accompanied by a group of musicians and dancers that will participate in the tribute to Pachamama Raymi or Mother Earth.

At the end they will exhibit fireworks and music bands will perform.

The reopening of Machu Picchu will represent a new stage in the recovery of tourism, started after the implementation of the campaign called “Cusco Pone.”

Machu Picchu, Amazon and Arequipa, best attractions of Peru, says The Telegraph

Machu Picchu, the Amazon River and Arequipa are the best attractions of Peru, according to an article published by British Telegraph and writen by Chris Moss, which offers a guide to the Andean country, ahead of this year's celebrations to mark the bicentenary of Latin America's fight for independence.

According to "Peru: a guide for beginners", the top six attractions are Machu Picchu (reopening in April, after recent floods), whether by train, trek or bus; Iquitos and the Upper Amazon river; and Arequipa, known as the ciudad blanca for its buildings made from pearly white volcanic material, and a Unesco World Heritage site.

Also the archaeological site of Chan Chan, including the ruins of the largest adobe city in the world; the high peaks of the Cordillera Blanca to see tropical glaciers and turquoise lakes on off-the-beaten-track hikes; and the mysterious, geometrical Nazca Lines, thought to have been etched into the stony desert as far back as 900BC.

For Chris Moss, Cusco is the best city of Peru because it has many impressive monasteries, churches and pre-Columbian buildings and is, as Che Guevara recorded in The Motorcycle Diaries, tangibly "the navel of the Inca world".

He also recommends tourists to buy a bottle of Peruvian pisco, the national firewater, and read Hugh Thomson's The White Rock, which deftly combines a history of the last days of the Incas with a gripping story about the search for lost cities buried in uncharted corners of the Sacred Valley.

Lima’s zoo: Showcasing wildlife of the coast, mountains and jungles of Peru

It’s only natural that Lima’s biggest zoo, Parque de la Leyendas or Legends Park, reflects the three geographic zones of the country: the coast, the mountainous sierra and the tropical selva, or jungle. Each region is rich in animals, birds and plants – the same spectacular variety, only on smaller scale, you’ll find on the territory of the zoo.

The entrance of the park is still partially under construction, but it is already an active business spot: souvenirs, water and snacks, soft toys, sunglasses and parasols are offered to the visitors who arrive to queue under the sun to get the tickets. Considering solid sun protection for those who plan to spend the whole day in the open air is a must: Lima’s sun touches your skin rather gently, but at the end of the day, to your surprise, you appear as red as a boiled shrimp. Once you get your adult ticket of 9 soles, you are ready to enter the Parque de la Leyendas wondering what kind of legends it may actually contain.

The park has historical treasures which you can see at the Earnest W. Middendorf Museum set within the zone of ancient settlements of the pre-Incaic Maranga culture. The large archeological complex has 52 excavations called huacas, which date back 700 years.

Yes, the Park of the Legends is a lot more than just a zoo: It is a big recreation complex with numerous museums, the Botanic Garden of 3.3 hectares displaying 1,800 varieties of plants, both native and from all over the world; well-kept gardens and lawns, ponds full of fish, and exquisite artificial waterfalls. The alleys are equipped with comfortable benches where you can take a rest and contemplate the beauty of nature. But most of all it’s a wonderful exhibition of the animal world.

Costa: Lively parrots, bats and armadillos

This zone is rich in birds representing 33 kinds of species. Families of parrots of all sizes are dressed in most wonderful combinations of red, blue, yellow, azure, green and orange. They are noisy things, fighters too – and watching them settle their conflicts as well as witnessing scenes of love and care, you have a clear picture of what their life in the nature is like.

A couple of modest brown birds attracted my special attention. Their cage had glass walls and was designed with a beautifully shaped rock covered with plants and a cascade forming a tiny pool below. The secret of these privileged conditions was revealed when I noticed a board near the cage: the lucky couple was adopted by one of the country’s major mobile operators.

Walking through the alleys of costa surrounded with typical plants of this region, you’ll see penguins diving into a pool, a deer, two kinds of armadillos with their impressive impregnable shells, a tiny bat whose main activity is eating fruit at night and hiding in the daylight (though I did manage to see the animal), a chinchilla with its big ears and a gorgeous grey fur-coat, a white rabbit, a hypnotizing sleek python and many more. And it’s just the beginning of your journey.

PromPeru proposes tourist attractions to enjoy during Holy Week

The Holy Week is a time for meditation and religious fervor, but it can also be a good reason to enjoy a long holiday visiting some attractive destinations in the 25 regions of Peru.

For this occasion, PromPeru has created its website “Semana Santa 2010” (Holy Week 2010) where one can find information about places, tourist destinations, accommodation, routes, services, among other interesting information that will help travelers.

As for Peru's Tourist Information and Assistance Service (Iperu) will offer tourist information to all national and foreign travelers through its offices located in many departments of Peru.

ABOUT EARTH HOUR

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make their stand against climate change. Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating. Global landmarks such as the, Sydney Harbour Bridge, The CN Tower in Toronto, The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.
Earth Hour - Chile

In March 2009, hundreds of millions of people took part in the third Earth Hour. Over 4000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative.

Earth Hour 2010 takes place on Saturday 27 March at 8.30pm (local time) and is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community throughout the world. It is a call to stand up, to take responsibility, to get involved and lead the way towards a sustainable future. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Europe to Asia to the Americas will stand in darkness. People across the world from all walks of life will turn off their lights and join together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet. So sign up now and let’s make 2010 the biggest Earth Hour yet!.

It’s Showtime! Show the world what can be done.
Earth Hour - Light Writing
Earth Hour by WWF

Earth Hour is organized by WWF. With almost 5 million supporters and a global network in over 100 countries, it’s one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and build a future where people live in harmony with nature.
Earth Hour timeline

Turn back the clock on Earth Hour and discover why, how, where and when it all started.
Why get involved?

Put simply, because our future depends on it!
Earth Hour - Lima Group

Earth Hour has done a lot to raise awareness of climate change issues. But there’s more to it than switching off lights for one hour once a year. It’s all about giving people a voice on the future of our planet and working together to create a sustainable low carbon future for our planet.
The future can be bright

New economic modelling indicates the world has just five years to initiate a low carbon industrial revolution before runaway climate change becomes almost inevitable. But it can be done, and the long term benefits will be enormous.

So now's the time to take a stand and give world leaders the mandate they need to make the right climate deal.

Peru announces Machu Picchu reopening in April

PromPeru today surprised ITB in Berlin by announcing the re-opening of the vital rail link to the ruins of Machu Picchu.

The line was severely damaged in heavy rains and floods which hit the country in January and eroded railway tracks between Cuzco, Ollantaytambo and the Inca citadel.

Following the successful completion of track repairs ahead of schedule, it has been confirmed that, weather permitting, PeruRail will recommence its Vistadome train service to Aguas Calientes , the station for Machu Picchu Pueblo, on March 29.

The Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu will reopen to tourists on April 1, travelmole.com reports.

Initially train services will operate between Pisacucho, a station beyond Ollantaytambo, and Aguas Calientes, with a replacement bus service from Wanchaq Station in Cuzco bringing passengers by road to Pisacucho.

The train journey will take 1 hour 20 minutes and the drive approximately 2 hours 30 minutes.

It is estimated that it will be possible to make the entire journey from Poroy station in Cuzco to Machu Picchu by rail from July 2010, subject to favourable weather conditions.

PeruRail also operates a backpacker service and the luxury Hiram Bingham train between Cuzco and Machu Picchu.

The backpacker train will resume at the end of April and the Hiram Bingham will be back in operation at the end of June.

Tourists from Chile, US, France, Spain the most loyal to Peru

Tourists from Chile, the United States, France and Spain are the most loyal to Peru, with visits increasing last year despite the international financial crisis that hit this activity worldwide, stated Tuesday Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur).

“While tourism decreased worldwide last year, the arrival of tourists from Chile, the US, France and Spain kept increasing, since they regard Peru as an unmissable destination worth visiting,” said Deputy Tourism Minister, Mara Seminario.

She highlighted that during the global financial crisis, South American tourists preferred a closer destination and visited Machu Picchu, one of the new world’s seven wonders.

Besides, Spanish and French tourists decided to continue with their plans of visiting Peruvian destinations because they praise culture value.

According to a Mincetur’s report based on the data from Peruvian General Directorate of Immigration and Naturalization (Digemin), Peru received last year 2 million 23,967 foreign tourists, a 3.9% growth.

Suggested Peru Tours

Discovery Channel launches adventure-travel tour brand

The Discovery Channel has launched a new brand of tours and trips called Discovery Adventures featuring Peru as one of the most attractive destinations.

The brand offers trips to destinations including Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, the Amazon, the Galápagos, India, Thailand, Cambodia, China, South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Alaska and the U.S. Southwest.

Itineraries range from cruises and safaris to exploring the ancient civilizations of the Incas, the Egyptians and Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

Tour themes tie in with places featured on Discovery Channel programs such as Man vs. Wild, Out of Egypt, Discovery Atlas, Dirty Jobs and Into the Unknown With Josh Bernstein.

Participants have opportunities to explore ruins and historic sites, as well as to do volunteer work in the destinations and experience local cultures. All trips are suitable for families.

Peru among world’s most coveted destinationsPeru among world’s most coveted destinations

The US magazine Travel+Leisure published a list of dream trips in which Peru ranks among the most coveted destinations in the world.

For this list, the magazine asked its nomads and the people who set tendencies to tell which their favorite destination was.

Peru got the 12th spot in the list which is led by Italy, followed by the Antarctic in second place, then India, New Zealand, among others.

Among the ones polled were the actress Lisa Kudrow, famous for her role as Phoebe in the sitcom Friends, fashion designer Roberto Cavalli and actor Andrew McCarthy.

Lima named culinary capital of the Americas

Renowned Spanish magazine “Viajar” said that Peru's capital Lima has everything needed to be the culinary capital of the Americas.

In its latest edition, Viajar mentioned that the fabulous fish and shellfish of the Pacific, besides the endless variety of potatoes, chilies, cereals, fruits and vegetables are ingredients that Peru has had since ancient times.

The Spanish magazine pointed out that an interesting feature of food and cuisine in Peru is the fusion of Chinese, Japanese and Creole dishes.

“Certainly, it's not new the combination of so many native products with the oriental cuisine, which since the XIX century, mixed their flavors with the Andean cuisine”, the magazine says.

In addition, Viajar declared the Peruvian chef Gaston Acurio as the ambassador of the Peruvian cuisine in the world.

“He is the owner of the restaurant Astrid y Gaston, in Lima and Madrid. Likewise he has branches of this restaurants in half a dozen South American capitals.”

“Thanks to the culinary talent of Acurio, followed by a last batch of innovative chefs, Lima has become the gastronomic capital of America and the Peruvian cuisine is venerated as one of the best in the world.”

The dishes

The magazine also mentioned that the best dishes of the Peruvian gastronomy are the different kinds of cebiche, the chupes de camarones, causa a la limeña, lomito saltado, aji de gallina, anticuchos, tiradito and the desserts like the “suspiro a la limeña”.

“All of them make the trip to Peru a first class gastronomic getaway”.

Climate Change: Taking an active role in Peru to preserve the planet

All around the world, we hear about populations that are suffering consequences in changes in weather, be it patterns like El Niño, or the encroaching human-made phenomena of global warming.

Since 1990, the planet has seen its highest average temperatures ever. Peru is one of the most vulnerable countries to this because of the great amount of glaciers the territory has. And, as a response to that, various organizations are taking active roles of prevention.

International groups have created numerous approaches to counteract the effects of climate change. But to guarantee a positive result, they need to get people involved in this global matter.

So the question remains: Why isn’t everyone involved yet?

Levi Novey, a conservation professional and environmental journalist, says that “people sometimes feel that the challenge is hard because of their economic circumstances or the speed at which governments address environmental problems, (usually slowly).”

Although in Peru there are many organizations invested in promoting ways to prevent a radical climate change, Novey says the Environmental Ministry will be the primary catalyst for major efforts.

“The Minister of Environment, Antonio Brack, has already made significant efforts to secure international funding for anti-deforestation efforts that will help protect the Amazon,” said Novey.

As for nongovernmental groups, the Mountain Institute, for example, has been working on a project, since 2005, destined to provide educational tools to help tourists travel through the landscapes of Peru, in a more respectful and responsible way.

Another example of what organizations in Peru are doing is the work conducted by World Wildlife Fund in Peru.

With the campaign La Hora del Planeta (Earth Hour), WWF is organizing a worldwide event on March 27 that encourages Peruvians to turn off their lights and limit their electricity use for one hour, between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. The goal: to draw attention about the effects of global warming.

Earth Hour had its first event in the country last year, when over 8 millions of Peruvians, from 40 different cities, turned off the lights of their homes.

“With last year’s results we happily confirmed that Peru had the biggest participation throughout Latin America,” said Teddi Peñaherrera, WWF Peru’s conservation director. “One of every three Peruvians, with access to electric energy, turned off their lights at the same moment,”

It's a devilish party in Puno: Virgen de la Candelaria Festival 2010

The first two weeks of February sees one of the largest fiestas in South America in Puno, next to lake Titicaca: the spectacular Festival of the Virgen de la Candelaria.

The event is really split into two parts, but as well as the organized events, spontaneous groups of musicians and dancers can and do spring up at any time and anywhere in the town.

http://filer.livinginperu.com/

First, some history
Puno’s Virgen de la Candelaria statue — Mary with a child in one hand and a green candle in the other — was brought from Spain sometime between 1580 and 1590. It is thought to have been made in Seville or Cadiz.

As the local story goes, in the 1700s, the Spanish rulers in Puno were under attack from an Inca uprising lead by Tupac Amaru. Some 12,000 men were gathered in the hills round Puno, many more than in the city itself.

The worried locals took the statue of the Virgin de la Candelaria out from the church for a long procession round the town, they say, coupled with dancing and loud music that lasted into the night.

The story goes that this put off the imminent attack, as the rebels left worried and unsure just how powerful and how many people were actually in Puno. Ever since, the Virgin is venerated and held high as the patron of Puno.

Today, the churches in Puno are decorated from ceiling to floor with huge cloth banners and thousands of flowers. In the centerpiece is the surprisingly small statue of the Virgin, which receives colorful new clothes for each year’s new fiesta.

On Feb. 2, the Virgin is taken out for a long procession round the town, as in the original legend, followed by a large band and a huge crowd. That morning, all the streets along the route are prepared for the event with huge images constructed out of colored wood and sawdust, or for greater respect and impact, completely out of flowers and chopped up plants.

As the statue of the Virgin passes over each image, flower petals are thrown over the statue for good luck. Some people had even constructed special boxes on the end of ridiculously long poles, so they could drop the flowers directly over the virgin herself from the first floor windows and balconies along the route.

I estimated there were in the region of 5,000 people involved during the procession, but this really is small compared to the main event, the colorful folk festival, which completely takes over the town and is just incredible. This starts on the next Sunday following the procession, with a huge dance and costume competition in the city’s stadium Torres Belon.

The competition started at 7 a.m. and although it officially ended at just after 6 in the evening, everyone spilled out onto the streets and continued into the night, drinking pisco, rum and homemade chica beer out of two-liter coke bottles, well into the early hours. At 5 a.m., I could still hear bands at from my hotel.

The Devil’s Dance
The former Miss Peru, Karen Schwarz, who in 2009 was the center of a controversy between Peru and Bolivia for wearing a Diablada costume, also attended the dance competition in her amazing costume. There was no complaints here, only huge cheers echoing round the hills.

http://filer.livinginperu.com/00 Karen Schwarz, Miss Peru 2009, in the Diablada costume.

La Diablada dance — which Bolivia claimed as being cultural owners — is a dramatization of the legend between good and bad, which is presided by the archangel Micheal, and the Devil and his army, who is also accompanied by the "chinasupay" (the devil's woman).

The huge metal masks weigh so much that only the strongest people are able to play the part of the devil. I tried on a mask myself and could only walk about with it for two minutes before my neck complained and I had to give it back.

The Daddy of all parades
The “Grand Parade” takes place on the Feb. 9 and is the height of the festivities. The groups, which paraded in the stadium, the bands, together with many more groups from the neighborhoods, all return for a street procession in front of the Virgin, who will watch over them from a small tent erected especially for her, on the main street.

The entire city turns out, either taking part in, or watching over the five-kilometer parade through the city, starting from the shores of Titicaca and ending at the city’s cemetery. This takes between 4-6 hours depending on the crowd. Groups tiring and not putting in 100 percent are jeered, while those doing well receive food, beer and home made beer called chicha. That usually gets an extra special show, until one of the officials tries to get them moving down the street again.

José Huanca Tonconi, the regional tourism director in Puno, is also one of the dancers in the group Spectacular Morenada Bellavista, boasting an impressive 1,500 dancers and musicians. “According to the hotel figures in Puno, in February 2009 Puno received 19,424 visitors, of which 9672 were domestic tourists and 9752 were foreigners,” said Huanca. “And that’s not including the visitors staying with relatives and not officially counted.”

This year there was a noticeable lack of foreign tourists, as the floods of Cusco and closure of Machu Picchu had obviously affected many people’s plans. In the two weeks I only saw about two or three dozen foreigners, which is a huge shame.

Mask-maker, make me a mask
Today the vast majority of costumes are made directly in Puno. Embroiderers say they have the capacity to meet demand for the dancers of the Candelaria as well as other festivities in the region. Candelaria for these artisans is like a huge fashion show, where they exhibit their innovative and creative work, and take on orders for the following year and other groups.

It’s Big Business, too! A single costume can cost several hundred dollars, which is a very large percentage of the annual salary in the region.
And with a dance group being several hundred people, the embroiderers have their work cut out for the year.

There has been a slow evolution of the costumes, with the most famous, the Diablada, started with just a few staggered embroidered figures, perhaps having some Inca history behind them. Today these costumes are embroidered with Chinese dragons and snakes, having a strangly Eastern mythology and flavour, which seems a bit odd, high in the Andes of South America. This has been a result of Japanese and Chinese immigrants, who began settling in neighboring Bolivia, and bringing their embroidery skills together with a mixing of their culture.

All parties come to an end
The final event of Candelaria, is a music parade with some 1,500 musicians and dancers, consisting of 15 sicuris groups, consisting of about 100 people in each band. The sicuris is a type of traditional panpipe, consisting of two rows of reed tubes, eight in the front row and seven in the lower second row.

Although the Virgen de la Candelaria festival officially ended on Wednesday, Feb. 10 with the sicuris parade, there are always groups that can been seen and heard in the main streets during the following weekend. This year too, with carnival being on the following weekend, the celebrations simply continue into one huge three-week party.

Machu Picchu reopens for tourists from April 1

Lima, Feb. 16 (ANDINA).- Peru's renowned ruins of Machu Picchu will reopen to local and foreign tourists from April 1, announced Tuesday Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Martín Pérez.

"From April 1, we hope to receive millions of tourists as we used to," he said noting the progress made towards the rehabilitation of the railway line by the concessionaire operating the route.

Perez said the Vilcanota River’s flow, the cause of damage, has decreased significantly and has gotten back to normal for this time of year, enabling authorities to resume reconstruction works.

He also highlighted the response to the campaign “Cusco Pone”, which offers a round trip plane ticket to the Andean city of Cusco for 49 dollars, and promotes accommodation packages for three or four-star hotels for up to 70 soles.

The campaign 'Cusco Pone' (Cusco Rocks) was launched on Thursday through a joint effort between authorities and tourist operators in Lima and Cusco, by offering special prices in flight tickets and some hotels.

At least 8,000 visitors have visited Cusco so far. The campaign received response not only from Limeans, but also from tourists coming from Trujillo and Arequipa, especially workers of the public sector

Peru's Amazon gastronomy still yet to be discovered, cooks say

It is known that ceviche and pisco sour are the flagships of Peruvian gastronomy; however, Peru has way more to offer.

According to Edgardo Rojas, from the restaurant El Aguajal that especializes in Amazon gastronomy, there are many native fruits and vegetables that have been never tasted in Lima because bring here on time it's almost impossible, despite all the efforts to improve the roads.

He says that nowadays people is eager to try some Amazonian dishes because they are “exotic” and “tasty.”

Elía García, from La Patarashca in Tarapoto, said that some ingredients have yet to be discovered by Peruvian gastronomy, like the fruits known as humari and sinami.

“For example, we use cocona in our cebiche, and camu-camu has many other uses besides naking juices. There is a lot yet to discover,” she stressed.

However, Rojas warned that the Amazonian gastronomy requires also to take care of endangered species, since some restaurants offer dishes prepared with animals obtained from illegal hunting.

More info
About Gastronomy: Peru Mucho Gusto
About Tours in Amazon: Manu and Tambopata