Just as the the first rays of light began to peek over the horizon, everyone raised their hands into the air and faced the rising sun. At 3,850 meters (12,631 ft) above sea level it was frigid outside. I put my gloved hands in the hair. Some people began to chant “jallalla”, an Aymara expression of hope, satisfaction and appreciation for life, often used during ceremonies. It was a powerful moment, even from an outsider’s perspective. Aymara New Year This was June 21st 2011, when I had the opportunity to experience the Aymara New Year in Tiwanaku, Bolivia. Coinciding with the winter solstice, when the earth is furthest away from the sun, June 21st is considered the start of the New Year because it marks the start of a new agricultural cycle. Each year colorful ceremonies take place across the Altiplano. Offerings are given in thanks to Pachamama, or Mother Earth, and the sun so that there will be a good harvest in the coming year. The Aymara are the modern day descendants of the Tiwanaku. Tiwanaku is the name of both the culture and the Pre-Columbian UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site, located north of the city of La Paz and south of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. It is thought to have been the spiritual and political capital of one of the most important Pre-Inca cultures whose empire reached into modern-day Peru and Chile. The Tiwanaku people were highly skilled in architecture, as can be seen in what remains of their ceremonial and public buildings. In addition they were very knowledgeable about astrology, learning from their observations to know when to plant and harvest crops. The manmade terraces and irrigation technology of the Tiwanaku Empire were important contributions to agricultural and cultural evolution by making it possible to adapt to
Just as the the first rays of light began to peek over the horizon, everyone raised their hands into the air and faced the rising sun. At 3,850 meters (12,631 ft) above sea level it was frigid outside. I put my gloved hands in the hair. Some people began to…
Culinary Travel in Peru: The Best Food and Drink and Where to Find It With three Peruvian restaurants included on the prestigious 2015 World’s Best 50 Restaurants list, Peru’s transition from renegade upstart to a fully-fledged equal among the world’s culinary superpowers seems complete. Exploding onto the international food scene over the last decade, the country is now widely regarded as one of the world’s principal food travel destinations with a proliferation of restaurants – from fine dining to hidden local markets – vying for the visitor’s attention. But trying to navigate the country's ever-changing dining scene can be a daunting task, especially for the visitor on a tight schedule and with limited Spanish. Restaurants come and go on a constant basis, the web is packed with thousands of dubious recommendations, and sometimes the best experiences are those that only the locals know about. Culinary Travel in Peru, our free downloadable ebook, is the perfect solution. With over 100 pages packed with expert curated recommendations, this guide is an indispensable manual to the country's food and drink highlights. Download the free guide now, and either print it out or save it to your tablet or mobile for easy reference during your trip. What's inside? Hundreds of comprehensive restaurant listings, from top-end dining to casual local haunts, organised by region and budget. Recommended culinary experiences, including markets, events, festivals and cookery courses. Background reading on the major regional styles, culinary history and key dishes. Resources section including key words & phrases, ordering guide and overview of ingredients. Foreword by Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, one of Peru's top chefs and founder of renowned ámaZ Restaurant.
Culinary Travel in Peru: The Best Food and Drink and Where to Find It With three Peruvian restaurants included on the prestigious 2015 World’s Best 50 Restaurants list, Peru’s transition from renegade upstart to a fully-fledged equal among the world’s culinary superpowers seems complete. Exploding onto the international food scene…
The best way to visit the Peruvian Amazon in style is by luxury Amazon Cruise. Aqua Expeditions and Delfin are the two top cruise companies, with different size vessels than undertake cruises of differing durations. Aracari's team member Giovanna recently tested out one of the top luxury amazon river cruise options in Peru, the Delfin II. Here Giovanna shares her first hand review and impressions of the luxury Amazon river cruise aboard the Delfin II. Luxury Amazon River Cruise - Delfin II Day 1 - Arrival in Iquitos When the day finally arrived for me to go on my first Amazon river cruise, I excitedly headed to the airport in Lima for my flight to Iquitos. I took the earliest flight available so that I could get to know the city of Iquitos prior to boarding the cruise. In particular, I was interested in visiting the Quistococha Zoo, which I had heard a lot about. Upon arrival, one of the guides from the Delfin II cruise was waiting for me and accompanied me to the zoo. During the visit, I saw and learned about local flora and fauna, which made it a worthwhile visit, even though the zoo looked as if it could use some renovations. In the afternoon I headed back to the airport to wait for the rest of the guests that would be joining me on the cruise. Together we continued to the private dock in Iquitos from where Delfin’s cruise ships embark and we took a boat to the main ship. The sun was already setting as we arrived and saw the silhouette of the cruise ship floating in the distance. Once I was all settled on the Delfin II, I met some of the other guests and we talked about how we were looking forward to our four-day Amazon adventure. Day
The best way to visit the Peruvian Amazon in style is by luxury Amazon Cruise. Aqua Expeditions and Delfin are the two top cruise companies, with different size vessels than undertake cruises of differing durations. Aracari’s team member Giovanna recently tested out one of the top luxury amazon river cruise options…
This year the capital of Peru, Lima, will see hotel blackout dates from the 5th-12th October 2015 in Lima, Peru when there is currently no hotel availability. This blackout period is due to Peru hosting the Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), taking place in Lima this year. The event takes place on the 9-11th October, impacting hotel availability on dates either side of the meetings. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you wish to travel to Peru during these dates as this blackout applies to Lima only. Furthermore, we will be able to check the latest availability in Lima at the time of your request in case the situation changes.
This year the capital of Peru, Lima, will see hotel blackout dates from the 5th-12th October 2015 in Lima, Peru when there is currently no hotel availability. This blackout period is due to Peru hosting the Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the…
Tierra de Los Yachaqs is a rural community based tourism initiative that welcome visitors to their villages to learn about traditional life in the Andes. From learning to weave in the village of Amaru, to hiking in the Sacred Valley, this is an authentic way to understand rural lifestyles first-hand. Aracari's Founder Marisol Mosquera shares her experience walking the Route of the Achupalla and escaping mass tourism entirely. Traditional life with Tierra de los Yachaqs Everybody who heads to Machu Picchu visits the Sacred Valley and Cusco which sees crowds sticking to the main and more popular sights. While “ticking off” the major sights is must for most visitors, to get you closer to the real Andean Peru it is well worth getting off the gringo trail for a more authentic and tourist-free experience. Community-based tourism initiative Tierra de los Yachaqs achieves just that. Getting away from the crowds It takes relatively little effort to reach areas where traditional life is the norm, and where very few visitors go, by simply driving uphill a bit towards the majestic mountains that line the Urubamba valley. Despite being close to the 'core' Sacred Valley circuit - known for Incan ruins like Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero, it is a world away. I recently visited with some friends and the result was a day full of the joy of true discovery. It was a close approach, which felt very and refreshingly authentic, to traditional rural life in the Andes. Andean Village Life Approximately 60 families live in the community of Janac Chuquibamba, near the village of Lamay, half an hour away on an unpaved road off of the main road from Cusco to Urubamba. These families, whose livelihood consists mainly of animal husbandry, subsistence agriculture and horticulture, have formed an association to run a community based tourism project in order to receive
Tierra de Los Yachaqs is a rural community based tourism initiative that welcome visitors to their villages to learn about traditional life in the Andes. From learning to weave in the village of Amaru, to hiking in the Sacred Valley, this is an authentic way to understand rural lifestyles first-hand….
Welcome to Hacienda Urubamba After a strenuous morning trek up Machu Picchu Montaña and a day exploring the famous ruins, I was ready for an evening of relaxation. A 45-minute drive from Ollantaytambo lies Hacienda Urubamba, the newest addition to Inkaterra hotels, at the end of a long dirt road, tucked into the foot of the towering mountains of the Sacred Valley. The view of the property from the road alone is impressive: a large hacienda-style building with bright lights streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the night. But it is the view from inside that is truly amazing. No matter where you are in the building you have a view of the valley, whether it is a mountaintop view from the courtyard or the expanse of green farmland stretching out into the distance as you sit in a cozy armchair in the lounge. The decor is tasteful and authentic, with colorful Andean textiles adorning the sofas and chairs in the lounge and bar area. The restaurant includes a fireplace and boasts the same panoramic views as the lounge. The menu included their take on traditional dishes and many of the ingredients are sourced directly from their farm, or chacra. Depending on the season, different dishes will be added or taken from the menu according to the seasonal fruits, vegetables and spices grown in the garden. All the choices on the menu looked fantastic which made it difficult for me to decide. I chose the pastel de choclo con cuy (corn pie layered with guinea pig ragu) as my entrada (starter) and the smoked paiche with baby carrots and eggplant puree in an Andean mint sauce as the main course. For dessert, I had the chocolate mousse with lúcuma. All three choices were delicious. Breakfast is available starting from 5am
Welcome to Hacienda Urubamba After a strenuous morning trek up Machu Picchu Montaña and a day exploring the famous ruins, I was ready for an evening of relaxation. A 45-minute drive from Ollantaytambo lies Hacienda Urubamba, the newest addition to Inkaterra hotels, at the end of a long dirt road,…
