Coinciding with the UN Climate Change Conference (COP20) in Lima, the awareness tactics of the environmental group Greenpeace could have been seen as a stroke of genius. In the early hours before sunrise on Monday, December 8th, a group of activists entered the protected archaeological site where the Nazca Lines Peru are located and placed large yellow banners on the ground displaying the message, “Time for Change! The Future is Renewable. Greenpeace”. Nazca Lines Peru The message is visible from the air and aimed at the world leaders who are in Lima, Peru for the conference. The objective of COP20 is to draft a treaty to be signed during the next conference in Paris, in 2015, with the goal of significantly reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. Greenpeace was hoping to stress the need for bold immediate action regarding the transition from fuel, coal and gas to renewable energy by focusing on one of Peru’s key attractions. Greenpeace members from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Spain, Germany, Italy and Austria participated in the early morning activism. Despite what was ultimately an altruistic gesture, the actions of Greenpeace were quickly condemned by specialist guide Ana Maria Cogorno, the president of the Asociación Maria Reiche, who has been working tirelessly to promote the Nazca Lines and ensure conservation of a site that is in grave danger of being destroyed. Ana Maria saw Greenpeace’s actions as illegal and detrimental to the geoglyphs on the basis that they should not have gone anywhere near the lines, as even the slightest contact can cause damage to the fragile site. Protecting the Nazca Lines Peru Indeed, the Association is pushing for Peru to create stricter laws in order to protect the Nazca Lines by making it explicitly illegal, and punishable by jail time, to trespass in the area as Greenpeace
Coinciding with the UN Climate Change Conference (COP20) in Lima, the awareness tactics of the environmental group Greenpeace could have been seen as a stroke of genius. In the early hours before sunrise on Monday, December 8th, a group of activists entered the protected archaeological site where the Nazca Lines Peru…
One attraction that has always avoided the touristic brush of the popular established circuit of Lake Titicaca is Suasi Island; off the far northern shore, the only privately owned island on the lake is a natural treasure with native trees, wildlife and beautiful views across rugged and unspoiled landscape. While the peace and serenity are not likely to change any time soon, we recently learned that more significant changes will take place at the island’s only property, Suasi Lodge. Speaking to the owner of Suasi Island, Martha Giraldo, and her son Miguel, we were informed that the well-known hotel chain Casa Andina, which had been managing operations of the lodge since 2005, has decided to withdraw from the project, focusing more on its larger corporate hotels. Effective April 2015, the job of running the eco-lodge will return to its owners. This was fantastic news for those of us at Aracari; we are well aware that it has been a direct result of Martha’s extensive preservation efforts of the local flora and fauna that Suasi Island is a dream-come-true for nature enthusiasts today. We have long been advocates of visiting the island. Martha, who lives all year around only 100 meters away from the lodge, was full of plans about how to return the 24-room eco-lodge to the original concept that she started years ago. Originally purchasing the 43 hectare island from her grandmother 26 years ago, she hosted her first guests in the sustainable solar-powered lodge in 1999, one of them being Aracari’s founder, Marisol Mosquera. Talking us through her ideas about the future of Suasi Island, Martha wanted to stress that importance will be placed on the more permanent qualities that guests should expect during a stay on Suasi Island: serenity, beauty, nature, wildlife, sustainability, quality, and communication. You
One attraction that has always avoided the touristic brush of the popular established circuit of Lake Titicaca is Suasi Island; off the far northern shore, the only privately owned island on the lake is a natural treasure with native trees, wildlife and beautiful views across rugged and unspoiled landscape. While…
To all of the faithful Aracari Khipu blog followers, today I publish my last article as Aracari’s Marketing and Product Development Assistant. I have been in Lima working at Aracari for over a year and am now embarking on my next adventure (of course travel is inevitably involved). Fresh out of university, I moved to Peru after being hired by Aracari’s marketing department to work one year at their Lima-based office, learning about and experiencing Peruvian culture. While my family and friends were surprised by my decision to drop everything and move abroad, I was intrigued by the adventures I imagined were awaiting me in Peru, a country I knew little about apart from Machu Picchu and the Incas, the llamas and the iconic chullo hats that were always brought back as souvenirs from travelers. After speaking to many people about Lima, I had a rough idea of what to expect from the City of Kings, whose reputation was less than appealing. Many things I’d been told about Lima were true: its characteristic “panza de burro” (underbelly of the donkey) gray skies, the terrible traffic, the dust-coated buildings and the “neblina” (fog) that floats through the city in the mornings. However, having lived in Lima for over a year, I’ve found that its delights far outweigh its unsavory traits. One delight is the charming neighborhood of Barranco, the former beach escape of wealthy Limeños, which is now a bohemian haven with cultural gems in the form of art galleries and museums, cafés, restaurants, boutiques, hotels and the architecture of its mansions and homes—remnants of a bygone era in Peru. Another delight is wandering along the malecón (esplanade) that runs along the Costa Verde from Miraflores to Barranco overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The extension of the ocean that fades into a
To all of the faithful Aracari Khipu blog followers, today I publish my last article as Aracari’s Marketing and Product Development Assistant. I have been in Lima working at Aracari for over a year and am now embarking on my next adventure (of course travel is inevitably involved). Fresh out…
The much talked about United Nations Climate Change Conference 2014 begins next week in Lima. In anticipation of this important 12-day event, our friends from Amazonas Explorer, a member of One Percent for the Planet, will be working with local communities in the Sacred Valley on a reforestation project that aims to plant 50,000 Queuña trees in one single day. Projects such as this one are nothing new to the team at Amazonas Explorer. Over the last eight years they have been collaborating with the Peruvian non-profit ECOAN (The Association of Andean Ecosystems) to plant nearly 250,000 native trees in the Lares watershed area of the Andes.CEO Paul Cripps says their goal is to plant a remarkable one million trees by 2020. On November 29th, the 50,000 trees will be planted in Yanacocha, an hour from the village of Patacancha in the Ollantaytambo district of Cusco’s Sacred Valley. Amazonas Explorer has funded the planting of the first 20,000 trees. In order to plant 30,000 more, they raised money through donations; each tree costs only three soles, or one US dollar, to plant. 500 Quechua-speaking locals from the Huilloc, Rumira Sodormayo and Patacancha villages will help to plant the trees. Everyone that helps with the project, from children to the elderly, will be treated to a communal dinner, in addition to receiving a day’s salary for their hard work. Forests used to be abundant in the Andes. Now, as a result of increasing deforestation, Queuñas and other similar species have almost disappeared. Native species have also been sidelined by imported trees that grow much more rapidly, most notably the Eucalyptus which has become commonplace in the Sacred Valley. The importance of restoring native forests to the area cannot be overstated. Queuñas grow in high altitudes and have a lifespan of about
The much talked about United Nations Climate Change Conference 2014 begins next week in Lima. In anticipation of this important 12-day event, our friends from Amazonas Explorer, a member of One Percent for the Planet, will be working with local communities in the Sacred Valley on a reforestation project that…
In June of 1992 the first United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was established at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. This treaty delineated goals for stabilizing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere without risking human interference with the climate and was enacted in 1994. The states that signed the treaty are called ‘Parties’, and now there are 195 Parties that will meet for the twentieth Convention of Parties (COP) in Lima, Peru. From December 1st to the 12th COP20 Climate Change Conference will take place at the Westin Hotel and Convention Center in Lima’s San Isidro district. 1,951 representatives from governments across the globe will gather to draft the Sustainable Development Goals that will be signed in 2015 in Paris, setting the global environmental agenda for the next decade. The COP is the “supreme decision-making body of the Convention” and each state has a representative. The COP will review the goals determined at the conference and will decide the most effective means to implement these goals. This year the conference will concentrate on four key areas: adaptation, climate finance, mitigation and technology. The spotlight will be on Peru as the host of this year’s conference. Peru will depend greatly on domestic and global greenhouse gas reduction in order to maintain its delicate ecosystems intact. Home to 70% of the world’s tropical glaciers, since 1970 Peru has lost 39% of these glaciers. Since 1880 the global temperature has increased by 0.85°C, and the water produced by melting glaciers around the world is just one of the causes behind the 19cm rise in the oceans. Additionally, the Peruvian Amazon is the third largest expanse of tropical forest in the world after Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rich in resources and biological
In June of 1992 the first United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was established at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. This treaty delineated goals for stabilizing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere without risking human interference with the climate…
As I passed through customs and stepped into the arrivals section of Lima airport, I scanned the crowd. Off to the left, away from the huge group of people eagerly awaiting friends and relatives at the entrance, I saw a man with a white sign that had ‘Aracari’ and my last name written in large, clear letters. That man is Raul Varela, a key character at Aracari for the last decade and somebody with whom many of our previous guests will be familiar. Raul smiled and waved then hurried over to me to help me with my luggage. I immediately felt relieved and happy with my decision to come to Peru, and grateful to have someone in charge of the plans, as I was exhausted from my long flight. Raul is the first person that those who travel with Aracari meet upon arrival in Peru--a crucial moment after many hours of travel and arrival in a foreign country. He is just the person to deliver a warm welcome and instill a sense of excitement for the upcoming journey. When our guests send feedback after their trip they speak very highly of him. Intrigued to find out more about a character who is an important protagonist on any journey with Aracari, we took time to interview him to find out what he likes to do in his hometown of Lima and what he loves about his job. In particular, we wanted to know what has kept him at Aracari longer than anyone else, with the exception of the company founder, Marisol Mosquera. Born in Miraflores, in 1953, Raul grew up in Lima and in the late 90’s began working in tourism. He has worked in tourism for a little over 14 years, 10 of those at Aracari. Having gained experience with
As I passed through customs and stepped into the arrivals section of Lima airport, I scanned the crowd. Off to the left, away from the huge group of people eagerly awaiting friends and relatives at the entrance, I saw a man with a white sign that had ‘Aracari’ and my…
