Highlights of Northern Peru: The Moche Route & Chicama Resort This guest blog article was written by Liam Browne and Piotr Piecha, who travelled with Aracari along the Moche Route on Peru's north coast in April 2013. The Moche Route: More than Machu Picchu The Moche Route: To drive north of Trujillo into the desert valleys once ruled for centuries by the Mochica people is to enter a world of lost treasure boxes only re-opened in our lifetime – and the tremendous joy was in exploring it with the people who had discovered it! When one thinks of ancient Mexican great civilisations, the Aztecs and the Maya immediately come to mind. However, when Peru is mentioned, generally one only thinks of the Inca – perhaps in a decade or so, the Moche, who were contemporaneous with the Maya, will be just as widely known. Being introduced to the wondrous excavations of Huacas del Moche and the unforgettable museum recently completed with the aid of the Ford Foundation was like exploring Machu Picchu with Hiram Bingham. It was here that Aracari hit another home run! (this was our second trip to Peru with Aracari). In the Temple of the Moon (Huaca de la Luna), they somehow managed to allow us to get our noses right up to the most magnificent multi-story frieze – “The Order of the World” by the Moche People of Northern Peru. This mystical moment alone made this long voyage worth it and unforgettable! Archaelogical Highlights At Huacas del Moche, El Brujo and Sipan, we were awed by the sophisticated murals, gold artefacts and ceremonial architecture. Also, looking across at so many pyramid mounds still covered with earth overgrown by vegetation, it seems there is much still to be unearthed. For intrepid travellers who have visited more than 100 countries, this
Highlights of Northern Peru: The Moche Route & Chicama Resort This guest blog article was written by Liam Browne and Piotr Piecha, who travelled with Aracari along the Moche Route on Peru’s north coast in April 2013. The Moche Route: More than Machu Picchu The Moche Route: To drive north…
Vendors at the Pisac Market were just setting up their stalls when I arrived at the main plaza this past Saturday morning ahead of a visit to the community of Amaru. Currently on an inspection trip to Cusco, I was going with the translator, Pilar, into the mountains east of Pisac to participate in a textile demonstration and lunch organized by the comunity based tourism initiative Tierra de los Yachaqs. Traditional Textiles with Tierra de los Yachaqs Amaru is one of eight communities that form a coalition called Tierra de los Yachaqs, an initiative that allows local people to participate in the very same tourism industry that has transformed the Cusco region. Aracari first started arranging visits in 2011 when Tierra de los Yachaqs first began in support of responsible tourism in Peru. A window into tural Life in the Sacred Valley Before my visit, I had mentioned Amaru to several people I’d met who live in the Valley, but none of them seemed to know the community because it is tucked away in the Andes, about 20 minutes away from Pisac. Quechua is the common language of the inhabitants of Amaru (hence the translator), and most families work in agriculture and animal domestication. The initiative gives many of the 200 families of Amaru a chance to earn extra income by offering tours that teach visitors about an aspect of their culture, like weaving, which they have chosen. Trained local guides are accompanied by a translator during the visit, but they are the ones who lead and design the tour. Arriving at Amaru After a bumpy but scenic ride along a narrow, dirt road, Pilar and I arrived at Amaru and the workshop where we’d be participating in the textile demonstration. As I entered a small opening in a stone wall
Vendors at the Pisac Market were just setting up their stalls when I arrived at the main plaza this past Saturday morning ahead of a visit to the community of Amaru. Currently on an inspection trip to Cusco, I was going with the translator, Pilar, into the mountains east of…
We are currently attending PURE Life Experiences 2013 in Marrakech, the crème de la crème of travel trade fairs, bringing together the world’s best experiential travel providers in one single place to show off the most exciting and innovative travel experiences from across the globe. PURE hosted its first fair in 2009, which Aracari attended as a member (affectionately known as a ‘Pureist’). We have been present at every fair since, as a specialist on experiential travel in the Andean region. This year Aracari founder Marisol Mosquera is once again showcasing the most authentic and culturally enriching ways to explore the plethora of attractions across Peru and Bolivia. We are particularly focusing on our Peru family travel experiences, recently opened hotels like the four-star boutique hotel El Mercado Tunqui in Cusco and adventure experiences at Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni in the Airstream camper, to give but a few examples. We are exhibiting alongside a collection of our closest partners from Latin America, 5 other operators from Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador and Central America respectively. PURE’s philosophy The good folks at PURE believe that travel companies should create personalized, authentic and transformative experiences for guests; they should proffer proper luxury products for the “sophisticated traveller”; they should be independent and forward thinking, always looking for trends even before they are trends; they should work to protect the heritage and environments where they operate; and of course, they should know how to tell a good story to transmit their messages with imagination and sincerity. Little wonder, then, why Aracari is a founding Pureist! This year the theme of the show is “New Frontiers, New Challenges”, which highlights the need to break boundaries and push limits of how and where travellers can explore other cultures and destinations. Speakers at the conference include Sylvia
We are currently attending PURE Life Experiences 2013 in Marrakech, the crème de la crème of travel trade fairs, bringing together the world’s best experiential travel providers in one single place to show off the most exciting and innovative travel experiences from across the globe. PURE hosted its first fair…
It was on a Thursday evening that my colleagues Mark, Maria Julia and I found ourselves walking along the Jirón de la Unión in the center of Lima, looking for Casa Aliaga: the Aracari team had been invited to this historic landmark by Jerónimo de Aliaga, a chef who has recently begun to offer a tasting menu here. After accidentally passing the house, we doubled back and saw a man in a suit holding the beautifully carved wooden door open for us to enter. The stairs of the reception hall were lined with candles, and a young woman waited above on the landing to give us a tour of the Aliaga house, the oldest home in Lima that has been lived in by the same family for seventeen generations, beginning with another Jerónimo de Aliaga, one of the thirteen men who arrived with Francisco Pizarro in the sixteenth century. The house was built upon a huaca, which is hidden now on the ground floor. Only a part of the Aliaga mansion is open for viewing, and the Aliaga family lives in another part. Our hostess showed us a narrow hall that once led to the servants’ quarters as she explained that in the past the home was, at times, occupied by up to a hundred people, servants included. In the first room off of the reception hall, our hostess showed us the sword that Jerónimo de Aliaga used during the conquest, encased in glass in one corner, and in another corner, the framed document signed by Diego de Aliaga for the independence of Peru from Spain in the nineteenth century. The room retained its beautiful, original tiles that covered the floor and part of the wall, illuminated by a grand chandelier of glass. We crossed the hall and entered a long, narrow
It was on a Thursday evening that my colleagues Mark, Maria Julia and I found ourselves walking along the Jirón de la Unión in the center of Lima, looking for Casa Aliaga: the Aracari team had been invited to this historic landmark by Jerónimo de Aliaga, a chef who has recently…
For travelers who looking for an outdoor adventure, Peru has wonderful opportunities to horseback ride through impressive landscapes One of our favorite places to ride is in the Colca Valley in Southern Peru, home to a range of alternative adventure activities, cultural and historical attractions. Here we share our expereince horseriding in Colca Canyon on a short trail of three hours. We also offer a longer horseback ride in Colca which takes around five hours. Horseriding in Colca Canyon On an inspection trip to the valley, I was delighted to discover that this is a terrific way to experience the beautiful Colca region. I met with my Chalan (an expert equestrian guide) early in the morning at my hotel, near the small village of Corporaque, and we set out on a short route through the Colca Valley, lasting around three hours. We trotted through the outskirts of the village, passing by locals, before continuing through fields of native crops like quinoa and habas. We began to move uphill, where the view of the valley opened up beneath us: gorgeous green terraced fields with distant snowy peaks illuminated on the horizon. Pre-Incan Burian Graves of the Colca Culture On the horseride you get to visit the Yuraq Qaqa graves, also referred to as Aya Wari or “House of the Dead,” where you will observe the burial rituals of the ancient Colca cultures in which bones and skulls are still visible. Then you’ll pass back through the main square of Coporaque, visiting the Colonial temple of Santiago de Apostol, built in 1569 on your way. The Peruvian Paso Horse Despite the fact that I do not have extensive experience in horseback riding, it did not take long for me to become accustomed to my steed, a Peruvian Paso Horse. My guide explained that the Peruvian Paso Horses are great for beginners and
For travelers who looking for an outdoor adventure, Peru has wonderful opportunities to horseback ride through impressive landscapes One of our favorite places to ride is in the Colca Valley in Southern Peru, home to a range of alternative adventure activities, cultural and historical attractions. Here we share our expereince horseriding in Colca Canyon…
On Tuesday night I ventured with my colleagues Giovanna and Vicky to the Alianza Francesa of Lima to listen to a talk about the gastronomy of Peru and France; one of the speakers at the event, writer and Peruvian culinary specialist Naguib Ciurlizza, had kindly invited the Aracari team to attend. The conference, titled, “Gastronomic Traditions, Culinary Creation and Marketing”, was the first event of the “Semana del Sabor” (or “flavour week”), and I did not know what to expect before arriving. This year is the second annual Semana del Sabor, which runs from October 15 to 24 in the cities of Lima, Piura and Cusco. It is a celebration valuing the relationship between food and the five senses, which is sponsored by the Alianza Francesa of Peru and, in Lima, by the Franco-Peruvian School of Lima. As with the first Semana del Sabor in 2012, it is being headed by the Vice President of Peru, Marisol Espinoza. As the website explains, Semana del Sabor aims to teach the value of the products native to France and Peru, demonstrating the diversity of flavors that these natural products offer. It also places emphasis on the origins and production methods of the products, as well as the importance of a healthy and balanced lifestyle. The four values that the Semana del Sabor promotes with its events are gastronomy, education, culture and social inclusion. This year the “flavors” selected for the week are quinua and cacao from Peru and, of course, the world-renowned wines and cheeses of France. When we entered the courtyard of the Alianza Francesa, people were mulling around tables, sampling hot quinoa drinks, chocolates and cheeses from various vendors. Some sat down for a meal at the café that had been transformed into a restaurant. At the center of the courtyard a
On Tuesday night I ventured with my colleagues Giovanna and Vicky to the Alianza Francesa of Lima to listen to a talk about the gastronomy of Peru and France; one of the speakers at the event, writer and Peruvian culinary specialist Naguib Ciurlizza, had kindly invited the Aracari team to attend….
