Aracari's Weekly Insight Coca has been consumed by natives of the Andes for thousands of years, estimates range from anywhere between 4000 and 8000 years, since the area was first inhabited. The leaves can be brewed into a beverage with hot water, though the most common form of consumption is directly chewing the leaves. No matter the number, the fact remains that Coca is embedded as a significant part of Andean tradition. The Inca’s referred to it as “the divine plant”, partly given its quality to greatly enhance the strength and productivity of those who chew the Coca leaf. In an often harsh environment and at the high altitudes of the Andes this stimulant was absolutely necessary for partaking in often exhausting tasks. Inca messengers, for example, would chew on the leaf before running excruciatingly long distances along the extensive Inca road system, while coca would allow labourers to enjoy increased strength and energy, to work throughout the day and benefit from a reduction in hunger pangs. Playing such an important role in everyday work, Coca was revered as sacred and vital in Andean belief. On Aracari’s Mystical History Tour, our guests will be able to see the religious significance of Coca first-hand in an authentic experience with a genuine Shaman. To this day the plant is honoured and blessed in ceremonies enacted by religious men: Coca plays a key role in appeasing the gods, asking them for advice and as an offering to the gods and the mountains to help the cycle of Andean life to continue One cannot do justice to this concept in a mere paragraph, so you’ll just have to come on the tour and witness this ceremony with your own eyes. Upon first arrival to Peru, the Spanish tried to prohibit consumption of Coca due
Aracari’s Weekly Insight Coca has been consumed by natives of the Andes for thousands of years, estimates range from anywhere between 4000 and 8000 years, since the area was first inhabited. The leaves can be brewed into a beverage with hot water, though the most common form of consumption is…
The Peruvian Amazon is being embraced by two new luxury cruises to give discerning travellers even more choice for exploring this wildlife-rich region. Our partners Delfin Amazon Cruises and Aqua Expeditions both have new boats on offer. Delfin have refurbished their original boat the Delfin I to reach an even higher standard of luxury that perhaps even surpasses that of their flagship Delfin II. Aqua Expeditions, meanwhile, are launching the second ship in their fleet, the ultra-modern MV Aria, to complement the MV Aqua. Delfin I (began operation in December 2010) The new look Delfin I certainly has taken on a very different attire; this has been fully refurbished in 2010 to afford even more spacious suites than before, with 2 oversize Deluxe Suites on the main deck and 2 Master Suites on the Second Deck. The new space is very apparent from the offset; extra hulls have been added to support a much wider deck. The small number of suites compared to Delfin II, MV Aqua and MV Aria ensure that Delfin I can provide the most exclusive and private cruise on the Amazon. With 4 suites and room for just 8 guests, this ensures that passengers can enjoy an intimate atmosphere with the emphasis being on personal attention. And the suites are delightful; our friends Lissy and Aldo have added beautiful touches and attention to detail at every turn, with understated elegance reflecting the natural world into which the boat thrusts itself. They all have 180° Panoramic windows from floor to ceiling, a kingsize bed (or twins), mini bar, seating area and air conditioning, also boasting a 320ft square terrace. The two deluxe suites offer a little more space than the master suites (360ft square compared to 340) as well as having their own Jacuzzis. Everything is done here
The Peruvian Amazon is being embraced by two new luxury cruises to give discerning travellers even more choice for exploring this wildlife-rich region. Our partners Delfin Amazon Cruises and Aqua Expeditions both have new boats on offer. Delfin have refurbished their original boat the Delfin I to reach an even…
The City of Cusco Cusco is a welcoming, captivating city. Rustic nostalgia fills its narrow streets, as colonial buildings stand in stark contrast to the Inca walls. Urban explorers can saunter through the myriad of shops and examine the rich heritage of Cusco's crafts workshops and markets. In 1533, Francisco Pizarro and his team of Spanish conquistadors discovered the Cusco. The conquistadores described the imposing city in their report to King Charles V: “This city is the greatest and the finest ever seen in this country or anywhere in the Indies…We can assure your Majesty that it is so beautiful and has such fine buildings that it would be remarkable even in Spain.” Planning inspiration in the form of a Puma Cusco was originally built in the shape of a Puma. When the city was first being developed as the centre of an expanding empire, the great emperor Pachatuteq and his contemporaries planned the layout of the city in the form of this great Amazonian cat, well know. Even in modern day Cusco traces of this design can be seen. The head of the puma was Sacsayhuaman, of which the zig-zagged shape is thought to represent the Puma’s ferocious teeth. The heart of the Puma was at the main ceremonial square, now the Plaza de Armas. It’s tail, meanwhile, was the convergence between the rivers of Saphi and Tullumayo. And the Koricancha sun temple? This was the hips of the puma, representing life and reproduction. A great depiction of this design can be found here. Cusco City Design As centre of the empire, the ingenuity of Cusco’s design did not stop at animal representations. This was the finest city in pre-Columbian South America, with exquisite stone masonry and excellent civic planning, making it a Peru travel hotspot. Incan Walls The walls of the city of
The City of Cusco Cusco is a welcoming, captivating city. Rustic nostalgia fills its narrow streets, as colonial buildings stand in stark contrast to the Inca walls. Urban explorers can saunter through the myriad of shops and examine the rich heritage of Cusco’s crafts workshops and markets. In 1533, Francisco Pizarro and…
The Chachapoyas culture and the fortress of Kuelap The Peruvian ruin that uses 3 times as much stone as the Great Pyramid of Egypt- around 40 million cubic feet of stone - is called Kuelap. Situated near the town of Chachapoyas, this immense fortress sits atop a high vantage point and is a remarkable testimony to the Chachapoyas culture – also known as “the Cloud People”. Peru's Best Kept Secret: Kuelap Often called 'The Machu Picchu of the North', Kuelap is one of the the top sites in Chachapoyas not to miss. Visit this Indian Jones region of cloud forest and waterfalls as part of a tailormade trip to Peru. Direct flights from Lima to Jaen provide easy access to the region. Kuelap and the waterfall of Gocta can be visited with a minimum of 4 days in total. Read the full itinerary - Peru's Best Kept Secret: Chachapoyas Kuelap Roundhouses Having been built around the year 500 AD, the pre-Inca ruin contains the partially restored remnants of a Chachapoyan village. This consists of hundreds of roundhouses, narrow entrances, ceremonial buildings, high walls and rock reliefs. the largest ancient stone structure in South America. The ruins are still relatively undiscovered by travellers to Peru, and those who venture here will more often than not have the whole place to their selves, giving the feeling of exploring an exotic lost city. Walls of Kuelap The towering walls are capped by the cloud forest, some 3,000 meters (9,900 feet) above sea level. They command a spectacular view of the surrounding landscape, which are marked by rolling Andean foothills, fertile pastures and rolling valleys. This truly is a spectacular highlight of Peru. Interesting in visiting Kuelap and Chachapoyas? Contact us today to speak to an expert travel planner.
The Chachapoyas culture and the fortress of Kuelap The Peruvian ruin that uses 3 times as much stone as the Great Pyramid of Egypt- around 40 million cubic feet of stone – is called Kuelap. Situated near the town of Chachapoyas, this immense fortress sits atop a high vantage point…
The key to Spanish success during the conquest of the Incas Just 169 soldiers accompanied Francisco Pizarro as he campaigned from northern Peru through the Andes before ultimately capturing the Inca capital of Cusco, defeating tens of thousands of soldiers in their wake. There is no single answer to the success of the Spanish in their conquest of the Incas, rather a culmination of different factors. Here we share some of the most important factors that played a role in their success in overthrowing the Empire. The power of the Sword The most obvious answer to explain Spanish success was their swords. Despite many believing that gunpowder and firearms were the key cause of the Spaniard’s seeming invincibility, it was in fact the devastating precision and effectiveness of the Spanish blade that allowed them to literally cut through thousands of Inca warriors. The best swords came from Toledo, and the art of sword-making here had reached a high at the time of the conquest. In addition, the Spanish had far superior armoury to the indigenous warriors, who, not having iron, had only developed such weapons as clubs and a type of sling shot. Forming Tactical Alliances Following the example of Hernando Cortes, who utilised native alliances in his conquest of the Aztecs in Central America, Pizarro tactically befriended peoples that were hostile to the Inca Empire, and used their dislike of Inca rule to insight them to rise up and assist the Spaniards in their defeat. One of the most famous resistors against the Incas were the Chachapoya people, who lived in Peru’s northern sierra. This was a civilisation renowned for its fearsome warriors and famed shamans, and they thrived in this region from 800AD to the mid-1500s. They had been hostile to Inca intentions to control their land long before
The key to Spanish success during the conquest of the Incas Just 169 soldiers accompanied Francisco Pizarro as he campaigned from northern Peru through the Andes before ultimately capturing the Inca capital of Cusco, defeating tens of thousands of soldiers in their wake. There is no single answer to the…
