Ronald Elward is a Dutch expat and one of Aracari's specialist guides in Lima, leading visitors to the capital on a historical city tour, which showcases the unique past of Lima. Lima Specialist Guide Ronald Elward For many years Ronald has been busy digging deeper into the connection between the past and present in Peru: he has taken it upon himself to sift through archives to establish the living descendants of the Inca rulers. His research has resulted in over a dozen articles in the main Lima newspaper, El Comercio, and a book that presents his research, linking the lineages & ancestry of families to the royal Incas who seemed to disappear after the conquest of Peru in the 16th century. This research has earned him the honorary title of “Caballero Orejón de la Ordén Real de los Incas”, which basically endows him with the status of an Inca noble or orejón as they were called. We were able to catch an hour of Ronald’s time to sit down with him and talk about his insights into Lima, his experience finding the Inca descendants and more. Aracari Interviews Ronald Elward Before coming to Lima, you worked in the Netherlands doing…? I was publisher for almost ten years for two of the major publishing houses for information for professionals. And there I was the publisher for the main magazine for architects called De Architect. I had studied marketing, so I entered publishing through the marketing department. What made you decide to move to Peru? Well I always liked to travel, and I’ve travelled to most continents. I had the desire as of young to experience another culture, more than just on holiday only it never came about. I immediately started working as soon as I was finished school so it was always work.
Ronald Elward is a Dutch expat and one of Aracari’s specialist guides in Lima, leading visitors to the capital on a historical city tour, which showcases the unique past of Lima. Lima Specialist Guide Ronald Elward For many years Ronald has been busy digging deeper into the connection between the past…
Lima's Cathedral Gift Shop & Tearoo This August Lima's Cathedral finished renovating the gift shop, and Aracari received an invitation to come see what's new. So last Saturday Simon and I wandered to the Plaza de Armas, where the Cathedral is located, to check out the shop. As we approached the entrance, we asked the attendant for the tienda (gift shop) and were directed towards open doors where sun poured inside of the dim church. We stepped out onto the Patio de los Naranjos, a narrow, yellow-walled courtyard named after that of Sevilla, and were greeted by purple sun umbrellas shading tables and a sign for La Tetería de La Catedral (Cathedral tearoom) that said "Welcome" in many languages. We were immediately taken by the tranquility of the space, which makes the noisy streets of Lima seem far away. Patio de los Naranjos Tearoom Though it has always been open to the public, the Patio de los Naranjos has only recently been transformed into an inviting space for reflection and relaxation, where people can read a book, meditate, enjoy a cup of tea and a quinua muffin from the tea shop or have a conversation with friends. Now, visitors to the Cathedral and the adjoining museums can finish their tours by perusing the new gift shop for souvenirs or reflecting on their visit over a fruit-infused tea. The tearoom and the store can be visited independently from the Cathedral by simply asking at the main doors of the church. Just to the left of the tables of La Tetería tearoom is the door to the gift shop. Friend of Aracari and professor of architecture, specialist guide Luis Villacorta Santamato, oversaw the gift shop renovation, viewing it as an opportunity to promote the Cathedral and give back to local communities in need. Luis, who used to give tours of
Lima’s Cathedral Gift Shop & Tearoo This August Lima’s Cathedral finished renovating the gift shop, and Aracari received an invitation to come see what’s new. So last Saturday Simon and I wandered to the Plaza de Armas, where the Cathedral is located, to check out the shop. As we approached…
