Peru’s Ancient Powers Re-emerge

Lately, Peru has been sharing headlines with other Latin countries as it emerges as an energy producing nation that is now signing oil exploration contracts with strategic investors. In light of its robust GDP growth rate of 9% in 2007 Peru will see drilling, oil development and pipeline construction in the next two years.
Closer to the heart of what travelers think of as quintessentially Peru, the country has also welcomed the opening of a new and important museum. The National Museum Chavin, in the Andean region of Ancash.

Beyond Machu Picchu and the Incas
While Peru inevitably evokes images of Machu Picchu and the Inca empire, the country is also riddled with archaeological sites that are legacies of even more ancient times, when great civilizations made great strides in art, customs and rituals, leaving behind vestiges of their philosophy, traditions, wisdom and skills.
The Inca empire was a recent arrival during the process of cultural development in the Andes during the pre-Hispanic era, and the history of the Incas barely accounts for a century within the 20,000 years of human occupation of Peruvian territory. While civilizations like the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Indian, and Chinese (3000 and 2000 B.C.) flourished, the city of Caral, located north of the city of Lima, was built; this was the first American expression of a pre-ceramic urban settlement with monumental architecture. Later, in the northern highlands, the Chavin were responsible for trailblazing in the fields of advances in architecture, engineering, and agriculture.
In an online report, Peru’s President, Alan García, said that with the inauguration of the new museum Peru’s deepest past of the homeland that is not usually taught in history classes – namely the quechua or Inca – will be preserved for future generations to know.
The Chavín civilization (1500-400 BC) achieved considerable prowess in architecture, engineering and agriculture in the northern highlands. Along the north coast, the Moche civilization (200 BC-700 AD) is famous for its realistic pottery (portraits carved into pots and gourds) and its pyramid-shaped temples. The same area was later controlled by the Chimú kingdom (900-1450 AD), who built Chan Chan, an immense mud-brick citadel featuring 12-meter-high walls and superb architectural work.
The Chavin culture is considered to be one of the mother cultures of Peru and for the first time, a museum brings together the evidence of how the high altitude environment made its impact felt through the culture’s artistic expressions and religious ceremonies.
The museum has an exhibition area of more than 3,600 square feet, distributed among 14 rooms, including pieces of pottery and artifacts from that era, and the impressive Tello obelisk representing a feline deity carved in stone, as well as that of Raimondi, another divinity.

New Products to Watch and Book
Marnella’s new “Following in the Footsteps of Charles Darwin & Hiram Bingham” takes clients to all the must see destinations of Peru and Ecuador. Both UNESCO World Heritage sites, Machu Picchu (Peru) & the Galapagos Island's (Ecuador) are to be seen first hand.
The program includes: three nights each in Cuzco, Hotel Casa Andina Catedral, in Quito, Dann Carlton Hotel, aboard the M/V Legend, Superior-exterior cabin and one night in Aguas Calientas, Machu Picchu Inn. Guided tours are included in Cuzco, Sacsayhuaman Fortress, Machu Picchu, Quito, Equatorial Monument, the islands of Santa Cruz, Floreana, Espanola, San Cristobal, North Seymour, and the Darwin Station. Priced at $2,939 per person double; add $1,620 for single supplement; rates are valid through Dec., 2008.
Call 866-993-0033; fax 919-782-1665; E-mail info@marnellatours.com; www.marnellatours.com
Indus Travels has created a series of programs to Peru as well. The 11-day Grand Peru, priced from $ 1,729 per person double includes taking the Vistadome train to Machu Picchu, almost all meals, a boat excursion on Lake Titicaca. The shorter seven-day Best of Peru Tour priced from $795 per person double, covers six nights’ accommodation, daily buffet breakfast, the backpacker train to Machu Picchu, two lunches and transportation. The eight-day Machu Pichu & Amazon tour priced from $ 1,054 per person double, adds a night to the previous program and a few more meals. Call 866-978-2997; www.industravels.com
COLTUR Peru is a 50 year-old family-owned tour operator now in its third generation of management. Headquartered in Lima with branches in Cuzco and other main tourist destinations, the Coltur team is comprised of more than 70 multi-lingual tourism professionals, with a combined 250+ years of travel industry experience. The company’s product line is geared towards the FIT, group, incentive and fishing special interest markets.

Special Interests
“Fly Fishing in the Colca Canyon,” is among its best selling programs that is set among pristine streams and lagoons in the high Andean plateaus, inhabited only by herds of llamas and alpacas. Clients will fish in this surreal environment and be catered to with a gourmet picnic and a chilled Chardonnay waiting them at sunset.
The Colca Canyon, located four hours from Arequipa and twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, houses many colorful towns and villages founded during Spanish colonial times, inhabited by descendants of the Collagua and Cabana tribes. But perhaps the most renowned attraction is the Condor's Cross, a check-point from where tourists can see condors as they hunt. Pricing depends on season and size of group.
Contact Enrique Velasco, Sales Director E-mail enrique.velasco@colturperu.com or Diego Velasco, Sales Manager for Europe diego.velasco@colturperu.com; www.colturperu.com For more information, contact Promperu, www.promperu.gob.pe

April 2008 Feature

‘O Machu Picchu’ Echoes the Ages

By Ben G. Frank

Coming to Peru and not visiting this mountain city of the Incas is like going to Egypt and not seeing the Pyramids. “Everyone who goes to South America wants to see it,” wrote the late Hiram Bingham who found the magnificently built Inca sanctuary of Machu Pichu in 1911. Rightly so; its imprint is stamped on South America and the allure of the Incas stands as the attractive essence of Peru itself, which obviously is an enormously significant place to visit.
“Awe” is what travelers feel at Machu Pichu, --the same “awe” they express the very second they spot the Taj Mahal or Petra in Jordan. Guides and tourists love to stand on one of the mountain’s precipices and shout, “ O Machu Picchu, O Machu Picchu.” Rebounding is the echo of about 600 years of history: Incas, Pizarro and the Conquistadors.

Perched high upon a rock, this remarkable “lost city of the Incas,” was constructed in the 1400s and contains five sq. miles of terrace and construction, with more than 3,000 steps linking it to many levels. Huayna Picchu, the mountain overlooking the site on which there are also ruins, is flanked by precipices which rise 2,500 feet from the foaming rapids in the horseshoe bend of the Urubamba river.
Some say Machu Picchu was used as a home for members of the Inca royal family when they were away from Cuzco. Some say it sheltered a society of the so-called “Virgins of the Sun.” Some say it was the place in which the Inca leader Tupac Amaru spent his youth.
Scholars think Machu Picchu was abandoned shortly after the Spanish began their conquests of the Inca in 1532. The Spaniards probably never knew about this hidden city; it remained buried in the jungle until Bingham stumbled on it. Located in the massive Andes, it is indeed a worthwhile trip whether you hike much of it, or go by train and bus to the top nearly 8, 000 ft. above sea level. But to observe the site located on a high ridge in a heavily forested part of the Andes, you have to get there. No longer difficult even for seniors, though persons of every age should consult their physician about dealing with the high altitude, 11,000 ft. above sea level.
Visitors fly into the capital city of Lima where connecting flights to Cuzco leave daily. Cuzco was the capital of the Inca Empire, which ruled over an area as large as France, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium and Luxemburg. Because of the altitude, it is a good idea to rest the first day. Leave plenty of time after the trip to Machu Picchu for shopping, dining and seeing more Inca sites in Cuzco. Native jewelry, alpaca sweaters are good buys in this World Cultural Heritage site; a very cosmopolitan town, with many languages spoken in pubs and cafes. www.inc-cusco.gob.pe
Suggested stay is at Cuzco’s five-star Hotel Monasterio, an Orient-Express Hotel, it is a restored 17th century colonial seminary located in the heart of the old city. Atmosphere, location, excellent dining room, beautiful gardens allow travelers to imagine the high point of Inca civilization. (www.monasterio.orient-express.com)

Eco-tourism company, Inkaterra opened three new properties in 2007: Titilaka (Lake Titicaca, Puno); the 11-room La Casona (Cusco); and Peru Explorers Club (Lima; March 2008). These new boutique hotels will take Inkaterra's concept of an "authentic Andean experience" to new heights, incorporating exposure to Peruvian history and culture while providing top-of-the-line accommodations. At La Casona, accommodations are evocative of the area’s colonial past, from the rustically lavish suites adorned with colonial-inspired furniture to bathrooms with antique free-standing tubs. (www.inkaterra.com/en/cusco)
Machu Picchu is about 50 miles northwest of Cuzco. Because of the terrain and the time the train takes ---- switching backward and forwards up the mountains,--- the journey on the slower trains lasts about four hours. Anticipation will be high, but the train ride is relaxing as it chugs alongside swollen rivers, flat fertile fields, rail stops where costumed children rush up to the train cars to sell native dolls, alpaca sweaters, hats, souvenirs. Enchanting Peruvian music is piped into the train’s sound system---all the way to the Aquas Calientes Station in Machu Picchu. The last leg of the trip is by bus to the top of the mountain and the citadel.

Three classes of trains -- “Vistadome” and “Backpacker” depart from Cuzco and the luxurious “Hiram Bingham” service departs from Poroy. The latter has a bar car and live entertainment. Buffet meals are served at Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, near the entrance; same owners of the Monasterio Hotel. Return to Cuzco, or better, fly back to Lima, the fun-loving, historic capital.
Called, “The Jewel of the Andes,” Lima possesses “a drowsy past, but gives tourists a feel of momentum,”of things to do, especially after a trip to Machu Picchu. This cosmopolitan capital is nerve center, port, hub, mini-buses, museums and malls. Stay at J.W. Marriott Hotel and Stellaris Casino in the Miraflores district, Lima (www.jwmarriottlima.com); or at the five-star hotel, The Melia Lima, (www.solmelia.com) in the San Isidro section of Lima, a prestigious residential area close to International Airport Jorge Chavez and the International Pacific Exhibition Center in the historical city center.
If time permits, visit other national parks, lakes, mountain sites that make Peru a land of passions and contrasts.

Airlines with service from the U.S.: Air Canada, www.aircanada.com; American Airlines, www.aa.com; Continental Airlines, www.continental.com; Delta Air Lines, www.delta.com; Lan Peru, www.lanperu.com; United Airlines, www.ual.com. For more information, visit www.peru.info

APRIL 2007 Feature

PERU--Discoveries and Festivals Invigorate Tourism

Peru’s multicultural layers of great civilizations keep it among the most intriguing countries on the planet. Discoveries are continuous as are the impulse and need of its people to keep the past alive through its rituals and festivals, some of which visitors can see without disturbing the celebrations.
Its tourism infrastructure includes 131,000 rooms and 26 four and five star properties. Access to Peru by air and land has become greater through its 14 airports, 10 of which can accommodate international flights. Highways are also well-paved and marked for almost 50,000 miles. To preserve the country for future generations, 13 percent of the country has been converted to Protected Natural Areas.
Few archeological discoveries have aroused as much interest as Choquequirao located near Cusco in Southern Peru. This lost Inca city, located at an altitude of 10,170 feet on the western slopes of the snow-covered Vilcabamba mountain range, is far larger than Machu Picchu, yet remains relatively unexplored by the majority of visitors to the country. Occupied by the Inca during the mid-15th Century A.D., the city was home to about 1,000 people.
Choquequirao, which translates to “golden cradle” in the Quechua language, is considered to be one of the most important architectural gems in Peru as the city’s pristine landscape holds clues to the daily lives of the Inca; promising to rival Machu Picchu’s popularity.
The trek to Choquequirao starts in Cusco with a bus or van ride to the city of Cachora. From there, travelers will be led through the lush forests of the Sacred Valley led by bilingual tour guides on a vigorous two day hike to the site of this archeological treasure. Upon arrival in Choquequirao, visitors are rewarded with almost complete access to the city’s beautiful and imposing ruins, along with a stunning view of the mystical Vilcabamba mountain range. The city’s ruins include two sacred areas dedicated to the worship of the sun and to the ancestors of the city, a main square, an observatory, intricate burial grounds and ancient multi-story dwellings featuring complex and innovative plumbing and ventilation systems. Also of great interest are four-foot white-stone llamas decorating the walls of the western side of the main square. With only 30% of the city excavated, visiting Choquequirao is the exotic adventure of a lifetime and now, in the nascent stages of its discovery, the perfect time to explore what may become one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world.

September Festival
Known as the Ritual Festival of Peru’s National Identity, this ancient Incan ritual “Warachikuy” is celebrated every year during the third Sunday of September on the esplanades of the mysterious Sacsayhuaman ruins which are located only ten minutes away from Cusco in Peru. The celebration, which has been taking place since the 16th century recreates the ancient ritual offering visitors an unusual insight into the culture.
This Peruvian celebration’s origins date back to ancient Incan civilization, which places great emphasis on the passage into manhood to boys who are considered leadership material and are groomed to be leaders in their community. More than 1,500 boys participate in this colorful ritual presenting themselves in musical performances, folkloric dances, physical tests, battle scenes, and finally, during the Wara and Champi awards ceremony for the winning competitors.
The ruins of Sacsayhuaman located outside of Cusco formed part of the fortification walls of the ancient Incan city. These ruins are a symbol of ancient architectural symmetry since the construction of the massive walls remain a mystery.
Cusco is very accessible since there are frequentflights, buses and luxurious train rides that travel directly from Lima.

October Festival
Peru’s, Señor de los Milagros (Lord of Miracles), a symbolic representation of Jesus Christ takes place in a month-long celebration in October known in Lima as “The Purple Month.” The pinnacle of the celebration takes place October 18th, 19th and 28th in the streets of Lima when more than one million devotees from the city’s seven million citizens dress in purple to participate in the largest religious procession in the Americas. Crowds fill the streets, singing and chanting while eating traditional dishes such as Turrón de Doña Pepa and Picarones prepared specifically for this occasion. They gather hoping to get a glimpse of the two-ton silver and gold Señor de los Milagros statue which is transported by a special brotherhood of handlers who are required to go through a long period of spiritual examination prior to being awarded the honor of carrying the religious icon. The procession begins with a parade comprised of group of devoted women dressed in purple habits known as sahumadoras who chant religious hymns and fill the air with traditional incense to freshen the air for the passage of Señor de los Milagros. Once the holy figure passes through, cantoras, or singers, follow closely behind with resonating hymns and devotional songs in tribute to Señor de los Milagros. The procession starts at the church of Las Nazarenas then each year takes different routes through the streets of Lima until it reaches the church of La Merced. The Señor de los Milagros procession dates back to colonial times, when a black slave painted the saint’s image on the walls of a run down hut in Pachacamilla, near Lima. In spite of earthquakes and attempts at erasing it, the miraculous image has remained intact.
For more information about Peru, call 866-661-PERU; e-mail: iperu@promperu.gob.pe; or visit www.peru.info