Archive for January, 2007
ALDEA, the Latin American Association for Adventure Sports, is organizing its 18th Adventure Sports International Festival, to be held as usual in the magnificent Lunahuaná valley. This edition of the festival includes three different competitions: rafting and kayaking, artificial rock wall climbing, and mountain biking.
The almost 2-decade long experience of ALDEA assures that the festival will be a success. The association has been promoting and making popular the practice of adventures sports and eco-tourism in Peru. The Lunahuaná Festival, with its 17 previous editions, is the prime adventure sports event in the country.
The Lunahuaná district is located in the Cañete province (Lima department), some 40 km east of the provincial capital, San Vicente, and 180km south of Lima. To get there, drive to the km. 143 of the Panamericana Sur, and turn left (east) following the road signs to Lunahuaná (after passing by the cities of San Vicente and Imperial).
Lunahuaná, besides an adventure sports paradise, is a nice tourist destination for its cultural and archaeological attractions. It’s located along a fertile valley plenty with vineyards and orchards, and includes the Incahuasi archaeological site, the colonial church of Apóstol Santiago, and the suspended bridge of Catapalla.
For more information about the festival, contact ALDEA (phone +51 2214428 or +51 98944978).
January 30th, 2007
Restaurant critic Eric Ruth’s review of Peruvian restaurant Manos Latinas is quite symptomatic of the recent history of Peruvian cuisine worldwide: pretty much ignored until a few years ago, its being discoverd and widely (or wildely) appreciated. The article’s title, published today by The News Journal-Delaware Online, is most meaningful: An introduction to Peruvian cuisine is love at first bite.
It is therefore with deep shame as a restaurant critic and a glutton -acknowledges Ruth- that I am forced to admit that “gourmet Peruvian food” has eluded my consciousness through each and every one of the 25-odd years that I have been researching, cooking and scavenging shamelessly for new reasons to stuff myself.
Notwithstanding its uncharming ambiance, restaurant Manos Latinas deserved two and a half stars (meaning “good to very good”) and the kind of enthusiastic words that usually come after a great meal. To more than a few die-hard food adventurers -says Ruth-, comfort-shy accommodations will be mitigated by the family feel and the high standards of the cuisine. Stick this place in a trendy spot in Wilmington, add a few adorable servers and squishy banquettes, and you would have one of the most stimulating, pleasing restaurants to hit the county in years.
Manos Latinas, 2304 Kirkwood Highway (Del. 2), Elsmere (eastbound lanes, near Del. 141). BYOB. 685-0774
January 26th, 2007
A very favourable article regarding Peruvian cuisine appeared today in the San Francisco Chronicle. Written by Bill Addison, it starts by suggesting, through a hands-on-experience way, a few reasons for the growing popularity of Peru’s gastronomy: “Ceviche, creamy chicken dishes, steak strips in gravy with french fries, cookies filled with caramel. Is it any wonder Peruvian cuisine has become increasingly popular in the past decade?“.
Addison then reviews some of the Peruvian restaurants in San Francisco and surroundings. The best according to him is Limon (524 Valencia St., near 16th Street, San Francisco; (415) 252-0918), which deserves three stars (out of four) and offers “excellent interpretations of Peruvian food, including a stellar ceviche, chicken nuggets and lomo saltado“. A two-and-a-half-star trio follows: Estampas Peruanas (715 El Camino Real, near Brewster Avenue, Redwood City; (650) 368-9340); Chola’s Restaurant (4375-G Clayton Road, near Treat Boulevard, Concord; (925) 680-0718); and Mochica (937 Harrison St., near Fifth Street, San Francisco; (415) 278-0480), which features a “sublime ceviche“.
January 26th, 2007
El Comercio, Peru’s leading newspaper, has just published an interesting special on the Leymebamba mummies. As we noted on a recent post, a hidden burial vault in the Amazon cloud forest was accidentally discovered last October by a local farmer. The vault, was found later, contained many mummies from the Chachapoyas culture, along with ceramics, textiles, and wooden objects. The elusive and misterious Chachapoyas, also known as “Warriors of the Clouds” were an ancient civilisation that lived in the cloud forests of the department of Amazonas, in the North of Peru.
El Comercio’s special, though in Spanish, includes stunning photographies and an interactive map of the zone where the mummies were found.
January 24th, 2007
A research by Global Entrepreneurship Monitor has ascertained that the highest percentage of adults engaged in early-stage entrepreneurial activity can be found in Peru. Indeed, some 40% of Peruvian adults were found to be starting or running a new business.
In the US, slightly more than 10 percent of Americans were engaged in a new business, that is, 2 points down from a year ago. In China, 16.7 percent of adults are starting or running new businesses, up from 13.7 percent a year ago. One-third of Chinese adults expect to start a business in the next three years.
January 24th, 2007
Martin Strel, a world record-setting swimmer, will attempt next February 1st to swim the entire Amazon river, from its source in Atalaya, Peru, to Belem, Brazil, where it spills into the Atlantic.
A demanding enterprise that not only defies the river’s 3375 miles (5430 km), but also the many perils Strel will find along the way: piranhas, anacondas, crocodiles, and a wide range of parasites that could well infect him with malaria, dengue fever, cholera, yellow fever, river blindness and elephantiasis.
Strel, though, is not new to demanding challenges. He holds the honour of being the first and only person to swim the Danube, the Mississippi, and the Yangtze rivers. However, none of these were fertile area for infectious diseases nor home to crocodiles and other predators.
But as he swims, cameras and monitors will be attached to him, allowing doctors to track his moves and treat his medical ailments. Indeed, an Amazon Virtual Medical Team, consisting of volunteers from around the world, will provide health care services using telemedicine and advance technologies 24/7 for the duration of the trip to the swim team.
So why id he doing it? Strel has a variety of reasons, which are summed up as follows:
I have always been looking for the challenges of impossible and the Amazon is going to be the next one. I have previously completed all of my swims, among them the Danube, the Yangtze, the Paraná and the Mississippi River, so I am convinced I will complete my next and most challenging one. I have been swimming for years under slogan ’swimming for peace, friendship and clean waters’ and I decided to dedicate the Amazon Swim to the preservation of the Rainforest as well as to finding the cure for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders that affect the brain of millions of people.
January 23rd, 2007
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Photo: REUTERS/Pilar Olivares
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Once the pet-dogs of ancient Peruvians, the Hairless God has survived for many centuries on the brink of extinction.
The Incas and, in particular, native Pre-Inca civilisations located along Peru’s coast (where the dogs find their ideal habitat) kept them for hunting and for company. They are widely portrayed on the ceramics of many coastal cultures: Vicus, Chimu, Moche and Chancay.
But with the Spanish conquest of Peru, the breed was almost annihilated. Only a few dogs survived, mainly in rural and marginal areas along the coast, feeding on whatever they could find.
At some point in time they became so scarce as to turn mythical: were vegetarian, couldn’t bark, alleviated stomach pain, or healed asthma.
Now, after a successful initiative by Huaca Pucllana (an archaeological site located in the heart of Lima), the breed is ready for it’s come back. The government has ordered that all archaeological sites along the coast keep at least a pair of Peruvian hairless dogs. In what seems an effective safeguard measure, the dogs can finally return to their historic scenery, the habitat they lived in for more than 3000 years.
“Now we can say they are safe, saved by this project, but a few years ago the Peruvian Hairless Dog was under threat of extinction in Peru,” said to Reuters Pedro Vargas, coordinator of the Huaca Pucllana archaeological project. “We know there are quite a few now, and there are people breeding them and people buying them here and for export - it is a luxury dog now,” added Vargas.
Peruvian Hairless dog was recently accepted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale, and thus became Peru’s only own world-registered breed.
The dog’s skin can be chocolate-brown, elephant grey, copper, or mottled -but strictly naked. Hair is only allowed in the tail, legs or head, where it usually grows to resemble a Punk’s mohawk. Dog’s size ranges from Miniature (25 to 40 cm -10 to 16 inches) to Large (50 to 65 cm -20 to 26 inches), with the smallest weighting from 4 kg (9 lb) and the largest up to 25 kg (55 lb).
The dogs should be slim and elegant, with the impression of force and harmony, without being coarse.
Peruvian Hairless dogs are very smart, independent, loyal and good with children, which makes them an excellent pet.
January 22nd, 2007
Photo: Carlos Ochoa/CIP
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Madrid Fusión, one of the World’s top gastronomic events, features in its 2007 edition a tribute to some of the most representative products of planet Earth.
The Gastronomic Fair has chosen some of those products “that it considers most emblematic: white truffles, from Italy;champagne, from France; Stilton cheese, from England; Wagyu ox or Kobe ox, from Japan; Bourbon whisky, from the United States; Andean potatoes (“papas”), from Peru; Port wine, from Portugal; and Iberian ham, from Spain“.
Potatoes are the fourth most important food crop in the world, and originated in the Peruvian Andes. It is a fundamental crop to the people of Peru’s mountains, where hundreds of different varieties are grown, with a remarkable diversity of colors and shapes. Some of the most well-known varieties of potato in Peru include canchán, blanca, tomasa, amarilla, colorada, huayro, criolla, tarmeña, huamantanga, negra, and peruanita.
In the meanwhile, The United Nations (UN) has declared 2008 as the International Year of the Potato.
The event that is expected to present many opportunities to raise the profile of potato among civil society as an important world food staple, and to raise the profile of the potato as a contributor to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Lima-based International Potato Centre, which maintains the world’s largest bank of potato germplasm (including samples of about 100 wild species and 3.800 traditional Andean cultivated potatoes), will be taking the lead in coordinating and implementing the activities for the International Year of the Potato.
January 19th, 2007
Peru’s capital city, Lima, celebrates today, January 18th, its 472 anniversary. Founded in 1535 by chief conquistador Francisco Pizarro, Lima received its anniversary last night with a criollo-music concert and fireworks. Many activities have been organized for today, including cuisine festivals, concerts, and a Peruvian paso horse exhibition.
Check El Comercio for a complete calendar of events and a nice infograph of Lima before the arrival of Pizarro (in Spanish).
January 18th, 2007
An article by M. Carpenter of Block News Alliance predicts that Choquequirao could become one of the World’s top destinations by 2007.
A partly excavated Inca citadel located amongst the spurs of the Salkantay Mountain Range (La Convención province, department of Cusco), Choquequirao bears a striking similarity in structure and architecture to Machu Picchu and is referred to as its sister. “It translates to “golden cradle” in the Quechua language -says Carpenter-, but everyone’s calling it the new Machu Picchu.”
Choquequirao admits far fewer tourists than Machu Picchu, but the ruin is no less delightful. These are comprised of buildings and terraces at different levels, from the lower level Sunch’u Pata to the truncated hill top. The hill top has been levelled and ringed with stones to form a platform of 30×50 meters wide.
Access to Choquequirao is still quite difficult and strenuous. It takes a two-day hike or horseback ride from Cachora village, located some 30 km away. The route from this village to the ruins follows a well-defined trail that plunges steeply into a gorge of the Río Apurímac and then back up the far side. There are several primitive camp-sites along the way. Cachora can be reached by car from Cusco in about 4 hours.
January 17th, 2007
El Comercio, Peru’s leading newspaper, celebrates 10 year on-line! It’s much visited website appeared on January 15th, 1997, generating 77.000 page views that first day. After 10 years, elcomercioperu.com maintains its lead with some 80.000 daily visitors (that generate 350.000 page views).
January 15th, 2007
A 600-year old mummy from the Chachapoyas culture was recently found in the mountains of Kohechan, in the Peruvian northern department of Amazonas. The hidden burial vault in the Amazon, part of a massive cave complex that unwinds 82ft down, contained a dozen mummies, including one of a woman with her hands over her eyes and her face allegedly gripped with horror.
The vault -also used for worship- was discovered by chance in October 2006 by Bernardo Chuquizuta, a potato-farmer working at the edge of northern Peru’s rainforest. He tipped off scientists who uncovered ceramics, textiles and wall paintings.
Herman Crobera, the leader of the archaeological team that explored the cave, said: ‘This is a discovery of transcendental importance. It is the first time any kind of underground burial site this size has been found belonging to Chachapoyas or other cultures in the region.’
He said walls near the mummies in the limestone cave were covered with paintings of faces and warrior-like figures which may have been drawn to ward off intruders and evil spirits.
The mummies -together with the ceramics, textiles, and metal artefacts found in the vault- are currently being exhibited (until February 25th) at the Museo de la Nación (Av. Javier Prado Este 2465 - San Borja, Phone 476-9933).
The Chachapoyas, also called the Warriors of the Clouds, were an Andean people living in the cloud forests of the Amazonas region of present-day Peru. The Incas conquered their civilization shortly before the arrival of the Spanish in Peru. When the Spanish arrived in Peru in the XVI century, the Chachapoyas were one of the many nations ruled by the Inca Empire. Their incorporation into the Inca Empire was far from being easy, due to their constant resistance to the Inca troops. The name Chachapoya is in fact the name that was given to this culture by the Inca; the name that these people may have actually used to refer to themselves is not known.
Indeed, little is known about the Chachapoyas, and this -together with their name (Warriors of the Clouds) and their relative advanced civilisation- has lead to legends and mythical stories. One of these suggests that the Chachapoyas were a tall, fairhaired, light-skinned race that researchers believe may have come from Europe”.
Archeological gem: the Kuelap Fortress
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Since the Incas and the Spanish conquistadors were the principal sources of information on the Chachapoyas, unbiased first-hand knowledge of the Chachapoyas remains scarce. Writings by the major chroniclers of the time, such as El Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, were based on fragmentary second-hand accounts. The chronicler Pedro Cieza de León, for example, offers some picturesque notes about the Chachapoyas:
“They are the whitest and most handsome of all the people that I have seen in Indies, and their wives were so beautiful that because of their gentleness, many of them deserved to be the Incas’ wives and to also be taken to the Sun Temple.”
Much of what we do know about the Chachapoyas culture is based on archaeological evidence from ruins, pottery, and other artifacts.
One of the last kingdoms to succumb to the Inca, the Chachapoyas left behind one of South America’s archaeological wonders: the defensive fortress of Kuelap. Perched on the shoulder of a 10,000-foot mountain, this 9th Century citadel comprises an urban complex of more than 400 stone edifices enclosed by a 70-foot-tall stone wall. Their architecture demonstrates decidedly non-Inca features, such as protruding geometric patterns, cornices, and friezes. Kuelap is considered by some experts as indeed more valuable than Machu Picchu.
January 12th, 2007
In little more than one year, the 2-storey, bright red bus has become a classic sight in Miraflores’ streets. It can be seen lingering around Park Kennedy, circling the Huaca Pucllana, or following the winding curves of the Malecón (Miraflores’ cliff-top ocean promenade). Despite its name, though, the Mirabus also steps outside the boundaries of Lima’s restaurant quarter. Indeed, 2 out of its 3 routes take it away from its home district.
The first route, at only 5 soles (less than US$2), tours within Miraflores: the archeological site of Huaca Pucllana, the Malecón, Larcomar shopping mall, and other attractions. It takes almost one hour. The second route lasts three hours and costs 35 soles (some US$10). Besides routing Miraflores, it will take you to the finest places in Barranco, Chorrillos, and Lima’s Historic Centre. The third route, also at 35 soles, goes all the way to the archelogical citadel of Pachamac, including in the way Barranco, Chorrillos, and the Villa Wetlands (Pantanos de Villa, a bird-rich natural reserve).
The Mirabus departs from Park Kennedy, where you can buy the tickets at the white Tourism kiosk. Monday through Thursday tours from 2pm, Friday and Saturday from 1-30pm, Sunday from 12.45pm. Get there early so you can choose a good place in the second floor. Additional information at 476-4213 or solbustransporte@hotmail.com.
January 8th, 2007
