MUW TRAVEL

Peru's new highway to give 60,000 Brazil tourists access to Cusco

2009-05-09T09:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the construction of the Inter-Oceanic Highway, which is to be inaugurated in 2010, approximately 60,000 Brazilian tourists will arrive to Cusco's Imperial City every year.

Furthermore, the construction of the highway will allow farmers to sell their products to markets in the neighboring country, said Jean Paul Benavente, head of Cusco's tourism and foreign trade directorate.

He explained that one of the government's first goals was to generate more tourism from Peru's rainforest regions to the highlands and then to the country's coastal areas.

Benavente explained that to do this it would be necessary to create areas where tourists could rest and even shop. Among these key areas were the communities of Quincemil and Marcapata.
Aside from building the new highway, construction companies and government agencies are working on fostering tourism in the areas near the new road, said Benavente, explaining that projects were already taking place in the regions of Puno, Cusco and Madre de Dios.

Driving along this highway will be a very interesting experience for tourists, said the head of Cusco's Chamber of Tourism, stating visitors would be able to go from the jungle which is 200 meters above sea level to the Andes, which are 4,700 meters above sea level.

resource: livinginperu.com

Peru: A walk in the clouds to Machu Picchu

2009-05-09T08:38:00.000-07:00

Trekking to Machu Picchu traditionally means roughing it on the Inca Trail. But if you take the lesser-known Salkantay Pass, you can break your journey in comfortable lodges, says Anna Murphy.

There were a number of things that had long made me want to walk the Inca Trail: the idea of scaling the Peruvian Andes; of feeling as if you could reach out and touch the clouds with your hands; plus the thought of walking early one morning into the ruined city of Machu Picchu.

But there was a raft of other things that put me off. The horror stories about altitude sickness. The idea of camping, when night-time temperatures – even during the hiking season of May to September – regularly drop to below freezing. Finding yourself caught up in a peculiarly 21st-century commuter belt as you and up to 500 other people each day passed each other on a rubbish-strewn and erosion-stricken pathway.

Then last year I heard of the Mountain Lodges of Peru, a small company that had recently opened four Andean lodges, each a day's walk apart along a trail called the Salkantay Pass. Here was the chance to sleep in something approaching if not luxury then comfort, and to walk a trail upon which you might come across only one other group a day if you were unlucky.

Added to which, this company seemed to take the risks of altitude sickness seriously, making you spend a day acclimatising at the first lodge (at 12,705ft) and from there doing a trial day trek to just over 14,000 ft to check that your body is up to the challenges ahead. It sounded just the trip for me.

We were to meet the rest of the group in the mountain city of Cuzco. It proved to be one of the most wonderful places I have ever visited. Clinging on to the mountainsides, its perilously steep cobbled streets were lined with pretty 19th-century houses with blue doors and balconies.

The foundations of many of these buildings were huge Flintstones-style rocks which once formed part of the earlier Inca city upon which Cuzco was built. What else made the place so special? Its pretty garden squares and rococo cathedral and churches.

Then there were the brightly dressed women down from the villages, leading a recalcitrant llama or two and carrying a baby (child or sheep) in a papoose over their shoulders.

There was the stunning Museo de Arte Precolombino, and the beautiful shops selling less precious versions of what was in the museum, bits of old Andean embroidery, and countless little carved stone animals – sheep and llamas, mostly.

And not forgetting the excellent restaurants and the pastry-producing nuns who sell their melt-in-the-mouth croissants for pennies at the Panaderia El Buen Pastor. But above all else it was just an atmosphere, an uplifting sense of serenity, that made it a difficult town to leave. Then again, that might have been something to do with the growing sense of dread I was feeling. And not just about the actual walking.

A group trip, my friend and I came to realise, as we gathered to meet our co-trekkers, is like an extended blind date. What if you don't get on? We were the only two English people, it transpired; the other seven were from the US. Our differences soon became apparent. Most obvious was our approach to altitude.

What was the highest altitude we had ever been to, the others asked. We were stumped. Well, what altitude did we live at? Stumped again. For Americans, it seems, altitude is something one knows about, and – in this context – talked about at length. They lived in high-up places like Denver (5,281ft) or went up mountains at the weekend.

In the UK, we told them, unless you are a mountaineer, you never thought about such matters. It transpired that we were also, by the group's calculation, woefully under-medicated. I know the importance of packing things like Dioralyte and Imodium, and I always have some paracetamol in my travel medical kit.

But suddenly we were with people who would put a high-street chemist to shame when it came to painkillers and God knows what else. We felt both afraid (was it really going to be that bad?), and relieved (well, if it was, we were with the right people). We drove for several hours, passing adobe villages, each house with a tiny cross on its rooftop flanked by terracotta animals, and women dressed in the traditional embroidery accessorised with many bits of different coloured knitwear. Some were wearing bowler hats, too, a sign of status. When we began to walk it was on an easy track, but already the views were epic.

The slopes were a scrubby brown colour, but above them were vast snowy mountains, one minute sharply drawn by sunlight, the next festooned with garlands of clouds. The first lodge, which we reached in about two-and-a-half hours, was situated on a high plain between two giant snowy peaks. We arrived just in time to watch the sun set, turning the snow as pink as bubblegum, and to watch the poor souls who were camping pitch their tents on a small campsite near the lodge. Even after a minute on the lodge terrace I felt as if my blood
was freezing.

The lodge, like all those we were to stay in, was architecturally stunning, built to reflect the environment with a multi-peaked roof and adobe walls. It was simply and comfortably furnished and, best of all, warm. The campers were long gone when we started out at 8am the next morning. Our two guides explained that campers generally became too cold to sleep, so start out as early as 4am. Most carried their own backpacks, too, which may not sound like much until you experience how hard it is even to transport your own weight at about 15,000ft. Today, the acclimatisation day, we would return to the same lodge, but for the days ahead our luggage would be carried by mule. But we had the "ambulance" with us, a saddled mule, should anyone find the altitude too much.

It proved to be a glorious day, as we walked up to a blindingly blue glacier lake, with giant condors circling high in the skies, looking tiny despite their 35ft wingspan. There were huge rococo cornices of snow hanging off the top of the slopes, as if a giant plasterer had gone crazy with the Artex, and beneath them, the icy glaciers crept and crunched their way imperceptibly down the slopes (sometimes you would hear one of them shift, or catch the deeper rumble of an avalanche).

Quickly we began to understand something of the mountains, the way the temperature can rise or fall with unbelievable suddenness depending on your altitude, as can your ease of breathing – just a few hundred feet making all the difference. A big part of the day was giving us psychological strength – the highest point of the trek ahead of us would be only 1,000 ft higher than we had gone today.

We had done this; we could do that, too. The next day would be, we were warned, the toughest. Within an hour of leaving the lodge we had climbed 1,000 feet – yes, my friend and I too were becoming altitude bores – following a serpentine celandine stream up through a series of flat, grassy plains cupped between the foothills of the mountains. Then we had an incredibly hard hour-and-a-half of ''switchbacks'', a series of zigzags and the only way to climb what at times feels like a near-vertical slope.

Physically they are tough, but mentally they are even tougher as at times, turning back on yourself again and again, it feels as if you are going nowhere. Even so, the isolation that I felt – a glorious kind of oneness in which there is just you and the breathtaking natural world – made it bearable. Finally we reached another much higher plain where we were to have a break.

And there, above us, was a truly magical thing – a rainbow encircling the sun, the sky within it a darker and more luminous blue than the sky outside it. We continued, climbing higher still, the ground now rocky scree and the temperature turning from hot to freezing.

However fit you are, you have to stop and take regular short breaks (but not for so long as to let your body temperature fall). But no one in the group, who ranged in age from twentysomething to sixtysomething, was suffering from any altitude sickness, thank goodness.

Every so often a couple of locals passed, leading mules laden with everything from gas canisters to giant boxes. Their mouths and teeth were black from coca leaves, which they chew for energy and to alleviate altitude sickness.

Clamped to their ears there was often a tinny transistor radio; sometimes the women spun wool as they walked, spindle in one hand, wool in the other. We reached the highest point, at 15,340ft, and had our photos taken at the Salkantay Pass sign, but it was far too cold to linger, and we were eager to begin to make our way down the other side.

The next two days brought many more wonders, like our walk through the cloudforest, a kind of jungle that is, as its name suggests, so high up as to be in the clouds. Here we saw countless orchids, myriad butterflies, and an iridescent hummingbird slurping nectar from a flower right by the path. Finally, on our last day, we glimpsed the reason we were all there: Machu Picchu, on a mountain directly in front of us.

Yet suddenly it dawned on us that Machu Picchu wasn't why we were there after all; it was the trek itself that had become the raison d'être of our trip. When we visited Machu Picchu the next day (the only disadvantage of this trail is that you can't actually walk into the ruins), we found it amazing but somehow beside the point. It sounds pretentious, but somewhere back there, up in the mountains, we experienced something else, something other, and none of us will ever forget it.

resource: telegraph.co.uk

Former Workington woman Julie takes on Inca trail for charity

2009-05-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

Julie Hinchliffe, 40, spent her early years in Branthwaite, near Workington, and is a childhood friend of Clive Jenkin’s sister Louise. Clive, of Ennerdale Close, was diagnosed with the disease over a year ago.

Julie, who now lives in Paisley, Scotland, will walk the Inca trail in Peru to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

She said: “Louise and I met 29 years ago at Derwent School, Cockermouth, and have been friends ever since. It didn’t take long before I felt part of their family.

“As our 40th birthdays were approaching, I suggested to Louise that we should do something different, like the Great Wall of China. I knew that Clive was going through tests at this time, but believed that he would be okay.

“When Louise told me that he had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease, I was devastated. I then looked online for the association to see what charity events were available.”

Julie signed up for the walk along the Inca trail to the lost city of Machu Picchu.

She must raise £3,000 before June 28, and has received help from Clive’s family to get the money.

Last month her daughters Emma, 12, and Cara, nine, took part in a triathlon with Clive’s daughter Rebecca, 10, and other friends.

Money has also been raised through bag-packing at a supermarket and further events are planned.

To donate visit http://justgiving.com/juliehinchliffe

Peru: Interoceanic Highway to be ready by 2011 first quarter

2009-05-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

The South Interoceanic Highway, which construction will require US$ 1.6 billion, will be finished in the first quarter of 2011, reported the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC)

"Brazil has already built roads along the border. That means that in 2011 (once the road is completed) both countries will have an great interconnection", said Enrique Cornejo, the minister.

“This road will be a great contribution for all South America, because it will not only communicate Pacific and Atlantic oceans, but also allow commercial and tourism trade” he said.

The minister said that more of 50% from the budget has already been invested in the construction.

This 2,000km highway will cross the Peruvian regions of Arequipa, Ayacucho, Apurimac, Cusco, Madre de Dios, Puno, Moquegua and Tacna.

resource: livinginperu.com

Cusco to present energy and tourism projects at Brazil-Peru Border Summit

2009-05-02T08:37:00.000-07:00

Cusco’s governor, Hugo Gonzales Sayan, said that his region will present energy and tourism projects to Brazilian authorities attending Peru- Brazil Border Summit to be held in the city of Rio Branco on April 28.

"We are to promote travel packages to Cusco via the Inter-Oceanic Highway to attract Brazilians entrepreneurs --through Camisea's natural gas-- to invest in a cement plant," Gonzales told Andina.

The summit will be chaired by Peruvian President Alan Garcia Perez and the President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

It will be attended by governors of Ayacucho, Arequipa, Apurimac, Ica, Cusco, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Puno and Tacna, regions linked to the Inter-Oceanic highway, as well as the Brazilian governors of Acre, Rondonia, Mato Grosso and Amazonas.

According to the regional authority, Cusco seeks to stimulate trade exchange of some agricultural products and promote initiatives to take advantage of the Inter-Oceanic Highway, built to accelerate the inter-regional development.

resource: livingperu

Cusco to present energy and tourism projects at Brazil-Peru Border Summit

2009-04-27T08:18:00.000-07:00

On top of the world

2009-04-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

Sinking Spring, PA - Kirstan Ulrich of Spring Township took a monthlong trip to South America in November, spending 10 days in Peru, four of them hiking on the Inca Trail.

Ulrich spent six weeks preparing her body for the trip, training with Shawn Stanislaw, an advanced personal trainer at Spring Valley Athletic Club in Lower Heidelberg Township.

Ulrich started her journey in Cusco, the historic capital of the Inca Empire. Ulrich stayed in Cusco for two days, taking the recommended amount of time acclimating to the altitude of approximately 8,500 feet. From there, Ulrich took a bus to the start of the Inca Trail at 8,900 feet. She eventually got to 13,800 feet during the hike.

Ulrich, 34, was inspired to get fit for her trip due to the challenging nature of the Inca Trail. After speaking with a friend who works at Spring Valley about the trip, she was set up with an advanced personal trainer. Stanislaw proved to be the right person for the task.

"She needed to improve her cardiovascular and muscular endurance," Stanislaw said.

They worked out one hour per day, twice a week, for six weeks prior to her trip.

"I am so glad I took the time, effort and money to work with Shawn - when I was on the trail, I really felt it helped," she said.

Ulrich spent three nights and four days on the Inca Trail, typically starting her days at 6 a.m.

"We had porters who carried our tents, food and everything," she said.

She would hike four to five hours with her group before stopping for lunch, and then hike until dark before settling into a campsite for the night. Ulrich hiked from seven to 11 hours a day. Ulrich's tour group of six people was accompanied by one guide and 11 porters.

Overall, her muscular strength held up well, but it wasn't without some challenges given the high altitude.

"After the 12,000 mark it was hard - you literally took about 20 steps and had to catch your breath and then take another 20 steps," she said. "Your heart was kind of pounding out of your chest."

Ulrich planned the trip with her sister, Megan Ulrich, 26, of Brentwood, Calif. Megan always wanted to go to South America, and she put together the month-long trip through the Llama Path tour company.

In addition to the hike, they spent the rest of the month touring South America.

"I'm thankful enough to have a career where I have flexibility in my job," she said.

Ulrich is a financial advisor with Waddell and Reed, covering Berks, Chester and Delaware County for 13 years. She always wanted to see Machu Picchu, Peru, but never imagined getting there.

Ulrich and her group hiked the Inca Trail along the Andes mountain range before hiking to Machu Picchu, located at 7,800 feet. "Machu Picchu is fascinating and beautiful, but hiking the Inca Trail itself was the most extraordinary and challenging thing I've ever done in my life, without a doubt," she said.

Ulrich's trip provided a welcome relief from her hectic life.

"The sense of awareness that you were completely removed from society and everything we know of day to day - you have no choice but to be in the moment," she said.

She felt a great sense of accomplishment given the difficult terrain and high altitudes.

"I was really proud I made the hike," Ulrich said.

However, it didn't happen without a minor problem.

"I sprained my ankle two and a half days into the trip and that definitely made the last leg of the hike more challenging," she said.

Kirstan said she was able to work through her injury thanks to her training.

The program Stanislaw developed for Ulrich consisted of joint stability exercises and muscle strengthening.

"If you get injured, it's going to be harder to make it through, and it will be more difficult to get to you if you need to be rescued," Stanislaw said.

Stanislaw encouraged people to take as much time as they can to get ready for a trip such as the one Ulrich took, stressing the importance of preparing your body.

"The average Joe can't just get on the Inca Trail and accomplish what Kirstan did," he said.

Her hours spent working out were very hard, but it paid off when Ulrich was hiking.

"I saw the benefit of it for my own well-being," she said.

In addition to getting in shape, she also lost some weight, which she was happy about.

The highlight of Ulrich's trip was her time spent on the highest peaks, she said.

"When you look around and are looking across at the snow tops, you felt you were on top of the world," she said.

Resource: readingeagle.com

Delaware Valley Friends School Students Hike Inca Trail

2009-04-11T09:38:00.000-07:00

Delaware Valley Friends School (DVFS) students enrolled in ABLE (Adventure Based Learning Program) traveled to Peru last month, hiking the Inca Trail and delivering supplies to the Poques School in Cusco.

The ABLE program is a hands-on, outdoor experiential education program providing students with an alternative way to learn important life skills such as teamwork, problem solving and decision making.

ABLE Director Ken Sinapius led students on the trail soon after their arrival. “The Inca Trail has an elevation of over 5,000 feet ending at an altitude of 13,769 feet. Teamwork was critical to their successful hike and provided the self-confidence to achieve even more the next day.”

After three days of hiking and sightseeing, the students visited the Poques School in Cusco, Peru, delivering warm clothing and school supplies. DVFS students also helped to paint two of the classrooms.

“The Poques students enjoyed interacting with us, even though language was a bit of an issue. While some of our students can speak Spanish, at the Poques School they speak Quechua,” said Sinapius. “The local families prepared a festive meal for us — guinea pig and baked potatoes — to thank us for visiting.”

DVFS students closed their trip with a hike to Machu Picchu.

For further information on DVFS and ABLE, visit www.dvfs.org.

Lily Williams can be reached at society@thebulletin.us.

Photos Courtesy of DVFS.

Artisans from Apurimac and Cusco to export their works to Italy

2009-04-11T09:36:00.000-07:00

The cooperation of Vicariato San Agustín de Apurímac, the Regional Directorate of Trade and Tourism, and the NGO Apurímac Onlus, made possible the creation -in 2006- of Taller San Nicolás (Saint Nicholas Workshop), institution intended to help young artisans by providing them with art classes and with the knowledge to let then create their own business (and keep them running).

According to Michele Mattioli, Project's Coordinator, San Nicolás has sold more than 32,000 soles (US $10,300) to Italian markets, in only two years. Pottery, andean frames and replicas of cusco-style colonial paintings were amongst the most demanded works.

“Our first export was small: only 2,000 soles. Then requests rose to 10,000 soles and in the most recent one we have sold more than 20,000 soles” explained Mattioli.

Now, due to the increasing success, 25,000 euros have been assigned to improve the project and broaden its action towards adjacent provinces.

Not only that: the students are widening their horizons. “We want to create a cooperative, because that would ensure we will have jobs in the future, as well as the possibility of opening more workshops to give the same opportunity to more youngsters” said Rubit Quintanilla, Painting student at San Nicolás.

The success of San Nicolás has inspired a similar initiative, this time intended to young native artists from Cusco and Apurimac, who will receive training in pottery, knitting, textiles and business seminars: but this projects contemplates also the possibility of giving them small loans to allow them afford their own projects (and make the existing ones grow).

The main goal of these projects, in the long term, is to teach the people in these Andean areas --considered amongst the poorest ones in Peru- how to organize a business and improve their lives.

(El Comercio)

Hamilton-Wenham students collect items for high school Peru trip

2009-04-11T09:32:00.000-07:00

The Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School Peru trip will take place over April vacation. Forty students and their chaperones will travel to various exciting locations in Peru including Lima, Cuzco (the historic capital of the Inca Empire), Lake Titcaca and Machu Picchu, immersing themselves in the culture and lifestyle of this fascinating country.

Although traveling to Peru will certainly be a vacation, an important part of studying South American culture is exposure to the extreme poverty present in third world countries. Through a student-run outreach program, the high school students will see how the impoverished people of Peru live and have an opportunity to give to those less fortunate than themselves. Donating both recreational and educational items will help show Hamilton-Wenham students the positive and life-changing effects of charity, and be the most fulfilling part of the Peru trip.

Donations have been gathered from all students in the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District. Principals at all grade levels, kindergarten through 12, at Cutler, Buker, Winthrop, Miles River and the Regional High School, have successfully collected items to fill suitcases with age appropriate material for every grade level. Those traveling to Peru will personally travel light, but bring 42 suitcases with them filled with school supplies, clothing, shoes, socks and much more in order to share some of their wealth with children from far away.

For further information, or if you would like to donate materials for the trip, please contact Kevan Sano, Foreign Language Department, Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School.

Resource: wickedlocal.com

1.8 million tourists to travel around Peru during Holy Week

2009-04-11T09:24:00.000-07:00

At least 1.8 million Peruvian tourists will travel around the country during the long Easter weekend, which begins tomorrow and runs through Sunday, said Peru's Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (Apavit).

Apavit’s president Publio Santander explained that this number includes those who leave their place of residence to travel to other areas during the holidays.

“This number includes people who depart from Lima to places like Canta, Pachacamac, Yauyos, Lunahuana, Barranca and the beach resort of Asia," said Santander.

He mentioned that the southern department of Ica, with the Ballestas Islands and Nazca Lines as its main attractions, is one the most popular destinations for local tourists.

According to Santander, other places people love to visit are Lunahuana in Cañete, Chiclayo, Huaraz, Huancayo and Ayacucho, where tourists can still find accommodation to suit any pocket.

He also explained there are two types of Peruvian tourists, those who travel on their own without a travel agent's assistance, representing 95 percent of the total tourists in Peru.

And tourists who book tickets through travel agencies and arrange a full travel itinerary, accounting for five percent.

Resource: Andina

Peru: California choir to sing in Cusco

2009-04-04T08:31:00.000-07:00

The Arzobishopric of Cusco is organising a Holy Week concert, and the main artists are the members of the San Marino (California) chamber choir, reported Selmira Vera, spokesperson of the archibishopric.

The concert will take place in the San Blas next Tuesday, April 7th, at8:00pm.

The San Marino Chamber Choir is conformed by children and youngsters between 13 and 18 years old, students from california's San Marino School, who are known to perform sacred music with amazing professionalism.

Vera remarked that chis chamber choir has toured many countries around the world, and has also performed at the Vatican City, in Rome.

Arequipa to promote voting for Colca Canyon and Lake Titicaca

2009-04-04T08:25:00.000-07:00

More than 100 students will participate on Friday as promoters in the Peru-Bolivia binational campaign, to attract votes to favor nominations of Colca Canyon and Lake Titicaca in the contest to choose the new seven wonders of nature.

Carlos Corrales, Coordinator of Campaign of the Self-Governing Authority of Colca (Autocolca), said that since 09:00 hours (14:00 GMT) young will encourage local people inside internet booths to vote for these two places.

Some girls wore traditional costumes of province of Caylloma, in Arequipa, and visited internet booths of centre of town, in order to attract votes to favor Colca Canyon and Lake Titicaca.

The campaign will be launched simultaneously in cities of Iquitos, Juliaca, Puno and Arequipa (Peru) and in Achacachi, Copacabana, Oruro, El Alto and La Paz (Bolivia).

Corrales pointed out that the campaign will end at 20:00 hours, but people can vote until July, when second stage of this contest is finished.

Organizers have scheduled other four dates to develop similar actions in Peru and Bolivia for April 17, May 8 and 22, and June 12.

Colca Canyon is located in the province of Caylloma, four hours from Arequipa City. To support this initiative, people can enter New Seven Wonders website and vote.

resource: andina

Machu Picchu a marvel no matter your route

2009-04-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

CUSCO, Peru - When Hiram Bingham stumbled upon Machu Picchu on a 1911 expedition, it took him days of travel by foot and mule to get from Cusco to the general vicinity. Then he crossed a rickety bridge on hands and knees before climbing several hours up a steep slope to reach the hidden ruins.

Now you can hop on a luxurious Hiram Bingham train from Cusco and be there in 3 1/2 hours, sipping pisco sours and listening to a pan pipe group while you dine. It almost feels like cheating.

When the Incas ruled a large swath of the continent, their empire extended as far north as southern Colombia and as far south as northern Argentina and Chile. Carefully engineered trails through the mountains connected cities and military outposts. With no horses or mules on the continent at that time, all movement through the kingdom was on foot.

If you want to get to the ruins of Machu Picchu on foot yourself, or at least hike part of the way, there are several organized treks that will get you there. This way you can still feel like an explorer making discoveries in the Andes Mountains. Much of the time you will be walking through landscapes that have not changed much since the conquistadors arrived in 1532.

The classic Inca Trail

To hike the original Inca steps and arrive by foot at the Sun Gate of Machu Picchu, this famous route is the way to go. The trail lives up to its billing as one of the world's great travel experiences.

You walk on stone paths built hundreds of years ago, exploring impressive ruins along the way that cannot be reached by any vehicle. After three days and nights, you make a grand entrance to the main attraction at sunrise on the last day, exploring the citadel in the early morning light. There are public restrooms, designated camping areas, and regular trail maintenance along the way. Carry in/carry out regulations keep the area garbage-free, and there are some 250 varieties of orchids complementing the mountain vistas.

The popularity of this trek means crowded trails and packed campsites outside of the rainy season. (It is closed each year in February, the rainiest month.) You have to put a deposit down with an outfitter well before your trip. As a spokesperson from Q'ente, one of Cusco's long-established tour agencies, says, "If you want to hike the Inca Trail in July or August, you had better be signed up by March." Permits are limited to about 200 hikers and 300 porters per day. Since porters outnumber hikers, someone will be carrying your luggage, setting up your tent, and cooking your group's meals.

Thank you so much Peter Sherratt

2009-03-28T09:44:00.000-07:00

testimonials about guide Silvio II

2009-03-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

testimonials about guide Silvio

2009-03-28T09:23:00.000-07:00

Peru: Junin expects to welcome 70,000 tourists in Holy Week.

2009-03-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

According to regional president of Junin, Vladimiro Huaroc Portocarrero, that region is expecting to receive 70,000 tourists during the upcoming Holy Week holidays.

The regional director of Tourism, Jose Ramos Alvarez, expressed his confidence in placing Junin as the second tourism destination, pointing out at the efforts made in Lima -with travel agencies, media, and population with relatives living in Junin- to promote Junin's attractions.

In order to protect national and foreign tourists as well as people from Junin, the Territorial Police Directorate VIII (DIRTEPOL) has developed a contingency plan to ensure optimal security -in the nine provinces of this jurisdiction- during the seven days of catholic Holy Week's festivities.

Resource: livinginperu.com

Peru tourist attractions promoted on Facebook and Youtube

2009-03-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

Peru's Export and Tourism Promotion Board (PromPeru) has began to promote various Peruvian attractions online through Facebook, Youtube, Flickr and Twitter, besides offering the opportunity to download promotional videos for Ipods.

In the case of Facebook, Flickr and Twitter, Promperu has introduced information as well as visual content of a group of tourist destinations as a way to attract potential tourists.

"We are introducing a new version of our tourist promotion web site intended fo foreign travelers, which presents a new design and tools for users to interact with other people interested in Peru", said Mara Seminario, Director of Tourism Promotion of PromPeru.

She said PromPeru has signed an agreement with YouTube to have a Branded Channel, specially designed for the promotion of Peru, showing videos under the campaign "Peru, live the legend."

resource: andina

Auburn library photo exhibit showcasing Great Inka Trail opens today

2009-03-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

Auburn University's Ralph B. Draughon Library will be home to "Qhapac Nan: The Great Inka Trail" an exhibit of 80 photographs showcasing South America's Great Inka Trail beginning today.

The exhibit is presented by the Office of the Consulate General of Peru in Atlanta in conjunction with the Auburn University Libraries and will be on display in the main lobby until April 14.

Constructed in the 14th and 15th Centuries, the Great Inka Trail, known as the Qhapac Nan, is a complex road system that serves as an amazing example of pre-Columbian engineering.

resource: www.ledger-enquirer.com

Pachatusan Mountain in Cusco declared cultural heritage

2009-03-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

Cusco, Mar. 26 (ANDINA).- The Pachatusan Mountain located in the Andean city of Cusco has been declared national cultural heritage by Peru's National Institute of Culture (INC).

Pachatusan, a Quechua word that means “the one that holds the world”, is one of the five sacred mountains that surround Cusco, the historic capital of the Inca empire.

Local authorities said this recognition will help to preserve the site's natural and archaeological legacy as well as promote Andean religious traditions such as the land worship.

The recognition includes 3,909 hectares located between Cusco and Incas valleys, in the towns of Oropesa, Saylla, San Jeronimo and San Salvador.

Besides its impressive natural beauty, people can find important archaeological vestiges in this 4,000-meter high mountain.

Another important sacred mountain near Cusco is Apu Huanacaure, considered as the main oracle or huaca (archaeological complex) of the Inca empire that will be soon declared cultural heritage.

Ayacucho eyes US$3 million in tourism revenues during Holy Week

2009-03-26T09:08:00.000-07:00

Ayacucho, Mar. 26 (ANDINA).- Holy Week celebrations in the Andean city of Ayacucho could generate over US$ 3 million in tourism revenues this year because of increasing tourist arrivals, said Ayacucho governor Ernesto Molina.

"Holy Week generated more than US$ 1.5 million last year and in 2009 we expect there will be over US$ 3 million in revenues,” said Ernesto Molina, who detailed that this year's celebrations will be held from April 3 to 12.

During these days, local people and tourists will participate in religious ceremonies and processions, as well as cultural, artistic and commercial activities.

Molina pointed out that they have prepared a program of activities which include a series of measures to ensure the safety of tourists.

“Holy Week in Ayacucho is the world's second most important event of its kind, after Sevilla in Spain; this religious festival is becoming increasingly popular with thousands of tourists attending it every year,” he noted.

Molina explained that in the last years Ayacucho has usually received over 10,000 visitors, however this year and despite the international crisis, "we expect to attract more than 15,000 tourists".

Cafe owner takes Inca trail to raise charity cash

2009-03-25T09:44:00.000-07:00

A CAFE owner from Teignmouth is undertaking the challenge of his life to raise cash for the Shelterbox charity.

Roger Palmer, 28, from East Cliff Café, will be heading to Peru to trek at high altitude along the ancient Inca Trail.

His mission comes after a year of dramatic weight loss following hospitalisation for a pancreas illness.

Shelterbox sends the boxes around the world to disaster areas to people in need.

One box contains a 10-person tent and ancillary equipment designed to enable a family to survive for at least six months. Other items may include insulated groundsheets, thermal blankets, a multi-fuel stove, cooking equipment, tools and mosquito nets.

Roger decided to raise money for Shelterbox following the earthquake in China last May which killed thousands.

He said he felt inspired when he saw how quickly Shelterbox reacted in sending aid instantly to the people who need it.

Throughout the last year he has been raising money by jumping out of an airplane at 15,000 feet, having sponges thrown at him while encased in stocks and has held coffee mornings at his café.

His fund-raising efforts have resulted in boxes being sent to victims in Sudan, Gaza, Congo, Nepal and Haiti.

He said: "I think the scary thing about doing the Inca Trail is that it is nearly the same height as my skydive, where it was freezing and hard to breath."

Roger initially thought he was unable to do it due to his weight.

He explained: "I knew a few friends who did it and said it was tough, but I had always thought I couldn't do it because I was too big — I was nearly 25 stone.

"But I thought about it and decided there was no reason not to do it anymore: I had lost nearly 10 stone in the last year as I had a spent three weeks in hospital with pancreatitis."

He signed up for the Inca Trail Challenge and has spent 11 months training for it.

"I thought if I can give myself a year to get ready for it, I could do something I've always wanted to do", he said. "It would give me one big push to lose that last bit of weight and get fit. To raise money for Shelterbox at the same time would be fantastic."

Roger, who has run the resort's seaside refreshment premises for nine years, has been training up to six times a week, adding: "I've never been so fit in my life, I weigh less now than when I was in high school.

"The trouble is I can get bored when exercising so have mixed my training up with lots of walks, going to the gym, swimming and doing training with the Teignmouth Beach Surf Life Saving Club."

The Inca Trail is 45km long and crosses rugged mountains at over 14,000 ft high.

Roger will spend four days hiking when he reaches the final destination of Machu Picchu.

He leaves on April 24.

For more information on Roger's challenge visit www.RogersChallenge.co.uk

Cajamarca expects to receive over 5,000 tourists during Holly Week

2009-03-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

Cajamarca, Mar. 24 (ANDINA).- The department of Cajamarca, located in northern Peru, expects to receive more than 5,000 domestic and foreign tourists during Easter holidays from April 9 to 12, reported Tuesday the Regional Directorate of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Dircetur) director, Julio Palacios Matute.

Palacios explained that most of the visitors will be domestic tourists, who take advantage of the long weekend looking for tranquility; some prefer to enjoy the countryside, visit tourist attractions, enjoy the food, and participate in church activities organized by the Bishopric.

In spite of Cajamarca has major tourist attractions and an exquisite cuisine, this season of the year is very competitive due to the promotion campaigns carried out by the central, southern and northern regions of the country, he said.

The main attraction during Easter holidays is the “Feast of the Cross”, which takes place every Palm Sunday in the village of Porcon, ten kilometers from the city and over 2,900 meters above sea level.

"It's a big party attended by the whole community, led by butlers who decorate the crosses with mirrors, pictures and flowers", stated the regional official.

The B-52's will visit Machu Picchu

2009-03-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

The B-52’s Band, which reached their highest peaks of popularity during the first years of the 80’s, will perform in Peru for the first time next April 23rd (at the National Stadium), and have announced that they also have book a trip to Cusco after their performance because of their interest in visiting Machu Picchu.

“We’ve been on the road since months ago, and when we scheduled our dates for Peru we all agreed that it would have been crazy not visiting Machu Picchu”, commented to a local newspaper Lisa Arzt, the band’s manager.

The authors of “Private Idaho” and “Rock lobster” will travel to Cusco the day after the concert; they will spend a day at the city and will also take the luxurious train Hiram Brigham, that will take them to Machu Picchu citadel, where they will stay.

Reportedly, they have also booked a session with an expert in ancient naturist medicine, who would show them the healing properties of the coca leaves.

Resource: www.livinginperu.com