Category: "Travel and Places"

Iquitos and the Mighty Amazon

April 13th, 2011 |

Back in the forties and early fifties the movie houses always showed ‘news shorts’ before the main feature. Frequently there were 30 second clips on the ‘Amazon Jungle and the mighty Amazon River.’ The jungle had lots of monkeys and huge snakes and other dangerous things, but even worse were the Jivaro head hunters.

100 Years Of Machu Picchu

April 8th, 2011 |

It’s true: a whole century has passed since Hiram Bingham re-discovered Machu Picchu, and Peru will be celebrating with typical enthusiasm. In the words of one government official, Culture Minister Juan Ossio has said “Celebrations must be over the top.”

The Mythical Naylamp and the Chotuna-Chornancap Pyramids

April 2nd, 2011 |

Legends differ regarding where Naylamp and his entourage came from, but all agree that he arrived on the shores of the Lambayeque Region sometime after the demise of the Moche culture. The pyramid complex of Chotuna-Chornancap, located 10 miles to the southwest of the city of Lambayeque and discovered in 2008 is the physical ruin most closely associated with Naylamp.

Hidden Huaraz Travel Ideas

March 24th, 2011 |

Huaraz is a city off the beaten path for many tourists to Peru, but has become an increasingly popular destination for adventure seekers and lovers of the great outdoors. The city itself is not the main draw. By far the main attraction to this area is the twin mountain range, the Cordillera Blanca and Cordillera Negra, a colossal corridor of rock which dominates the city and offers a tantalising escape into the Peruvian wilderness.

Hidden Puno Travel Ideas

March 14th, 2011 |

Puno is best known as the jumping-off point for visiting Lake Titicaca. In recent years, the excursion as most agencies offer it has become extremely touristic, taking some of the charm out of the experience. This can lead to a dilemma as people want to see the Lake and its islands but do not want to feel like they are going to a theme park.

Fortunately, there are a number of tours of the islands offering alternatives that are less well-travelled.

Cusco Ethno-tourism: the community of Cuyuni

December 16th, 2010 |

Just an hour outside Cusco is Cuyuni. A rural community, it has implemented a novel ‘living’ tourist circuit: a walk of four hours through traditional Andean scenery interrupted by actors playing themselves, offering visitors a resumed and interactive look at their customs and their daily lives. The trip ends with a novoandino buffet with a view of the mighty Ausangate.