The Santa Chilenita

Just a few kilometres south of Tumbes, Peru’s northern most region, is a colorful little chapel that grabs the attention of passers-by. It is here that dozens of believers stop off to renew their faith in the Chilenita, a mysterious figure apparently from the country’s opposite border in the south.

March 13, 2010 | Tumbes Guide

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What’s the difference between Peruvian Cebiche and others?

So, what’s the difference between the ceviche of Peru and the international dishes that share its name? To Javier Wong, perhaps Peru’s biggest ceviche expert and internationally renowned ceviche chef, the answer is simple: There is no other ceviche in the world.

December 4, 2009 | Peruvian Food

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Gastronomy is the new driving force for economic development

With the growing economic benefits Peru is enjoying thanks to its cuisine, as demonstrated by a second very successful gastronomic fair hosted in the capital of Lima not long ago, it is little surprise that a recent study by Arellano Marketing has produced figures that back up what is plain to see.

November 22, 2009 | News, Peruvian Food

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Miguel Grau and the Battle of Angamos

Known as the Gentleman of the Seas, Admiral Miguel Grau is remembered by friends and enemies alike as not only a great tactician in naval warfare, but also for his chivalry, the like of which had not been seen before or since. He died in combat defending Peru against invading aggressors at the Battle of Angamos on the 8th of October 1879, and is remembered on this day each year with a public holiday.

October 8, 2009 | Beyond Peru, Culture & History

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Tacna’s double independence celebrations

For Peru’s southern-most region of Tacna, independence celebrations last twice as long as in the rest of the country. For it was this region that gained its freedom twice, the first time from the Spanish, and the second time from Chilean oppression.

September 1, 2009 | Culture & History, Tacna & Moquegua Guide

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Peruvian Pisco Conquers the World

It was not much more than a century ago that, thanks to a bar in San Francisco’s Bank Exchange, the then little-known national spirit of Peru started making an impact on the international stage. Since then, due to under-appreciation by Peruvians, Chile sneakily claimed ownership of the Pisco brand, making and exporting a greatly inferior mass-produced imitation product that had run the spirit’s reputation abroad into the ground. For many outside Chile, Pisco was now considered junk.

September 17, 2008 | Lima City Guide, Peruvian Food

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The Chaski

Chaskis (Chasquis) were the famous Inca messengers, highly athletic runners who were capable of running great distances along the Inca’s extensive network of roads called the Qhapaq Ñam – the royal roads.

June 14, 2008 | Culture & History, Opinion

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Qhapaq Ñan, Lurín

As part of the series Explorando Lima, in which I demonstrate the immense diversity that Peru has to offer without even leaving the region of Lima, I walk part of the Qhapaq Ñam,  the Royal Road otherwise known as the Inca Trail, in the valley of Lurín.
For more on the Qhapaq Ñan, see The Chaski
The [...]

September 4, 2007 | Lima Region Guide

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Barranco

Not far from the village of Surco and some way from the city of Lima was the fishing village of Barranco. Time passed and Barranco became a small town popular with Lima’s elite – many of whom decided to build large lavish houses there.

For a while Barranco was named the City of Windmills as each home in the area had a windmill on its property to pump water from wells. More time passed and Barranco became a popular seaside resort coping with an influx of rich Limeños and foreigners building country homes there. Many of the foreigners at this time, around the late 1700’s, were British and German. Still, despite increased development into the 1800’s the town was an calm oasis in the desert, with sufficient supplies of water and trees to be seen everywhere. It was peaceful – but not for long.

March 6, 2007 | Lima City Guide

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Chile to Peru, the journey home

We had taken a bus to Santiago from Lima which made crossing the border simple. On the return however, there was no such bus, at least for a few days anyway.

We were able to take a bus from Iquique to Arica easily and had a good journey. The 4 hours on the bus were interesting as we spent them watching hundreds of tornadoes sweeping through the distant desert. I tried to get them on camera but they just wouldn’t turn out. The two photos attached to this entry are the best I could do, and I needed to turn up the contrast to get to see anything, but they still don’t give a feeling for how it really looked.

September 20, 2006 | Beyond Peru, Opinion

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Chile: Cerros Pintados

There are over 400 geoglyphs drawn in the sand in the desert in the Reserva Nacional Pampa del Tamarugal depicting animals, humans and geometric patterns.
We arrive to see them as the sun was setting, when the sun wouldn’t bleach all the photos white.

September 19, 2006 | Beyond Peru

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Chile: La Tirana

La Tirana is a town of dusty streets and adobe houses with a church and a piece of history as its only attractions.

La Tirana is named after an Inca princess Huillac Ñusca. In 1535 Diego de Almagro, a Spanish conquistador, marched south from Cusco to conquer Chile. Only 500 Spaniards where willing to go with him to conquer these lands that they thought would be poor. So Diego de Almagro took with him ten thousand conquered Incas including the Inca princess and an Inca Prince. The party included, unknown to Almagro, a number of highly trained Wilkas (Inca Warriors) from the Inca Royal Army.

September 19, 2006 | Beyond Peru

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