Entradas
The grown-up gapper: On Lake Titicaca
Backpack stuffed with an assortment of fleeces and wool clothing, our gapper goes island hopping on Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake.
By Ruth Holliday
Last Updated: 4:10PM BST 02 Oct 2008
Peru does cold like few places on earth. At night, temperatures at altitude drop below zero - yet after eight weeks here I am yet to spot any kind of indoor heating system.
In a bid to educate us yet further on the extremes of night-time chilliness, our Peru Experience co-ordinators send us for a four-day stay on Lake Titicaca. The world's highest navigable lake is home to a clutch of hardy tribes whose way of life has remained largely unchanged for millennia. For two nights we are to be guests in their unheated and isolated homes.
First we have a comfortable evening in the friendly lakeside town of Puno, staying in the relative luxury of the Camino Real hotel. Puno is notably unspectacular; most of its buildings are constructed from a brown mud brick, many streets are unpaved and traffic consists mainly of bicycles and tuk-tuk-style motorbike taxis.
In sparkling contrast to the town's dull muddiness is the emerald water of the lake. Titicaca is one of the largest on earth at 110 miles long by 38 miles wide. It’s a vast and shimmering border between Peru and its mountainous neighbour, Bolivia.
Backpacks stuffed with an assortment of fleece and wool clothing, we set out just after dawn to begin our first day's island hopping, crammed aboard an uncomfortable, diesel-saturated boat with around 20 other tourists.
Half an hour later we stop to meet the Uros, a unique community living on man-made reed islands, anchored to the lake-bed by a system of ropes. The islanders are thought to have fled dry land to escape war and famine around three thousand years ago. Ever since they have been replenishing and replacing their floating communities, living on the lake's fish stocks, and more recently, on the fascination of visiting tourists.
On arrival we are greeted with a round of singing by a group of local women, then shown how the islands are made - with reed blocks, reed matting, and yet more reeds strewn on top for good measure. Uros homes are made of reeds, as is the furniture inside, reeds are burned (very carefully) for firewood, and every night the locals sit down to a side order of reed roots with their fish supper.
We are given the chance to look inside the houses, offered a selection of reed-crafts for sale, and then taken from one tiny island to the next on a reed boat woven in the shape of a dragon.
The Uros islands may be an anthropological curiosity, but they are also a well-honed tourist money-spinner. We climb back aboard our non-reed boat feeling we are yet to see anything particularly untouched or authentic.
Amantani is the next stop, an uncomfortable three hours away. From the port we have to climb an inordinate distance up the island's steep mountainside - weighed down as we are with precautionary quantities of warm clothing. At the top, we are introduced to the host families who will accommodate us that night. For 25 soles (around £5) they will provide lunch, dinner and breakfast and give us some form of shelter from the perishing cold.
Our hostess is called Olga - she greets us with one hand while continuing to spin her bobbin of alpaca wool with the other. In rural Peru, spinning is an all-day job. She is dressed in the brightly coloured, voluminous skirts particular to the island, and sets off ahead of us with the speed and stamina of a stampeding llama. We puff and pant after her, and are shown to a simple three-bedded room off a mud-brick courtyard.
Olga shares her tiny home with a husband and three young children. Like other Titicaca islanders in the Altiplano area, they subsist on a largely vegetarian diet. By vegetarian, what I actually mean is potatoes - little else will grow on these exposed and windswept hills. Hence the lunch she proudly serves us is a potato and quinoa (Peruvian grain) soup, followed by a main course of worm-riddled potatoes devoid of sauce, spice or anything else to dilute their floury spudiness. We ask for salt and politely eat what we can, trying to ignore the crunchy bits.
At 4pm we are summoned to a football game in the community's main square - the locals versus the "internationals". As tourists visit the island several times a month, there is a certain spontaneity lacking among the local team. But being South American, they win nevertheless.
Our guide then assembles the fitter members of the group for a one-hour hike to the island's summit to watch the sunset over the lake. We arrive at the top just as the temperature begins to plummet, the sun dipping over the horizon like an immense, glowing egg yolk. The view is extraordinary, the surrounding islands transfigured by the twilight and shrouded in purple mist.
We are encouraged to withstand the cold a little longer to watch the stars come out. Our host families have provided us with a comic assortment of woolly hats for the purpose, complete with knitted ear flaps and colorful pom-poms. We huddle together in the shelter of a craggy rock face and see first Venus, then Mars, then Alpha Centauri twinkle into view. After half an hour or so the biting wind forces us back down to the village, and by the time we arrive the sky is alight with the most dazzling spectacle. Thousands upon thousands of stars, each one incandescent, the Milky Way swirling through their midst in glorious clarity.
But there is little time for stargazing. There is a “special” party to be held for the tourists immediately after our dinner time ration of potatoes. We are dressed in traditional costume for this purpose; a musty but impressive selection of locally woven and embroidered attire. Unfortunately we are too exhausted by hiking and excess carbohydrates to really enjoy it. What is more disconcerting is the bored expressions of the locals - evidently forced to attend these contrived tourist-pleasers. We stay for a couple of reels, then retire to shiver our way through the night under a hundredweight of itchy alpaca blankets.
As the next day starts - mercilessly early - a sense of grimness pervades the group. All are suffering a touch of tourist fatigue. We each confess we would rather forego our second night on the islands for a hot shower and a flushing toilet back in Puno.
We pack up and trudge back to the boat, hoping for better luck at our next stop - Taquile.
As it turns out, this gorgeous little island is enough to lift the most jaded of spirits. Our guide directs the boat to a small harbour at the back of the island, sparing us the 500 steps up from the main port which the locals nickname “the tourist killer”.
Nevertheless, we face a substantial climb to the central square - the Plaza de Armas. But the walk is picturesque - a snaking pathway through eucalyptus-garnished hills, overlooking the glittering deep blue of the lake. The landscape here is reminiscent of the Mediterranean, with rocky shores sloping down to inviting bays and hidden beaches.
After a decent lunch of local trout - and potatoes - we meet our second night's host - Silvano. It is his incredible hospitality that really makes this trip. His home is an idyllic farmhouse, tucked away in a secluded part of the island. The courtyard is lined with lime vines and terracotta pots filled with pink flowers. The rooms we are shown to are decked with multi-coloured alpaca rugs and hangings. Our group is elated.
Silvano takes us on a tour of the island, shows us local weaving techniques, explains the island's intricate dress codes and marital systems, shows us how to make organic shampoo from an indigenous plant - and even feeds us protein in the form of omelettes.
Yes, the night is bitterly cold, but the island is so charming and the hospitality so immense that by next morning none of us wants to leave - hot shower or no hot shower. Taquile is a jewel on Titicaca with many of its communities clinging faithfully to a social and agricultural system that pre-dates the Incas.
Silvano can take up to eight people on long or short breaks (silvano.taquile@yahoo.es). I defy even the grumpiest, most tour-weary traveller not to feel buoyed by a night or two as his guest.
Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/hubs/gapyear/3122020/The-grown-up-gapper-On-Lake-Titicaca.html
viernes, 3 de octubre de 2008
viernes, 12 de septiembre de 2008
Machu Picchu impresiona a Chinos
Home to ancient ruins, lush forests and burbling volcanoes
By Erik Nilsson (China Daily)Updated: 2008-09-12 16:37
2008-09-12 16:37:25.0
Erik Nilsson
Home to ancient ruins, lush forests and burbling volcanoesPeru,Machu Picchu
Peru holds a special place in the hearts of many geographers because of the diversity of its land and people.
The country's elevation rises from its 2,414-km-long coastline, flanked by lowland Amazon basin rainforests in the east, to the towering Andes Mountains, where several volcanoes still burble, in the central regions. From the highest mountaintop of Nevado Huascaran, 6,768 m above sea level, the topography again dips and stabilizes along the western coastal plains.
Owing to the diversity of its geological features, the 1.28-million-sq-km country, half of which is draped in tropical rainforests, contains three quarters of known types of ecological zones.
Peru's varied landscapes are constellated with a number of natural wonders and ruins from ancient civilizations.
Some of the most spectacular natural sites that have helped propel the country's burgeoning tourism industry include the Cordillera Blanca, the world's highest tropical mountain chain; Arequipa's snowcapped peaks, bubbling volcanoes and Colca Valley; and Lake Titicaca in Puno.
But perhaps even more than for its natural wonders, the country is celebrated for its cultural sites. Some of the top locations for visitors are the Incan ruins at Machu Picchu; Chan Chan, the world's largest mud brick citadel; and Cuzco, where republican and colonial buildings rise from the foundations of Incan ruins.
Little is known of Peru's ancient civilizations, as they did not have a written language, endowing them with an air of mystery.
The 29.18 million people who dwell in the country's mountains and valleys are nearly as diverse as the geographical areas they inhabit. About 45 percent are Amerindian, while 37 percent are mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) and 15 percent are black. Chinese Peruvians, or tusuan, are the next largest group.
While Spanish and Quechua are Peru's official languages, a large percentage of its mostly indigenous population speaks Aymara and a multitude of indigenous Amazonian tongues.
With all of its cultural and scenic offerings, the country is seeking to rapidly expand its tourism sector, which contributes 7 percent to its $219 billion GDP (adjusted for purchasing power parity). Currently, it is the country's fastest growing industry.
The government has hailed tourism as proffering great potential for hoisting the 44 percent of the population living below the poverty line toward a higher standard of living.
Per capita GDP, adjusted for PPP, stood at $7,800 last year, and this figure is expected to climb as the country enjoys a 9 percent annual GDP growth rate.
Such relatively increasing prosperity and development is an upswing from decades of military rule before democratization in 1980. These years were followed by periods of economic turbulence and violent insurgencies, which lost momentum in the 1990s.
But things have been looking up for the country since the turn of the millennium. And since 2006, President Alan Garcia's administration has been putting greater focus on improving living conditions and maintaining fiscal prudence.
(China Daily 09/12/2008 page19)
Link: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/life/2008-09/12/content_7023754.htm
By Erik Nilsson (China Daily)Updated: 2008-09-12 16:37
2008-09-12 16:37:25.0
Erik Nilsson
Home to ancient ruins, lush forests and burbling volcanoesPeru,Machu Picchu
Peru holds a special place in the hearts of many geographers because of the diversity of its land and people.
The country's elevation rises from its 2,414-km-long coastline, flanked by lowland Amazon basin rainforests in the east, to the towering Andes Mountains, where several volcanoes still burble, in the central regions. From the highest mountaintop of Nevado Huascaran, 6,768 m above sea level, the topography again dips and stabilizes along the western coastal plains.
Owing to the diversity of its geological features, the 1.28-million-sq-km country, half of which is draped in tropical rainforests, contains three quarters of known types of ecological zones.
Peru's varied landscapes are constellated with a number of natural wonders and ruins from ancient civilizations.
Some of the most spectacular natural sites that have helped propel the country's burgeoning tourism industry include the Cordillera Blanca, the world's highest tropical mountain chain; Arequipa's snowcapped peaks, bubbling volcanoes and Colca Valley; and Lake Titicaca in Puno.
But perhaps even more than for its natural wonders, the country is celebrated for its cultural sites. Some of the top locations for visitors are the Incan ruins at Machu Picchu; Chan Chan, the world's largest mud brick citadel; and Cuzco, where republican and colonial buildings rise from the foundations of Incan ruins.
Little is known of Peru's ancient civilizations, as they did not have a written language, endowing them with an air of mystery.
The 29.18 million people who dwell in the country's mountains and valleys are nearly as diverse as the geographical areas they inhabit. About 45 percent are Amerindian, while 37 percent are mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) and 15 percent are black. Chinese Peruvians, or tusuan, are the next largest group.
While Spanish and Quechua are Peru's official languages, a large percentage of its mostly indigenous population speaks Aymara and a multitude of indigenous Amazonian tongues.
With all of its cultural and scenic offerings, the country is seeking to rapidly expand its tourism sector, which contributes 7 percent to its $219 billion GDP (adjusted for purchasing power parity). Currently, it is the country's fastest growing industry.
The government has hailed tourism as proffering great potential for hoisting the 44 percent of the population living below the poverty line toward a higher standard of living.
Per capita GDP, adjusted for PPP, stood at $7,800 last year, and this figure is expected to climb as the country enjoys a 9 percent annual GDP growth rate.
Such relatively increasing prosperity and development is an upswing from decades of military rule before democratization in 1980. These years were followed by periods of economic turbulence and violent insurgencies, which lost momentum in the 1990s.
But things have been looking up for the country since the turn of the millennium. And since 2006, President Alan Garcia's administration has been putting greater focus on improving living conditions and maintaining fiscal prudence.
(China Daily 09/12/2008 page19)
Link: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/life/2008-09/12/content_7023754.htm
Encuentran reliquias Incas en Cusco y Lambayeque
Inca Relics found at Cusco and Lambayeque
Associated PressPublished: September 11, 2008
Cusco, Peru--Peru archaeologists say they have found the lower jawbone of a fetus among the remains of a sacrificed woman in a pre-Inca tomb in northern Peru, suggesting the Lambayeque practiced the atypical sacrifice of pregnant women.
A lead archaeologist said his team found the remains of seven sacrificed women and several sacrificed llamas in two tombs in the Chotuna Chornancap archaeological complex in the province of Lambayeque.
A Peruvian archaeologist said on Wednesday that the sacrifice of a pregnant woman is very unusual in the pre-Inca world and it could have been carried out for a very important religious event.
Chotuna Chornancap is a sacred site of the Lambayeque culture, which flourished in northern Peru between 800 and 1350 A.D.
Link: http://www.wnct.com/nct/news/world/article/inca_relics_found_at_cusco_and_lambayeque/18499/
Associated PressPublished: September 11, 2008
Cusco, Peru--Peru archaeologists say they have found the lower jawbone of a fetus among the remains of a sacrificed woman in a pre-Inca tomb in northern Peru, suggesting the Lambayeque practiced the atypical sacrifice of pregnant women.
A lead archaeologist said his team found the remains of seven sacrificed women and several sacrificed llamas in two tombs in the Chotuna Chornancap archaeological complex in the province of Lambayeque.
A Peruvian archaeologist said on Wednesday that the sacrifice of a pregnant woman is very unusual in the pre-Inca world and it could have been carried out for a very important religious event.
Chotuna Chornancap is a sacred site of the Lambayeque culture, which flourished in northern Peru between 800 and 1350 A.D.
Link: http://www.wnct.com/nct/news/world/article/inca_relics_found_at_cusco_and_lambayeque/18499/
Pisco Peruano: Aprenda a tomar como estrella de cine...
Learning to drink like a movie star
Filmfest Beverages
Adam McDowell , National Post
So what if it's pink? Bold, bittersweet and exquisitely balanced, you couldn't insult the Spoke Club's Pink Tanq by calling it a girly drink -- it's more like a sophisticated beverage for an empowered woman.
Jennifer Aniston loved it when she visited the Toronto private members' club on Sunday night.
"She actually had a couple of them," says John Paul Potters, the club's food and beverage manager, sommelier and the creator of the drink. "The greatest compliment to a cocktailer is when they order a second one."
No one would confuse Toronto with a cocktail town. It's more of a beer-and-whisky burg that's forced by a certain annual festival to mix up a few drinks --often clumsily.
However, this year's filmfest attendees are drinking better than ever, as more bartenders have adapted to the biggest news in cocktails of the past several years: "The martini's over," as Drake Hotel bar manager David Brown puts it.
He's not referring not to classic gin-and-vermouth martinis, which, like Ray-Bans, will always work for certain people. What's on its way out are the predictable concoctions of vodka and fruit juice in oversized, conical cocktail glasses -- the ones we have been fooled into calling "martinis" since sometime during the 1990s. The cosmopolitan and other over-the-top, colourful "martinis" are as much leftovers from the Night at the Roxbury era as shiny suits and frosted tips.
"Hopefully, the cosmo's dead," Potters says.
It's time for an adventure, one that might even involve pushing aside the martini glass and drinking out of a less ladylike rocks glass. If Jen can do it, so can you.
If you're somewhere other than Toronto and can't try the creations described below, don't worry; TIFF has always served as a preview of things to soon be released to a wider audience.
THE IT DRINKS
The venue Upstairs at Grace (503 College St.), a restaurant that openedinMay. The upstairs bar opened just last week, in time to host filmfest parties.
The drink The Graduate, containing Tanqueray gin, elder-flower cordial and lemon balm grown on the roof. Tangy and sour, but with sweetness coming from the cordial.
Star power Gin. Chris Hoffman, husband of Grace owner Leslie Gibson, says, "I think it's kind of like the long-lost spirit." Back in the old days of Hollywood, says Hoffman (who moved here from Los Angeles just a few months ago), stars would soak themselves in gin after a long day on the set. "We're single-handedly trying to put gin back on the map."
---
The venue The Spoke Club (600 King St. W.), location of several small, private parties during the festival.
The drink In addition to the delicious pink Tanq, the club has also offered the Emerald Geisha to guests during TIFF. It's a sweet and earthy combination of Tanqueray 10 gin, organic jasmine tea, lime juice and lychee, garnished with flower petals.
Star power Balance. The Spoke's Potters can speak eloquently about the need for calibrating the basic flavours to create a sense of deliciousness, whether with a wine, a dish or a mixed drink. "You've got to make sure the sweet-sour balance is on the money," he says. But actions speak louder than words, and the demure Geisha does the eloquent talking for him.
---
The venue The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen St. W.), host of Virgin Festival after-partying, the Passchendaele private party and other events.
The drink The Apple Fix, an interesting combination of Goldschlager, apricot brandy, dry Marguet Pere & Fils Champagne, apple juice and a slice of organic McIntosh apple
Star power Fresh ingredients -- and gold flakes. "We wanted something gold and flashy but still connected to the harvest," says the hotel's Brown, explaining the double timeliness of bartender Simon Ho's creation. It features some sparkle and zip from the bubbly, but the main thrust is the tried-and-true combination of apple and cinnamon.
---
The venue Skylounge , InterContinental Hotel (220 Bloor St. W.), often used by publicists as a locale for one-on-one interviews.
The drink The Leading Man, featuring pisco, muddled cucumber and honey.
Star power Pisco. The hot, of-the-moment ingredient is a brandy hailing from South America. Already popular in New York, pisco looks like the next cachaca. As assistant bar manager StefanieGeorgopoulos puts it, the drink uses pisco in a way that exudes "character, as you'd want in a leading man" --but it does have a sweet side.
JUICY MARTINIS, IF YOU MUST
The venue Sassafraz (100 Cumberland St.), a TIFF institution and a restaurant at the heart of the Yorkville neighbourhood. Ed Harris, Colin Firth and Ivan Reitman have popped in for a bite this year.
The drink The WAMStini, featuring Polar Ice vodka, Uphoria Pomegranate, raspberry liqueur and topped with prosecco, garnished with raspberries and fresh lime.
The justification For each drink sold, $5 is donated to Women Against M. S. The WAMStini also works as a flashy fashion accessory.
---
The venue One Restaurant (118 Yorkville Ave.), chef Mark McEwan's luxe restaurant inside the posh Hazelton Hotel.
The drink The One, made with apple-and pear-infused vodka, fresh pineapple and lime juice with hints of cinnamon and clove, and garnished with a gooseberry.
The justification This fruity drink looks great but lacks substance. However, it probably works even better than the WAMStini as hand candy; it's a gorgeous drink for a glam restaurant.
amcdowell@nationalpost.com
Link: http://www.canada.com/topics/lifestyle/story.html?id=6213b1b2-2adb-468c-815c-617455a58461
Filmfest Beverages
Adam McDowell , National Post
So what if it's pink? Bold, bittersweet and exquisitely balanced, you couldn't insult the Spoke Club's Pink Tanq by calling it a girly drink -- it's more like a sophisticated beverage for an empowered woman.
Jennifer Aniston loved it when she visited the Toronto private members' club on Sunday night.
"She actually had a couple of them," says John Paul Potters, the club's food and beverage manager, sommelier and the creator of the drink. "The greatest compliment to a cocktailer is when they order a second one."
No one would confuse Toronto with a cocktail town. It's more of a beer-and-whisky burg that's forced by a certain annual festival to mix up a few drinks --often clumsily.
However, this year's filmfest attendees are drinking better than ever, as more bartenders have adapted to the biggest news in cocktails of the past several years: "The martini's over," as Drake Hotel bar manager David Brown puts it.
He's not referring not to classic gin-and-vermouth martinis, which, like Ray-Bans, will always work for certain people. What's on its way out are the predictable concoctions of vodka and fruit juice in oversized, conical cocktail glasses -- the ones we have been fooled into calling "martinis" since sometime during the 1990s. The cosmopolitan and other over-the-top, colourful "martinis" are as much leftovers from the Night at the Roxbury era as shiny suits and frosted tips.
"Hopefully, the cosmo's dead," Potters says.
It's time for an adventure, one that might even involve pushing aside the martini glass and drinking out of a less ladylike rocks glass. If Jen can do it, so can you.
If you're somewhere other than Toronto and can't try the creations described below, don't worry; TIFF has always served as a preview of things to soon be released to a wider audience.
THE IT DRINKS
The venue Upstairs at Grace (503 College St.), a restaurant that openedinMay. The upstairs bar opened just last week, in time to host filmfest parties.
The drink The Graduate, containing Tanqueray gin, elder-flower cordial and lemon balm grown on the roof. Tangy and sour, but with sweetness coming from the cordial.
Star power Gin. Chris Hoffman, husband of Grace owner Leslie Gibson, says, "I think it's kind of like the long-lost spirit." Back in the old days of Hollywood, says Hoffman (who moved here from Los Angeles just a few months ago), stars would soak themselves in gin after a long day on the set. "We're single-handedly trying to put gin back on the map."
---
The venue The Spoke Club (600 King St. W.), location of several small, private parties during the festival.
The drink In addition to the delicious pink Tanq, the club has also offered the Emerald Geisha to guests during TIFF. It's a sweet and earthy combination of Tanqueray 10 gin, organic jasmine tea, lime juice and lychee, garnished with flower petals.
Star power Balance. The Spoke's Potters can speak eloquently about the need for calibrating the basic flavours to create a sense of deliciousness, whether with a wine, a dish or a mixed drink. "You've got to make sure the sweet-sour balance is on the money," he says. But actions speak louder than words, and the demure Geisha does the eloquent talking for him.
---
The venue The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen St. W.), host of Virgin Festival after-partying, the Passchendaele private party and other events.
The drink The Apple Fix, an interesting combination of Goldschlager, apricot brandy, dry Marguet Pere & Fils Champagne, apple juice and a slice of organic McIntosh apple
Star power Fresh ingredients -- and gold flakes. "We wanted something gold and flashy but still connected to the harvest," says the hotel's Brown, explaining the double timeliness of bartender Simon Ho's creation. It features some sparkle and zip from the bubbly, but the main thrust is the tried-and-true combination of apple and cinnamon.
---
The venue Skylounge , InterContinental Hotel (220 Bloor St. W.), often used by publicists as a locale for one-on-one interviews.
The drink The Leading Man, featuring pisco, muddled cucumber and honey.
Star power Pisco. The hot, of-the-moment ingredient is a brandy hailing from South America. Already popular in New York, pisco looks like the next cachaca. As assistant bar manager StefanieGeorgopoulos puts it, the drink uses pisco in a way that exudes "character, as you'd want in a leading man" --but it does have a sweet side.
JUICY MARTINIS, IF YOU MUST
The venue Sassafraz (100 Cumberland St.), a TIFF institution and a restaurant at the heart of the Yorkville neighbourhood. Ed Harris, Colin Firth and Ivan Reitman have popped in for a bite this year.
The drink The WAMStini, featuring Polar Ice vodka, Uphoria Pomegranate, raspberry liqueur and topped with prosecco, garnished with raspberries and fresh lime.
The justification For each drink sold, $5 is donated to Women Against M. S. The WAMStini also works as a flashy fashion accessory.
---
The venue One Restaurant (118 Yorkville Ave.), chef Mark McEwan's luxe restaurant inside the posh Hazelton Hotel.
The drink The One, made with apple-and pear-infused vodka, fresh pineapple and lime juice with hints of cinnamon and clove, and garnished with a gooseberry.
The justification This fruity drink looks great but lacks substance. However, it probably works even better than the WAMStini as hand candy; it's a gorgeous drink for a glam restaurant.
amcdowell@nationalpost.com
Link: http://www.canada.com/topics/lifestyle/story.html?id=6213b1b2-2adb-468c-815c-617455a58461
lunes, 8 de septiembre de 2008
Evento mas importante sobre el Pisco en Lima
Peru 8 September, 2008 [ 17:25 ]
Minster announces Peru's most important Pisco event
Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz
The commencement of two of the most important events in Peru's pisco industry were announced on Monday by the country's Minister of Production, Rafael Rey.The minister announced that the 12th National Pisco Festival as well as the 15th National Pisco Contest would be taking place from September 12-14 at Jockey Plaza Convention Center in Lima.It has been estimated that over two hundred of Peru's most important pisco producers will participate in this national event.Minister Rey pointed out the tremendous success the event had had over the past several years, affirming that the production of Pisco in Peru had doubled between 2003 and 2007.He added that production in 2008 would increase between 12 and 18 percent to approximately 5.8 million liters of pisco.The promotion of the national drink has also increased the country's consumption of the grape brandy 35 percent. Despite this, the country's annual per capita consumption is quite low, said Minister Rey, explaining that Peru's per capita consumption reached approximately 0.5 liters while Chile's had been registered at 3 liters."We hope that promotion campaigns will encourage the consumption of pisco in Peru's market," said Rey.
Link: http://www.livinginperu.com/news/7337
Minster announces Peru's most important Pisco event
Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz
The commencement of two of the most important events in Peru's pisco industry were announced on Monday by the country's Minister of Production, Rafael Rey.The minister announced that the 12th National Pisco Festival as well as the 15th National Pisco Contest would be taking place from September 12-14 at Jockey Plaza Convention Center in Lima.It has been estimated that over two hundred of Peru's most important pisco producers will participate in this national event.Minister Rey pointed out the tremendous success the event had had over the past several years, affirming that the production of Pisco in Peru had doubled between 2003 and 2007.He added that production in 2008 would increase between 12 and 18 percent to approximately 5.8 million liters of pisco.The promotion of the national drink has also increased the country's consumption of the grape brandy 35 percent. Despite this, the country's annual per capita consumption is quite low, said Minister Rey, explaining that Peru's per capita consumption reached approximately 0.5 liters while Chile's had been registered at 3 liters."We hope that promotion campaigns will encourage the consumption of pisco in Peru's market," said Rey.
Link: http://www.livinginperu.com/news/7337
Navegando y Viendo el Peru
Sailing and Seeing Peru
Two youth optimist sailors from the US Virgin Islands, and their families, recently traveled to Peru to participate in the first Optimist Training Clinic and Regatta with kids from 11 other nations. Earlier this month, Alex Coyle, from St. John, and Billy Gibbons, from St. Croix, traveled to Paracas, Peru, on the Pacific Coast, to sail with 38 other sailors in a clinic run by world class coaches.
Gonzalo “Bocha” Pollitzer, who coached Malaysia to a second place team finish at the 2005 Opti Worlds, and Fernando “Happy” Alegre, who coached the Trinidad team at the 2005 Opti Worlds, organized the event which included a five-day clinic, limited to 40 sailors, and a three-day regatta, which saw 53 sailors from 12 nations competing. Invited sailors included the North American champion, South American champion, 3rd place at Europeans, and 2nd and 7th place at the Opti Worlds in Switzerland this summer. The VI kids were happy to see their friends from Trinidad, Wesley Scott, Annick Lewis, and Matthew Scott (2nd at Worlds), there as well.
During the clinic a typical day for the sailors started with breakfast and was followed by calisthenics and a run through the desert. Paracas is on the 14-degree latitude south and is on the shore, but is also in the desert. The wind would be dead calm in the early morning and would start to pick up around 10:00am. The sailors would launch around 10:30am and begin on-the-water drills. By noon the wind would make a 180-degree wind shift and the coaches would reset the marks. The kids had a snack for lunch on the water. There would be more drills and practice races throughout the afternoon. By mid-afternoon, the wind would be blowing 18-25 and the kids would sail until dusk, which would be around 6:30pm. There would be time for showers and dinner, then they would meet with the coaches for debriefing along with video footage of their day’s sailing.
The regatta days were a little more relaxed with no morning workouts. Before the races, the sailors had a chance to do a little exploring around Paracas. One side trip included a boat trip to Las Islas Ballestas, which are referred to as the Peruvian Galapagos. It is a small cluster of rock-islands a couple of miles off-shore, which is home to hundreds of thousands of birds of many different kinds, including terns, gulls, vultures and penguins. There are also thousands of sea lions there. So there were times when a stray sea lion would pop up on the kids’ race course, much to their delight. Another great side trip was a sand dune buggy trip. The buggy drivers would drive you into the desert and just start driving all over these huge dunes. Sometimes, as you climbed, you didn’t know if the dune would level out, go over the other side, or the driver would choose to drive sideways down the dune you just climbed. The kids also experienced sand boarding Just like snow boarding, but down these big dunes. It was a great time.
The weather in Paracas was warm and sunny during the days and would cool down at night. It was quite dry, being in the desert. We never saw a hint of rain while we were there. In Nasca, a town south of Paracas, we were told it hasn’t rained for four years. Though the air was warm, the water was very cold, as it is effected by the Humboldt Current. The kids would have to wear plenty of spray gear and wetsuits in order to stay warm.
Before heading south to Paracas for sailing, the two families flew to Cusco, up in the Andes Mountains. There, they visited the Sacred Valley and the ruins of Pisac; Ollantaytambo, which is an old mountain village where many people still live like they did hundreds of years ago; and the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu. It’s amazing to think that these structures have stood for over 700 years, through earthquakes of 7.5 and years of overgrowth. We are lucky that it is one of the few places left unharmed by the conquering Spaniards and their search for gold.
One of the highlights for the kids, and the adults, was our encounter with the llamas at Machu Picchu. They were so tame. We had a great time petting and posing with them. We hear they “spit” at you sometimes, but we missed out on that experience.
It was a great adventure. From climbing the ruins at Machu Picchu, to petting the llamas, to sailing the Pacific in Paracas, to driving the dunes, and baying like the sea lions, Peru has a lot to offer.
Link: http://www.allatsea.net/specificissueeditorial.php?featureid=751
Two youth optimist sailors from the US Virgin Islands, and their families, recently traveled to Peru to participate in the first Optimist Training Clinic and Regatta with kids from 11 other nations. Earlier this month, Alex Coyle, from St. John, and Billy Gibbons, from St. Croix, traveled to Paracas, Peru, on the Pacific Coast, to sail with 38 other sailors in a clinic run by world class coaches.
Gonzalo “Bocha” Pollitzer, who coached Malaysia to a second place team finish at the 2005 Opti Worlds, and Fernando “Happy” Alegre, who coached the Trinidad team at the 2005 Opti Worlds, organized the event which included a five-day clinic, limited to 40 sailors, and a three-day regatta, which saw 53 sailors from 12 nations competing. Invited sailors included the North American champion, South American champion, 3rd place at Europeans, and 2nd and 7th place at the Opti Worlds in Switzerland this summer. The VI kids were happy to see their friends from Trinidad, Wesley Scott, Annick Lewis, and Matthew Scott (2nd at Worlds), there as well.
During the clinic a typical day for the sailors started with breakfast and was followed by calisthenics and a run through the desert. Paracas is on the 14-degree latitude south and is on the shore, but is also in the desert. The wind would be dead calm in the early morning and would start to pick up around 10:00am. The sailors would launch around 10:30am and begin on-the-water drills. By noon the wind would make a 180-degree wind shift and the coaches would reset the marks. The kids had a snack for lunch on the water. There would be more drills and practice races throughout the afternoon. By mid-afternoon, the wind would be blowing 18-25 and the kids would sail until dusk, which would be around 6:30pm. There would be time for showers and dinner, then they would meet with the coaches for debriefing along with video footage of their day’s sailing.
The regatta days were a little more relaxed with no morning workouts. Before the races, the sailors had a chance to do a little exploring around Paracas. One side trip included a boat trip to Las Islas Ballestas, which are referred to as the Peruvian Galapagos. It is a small cluster of rock-islands a couple of miles off-shore, which is home to hundreds of thousands of birds of many different kinds, including terns, gulls, vultures and penguins. There are also thousands of sea lions there. So there were times when a stray sea lion would pop up on the kids’ race course, much to their delight. Another great side trip was a sand dune buggy trip. The buggy drivers would drive you into the desert and just start driving all over these huge dunes. Sometimes, as you climbed, you didn’t know if the dune would level out, go over the other side, or the driver would choose to drive sideways down the dune you just climbed. The kids also experienced sand boarding Just like snow boarding, but down these big dunes. It was a great time.
The weather in Paracas was warm and sunny during the days and would cool down at night. It was quite dry, being in the desert. We never saw a hint of rain while we were there. In Nasca, a town south of Paracas, we were told it hasn’t rained for four years. Though the air was warm, the water was very cold, as it is effected by the Humboldt Current. The kids would have to wear plenty of spray gear and wetsuits in order to stay warm.
Before heading south to Paracas for sailing, the two families flew to Cusco, up in the Andes Mountains. There, they visited the Sacred Valley and the ruins of Pisac; Ollantaytambo, which is an old mountain village where many people still live like they did hundreds of years ago; and the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu. It’s amazing to think that these structures have stood for over 700 years, through earthquakes of 7.5 and years of overgrowth. We are lucky that it is one of the few places left unharmed by the conquering Spaniards and their search for gold.
One of the highlights for the kids, and the adults, was our encounter with the llamas at Machu Picchu. They were so tame. We had a great time petting and posing with them. We hear they “spit” at you sometimes, but we missed out on that experience.
It was a great adventure. From climbing the ruins at Machu Picchu, to petting the llamas, to sailing the Pacific in Paracas, to driving the dunes, and baying like the sea lions, Peru has a lot to offer.
Link: http://www.allatsea.net/specificissueeditorial.php?featureid=751
El lado artistico y creativo de Cusco
The grown-up gapper: Cusco's creative side
Ruth Holliday discovers Cusco's bohemian quarter among the galleries and museums of San Blas.
By Ruth HollidayLast Updated: 12:53PM BST 01 Sep 2008
The climb to San Blas is steep, but ultimately worthwhile
The Cusco school of painting flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries, combining Byzantine and Spanish influences with Inca imagery
A recurring image is of the Virgin - her image merged with the Inca Pachamama
The 'arcabucero' combines the Catholic archangel with the Inca's bird-like guardian
Ruth is treated to an impromptu drumming demonstration
Cusco is crawling with artists. In a city where 70 per cent of the population makes its living from tourism, local arts and crafts are big business. In the central Plaza de Armas, dozens of young students hawk their prints to the gringo crowds.
I decide to devote a couple of days to deciphering Cusco art. On such a mission there is only one place to head - San Blas - the hilltop district that's home to the cool and creative of the city.
It's an experience that many short-stay tourists may miss. Indeed it's easy to be dissuaded by the steep climb from Cusco's centre. But as you edge up the narrow Inca-built streets, above the smog-line of diesel fumes - the wheezing becomes worthwhile.
Clusters of tiny galleries glimmer in the archways. Art is everywhere here - it covers the walls of cafes, bars and restaurants - and in the Plaza San Blas street performers drum, dance and diabolo just for fun.
My first stop is a gallery on the Cuesta San Blas where owner Fredo instructs me in basics of the Cusco school of painting. This flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries, combining Byzantine and Spanish influences with Inca imagery.
As none of these artistic forerunners were averse to a generous splodge of gilding, the interior of Fredo's gallery is all that glisters. The recurring image on these walls is of the Virgin - her image merged with the Inca Pachamama (earth mother) so that she is obliged to nurse the holy infant with one arm while balancing baskets of farm produce with the other.
The other star of the Cusco school is the “arcabucero” - a kick-ass hybrid that combines the Catholic archangel with the Inca's bird-like immortal guardian. The arcabucero's job is to protect homes and families, armed conveniently with an enormous antique shotgun.
The paintings in Fredo's gallery are all modern-day reproductions, but the layers of oil, acrylic and gilt are as intricate as any original. Each work is created by four artists working in sequence - one on the background, one on faces and the others on decoration and gilding.
There are more arcabuceros to be found in San Blas Plaza - in the miniscule museum devoted to 20th century artist Hilario Mendivil. A narrow passageway from the square opens out onto the courtyard of his former home, guarded by two eight-foot arcabucero statues.
These are the gigantic daddies of the doll-size angels and virgins Mendivil spent his life sculpting. They take their inspiration from the Cusco school, but differ in one surreal respect - elongated necks in homage to that great Peruvian lifesaver - the llama.
Out in the square there are living artists to be found. After four weeks of Spanish lessons, I'm fluent enough to hear one young performer's views on Peruvian music.
"We all play Andean instruments," he tells me. "But we use them to create a fusion sound with bits of funk, African and jazz." I'm invited to their next gig on Saturday - and treated to an impromptu drumming demonstration that sets the San Blas hills ringing.
I feel closer to Cusco after glimpsing its creative side. I join the young artists absorbing the sun on the plaza steps and feel a rush of bohemianism.
Between the angels and virgins, llamas, dancers and drummers San Blas condenses more of the city's culture than the commercial centre and all its cathedrals combined. Tomorrow I'll probably be wheezing my way up here for more.
Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/hubs/gapyear/2661257/The-grown-up-gapper-Cuscos-creative-side.html
Ruth Holliday discovers Cusco's bohemian quarter among the galleries and museums of San Blas.
By Ruth HollidayLast Updated: 12:53PM BST 01 Sep 2008
The climb to San Blas is steep, but ultimately worthwhile
The Cusco school of painting flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries, combining Byzantine and Spanish influences with Inca imagery
A recurring image is of the Virgin - her image merged with the Inca Pachamama
The 'arcabucero' combines the Catholic archangel with the Inca's bird-like guardian
Ruth is treated to an impromptu drumming demonstration
Cusco is crawling with artists. In a city where 70 per cent of the population makes its living from tourism, local arts and crafts are big business. In the central Plaza de Armas, dozens of young students hawk their prints to the gringo crowds.
I decide to devote a couple of days to deciphering Cusco art. On such a mission there is only one place to head - San Blas - the hilltop district that's home to the cool and creative of the city.
It's an experience that many short-stay tourists may miss. Indeed it's easy to be dissuaded by the steep climb from Cusco's centre. But as you edge up the narrow Inca-built streets, above the smog-line of diesel fumes - the wheezing becomes worthwhile.
Clusters of tiny galleries glimmer in the archways. Art is everywhere here - it covers the walls of cafes, bars and restaurants - and in the Plaza San Blas street performers drum, dance and diabolo just for fun.
My first stop is a gallery on the Cuesta San Blas where owner Fredo instructs me in basics of the Cusco school of painting. This flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries, combining Byzantine and Spanish influences with Inca imagery.
As none of these artistic forerunners were averse to a generous splodge of gilding, the interior of Fredo's gallery is all that glisters. The recurring image on these walls is of the Virgin - her image merged with the Inca Pachamama (earth mother) so that she is obliged to nurse the holy infant with one arm while balancing baskets of farm produce with the other.
The other star of the Cusco school is the “arcabucero” - a kick-ass hybrid that combines the Catholic archangel with the Inca's bird-like immortal guardian. The arcabucero's job is to protect homes and families, armed conveniently with an enormous antique shotgun.
The paintings in Fredo's gallery are all modern-day reproductions, but the layers of oil, acrylic and gilt are as intricate as any original. Each work is created by four artists working in sequence - one on the background, one on faces and the others on decoration and gilding.
There are more arcabuceros to be found in San Blas Plaza - in the miniscule museum devoted to 20th century artist Hilario Mendivil. A narrow passageway from the square opens out onto the courtyard of his former home, guarded by two eight-foot arcabucero statues.
These are the gigantic daddies of the doll-size angels and virgins Mendivil spent his life sculpting. They take their inspiration from the Cusco school, but differ in one surreal respect - elongated necks in homage to that great Peruvian lifesaver - the llama.
Out in the square there are living artists to be found. After four weeks of Spanish lessons, I'm fluent enough to hear one young performer's views on Peruvian music.
"We all play Andean instruments," he tells me. "But we use them to create a fusion sound with bits of funk, African and jazz." I'm invited to their next gig on Saturday - and treated to an impromptu drumming demonstration that sets the San Blas hills ringing.
I feel closer to Cusco after glimpsing its creative side. I join the young artists absorbing the sun on the plaza steps and feel a rush of bohemianism.
Between the angels and virgins, llamas, dancers and drummers San Blas condenses more of the city's culture than the commercial centre and all its cathedrals combined. Tomorrow I'll probably be wheezing my way up here for more.
Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/hubs/gapyear/2661257/The-grown-up-gapper-Cuscos-creative-side.html
miércoles, 3 de septiembre de 2008
Productores de Mango apunta hacia Asia
Mangos from Peru at the Asia Fruit Logistica
APEM: Peruvian Association of Mango Producers and Exporters targets Asia
After a long process of agreements and protocols, Peru started exports to China in the campaign 2006/2007. The agreements between both Ministries of Agriculture included mainly phytosanitary procedures to get access to China, as expressed by Mr. Juan Carlos Rivera, Manager at APEM.Among the phytosanitary procedures, there is the hydrotermic process: mangos has to be exposed to hot water (42 degrees C) for about one hour. This procedure is already known by Peruvian exporters, since it is also requested by US phytosanitary authorities. Regarding China, Mr. Rivera comments: "this procedure is perfectly followed by the phytosanitary agency (SENASA) according to the agreements signed between both governments in 2005. There are other requirements from the commercial side: boxes of 6 kgs, large calibers, red appearance etc".Expectations are large. Asia in general and China in particular are huge potential markets. "Chinese market is enormous, Chinese people eat mangoes, for Americans this fruit is still an exotic. Additionally, we are in counterseason, then we logically see good expectations for the commercial future in China. however we have some limitations (e.g. shipping takes almost 28 days to arrive, we don´t know exactly the trade practices from Chinese people and they don´t know ours). On the other hand, Peruvian mangoes are gifts for New Year´s Eve in the Chinese calendar, thanks to its outstanding caliber, color and quality. In the short term, we expect to start some commercial agreements with importers from China and Hong Kong. In the long term, we expect to equal the high quality of mangoes exported to US, because Chinese people know about mangoes, then we have to arrive at the precise moment" emphasizes Mr. Rivera.Expectations in the production/export of mangoes from Peru are carried out partially. "Peru exported 104.000 tons. However, this export record was not together with financial results, since the traditional destination markets (Europe and US) had limited consumption, and prices went down. This campaign would happen at the contrary, low production, higher prices" ends Mr. Rivera.
Contact:Juan Carlos Rivera Ortega
ManagerAsociación Peruana de Productores y Exportadores de Mango (APEM)Urbanización San Eduardo A-2Piura
www.apem.org.pe++5173-306496
APEM@speedy.com.pe
Publication date: 9/2/2008
Author: Jahir Lombana
Copyright: www.freshplaza.com
Link: http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=27634
APEM: Peruvian Association of Mango Producers and Exporters targets Asia
After a long process of agreements and protocols, Peru started exports to China in the campaign 2006/2007. The agreements between both Ministries of Agriculture included mainly phytosanitary procedures to get access to China, as expressed by Mr. Juan Carlos Rivera, Manager at APEM.Among the phytosanitary procedures, there is the hydrotermic process: mangos has to be exposed to hot water (42 degrees C) for about one hour. This procedure is already known by Peruvian exporters, since it is also requested by US phytosanitary authorities. Regarding China, Mr. Rivera comments: "this procedure is perfectly followed by the phytosanitary agency (SENASA) according to the agreements signed between both governments in 2005. There are other requirements from the commercial side: boxes of 6 kgs, large calibers, red appearance etc".Expectations are large. Asia in general and China in particular are huge potential markets. "Chinese market is enormous, Chinese people eat mangoes, for Americans this fruit is still an exotic. Additionally, we are in counterseason, then we logically see good expectations for the commercial future in China. however we have some limitations (e.g. shipping takes almost 28 days to arrive, we don´t know exactly the trade practices from Chinese people and they don´t know ours). On the other hand, Peruvian mangoes are gifts for New Year´s Eve in the Chinese calendar, thanks to its outstanding caliber, color and quality. In the short term, we expect to start some commercial agreements with importers from China and Hong Kong. In the long term, we expect to equal the high quality of mangoes exported to US, because Chinese people know about mangoes, then we have to arrive at the precise moment" emphasizes Mr. Rivera.Expectations in the production/export of mangoes from Peru are carried out partially. "Peru exported 104.000 tons. However, this export record was not together with financial results, since the traditional destination markets (Europe and US) had limited consumption, and prices went down. This campaign would happen at the contrary, low production, higher prices" ends Mr. Rivera.
Contact:Juan Carlos Rivera Ortega
ManagerAsociación Peruana de Productores y Exportadores de Mango (APEM)Urbanización San Eduardo A-2Piura
www.apem.org.pe++5173-306496
APEM@speedy.com.pe
Publication date: 9/2/2008
Author: Jahir Lombana
Copyright: www.freshplaza.com
Link: http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=27634
Gerdau invertira US$1,4 billones en Refineria de Peru
Gerdau to Invest $1.4 Billion in Peruvian Steel Mill (Update2)
By Alex Emery
Sept. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Gerdau SA, Latin America's biggest steelmaker, will invest $1.4 billion to expand its Peruvian unit and increase exports to other countries in the region.
The expansion of Empresa Siderurgica del Peru SA will boost steel output to 3 million metric tons a year by 2013 from 450,000 tons now, said Chief Executive Officer Andre Gerdau Johannpeter.
``Peru will be one of South America's three-largest steel producers,'' Gerdau Johannpeter told reporters today after meeting with Peruvian President Alan Garcia in Lima. ``Siderperu will export to Chile and Colombia, and later to Asia and the rest of Latin America.''
Garcia is seeking to attract more foreign investments to the country in exchange for allowing companies such as Porto Alegre, Brazil-based Gerdau to ship to Asian buyers through Peruvian ports. Brazilian companies Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Braskem SA and Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA are studying investments in Peru, and Odebrecht SA is building an $800 million highway between the two countries.
Gerdau paid $101 million in 2006 for an 83.3 percent stake in the unit, known as Siderperu. The steel mill, located at the northern coastal port of Chimbote, about 350 kilometers (220 miles) northwest of Lima, will produce long- and flat-steel products, the company said in an e-mailed statement.
The expansion, which will create 4,000 jobs, will take place in two stages, and the mill will initially produce 1.5 million tons by 2011, Gerdau Johannpeter said. Latin America's steel consumption is growing as much as 8 percent a year, he said.
Gerdau may sell bonds on the Peruvian debt market to help finance the project, said Siderperu manager Luiz Augusto Polacchini.
Gerdau shares fell 56 centavos, or 1.8 percent, to 30.14 reais in Sao Paulo trading. The stock has climbed 26 percent in the past year, compared with a 1 percent gain for Brazil's benchmark Bovespa index. Siderperu's shares rose 21 centimos, or 7.7 percent, to 2.95 soles in Lima trading.
To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Emery in Lima at aemery1@bloomberg.net Last Updated: September 1, 2008 17:44 EDT
Link:http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=auJcU7XS_UcU&refer=news
By Alex Emery
Sept. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Gerdau SA, Latin America's biggest steelmaker, will invest $1.4 billion to expand its Peruvian unit and increase exports to other countries in the region.
The expansion of Empresa Siderurgica del Peru SA will boost steel output to 3 million metric tons a year by 2013 from 450,000 tons now, said Chief Executive Officer Andre Gerdau Johannpeter.
``Peru will be one of South America's three-largest steel producers,'' Gerdau Johannpeter told reporters today after meeting with Peruvian President Alan Garcia in Lima. ``Siderperu will export to Chile and Colombia, and later to Asia and the rest of Latin America.''
Garcia is seeking to attract more foreign investments to the country in exchange for allowing companies such as Porto Alegre, Brazil-based Gerdau to ship to Asian buyers through Peruvian ports. Brazilian companies Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Braskem SA and Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA are studying investments in Peru, and Odebrecht SA is building an $800 million highway between the two countries.
Gerdau paid $101 million in 2006 for an 83.3 percent stake in the unit, known as Siderperu. The steel mill, located at the northern coastal port of Chimbote, about 350 kilometers (220 miles) northwest of Lima, will produce long- and flat-steel products, the company said in an e-mailed statement.
The expansion, which will create 4,000 jobs, will take place in two stages, and the mill will initially produce 1.5 million tons by 2011, Gerdau Johannpeter said. Latin America's steel consumption is growing as much as 8 percent a year, he said.
Gerdau may sell bonds on the Peruvian debt market to help finance the project, said Siderperu manager Luiz Augusto Polacchini.
Gerdau shares fell 56 centavos, or 1.8 percent, to 30.14 reais in Sao Paulo trading. The stock has climbed 26 percent in the past year, compared with a 1 percent gain for Brazil's benchmark Bovespa index. Siderperu's shares rose 21 centimos, or 7.7 percent, to 2.95 soles in Lima trading.
To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Emery in Lima at aemery1@bloomberg.net Last Updated: September 1, 2008 17:44 EDT
Link:http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=auJcU7XS_UcU&refer=news
Guano produce negocio.
Bird dung means big business on Peru island
Aug 5, 2008
ISLA DE ASIA, Peru (AP) — It's a dirty job, but people love to do it. Workers toiling 24 days a month loosen, scrape, sift, filter and bag bird dung to make some of the world's finest organic fertilizer — known as guano.
They work in a chilly breeze with the pungent smell of must, salt and ammonia on the Isla de Asia, one of 22 islands where thousands of birds create industry and employment simply by defecating.
"It's fun, everybody does something," said Lucho Moran of Lima, grinning as he moved sacks of guano by cable onto a barge. "It's busy."
Other workers say the job pays well, and they eat free.
Unfazed by the odor and grit, 100 to 150 men work 12-hour days that begin with breakfast at 3:30 a.m.
Workers wear powder from the ruddy dirt like uniforms as they hurl pickaxes into the soil and shovel raw dung, known as "guano bruto." They collect on average 77 tons of guano a day.
Then they sift it over metal mesh to extract the smaller particles that make the grade for fertilizer, which is then bagged and piled onto barges headed to the port of Pisco.
Most guano is used in the fields of Peru, where it costs a fraction of chemical fertilizer.
But about 20 percent is shipped to France, Italy and the United States, said operations manager Cesar A. Teran, where it is a favorite among organic gardeners.
Link: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iQaBtIKpCHd3IFPbslJ81FtwkJ2wD92CBBMO0
Aug 5, 2008
ISLA DE ASIA, Peru (AP) — It's a dirty job, but people love to do it. Workers toiling 24 days a month loosen, scrape, sift, filter and bag bird dung to make some of the world's finest organic fertilizer — known as guano.
They work in a chilly breeze with the pungent smell of must, salt and ammonia on the Isla de Asia, one of 22 islands where thousands of birds create industry and employment simply by defecating.
"It's fun, everybody does something," said Lucho Moran of Lima, grinning as he moved sacks of guano by cable onto a barge. "It's busy."
Other workers say the job pays well, and they eat free.
Unfazed by the odor and grit, 100 to 150 men work 12-hour days that begin with breakfast at 3:30 a.m.
Workers wear powder from the ruddy dirt like uniforms as they hurl pickaxes into the soil and shovel raw dung, known as "guano bruto." They collect on average 77 tons of guano a day.
Then they sift it over metal mesh to extract the smaller particles that make the grade for fertilizer, which is then bagged and piled onto barges headed to the port of Pisco.
Most guano is used in the fields of Peru, where it costs a fraction of chemical fertilizer.
But about 20 percent is shipped to France, Italy and the United States, said operations manager Cesar A. Teran, where it is a favorite among organic gardeners.
Link: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iQaBtIKpCHd3IFPbslJ81FtwkJ2wD92CBBMO0
Pisco sour es atraccion en famoso restaurante
DINING REVIEW
Clark & Schwenk’s Seafood & Oyster House
3300 Cobb Parkway, Ste. 3240, 770-272-0999
By MERIDITH FORD
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Every winter upon retrieving my overcoat from the closet, I find squirreled away surprises in its pockets: ticket stubs from a movie the winter before, a tattered leaf from the yard I stuffed away to press but never got to, maybe even a $20 bill.
Souvenirs held from the year before, they are delightful in their unexpectedness.
I’m not sure what I was expecting from Clark & Schwenk’s Seafood & Oyster House, but what I got was very much like one of my winter souvenirs – a delight, right down to the bottom of my pocket.
Owners Rich Clark and Jon Schwenk have created a brasserie-style restaurant that’s a little lower Manhattan and a little Boca Raton – designed by Z-Space, Inc., the interior has a lush-life look to it, even though it’s small, narrow and planted in the corner of a strip mall off Cobb Parkway. The decor is brooding in spots, brassy in others; a luxurious window banquette ever-so-cleverly sweeps towards the ceiling, preventing the otherwise inevitable view of the Kroger parking lot.
It, along with a fresh fish case and brasserie bar serving classic cocktails like the Pimm’s cup and the Tom Collins, help suspend the belief of being somewhere other than the posh suburbs surrounding the Chattahochee River.
For a landlocked city like Atlanta, a classic fish house is a refreshing change from our steak-and-sushi gig. And this is classic: Big-boy portions of raw bar oysters and cherrystone clams, pisco sours, a variety of fish from arctic char to rainbow trout flown in fresh daily, steaks, and sides of spinach with olive oil and garlic. The grand steak and fish houses of the early 20th century are American gastronomic icons, and C & S proves its mettle when it comes to making simple preparations – broiled or chargrilled fish, elegant but simply prepared with sides of roasted fingerling potatoes and haricot verts – into big, bold plates of beauty.
Schwenk, who worked at Brasserie le Coze, has some experience cooking fish, and the attitude of this kitchen is to let flavors speak for themselves – rarely are their inventions of grandeur. One exception that works extremely well but I imagine proves a hard sell for servers is an appetizer of scallops with a caper-raisin sauce. The menu note actually made me do a doubletake. But three plump scallops, seared and crowned with a thin slice of caramelized cauliflower and mated perfectly with a pithy, almost surly sauce of sweet and salt are hard to argue with.
Salmon in dill sauce with layers of pan-fried potatoes, pretty-in-pink shrimp in a cognac and tarragon sauce laced with black pepper and fat slices of heirloom tomatoes layered with Vidalia onions won’t cause any face-offs, either.
Snapper served Marseille style (think bouillabaisse with saffron) is a little laden, the flavor of the fish stacked up against too much fennel until it is a memory. Gazpacho with lump crab is mostly forgettable, too. Steaks might seem a menu must-have (the way fish and chicken are at a steakhouse), but I’d much rather chomp down a ladies’ cut of Waggu New York strip elsewhere and stick to things that swim, like broiled halibut with mushrooms, sunchokes and sultry truffled corn sauce. And desserts here are acceptable, but rarely rise to the level of the rest of the menu – an apple tart served warm with rich caramel ice cream was the only real standout.
C & S offers A-list service, the kind you’d expect at a much larger, deeper-pocketed venue. Many of the servers are veterans of Brasserie le Coze, and while their steward-jacketed approach to service is partly haute French, much of the attitude here finds its roots in the informalities of what’s best about American service – relaxed, informative, but properly distanced.
The same could be said for C & S. Sitting at the bar sipping a pisco sour, it’s easy to forget the Kroger parking lot and imagine for a moment a fanciful world of Dorothy Parkers and Dashiell Hammetts meeting for drinks and staying for dinner. Nick and Nora Charles are stopping in for a bite. And like Ms. Parker, I too, will never be a millionaire but C & S makes me feel like I might be just darling at it.
Food: Seafood
Service: Excellent, from front door to kitchen door, the staff knows its way around a dining room
Address, telephone: 3300 Cobb Parkway, Ste. 3240, 770-272-0999
Price range: $$$
Credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club
Hours of operation: Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday 11:30 to midnight, Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight and Sunday 5 to 10 p.m.
Best dishes: Seared scallops with caper-raisin sauce, shrimp in cognac sauce, halibut, raw oysters, spinach with garlic and olive oil, salmon with dill sauce
Vegetarian selections: Sides of Vichy carrots, heirloom tomato salad, chopped salad (without bacon), Parmesan truffled potato chips
Children: Certainly, during lunch or early evening hours
Parking: Adjacent lot
Reservations: Accepted
Wheelchair access: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Noise level: High
Patio: No
Takeout: Yes
Website: www.candsoysterbar.com
Clark & Schwenk’s Seafood & Oyster House
3300 Cobb Parkway, Ste. 3240, 770-272-0999
By MERIDITH FORD
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Every winter upon retrieving my overcoat from the closet, I find squirreled away surprises in its pockets: ticket stubs from a movie the winter before, a tattered leaf from the yard I stuffed away to press but never got to, maybe even a $20 bill.
Souvenirs held from the year before, they are delightful in their unexpectedness.
I’m not sure what I was expecting from Clark & Schwenk’s Seafood & Oyster House, but what I got was very much like one of my winter souvenirs – a delight, right down to the bottom of my pocket.
Owners Rich Clark and Jon Schwenk have created a brasserie-style restaurant that’s a little lower Manhattan and a little Boca Raton – designed by Z-Space, Inc., the interior has a lush-life look to it, even though it’s small, narrow and planted in the corner of a strip mall off Cobb Parkway. The decor is brooding in spots, brassy in others; a luxurious window banquette ever-so-cleverly sweeps towards the ceiling, preventing the otherwise inevitable view of the Kroger parking lot.
It, along with a fresh fish case and brasserie bar serving classic cocktails like the Pimm’s cup and the Tom Collins, help suspend the belief of being somewhere other than the posh suburbs surrounding the Chattahochee River.
For a landlocked city like Atlanta, a classic fish house is a refreshing change from our steak-and-sushi gig. And this is classic: Big-boy portions of raw bar oysters and cherrystone clams, pisco sours, a variety of fish from arctic char to rainbow trout flown in fresh daily, steaks, and sides of spinach with olive oil and garlic. The grand steak and fish houses of the early 20th century are American gastronomic icons, and C & S proves its mettle when it comes to making simple preparations – broiled or chargrilled fish, elegant but simply prepared with sides of roasted fingerling potatoes and haricot verts – into big, bold plates of beauty.
Schwenk, who worked at Brasserie le Coze, has some experience cooking fish, and the attitude of this kitchen is to let flavors speak for themselves – rarely are their inventions of grandeur. One exception that works extremely well but I imagine proves a hard sell for servers is an appetizer of scallops with a caper-raisin sauce. The menu note actually made me do a doubletake. But three plump scallops, seared and crowned with a thin slice of caramelized cauliflower and mated perfectly with a pithy, almost surly sauce of sweet and salt are hard to argue with.
Salmon in dill sauce with layers of pan-fried potatoes, pretty-in-pink shrimp in a cognac and tarragon sauce laced with black pepper and fat slices of heirloom tomatoes layered with Vidalia onions won’t cause any face-offs, either.
Snapper served Marseille style (think bouillabaisse with saffron) is a little laden, the flavor of the fish stacked up against too much fennel until it is a memory. Gazpacho with lump crab is mostly forgettable, too. Steaks might seem a menu must-have (the way fish and chicken are at a steakhouse), but I’d much rather chomp down a ladies’ cut of Waggu New York strip elsewhere and stick to things that swim, like broiled halibut with mushrooms, sunchokes and sultry truffled corn sauce. And desserts here are acceptable, but rarely rise to the level of the rest of the menu – an apple tart served warm with rich caramel ice cream was the only real standout.
C & S offers A-list service, the kind you’d expect at a much larger, deeper-pocketed venue. Many of the servers are veterans of Brasserie le Coze, and while their steward-jacketed approach to service is partly haute French, much of the attitude here finds its roots in the informalities of what’s best about American service – relaxed, informative, but properly distanced.
The same could be said for C & S. Sitting at the bar sipping a pisco sour, it’s easy to forget the Kroger parking lot and imagine for a moment a fanciful world of Dorothy Parkers and Dashiell Hammetts meeting for drinks and staying for dinner. Nick and Nora Charles are stopping in for a bite. And like Ms. Parker, I too, will never be a millionaire but C & S makes me feel like I might be just darling at it.
Food: Seafood
Service: Excellent, from front door to kitchen door, the staff knows its way around a dining room
Address, telephone: 3300 Cobb Parkway, Ste. 3240, 770-272-0999
Price range: $$$
Credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club
Hours of operation: Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday 11:30 to midnight, Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight and Sunday 5 to 10 p.m.
Best dishes: Seared scallops with caper-raisin sauce, shrimp in cognac sauce, halibut, raw oysters, spinach with garlic and olive oil, salmon with dill sauce
Vegetarian selections: Sides of Vichy carrots, heirloom tomato salad, chopped salad (without bacon), Parmesan truffled potato chips
Children: Certainly, during lunch or early evening hours
Parking: Adjacent lot
Reservations: Accepted
Wheelchair access: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Noise level: High
Patio: No
Takeout: Yes
Website: www.candsoysterbar.com
sábado, 30 de agosto de 2008
Ciudad Incaica que no deben dejar de ver
Dr Latitude: Incan city will leave you gobsmacked
5:00AM Saturday August 30, 2008
We are considering climbing Machu Picchu next year, and have mileage points with United Airlines/Star Alliance. How can we best use these? Alison Woodcock
The Qantas/Lan One World alliance is a popular combination for flights to South America, but travel agents should know the best combination of Star Alliance partners, which include Air New Zealand and United Airlines.
A visit to the lost Incan city of Machu Picchu has to be the highlight of any trip to Peru. The awe-inspiring site was never revealed to the Spaniards, and remained undiscovered until the early 20th century. Mystery still surrounds the site, but the quality of the stonework and ornamentation suggests the Incan citadel was an important ceremonial centre, abandoned during the Spanish conquest. For heaps of practical and historical information, visit www.machupicchu-inca.com.
The peak tourist season at Machu Picchu is late May to early September, and the ruins are open from dawn to dusk. The site is busiest from 10am to 2pm.
Sunday is probably the quietest day. Entry tickets ($57) must be bought in advance in either Aguas Calientes or Cuzco. There is no official visitor centre at Machu Picchu, as most visitors come as part of an organised tour or guided trek, but guides can be hired at the site for about $25.
Many visitors walk to Machu Picchu via the 33km Inca Trail, which winds its way from the Sacred Valley over three high Andean passes. The incredibly scenic three to four-day hike can be done only as part of an organised trek. The trail is closed in February. It's necessary to book several months ahead. A compromise could be a two-hour hike from Aguas Calientes. Alternatively, save energy by taking the bus up to Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes (20 minutes; return $8).
Other recommendations include the fishing port of Pisco, on the coast south of Lima; the wildlife haven of Islas Ballestas, known as Peru's Galapagos; Nazca, with its mysterious Nazca Lines, best seen on a 30-minute tourist flight; the colonial city of Arequipa; Cuzcos ruins and colonial architecture; the archaeological sites of Pisac and Ollantaytambo; high-altitude Lake Titicaca; Huaraz, high in the Andes in the Cordillera Blanca; and, the vibrant capital, Lima.
Before departing, read the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade (MFAT) and Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT) travel advisories for Peru at www.safetravel.govt.nz and www.smartraveller.gov.au respectively. There are some areas to avoid, while in others a high degree of caution is necessary.
Escaping English winter My husband and I will be in Britain during the northern winter. We aren't keen to spend the worst of the winter in England and wonder if you can suggest somewhere we could go during January and February. We are interested in perhaps Spain or Greece, and would like to rent a cottage by the coast, but not in a resort area. Anne Sherratt
Escaping the British winter is a national pastime with the cheap air fares and lure of the milder Mediterranean climate too appealing to resist. The Greek islands pretty much close for the winter, making Spain perhaps the better choice. While much of Spain suffers from the winter chill, the Mediterranean coast is usually a pleasant 12-20C during the winter months.
Valencia could be worth exploring. Spain's third largest city is home to paella and the Holy Grail. It's also blessed with great weather. As winter is the off season it will be much less expensive. You should be able to find a cottage suitable for two to four for about $750 a week. A few sites worth visiting for an idea of what's available are www.spain-holiday.com, www.holidaylets.net and www.holiday-rentals.co.uk.
One of Valencia's best attractions is the baroque Palacio del Marques de Dos Aguas, with its extravagantly sculpted facade and equally outrageous interiors. The Museo de Bellas Artes ranks among the country's best museums, with works by artists such as El Greco, Goya and Velazquez.
To the north of Valencia, along the Costa del Azahar (Orange Blossom Coast), you'll find a string of low-key resorts and the historic site of Sagunato. Southward, along the Costa Blanco (White Coast), stretch some of Spain's finest beaches, while heading inland the mountains buckle and castles crown the hilltops. For more detailed information, visit www.turisvalencia.es.
As with the above inquiry, read the MFAT and DFAT travel advisories for Spain.
Hot little destination My husband and I will be in Europe next month and a friend has invited us to visit him in Syria. We know little about the country and wonder if it's safe. We would also appreciate information regarding places of interest and the likely cost of travel from Britain. We are experienced travellers but in the older age group.John Sandiford
You'll find Syria an absolutely fascinating destination. Its historic sites rival those of its Middle Eastern neighbours, and it claims to the oldest continuously occupied city (Damascus vies for the title with Aleppo), the spunkiest Crusader castle (Crac des Chevaliers) and the best preserved Roman theatre (in Bosra).
Read the travel advisories for Syria, published by MFAT and DFAT, for the latest on the safety situation. Travellers should be aware of the high threat of terrorist attack.
Autumn (September to November) is ideal for visiting Syria as visitors avoid the intense heat. If you're heading to Palmyra or the northeast, you'll need a hat, sunscreen and water bottle.
September coincides with Ramadan. Visitors need to do a little extra planning and avoid eating and drinking around those fasting for Ramadan.
Syria has international airports near Aleppo and 35km southeast of Damascus. Both have regular connections to Europe. You should be able to book a cheap return flight from London for about $920.
Top attractions include the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. It's among Islam's most magnificent buildings, second only to the holy mosques of Mecca and Medina. Next on the list is Qalaat Samaan, also known as the Basilica of St Simeon and one of the most atmospheric of Syria's archaeological sites.
The remarkably well preserved basilica commemorates St Simeon Stylites, one of Syria's most eccentric early Christians, who ended his days living on top of an 18m pillar.
5:00AM Saturday August 30, 2008
We are considering climbing Machu Picchu next year, and have mileage points with United Airlines/Star Alliance. How can we best use these? Alison Woodcock
The Qantas/Lan One World alliance is a popular combination for flights to South America, but travel agents should know the best combination of Star Alliance partners, which include Air New Zealand and United Airlines.
A visit to the lost Incan city of Machu Picchu has to be the highlight of any trip to Peru. The awe-inspiring site was never revealed to the Spaniards, and remained undiscovered until the early 20th century. Mystery still surrounds the site, but the quality of the stonework and ornamentation suggests the Incan citadel was an important ceremonial centre, abandoned during the Spanish conquest. For heaps of practical and historical information, visit www.machupicchu-inca.com.
The peak tourist season at Machu Picchu is late May to early September, and the ruins are open from dawn to dusk. The site is busiest from 10am to 2pm.
Sunday is probably the quietest day. Entry tickets ($57) must be bought in advance in either Aguas Calientes or Cuzco. There is no official visitor centre at Machu Picchu, as most visitors come as part of an organised tour or guided trek, but guides can be hired at the site for about $25.
Many visitors walk to Machu Picchu via the 33km Inca Trail, which winds its way from the Sacred Valley over three high Andean passes. The incredibly scenic three to four-day hike can be done only as part of an organised trek. The trail is closed in February. It's necessary to book several months ahead. A compromise could be a two-hour hike from Aguas Calientes. Alternatively, save energy by taking the bus up to Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes (20 minutes; return $8).
Other recommendations include the fishing port of Pisco, on the coast south of Lima; the wildlife haven of Islas Ballestas, known as Peru's Galapagos; Nazca, with its mysterious Nazca Lines, best seen on a 30-minute tourist flight; the colonial city of Arequipa; Cuzcos ruins and colonial architecture; the archaeological sites of Pisac and Ollantaytambo; high-altitude Lake Titicaca; Huaraz, high in the Andes in the Cordillera Blanca; and, the vibrant capital, Lima.
Before departing, read the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade (MFAT) and Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT) travel advisories for Peru at www.safetravel.govt.nz and www.smartraveller.gov.au respectively. There are some areas to avoid, while in others a high degree of caution is necessary.
Escaping English winter My husband and I will be in Britain during the northern winter. We aren't keen to spend the worst of the winter in England and wonder if you can suggest somewhere we could go during January and February. We are interested in perhaps Spain or Greece, and would like to rent a cottage by the coast, but not in a resort area. Anne Sherratt
Escaping the British winter is a national pastime with the cheap air fares and lure of the milder Mediterranean climate too appealing to resist. The Greek islands pretty much close for the winter, making Spain perhaps the better choice. While much of Spain suffers from the winter chill, the Mediterranean coast is usually a pleasant 12-20C during the winter months.
Valencia could be worth exploring. Spain's third largest city is home to paella and the Holy Grail. It's also blessed with great weather. As winter is the off season it will be much less expensive. You should be able to find a cottage suitable for two to four for about $750 a week. A few sites worth visiting for an idea of what's available are www.spain-holiday.com, www.holidaylets.net and www.holiday-rentals.co.uk.
One of Valencia's best attractions is the baroque Palacio del Marques de Dos Aguas, with its extravagantly sculpted facade and equally outrageous interiors. The Museo de Bellas Artes ranks among the country's best museums, with works by artists such as El Greco, Goya and Velazquez.
To the north of Valencia, along the Costa del Azahar (Orange Blossom Coast), you'll find a string of low-key resorts and the historic site of Sagunato. Southward, along the Costa Blanco (White Coast), stretch some of Spain's finest beaches, while heading inland the mountains buckle and castles crown the hilltops. For more detailed information, visit www.turisvalencia.es.
As with the above inquiry, read the MFAT and DFAT travel advisories for Spain.
Hot little destination My husband and I will be in Europe next month and a friend has invited us to visit him in Syria. We know little about the country and wonder if it's safe. We would also appreciate information regarding places of interest and the likely cost of travel from Britain. We are experienced travellers but in the older age group.John Sandiford
You'll find Syria an absolutely fascinating destination. Its historic sites rival those of its Middle Eastern neighbours, and it claims to the oldest continuously occupied city (Damascus vies for the title with Aleppo), the spunkiest Crusader castle (Crac des Chevaliers) and the best preserved Roman theatre (in Bosra).
Read the travel advisories for Syria, published by MFAT and DFAT, for the latest on the safety situation. Travellers should be aware of the high threat of terrorist attack.
Autumn (September to November) is ideal for visiting Syria as visitors avoid the intense heat. If you're heading to Palmyra or the northeast, you'll need a hat, sunscreen and water bottle.
September coincides with Ramadan. Visitors need to do a little extra planning and avoid eating and drinking around those fasting for Ramadan.
Syria has international airports near Aleppo and 35km southeast of Damascus. Both have regular connections to Europe. You should be able to book a cheap return flight from London for about $920.
Top attractions include the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. It's among Islam's most magnificent buildings, second only to the holy mosques of Mecca and Medina. Next on the list is Qalaat Samaan, also known as the Basilica of St Simeon and one of the most atmospheric of Syria's archaeological sites.
The remarkably well preserved basilica commemorates St Simeon Stylites, one of Syria's most eccentric early Christians, who ended his days living on top of an 18m pillar.
domingo, 24 de agosto de 2008
Recomiendan viaje de cuatro dias en Inca Trail de Cusco
Four-day journey to Machu Picchu is a trek of a lifetime
On a four-day journey to Machu Picchu, one couple embraces the remarkable, centuries-old Incan ruins, the beauty of the rain forest, and the 'roughing it’ camps in a race to the Sun Gate
By JASON CRANE and KARI CRANE
jcrane@star-telegram.com
It’s just past sunrise on the final day of our four-day trek along the Inca Trail, and we’re standing at the Sun Gate, the entrance to the sweeping, wondrous city of Machu Picchu. We still must descend another 45 minutes to get there, but it’s this first view, one we’d been dreaming of seeing, that we’ll remember forever.
We’d just finished a grueling 26-mile hike through Peru’s Andes Mountains, ascending 7,000 feet and crossing a 13,750-foot pass to arrive at the Incan empire’s greatest creation. This is the only way to see Machu Picchu: centuries-old ruins along the way, the stone path crafted without modern-day tools, mountain views hidden miles from civilization.
Many of our friends told us we were a little crazy to make this trek. Can you really call something a vacation when you have to do so much work? But we love the adventure, the outdoors, and we knew that previous hikes around the U.S. would never measure up to this once-in-a-lifetime experience. We had seen the photos and heard stories from family members who had visited the famed Incan site 30 years before. It was time we saw Machu Picchu for ourselves.
But like so many things, it wasn’t just that we had finally arrived at the Lost City of the Incas; it was about the journey, too.
Day 1
It’s 6:30 in the morning, and our bus is headed to the checkpoint where we’ll begin our trek. We may be halfway around the world, but we can’t escape the latest Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson gossip. Turns out a couple from near Romo’s hometown in Wisconsin and another couple from Dallas will be making the trek with us.
Our two Peruvian guides and 18 chasquis (what they called the Incan messengers who once ran the trails of this empire) will bring our group of 10 U.S. tourists to Machu Picchu. The first day’s hike is relatively slow and easy, as much of the 8.5 miles wind through a valley. But it gives us our first taste of hiking in altitude, and we spend most of the frequent rest stops gasping for air and gulping down water.
During our first break, surrounded by sweeping views of snow-capped Mount Veronica and the Urubamba River, our guides explained just how lucky we were to be there: We were 10 of only 200 tourists who could enter the trail that day. Recently enacted government regulations limit trail entrance to 200 tourists and 300 workers each day. The regulations help preserve the trail and historic ruins, threatened by an influx of tourists. Working conditions have also improved. Only five years ago, the chasquis were fed poorly, slept without shelter and were forced to carry almost 100 pounds. Now, the law limits their packs to only 45 pounds, but there is no doubt that many of the workers are still underpaid for their backbreaking work.
We set out on this trek expecting to rough it. We’d sleep in tents, use the trees for our bathroom and sweat all day without a shower at night. But nothing about lunch that first day said "roughing it." The dried food and granola bars we usually bring on backpacking trips were replaced by fresh salads and vegetables, rice, chicken and other dishes made with local (some exotic to us) ingredients. All of it would have been delicious under any circumstances, but we were in the mountains, already hours from civilization. This was the first of nine truly gourmet meals: avocados stuffed with cheese and vegetables, pumpkin soup, eggs and pancakes, and potatoes stuffed, wrapped and grilled any way you can imagine.
Day 2
The longest, hardest day on the trail began better than we could have hoped, with a hot glass of coca tea delivered to our tent. The locals swear by the coca leaf’s ability to cure altitude sickness, and today we would be hiking to the highest point of the four-day trek — Dead Woman’s Pass, at 13,775 feet.
It was a long, slow hike to the top; about every 30 feet we had to stop and humor our lungs, which were constantly screaming for more of the oxygen-depleted air. But the reward was worth it — clear views for miles and the satisfaction that we had made it up the toughest pass of the trip. The feeling didn’t last long. We would now be descending, fast, 2,624 feet over about 1 1/4 miles, with a 12,955-foot pass to cross after lunch.
We had a lucky distraction on the way back up, a spectacled bear (named for the rings around their eyes). These large, shy, herbivorous animals are a rare site: Our guide had been working on the trail for 13 years, and it was only the second time he had seen one. We weren’t lucky enough (or some would say we were lucky) to see a puma, another elusive resident of these forests. But white-tailed deer, foxes and plenty of llamas and alpacas were spotted by members of our group.
Day 3
This was the first day we walked on original Incan stones; the original trail to this point was destroyed as the Incas were fleeing the Spanish in the 1530s. We were also treated to another Incan specialty: steep, unforgiving stairs. More than 2,000 of them this morning.
Despite the hard descent, we were constantly reminded why we wanted to hike rather than take the train to Machu Picchu. The path took us through the rain forest, where we were treated to exotic orchids, bomarea, eucalyptus and dozens of other flowers and plants. One minute, we were walking along a ridge with incredible views of the valley below. Then, the ridge gave way to a colossal, 8-meter Incan tunnel carved from the mountainside. One minute we were seemingly deep in the forest, and the next, a city rose before us. It was these archeological marvels hidden in the mountains that really tell the story of Machu Picchu.
We were treated to two amazing such places on the third day. First was Phuyupatamarca, roughly translated as "city in the clouds." And indeed we were in the clouds, although they moved quickly, giving us some spectacular views. It was here that we caught our first glimpse of Machu Picchu Mountain. The end was in sight.
The day’s second Incan site, Winay Wayna, is almost beyond words. An entire mountainside was cut into terraces, and the stonework throughout the area is extraordinary. The masonry, with a series of magnificent fountains where residents worshiped water, are signs of the location’s religious importance. This exquisitely preserved site, more than any of the 10 or so others we saw along the way, excited us for what was to come at Machu Picchu.
Just about everyone spends the last night at the same campsite because it’s as close as you can get to Machu Picchu along the trail. Thanks to the Trekkers’ Hotel, this overcrowded site is somewhat of a bruise in the beautiful forest: dorms with concrete walls, buildings with tin roofs, and power lines running through the trees. But we weren’t complaining. Amid the ugliness, there was a shower and a bar. Cold beers in hand, we were able to relax with our group, celebrating how far we’d come and what we’d see in the morning.
Day 4
Our wake-up call came at 4 a.m., but with only about four miles between us and Machu Picchu, we were happy to put an early end to a sleepless night. We lined up at the trail’s last checkpoint, which opens at 5:30 a.m., to begin the mad dash to the Sun Gate. It’s still dark, and for the first time in four days we feel the trail is overrun with tourists. Dark quickly turned to dawn, and dawn to day, and the race began in earnest. The goal is to get to the Sun Gate, where hikers get their first glimpse of Machu Picchu as the sun peeks over the mountains.
Since the moment we landed in Peru, there was something we’d been wondering. This was a trip we’d been planning for months and dreaming of for years. Could anything live up to the expectations we’d placed upon Machu Picchu? But as we stood at the Sun Gate, breathless, we got our answer. Machu Picchu was bigger and more stunning than we ever could have imagined. Finally, this 600-year-old city, covered by jungle for so long and only reintroduced to the world a century ago, was within our reach.
Link: http://www.star-telegram.com/408/story/851130.html
On a four-day journey to Machu Picchu, one couple embraces the remarkable, centuries-old Incan ruins, the beauty of the rain forest, and the 'roughing it’ camps in a race to the Sun Gate
By JASON CRANE and KARI CRANE
jcrane@star-telegram.com
It’s just past sunrise on the final day of our four-day trek along the Inca Trail, and we’re standing at the Sun Gate, the entrance to the sweeping, wondrous city of Machu Picchu. We still must descend another 45 minutes to get there, but it’s this first view, one we’d been dreaming of seeing, that we’ll remember forever.
We’d just finished a grueling 26-mile hike through Peru’s Andes Mountains, ascending 7,000 feet and crossing a 13,750-foot pass to arrive at the Incan empire’s greatest creation. This is the only way to see Machu Picchu: centuries-old ruins along the way, the stone path crafted without modern-day tools, mountain views hidden miles from civilization.
Many of our friends told us we were a little crazy to make this trek. Can you really call something a vacation when you have to do so much work? But we love the adventure, the outdoors, and we knew that previous hikes around the U.S. would never measure up to this once-in-a-lifetime experience. We had seen the photos and heard stories from family members who had visited the famed Incan site 30 years before. It was time we saw Machu Picchu for ourselves.
But like so many things, it wasn’t just that we had finally arrived at the Lost City of the Incas; it was about the journey, too.
Day 1
It’s 6:30 in the morning, and our bus is headed to the checkpoint where we’ll begin our trek. We may be halfway around the world, but we can’t escape the latest Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson gossip. Turns out a couple from near Romo’s hometown in Wisconsin and another couple from Dallas will be making the trek with us.
Our two Peruvian guides and 18 chasquis (what they called the Incan messengers who once ran the trails of this empire) will bring our group of 10 U.S. tourists to Machu Picchu. The first day’s hike is relatively slow and easy, as much of the 8.5 miles wind through a valley. But it gives us our first taste of hiking in altitude, and we spend most of the frequent rest stops gasping for air and gulping down water.
During our first break, surrounded by sweeping views of snow-capped Mount Veronica and the Urubamba River, our guides explained just how lucky we were to be there: We were 10 of only 200 tourists who could enter the trail that day. Recently enacted government regulations limit trail entrance to 200 tourists and 300 workers each day. The regulations help preserve the trail and historic ruins, threatened by an influx of tourists. Working conditions have also improved. Only five years ago, the chasquis were fed poorly, slept without shelter and were forced to carry almost 100 pounds. Now, the law limits their packs to only 45 pounds, but there is no doubt that many of the workers are still underpaid for their backbreaking work.
We set out on this trek expecting to rough it. We’d sleep in tents, use the trees for our bathroom and sweat all day without a shower at night. But nothing about lunch that first day said "roughing it." The dried food and granola bars we usually bring on backpacking trips were replaced by fresh salads and vegetables, rice, chicken and other dishes made with local (some exotic to us) ingredients. All of it would have been delicious under any circumstances, but we were in the mountains, already hours from civilization. This was the first of nine truly gourmet meals: avocados stuffed with cheese and vegetables, pumpkin soup, eggs and pancakes, and potatoes stuffed, wrapped and grilled any way you can imagine.
Day 2
The longest, hardest day on the trail began better than we could have hoped, with a hot glass of coca tea delivered to our tent. The locals swear by the coca leaf’s ability to cure altitude sickness, and today we would be hiking to the highest point of the four-day trek — Dead Woman’s Pass, at 13,775 feet.
It was a long, slow hike to the top; about every 30 feet we had to stop and humor our lungs, which were constantly screaming for more of the oxygen-depleted air. But the reward was worth it — clear views for miles and the satisfaction that we had made it up the toughest pass of the trip. The feeling didn’t last long. We would now be descending, fast, 2,624 feet over about 1 1/4 miles, with a 12,955-foot pass to cross after lunch.
We had a lucky distraction on the way back up, a spectacled bear (named for the rings around their eyes). These large, shy, herbivorous animals are a rare site: Our guide had been working on the trail for 13 years, and it was only the second time he had seen one. We weren’t lucky enough (or some would say we were lucky) to see a puma, another elusive resident of these forests. But white-tailed deer, foxes and plenty of llamas and alpacas were spotted by members of our group.
Day 3
This was the first day we walked on original Incan stones; the original trail to this point was destroyed as the Incas were fleeing the Spanish in the 1530s. We were also treated to another Incan specialty: steep, unforgiving stairs. More than 2,000 of them this morning.
Despite the hard descent, we were constantly reminded why we wanted to hike rather than take the train to Machu Picchu. The path took us through the rain forest, where we were treated to exotic orchids, bomarea, eucalyptus and dozens of other flowers and plants. One minute, we were walking along a ridge with incredible views of the valley below. Then, the ridge gave way to a colossal, 8-meter Incan tunnel carved from the mountainside. One minute we were seemingly deep in the forest, and the next, a city rose before us. It was these archeological marvels hidden in the mountains that really tell the story of Machu Picchu.
We were treated to two amazing such places on the third day. First was Phuyupatamarca, roughly translated as "city in the clouds." And indeed we were in the clouds, although they moved quickly, giving us some spectacular views. It was here that we caught our first glimpse of Machu Picchu Mountain. The end was in sight.
The day’s second Incan site, Winay Wayna, is almost beyond words. An entire mountainside was cut into terraces, and the stonework throughout the area is extraordinary. The masonry, with a series of magnificent fountains where residents worshiped water, are signs of the location’s religious importance. This exquisitely preserved site, more than any of the 10 or so others we saw along the way, excited us for what was to come at Machu Picchu.
Just about everyone spends the last night at the same campsite because it’s as close as you can get to Machu Picchu along the trail. Thanks to the Trekkers’ Hotel, this overcrowded site is somewhat of a bruise in the beautiful forest: dorms with concrete walls, buildings with tin roofs, and power lines running through the trees. But we weren’t complaining. Amid the ugliness, there was a shower and a bar. Cold beers in hand, we were able to relax with our group, celebrating how far we’d come and what we’d see in the morning.
Day 4
Our wake-up call came at 4 a.m., but with only about four miles between us and Machu Picchu, we were happy to put an early end to a sleepless night. We lined up at the trail’s last checkpoint, which opens at 5:30 a.m., to begin the mad dash to the Sun Gate. It’s still dark, and for the first time in four days we feel the trail is overrun with tourists. Dark quickly turned to dawn, and dawn to day, and the race began in earnest. The goal is to get to the Sun Gate, where hikers get their first glimpse of Machu Picchu as the sun peeks over the mountains.
Since the moment we landed in Peru, there was something we’d been wondering. This was a trip we’d been planning for months and dreaming of for years. Could anything live up to the expectations we’d placed upon Machu Picchu? But as we stood at the Sun Gate, breathless, we got our answer. Machu Picchu was bigger and more stunning than we ever could have imagined. Finally, this 600-year-old city, covered by jungle for so long and only reintroduced to the world a century ago, was within our reach.
Link: http://www.star-telegram.com/408/story/851130.html
Juego "Art of Murder" los trae hasta Peru y Selva.
Art of Murder: FBI Confidential GC 2008 Screens and Trailer
20:12 August 23rd, 2008
A new trailer in mpg format and a few screens in our gallery
City Interactive has released more screenshots and a trailer from Art of Murder: FBI Confidential, a point & click adventure game in which the player takes on the role of an FBI agent, whose task is to solve a series of macabre murders of wealthy, well-to-do citizens. The victims are killed with an unknown device, and the murderer removes their hearts afterwards. The adventure begins in New York, but the clues will lead the player to, among others, the Peruvian city of Cusco, the ancient capitol of the Inca empire, and the verge of the Amazon jungle.
Link: http://www.gamershell.com/download_31424.shtml
20:12 August 23rd, 2008
A new trailer in mpg format and a few screens in our gallery
City Interactive has released more screenshots and a trailer from Art of Murder: FBI Confidential, a point & click adventure game in which the player takes on the role of an FBI agent, whose task is to solve a series of macabre murders of wealthy, well-to-do citizens. The victims are killed with an unknown device, and the murderer removes their hearts afterwards. The adventure begins in New York, but the clues will lead the player to, among others, the Peruvian city of Cusco, the ancient capitol of the Inca empire, and the verge of the Amazon jungle.
Link: http://www.gamershell.com/download_31424.shtml
viernes, 22 de agosto de 2008
Eco Turismo en Peru
Adventures in ecotourism
Published August 21st, 2008 in Earth, Human World and Science.
I try so hard to be friendly to the environment. So I know that one of the first big no-no’s of being eco-friendly is to get on a plane. But that’s exactly what I did in order to get to Cusco, Peru for my two weeks of vacation. (It was that or two weeks spent at the local botanical gardens, and I think I made a good choice.) Four flights and many tons of carbon emissions later, I landed in the beautiful center of the ancient Incan empire.
With an incredible diversity of ecosystems, and thousands of species of interesting-looking plants and animals, Peru thrives on what’s called ecotourism. Ecotourism has a glut of definitions, but it’s generally understood to mean a more responsible way of traveling that benefits the environment and the local people. But on top of my hypocritical airplane travel (couldn’t I have gone to the botanical gardens for two weeks instead?), I had to wonder if it’s possible for ecotourism to be eco-friendly.
Even though I was surrounded by natural beauty, I was constantly polluting by default. The fuels used in Peru are far less clean than those in America - something I experienced during a biking trip when I became engulfed in a cloud of noxious fumes and dust every time a car, truck, or “Ecological tourism” bus passed. 8 - 12 hours each way in a jungle-bound van added to my carbon footprint and my fear of death, as the road clung to steep mountain edges. There was limited recycling. In certain towns, there were cans labeled “Organic” and “Inorganic”, nothing marked what that meant. In the mountain towns, banks of small streams were littered with plastic, and everywhere, sewage emptied directly into the river.
Our guide in the Manu jungle was a former park ranger who had an excellent eye and knowledge about Manu’s flora and fauna, and gave small speeches about global warming. But I couldn’t help but feel that I was exacerbating the problem. And how did I know that my activities were benefiting the local environment and community, asides from providing jobs and foreign income?
It would be great if infrastructure improvements were made and attributed to Peru’s ecotourism industry - better roads, treatment facilities, more recycling, and cleaner fuels - things that would both benefit local communities and enhance tourism.
Traveling in Peru is cheap, and I often wondered how anyone made a profit, much less provided environmental and social benefits. A new study from the environmental group Oceana found that one group of ecotourists, scuba divers, would be willing to pay on average, $55.35 to see healthy coral reefs, $39.36 for healthy sharks, and $29.63 for healthy sea turtles.
The survey shows that sharks are cooler than turtles. It also shows that people are willing to pay more to benefit what they enjoy. Certainly, my eco-guilt wouldn’t be quite so great if I knew that somehow, my visit had helped Peru.
Link: http://blogs.earthsky.org/lindsaypatterson/science/0821166/adventures-in-ecotourism/
Published August 21st, 2008 in Earth, Human World and Science.
I try so hard to be friendly to the environment. So I know that one of the first big no-no’s of being eco-friendly is to get on a plane. But that’s exactly what I did in order to get to Cusco, Peru for my two weeks of vacation. (It was that or two weeks spent at the local botanical gardens, and I think I made a good choice.) Four flights and many tons of carbon emissions later, I landed in the beautiful center of the ancient Incan empire.
With an incredible diversity of ecosystems, and thousands of species of interesting-looking plants and animals, Peru thrives on what’s called ecotourism. Ecotourism has a glut of definitions, but it’s generally understood to mean a more responsible way of traveling that benefits the environment and the local people. But on top of my hypocritical airplane travel (couldn’t I have gone to the botanical gardens for two weeks instead?), I had to wonder if it’s possible for ecotourism to be eco-friendly.
Even though I was surrounded by natural beauty, I was constantly polluting by default. The fuels used in Peru are far less clean than those in America - something I experienced during a biking trip when I became engulfed in a cloud of noxious fumes and dust every time a car, truck, or “Ecological tourism” bus passed. 8 - 12 hours each way in a jungle-bound van added to my carbon footprint and my fear of death, as the road clung to steep mountain edges. There was limited recycling. In certain towns, there were cans labeled “Organic” and “Inorganic”, nothing marked what that meant. In the mountain towns, banks of small streams were littered with plastic, and everywhere, sewage emptied directly into the river.
Our guide in the Manu jungle was a former park ranger who had an excellent eye and knowledge about Manu’s flora and fauna, and gave small speeches about global warming. But I couldn’t help but feel that I was exacerbating the problem. And how did I know that my activities were benefiting the local environment and community, asides from providing jobs and foreign income?
It would be great if infrastructure improvements were made and attributed to Peru’s ecotourism industry - better roads, treatment facilities, more recycling, and cleaner fuels - things that would both benefit local communities and enhance tourism.
Traveling in Peru is cheap, and I often wondered how anyone made a profit, much less provided environmental and social benefits. A new study from the environmental group Oceana found that one group of ecotourists, scuba divers, would be willing to pay on average, $55.35 to see healthy coral reefs, $39.36 for healthy sharks, and $29.63 for healthy sea turtles.
The survey shows that sharks are cooler than turtles. It also shows that people are willing to pay more to benefit what they enjoy. Certainly, my eco-guilt wouldn’t be quite so great if I knew that somehow, my visit had helped Peru.
Link: http://blogs.earthsky.org/lindsaypatterson/science/0821166/adventures-in-ecotourism/
jueves, 21 de agosto de 2008
Duplican exportaciones de fibra de vicuña Peruana
Peru fuels boom in alpaca, llama fleece fashion
By Victoria Bekiempis
Associated Press Writer / August 19, 2008
AREQUIPA, Peru—In this Andean nation far from glamorous runways, some of the most fashionable residents have four legs: vicunas, alpacas and llamas.
Exports of the animals' fleecy coats have nearly doubled to more than $43 million in the past four years, as models strut catwalks from Paris to New York wearing fur from the long-necked animals in the form of pricey ponchos, pants and pea coats.
Fleece shorn from the three species -- known collectively as camelids -- is "really soft and luxurious," said New York-based designer Rachel Comey, who says she sold about $200,000 worth of alpaca knitwear last year, including hats, gloves and alpaca-lined boots.
Vicuna is the costliest, trimmed once every two years from the rarest of the three breeds, which roams the plateaued border region between Bolivia and Peru. A yard of the fabric sells for at least $3,000, while a basic stole starts at about $950 at the factory store.
A similar stole made of alpaca -- which is farm-raised and makes up 99 percent of camelid exports -- sells for about $47, while llama fleece is rarely commercially sold.
The warm, dyeable fibers, long used for sportswear fleece, are being recast as a sexier luxury thread, spun into casual clothes and evening wear to appeal to deep-pocketed young professionals. Demand is partly driven by the fleece's popularity with environmentally conscious designers, who want the softness of fur without the guilt, said Laird Borelli, a senior features editor at Style.com.
"If you have a fabric that can get as close to fur as that, it's an amazing thing," said New-York based designer Daryl Kerrigan, who has used alpaca to make coats.
The Incas once wore alpaca, carefully breeding the doe-eyed animals and weaving their fleece on delicate hand looms into soft cloth that local royalty draped as robes. But Spanish conquistadors replaced those techniques, spinning raw fibers into coarse thread with a more mechanical wheel.
Those rougher methods ensured alpaca was considered a sportsman's textile for much of the 20th century: warm but scratchy, it was relegated to rough sweaters bought in bulk by tourists, senior citizens and campers.
Yet designers and textile producers are finding ways to recreate Incan precision on a larger scale, and now use the fleece to weave softer fabrics that remind some of the world's finest furs, said Lima-based designer Jose Miguel Valdivia.
Peru's government is also boosting efforts to promote the fibers, sending local designers to Europe to lobby fashionistas. Nine traveled to Paris' famed ready-to-wear show last January on behalf of state-run trade group PromPeru, showing alpaca-made slacks, coats, dresses and jackets to journalists and potential buyers.
"I try to use what we're strong in ... (and) in Peru, what we're strong in is alpaca, cotton and silver," said Claudia Bertolero, one of the designers who brought her alpaca trapeze dresses, fringed ponchos and vests to Paris.
Andean breeders in still-poor parts of rural Peru are seeing an income boost, providing steady supply of top-grade fleece.
Breeders and textile companies are trying to improve their techniques for separating coarser, cheaper fibers, shorn from alpacas' necks and hoof-areas, from longer, more delicate flank hair.
They're looking for a scientific way to boost fleece quality, too.
In 1995, Michell & CIA S.A. -- the world's largest alpaca fleece producer -- opened a breeding center in Peru's southern Puno province to isolate traits responsible for finer fleece. Now, its scientists breed alpaca, teaching their methods to small farmers who independently raise most of Peru's stock and sell the fleece to big weavers. Michell's competitor Grupo Inca does the same.
The idea is simple: the finer the fleece, the lighter, more sought-after and expensive it is.
But rising popularity has brought a familiar problem -- counterfeiting -- which threatens to dissuade buyers. Peru's government has failed to regulate the fleece with quality controls, so many popular alpaca scarves, for example, are in fact made from synthetic fibers, said Edita Vilcapoma, a researcher with the Lima-based Association of Peruvian Consumers and Users.
Still, exports are booming. About 3,863 tons of alpaca, vicuna and llama fleece were sold in 2006, the last year for which figures were available -- mostly to Italy, the U.K. and China, as ready-made clothing and yarn.
The fleece still fills a tiny niche in an already-small luxury fiber market. About 46 percent of textiles sold worldwide last year were polyester, 39 percent were cotton and 2 percent wool -- leaving little room for other fibers.
For now, that gives alpaca an advantage, insulating it from big-time competition and giving smaller breeders, weavers and designers time to grow, said Jeffrey Silberman, chair of the textile and marketing department at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology.
Back in Lima, the decision to start stitching a hometown fiber into high-fashion has been easy.
"It's a great romance," designer Valdivia said of his work. "I really think it's more like alpaca chose me."
Link: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/fashion/articles/2008/08/19/peru_fuels_boom_in_alpaca_llama_fleece_fashion/
By Victoria Bekiempis
Associated Press Writer / August 19, 2008
AREQUIPA, Peru—In this Andean nation far from glamorous runways, some of the most fashionable residents have four legs: vicunas, alpacas and llamas.
Exports of the animals' fleecy coats have nearly doubled to more than $43 million in the past four years, as models strut catwalks from Paris to New York wearing fur from the long-necked animals in the form of pricey ponchos, pants and pea coats.
Fleece shorn from the three species -- known collectively as camelids -- is "really soft and luxurious," said New York-based designer Rachel Comey, who says she sold about $200,000 worth of alpaca knitwear last year, including hats, gloves and alpaca-lined boots.
Vicuna is the costliest, trimmed once every two years from the rarest of the three breeds, which roams the plateaued border region between Bolivia and Peru. A yard of the fabric sells for at least $3,000, while a basic stole starts at about $950 at the factory store.
A similar stole made of alpaca -- which is farm-raised and makes up 99 percent of camelid exports -- sells for about $47, while llama fleece is rarely commercially sold.
The warm, dyeable fibers, long used for sportswear fleece, are being recast as a sexier luxury thread, spun into casual clothes and evening wear to appeal to deep-pocketed young professionals. Demand is partly driven by the fleece's popularity with environmentally conscious designers, who want the softness of fur without the guilt, said Laird Borelli, a senior features editor at Style.com.
"If you have a fabric that can get as close to fur as that, it's an amazing thing," said New-York based designer Daryl Kerrigan, who has used alpaca to make coats.
The Incas once wore alpaca, carefully breeding the doe-eyed animals and weaving their fleece on delicate hand looms into soft cloth that local royalty draped as robes. But Spanish conquistadors replaced those techniques, spinning raw fibers into coarse thread with a more mechanical wheel.
Those rougher methods ensured alpaca was considered a sportsman's textile for much of the 20th century: warm but scratchy, it was relegated to rough sweaters bought in bulk by tourists, senior citizens and campers.
Yet designers and textile producers are finding ways to recreate Incan precision on a larger scale, and now use the fleece to weave softer fabrics that remind some of the world's finest furs, said Lima-based designer Jose Miguel Valdivia.
Peru's government is also boosting efforts to promote the fibers, sending local designers to Europe to lobby fashionistas. Nine traveled to Paris' famed ready-to-wear show last January on behalf of state-run trade group PromPeru, showing alpaca-made slacks, coats, dresses and jackets to journalists and potential buyers.
"I try to use what we're strong in ... (and) in Peru, what we're strong in is alpaca, cotton and silver," said Claudia Bertolero, one of the designers who brought her alpaca trapeze dresses, fringed ponchos and vests to Paris.
Andean breeders in still-poor parts of rural Peru are seeing an income boost, providing steady supply of top-grade fleece.
Breeders and textile companies are trying to improve their techniques for separating coarser, cheaper fibers, shorn from alpacas' necks and hoof-areas, from longer, more delicate flank hair.
They're looking for a scientific way to boost fleece quality, too.
In 1995, Michell & CIA S.A. -- the world's largest alpaca fleece producer -- opened a breeding center in Peru's southern Puno province to isolate traits responsible for finer fleece. Now, its scientists breed alpaca, teaching their methods to small farmers who independently raise most of Peru's stock and sell the fleece to big weavers. Michell's competitor Grupo Inca does the same.
The idea is simple: the finer the fleece, the lighter, more sought-after and expensive it is.
But rising popularity has brought a familiar problem -- counterfeiting -- which threatens to dissuade buyers. Peru's government has failed to regulate the fleece with quality controls, so many popular alpaca scarves, for example, are in fact made from synthetic fibers, said Edita Vilcapoma, a researcher with the Lima-based Association of Peruvian Consumers and Users.
Still, exports are booming. About 3,863 tons of alpaca, vicuna and llama fleece were sold in 2006, the last year for which figures were available -- mostly to Italy, the U.K. and China, as ready-made clothing and yarn.
The fleece still fills a tiny niche in an already-small luxury fiber market. About 46 percent of textiles sold worldwide last year were polyester, 39 percent were cotton and 2 percent wool -- leaving little room for other fibers.
For now, that gives alpaca an advantage, insulating it from big-time competition and giving smaller breeders, weavers and designers time to grow, said Jeffrey Silberman, chair of the textile and marketing department at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology.
Back in Lima, the decision to start stitching a hometown fiber into high-fashion has been easy.
"It's a great romance," designer Valdivia said of his work. "I really think it's more like alpaca chose me."
Link: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/fashion/articles/2008/08/19/peru_fuels_boom_in_alpaca_llama_fleece_fashion/
miércoles, 20 de agosto de 2008
Viaje en el Rio Amazonas
Down the Amazon and into another world
By KARL SICKAFUS, Special to the Local News
08/17/2008
Well, you get a week full of experiences, images and memories that could never be adequately put in words.Two companies -- Overseas Adventure Travel (www.oattravel.com) of Cambridge, Mass., and Jungle Expeditions (www.junglex.com) of Iquitos, Peru -- teamed up to expedite our week in the Amazon basin.We boarded our boat in Iquitos. Most of us knew nothing of the Amazon basin other than what Hollywood movies we had seen. Our tour companies provided us with a guide and a naturalist, both from the local region. They tried to find villages to explore that had never before been visited by their boat.Our guides reminded us many times they would not be able to tell us what we would see or experience, as every voyage is different. They spot different wildlife with every group they take down the river. They also encouraged us to be flexible, as schedules could change at a moment's notice.It will rain. You must be willing to get up early and stay up late to enjoy the various excursions. You will get bitten by mosquitoes. Bring malaria pills. Cameras stop working from the heat and humidity. You may get sick -- as about a third of our group did. Don't drink the water.Our first landing introduced us to San Fernando, a small village of nearly 30 people. The children at the school were quite entertained by these strange pelacara ("face peelers") from the States. They had never before seen a bald person. One gentleman in our group, sporting a gray beard and gray hair, was thought to be Santa Claus. Back in Iquitos, we purchased school supplies and other items to give to the villages we would visit.After sharing the supplies with the children of San Fernando, our guide presented a gift to the village elder. In the Amazon rain forests, the machete is the most important item anyone can own. The machete that the village elder was using had no handle, as it had long ago broken away, along with much of the blade. Many tears were shed as we exchanged machetes.When our boat turned west and headed up the Rio Maranon, we prepared for our first jungle hike. Preparing means donning snake gaiters, long clothing and mosquito repellent. Snake gaiters are the equivalent of wrapping a tall piece of leather around your ankle and shin. A few weeks prior to our visit, our guides had hired two local families to bushwhack a trail into the rain forest. Our small excursion boat pulled up to a spot on the edge of the river. There, two men stood next to a log staircase they had just finished building. The staircase led up the muddy bank to the beginning of the trail.This walk took us deep into the rain forest. We found the fer-de-lance snake, the most dangerous snake of Central and South America. Our digital cameras captured the dead leaf-mimic frog, bullet ants, wolf spiders, cane toads, silk spiders, 6-inch centipedes, and a three-toed sloth with its baby.We boarded our small excursion boat and headed up the Cano Creek, near Nauta. This was a special excursion for the hearty birdwatchers in our group. By the end of the week, this small group had logged more than 120 bird species.Later that afternoon, we visited a shaman. Many of the villages along the Amazon have a local shaman, or medicine person. He or she practices medicine through the use of herbs, roots, concoctions and conjuring up spirits.The shaman we saw had a young apprentice who was training to become an herbalist so she could help the people of her village. The shaman and assistant performed a short spiritual ritual for the benefit of our health.The next day's jungle walk allowed us to see not only the beauty of the Amazon basin, but also the ugliness. We rounded a corner to be shocked by the scene before us. Stretching for what seemed like a mile was an area that had recently been illegally cleared by a foreign company's bulldozers. All of the lumber had been stripped away, and nothing was left but an ugly scar.We learned that the log poachers were caught in the act, their equipment was seized and the loggers were jailed. But the damage is done. Our tour company tries to symbolically help the local villagers revitalize this area by having each tour group plant some trees. We participated, but it seemed like too little, too late.Our next experience was to cross a canopy rope bridge. This was actually a series of rope bridges, totaling nearly a half-mile. The bridges were strung from tree to tree, more than 100 feet off the jungle floor at their highest point. It was not for those with a fear of heights. But it netted another slew of bird species for those keeping count.That afternoon, we tied up our excursion boat at the village of Monte Alegre. There, we split into two smaller groups and headed off to have lunch with two host families in their homes. We spent a good bit of time talking with them through our interpreter.They were astonished to see bald heads and facial hair. They asked if we had oil refineries in our towns. We talked politics and asked how they vote for their leaders. We then assisted our hosts in preparing for the meal. We laid fresh-cut banana leaves on the floor as others arranged the dishes and food on the leaves. We all sat on the floor, accompanied by our hosts, and shared one of the most memorable meals of a lifetime.We had patarasch (Tiger Catfish), yuca cocida (boiled tapioca root), maduro asado (grilled plantain), sajino asado (roasted peccary) and macambo tostada (roasted macambo seed). We drank te de hierva luisa (lemon grass tea) and cocona juice (yellow tomato juice). After our meal, we went to another village very close to Monte Alegre. There, our guides had arranged for more than 20 villagers to bring their boats and dugout canoes to the edge of the river. The villagers allowed us to paddle away in their canoes to enjoy a small tributary called San Regis Creek.Late that evening, we boarded our excursion craft, accompanied by some high-powered spotlights, and headed off into the night. We went up the Pucate River to find nocturnal wildlife. We saw large fishing bats, an Amazon tree boa and a young caiman, which our naturalist brought on board for a closer look before releasing it. Early the next morning, we packed a picnic breakfast and toured the Rio Yanayacu de Pucate. We were looking for the fresh-water river dolphin. We found a nice shady place along the bank to have breakfast while watching the dolphins playing in the river.On our way back to the main boat, we stopped to participate in piranha fishing. Each member of our party had a stick with a string, hook and raw chicken.As soon as the chicken hit the water, piranha by the dozens took the bait. Catching them required no skill, as you basically snag them.Eating them is another story. For those of you who enjoy picking at blue crab for an hour, only to harvest a thimble full of meat, you should enjoy piranha.After lunching on our fried piranha, we went back out to the middle of the river and jumped in for a nice swim. Yes, we were somewhat anxious. Some of us felt fish -- or something -- touching our ankles and toes. Later that afternoon, we sent a party of ambassadors from our boat into a small village and invited them to visit. They brought back two families who were somewhat anxious to board the big boat. We gave them a tour and then sat with them in a large circle of chairs.The custom when introducing yourself to a stranger is to give your name, age, and then how many children you have. As each member of our group introduced themselves, it was clear that our visitors could not believe the number of people who did not have any children. They thought we might have medical problems.As our guide was translating an exchange between one of the village men, he suddenly buried his bright red face in his hands, saying he didn't know how to interpret the last statement. The man, genuinely concerned about our lack of children, indicated his village had a local tea to help men father children. He was more than happy to bring us some. When we asked what they called this concoction, our guide said, "Well, loosely translated, it means underwear ripper."On our last full day on the boat, we visited the city of Nauta. This city has a large outdoor market where many Riberenos ("river people") come to sell their harvests and wares.Live turtles were turned over on their shells to prevent escape as they were sold. Piles of fish innards littered the ground as vultures and dogs scavenged for the morsels. We found a man who had a pet rhinoceros beetle, one of the largest beetles in the world. There were tables piled high with fresh chicken sitting out in the heat and humidity. Stacks of beautiful brown eggs were piled high.We found a dark and dusty bar with a dirt floor, where we enjoyed a nice local beer.Yes, we brought home some trinkets, but we also brought back memories that will last forever.
By KARL SICKAFUS, Special to the Local News
08/17/2008
Well, you get a week full of experiences, images and memories that could never be adequately put in words.Two companies -- Overseas Adventure Travel (www.oattravel.com) of Cambridge, Mass., and Jungle Expeditions (www.junglex.com) of Iquitos, Peru -- teamed up to expedite our week in the Amazon basin.We boarded our boat in Iquitos. Most of us knew nothing of the Amazon basin other than what Hollywood movies we had seen. Our tour companies provided us with a guide and a naturalist, both from the local region. They tried to find villages to explore that had never before been visited by their boat.Our guides reminded us many times they would not be able to tell us what we would see or experience, as every voyage is different. They spot different wildlife with every group they take down the river. They also encouraged us to be flexible, as schedules could change at a moment's notice.It will rain. You must be willing to get up early and stay up late to enjoy the various excursions. You will get bitten by mosquitoes. Bring malaria pills. Cameras stop working from the heat and humidity. You may get sick -- as about a third of our group did. Don't drink the water.Our first landing introduced us to San Fernando, a small village of nearly 30 people. The children at the school were quite entertained by these strange pelacara ("face peelers") from the States. They had never before seen a bald person. One gentleman in our group, sporting a gray beard and gray hair, was thought to be Santa Claus. Back in Iquitos, we purchased school supplies and other items to give to the villages we would visit.After sharing the supplies with the children of San Fernando, our guide presented a gift to the village elder. In the Amazon rain forests, the machete is the most important item anyone can own. The machete that the village elder was using had no handle, as it had long ago broken away, along with much of the blade. Many tears were shed as we exchanged machetes.When our boat turned west and headed up the Rio Maranon, we prepared for our first jungle hike. Preparing means donning snake gaiters, long clothing and mosquito repellent. Snake gaiters are the equivalent of wrapping a tall piece of leather around your ankle and shin. A few weeks prior to our visit, our guides had hired two local families to bushwhack a trail into the rain forest. Our small excursion boat pulled up to a spot on the edge of the river. There, two men stood next to a log staircase they had just finished building. The staircase led up the muddy bank to the beginning of the trail.This walk took us deep into the rain forest. We found the fer-de-lance snake, the most dangerous snake of Central and South America. Our digital cameras captured the dead leaf-mimic frog, bullet ants, wolf spiders, cane toads, silk spiders, 6-inch centipedes, and a three-toed sloth with its baby.We boarded our small excursion boat and headed up the Cano Creek, near Nauta. This was a special excursion for the hearty birdwatchers in our group. By the end of the week, this small group had logged more than 120 bird species.Later that afternoon, we visited a shaman. Many of the villages along the Amazon have a local shaman, or medicine person. He or she practices medicine through the use of herbs, roots, concoctions and conjuring up spirits.The shaman we saw had a young apprentice who was training to become an herbalist so she could help the people of her village. The shaman and assistant performed a short spiritual ritual for the benefit of our health.The next day's jungle walk allowed us to see not only the beauty of the Amazon basin, but also the ugliness. We rounded a corner to be shocked by the scene before us. Stretching for what seemed like a mile was an area that had recently been illegally cleared by a foreign company's bulldozers. All of the lumber had been stripped away, and nothing was left but an ugly scar.We learned that the log poachers were caught in the act, their equipment was seized and the loggers were jailed. But the damage is done. Our tour company tries to symbolically help the local villagers revitalize this area by having each tour group plant some trees. We participated, but it seemed like too little, too late.Our next experience was to cross a canopy rope bridge. This was actually a series of rope bridges, totaling nearly a half-mile. The bridges were strung from tree to tree, more than 100 feet off the jungle floor at their highest point. It was not for those with a fear of heights. But it netted another slew of bird species for those keeping count.That afternoon, we tied up our excursion boat at the village of Monte Alegre. There, we split into two smaller groups and headed off to have lunch with two host families in their homes. We spent a good bit of time talking with them through our interpreter.They were astonished to see bald heads and facial hair. They asked if we had oil refineries in our towns. We talked politics and asked how they vote for their leaders. We then assisted our hosts in preparing for the meal. We laid fresh-cut banana leaves on the floor as others arranged the dishes and food on the leaves. We all sat on the floor, accompanied by our hosts, and shared one of the most memorable meals of a lifetime.We had patarasch (Tiger Catfish), yuca cocida (boiled tapioca root), maduro asado (grilled plantain), sajino asado (roasted peccary) and macambo tostada (roasted macambo seed). We drank te de hierva luisa (lemon grass tea) and cocona juice (yellow tomato juice). After our meal, we went to another village very close to Monte Alegre. There, our guides had arranged for more than 20 villagers to bring their boats and dugout canoes to the edge of the river. The villagers allowed us to paddle away in their canoes to enjoy a small tributary called San Regis Creek.Late that evening, we boarded our excursion craft, accompanied by some high-powered spotlights, and headed off into the night. We went up the Pucate River to find nocturnal wildlife. We saw large fishing bats, an Amazon tree boa and a young caiman, which our naturalist brought on board for a closer look before releasing it. Early the next morning, we packed a picnic breakfast and toured the Rio Yanayacu de Pucate. We were looking for the fresh-water river dolphin. We found a nice shady place along the bank to have breakfast while watching the dolphins playing in the river.On our way back to the main boat, we stopped to participate in piranha fishing. Each member of our party had a stick with a string, hook and raw chicken.As soon as the chicken hit the water, piranha by the dozens took the bait. Catching them required no skill, as you basically snag them.Eating them is another story. For those of you who enjoy picking at blue crab for an hour, only to harvest a thimble full of meat, you should enjoy piranha.After lunching on our fried piranha, we went back out to the middle of the river and jumped in for a nice swim. Yes, we were somewhat anxious. Some of us felt fish -- or something -- touching our ankles and toes. Later that afternoon, we sent a party of ambassadors from our boat into a small village and invited them to visit. They brought back two families who were somewhat anxious to board the big boat. We gave them a tour and then sat with them in a large circle of chairs.The custom when introducing yourself to a stranger is to give your name, age, and then how many children you have. As each member of our group introduced themselves, it was clear that our visitors could not believe the number of people who did not have any children. They thought we might have medical problems.As our guide was translating an exchange between one of the village men, he suddenly buried his bright red face in his hands, saying he didn't know how to interpret the last statement. The man, genuinely concerned about our lack of children, indicated his village had a local tea to help men father children. He was more than happy to bring us some. When we asked what they called this concoction, our guide said, "Well, loosely translated, it means underwear ripper."On our last full day on the boat, we visited the city of Nauta. This city has a large outdoor market where many Riberenos ("river people") come to sell their harvests and wares.Live turtles were turned over on their shells to prevent escape as they were sold. Piles of fish innards littered the ground as vultures and dogs scavenged for the morsels. We found a man who had a pet rhinoceros beetle, one of the largest beetles in the world. There were tables piled high with fresh chicken sitting out in the heat and humidity. Stacks of beautiful brown eggs were piled high.We found a dark and dusty bar with a dirt floor, where we enjoyed a nice local beer.Yes, we brought home some trinkets, but we also brought back memories that will last forever.
Peru quiere saber si alli se acunaron monedas encontradas en barco hundido
Peru wants to know origin of shipwrecked treasure
By CHRISTINE ARMARIO – 5 hours ago
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Peru's government wants to know if 17 tons of silver coins recovered from a shipwreck in the Atlantic Ocean last year were made there, complicating the legal quest to determine who rightfully owns the multimillion-dollar treasure.
Peru filed a claim Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Tampa to determine where the coins originated, entering the fray over the $500 million loot found on a sunken ship by Tampa-based Odyssey Marine Exploration. Odyssey has been fighting the Spanish government for ownership of the ship and its contents.
Peruvian consumer rights advocates contend the coins were made with Peruvian metals and minted in Lima. When Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes y las Animas sank west of Portugal with more than 200 people on board in 1804, Peru was still a Spanish colony.
"Probably every colonial Spanish shipwreck that has ever been discovered has had coins that originated in Peru," Greg Stemm, Odyssey Marine Exploration's chief executive officer, wrote in an e-mail. "So it will be interesting to see how successful they are in getting other governments and shipwreck explorers to recognize their interest."
Peru's claim states that it is entitled to any property that originated there and was produced by its people. An official at the Peruvian embassy in Washington, D.C., declined to comment.
Charles M. Davis, a maritime lawyer and author in Washington, said he couldn't recall another salvage case involving a former colony. Because technology such as submersible robots used by deep-sea explorers to find treasure is still new, he said, "There's a surprising dearth of law on high seas salvage." The case has been closely watched because similar disputes could become more common as more treasures are found on the ocean floor.
Odyssey officials have argued they're entitled to the booty because they found it. Spain has argued it technically never abandoned any of its ships lost at sea. Officials there want any artifacts returned because of their historical and cultural significance, and some in Spain have portrayed Odyssey as 21st-century pirates.
A message left with an attorney representing Spain was not immediately returned Wednesday afternoon.
Peru is not the only country seeking ownership of its antiquities. Greece is trying to reclaim illegally exported antiquities from museums and art dealers as part of an effort to recover the Parthenon sculptures from the British Museum in London.
By CHRISTINE ARMARIO – 5 hours ago
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Peru's government wants to know if 17 tons of silver coins recovered from a shipwreck in the Atlantic Ocean last year were made there, complicating the legal quest to determine who rightfully owns the multimillion-dollar treasure.
Peru filed a claim Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Tampa to determine where the coins originated, entering the fray over the $500 million loot found on a sunken ship by Tampa-based Odyssey Marine Exploration. Odyssey has been fighting the Spanish government for ownership of the ship and its contents.
Peruvian consumer rights advocates contend the coins were made with Peruvian metals and minted in Lima. When Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes y las Animas sank west of Portugal with more than 200 people on board in 1804, Peru was still a Spanish colony.
"Probably every colonial Spanish shipwreck that has ever been discovered has had coins that originated in Peru," Greg Stemm, Odyssey Marine Exploration's chief executive officer, wrote in an e-mail. "So it will be interesting to see how successful they are in getting other governments and shipwreck explorers to recognize their interest."
Peru's claim states that it is entitled to any property that originated there and was produced by its people. An official at the Peruvian embassy in Washington, D.C., declined to comment.
Charles M. Davis, a maritime lawyer and author in Washington, said he couldn't recall another salvage case involving a former colony. Because technology such as submersible robots used by deep-sea explorers to find treasure is still new, he said, "There's a surprising dearth of law on high seas salvage." The case has been closely watched because similar disputes could become more common as more treasures are found on the ocean floor.
Odyssey officials have argued they're entitled to the booty because they found it. Spain has argued it technically never abandoned any of its ships lost at sea. Officials there want any artifacts returned because of their historical and cultural significance, and some in Spain have portrayed Odyssey as 21st-century pirates.
A message left with an attorney representing Spain was not immediately returned Wednesday afternoon.
Peru is not the only country seeking ownership of its antiquities. Greece is trying to reclaim illegally exported antiquities from museums and art dealers as part of an effort to recover the Parthenon sculptures from the British Museum in London.
Firma de Colorado compra empresa de Ingenieria Peruana
Broomfield engineering firm buys Peruvian company
By John Aguilar (Contact)Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Broomfield-based MWH, an environmental engineering firm, announced Wednesday that it has acquired Ground Water International S.A., a hydrogeological consulting firm headquartered in Lima, Peru.
GWI, one of the largest ground water consultancies in Peru, provides ground water and related environmental consulting services to mining clients across South America.
The transaction will allow MWH to increase its presence in South America and strengthen its array of water resources and mining services, according to a company press release.
MWH has 10 offices in South America that provide engineering services to the hydropower, mining, water management and industrial sectors.
By John Aguilar (Contact)Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Broomfield-based MWH, an environmental engineering firm, announced Wednesday that it has acquired Ground Water International S.A., a hydrogeological consulting firm headquartered in Lima, Peru.
GWI, one of the largest ground water consultancies in Peru, provides ground water and related environmental consulting services to mining clients across South America.
The transaction will allow MWH to increase its presence in South America and strengthen its array of water resources and mining services, according to a company press release.
MWH has 10 offices in South America that provide engineering services to the hydropower, mining, water management and industrial sectors.
Visitas a Machu Picchu continuan creciendo
Peru: Tourism to Machu Picchu to continue strong growth throughout the year
The influx of visitors to the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu will continue its strong growth throughout the year, as seen since its designation as one of the new seven wonders of the world on July 7 2007, said Peru's National Institute for Culture (INC).The deputy director of INC-Cusco, Jorge Prado, said there are no longer specific crowded days at Machu Picchu because several visitors arrive at this archaeological site almost all year long. He mentioned that between 1,100 and 1,800 tourists visited Machu Picchu everyday before being named among the seven wonders of the world and that the number of visitors had increased to some 2,500 daily after its election.When asked about media reports that state there are extended opening hours to visit Machu Picchu, Prado clarified that the sanctuary continues to be open from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.Machu Picchu (Quechua: Machu Picchu, "Old mountain") is a pre-Columbian Inca site located 2,400 meters (7,875 ft) above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 km (50 miles) northwest of Cusco.
News source: ANDINA
The influx of visitors to the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu will continue its strong growth throughout the year, as seen since its designation as one of the new seven wonders of the world on July 7 2007, said Peru's National Institute for Culture (INC).The deputy director of INC-Cusco, Jorge Prado, said there are no longer specific crowded days at Machu Picchu because several visitors arrive at this archaeological site almost all year long. He mentioned that between 1,100 and 1,800 tourists visited Machu Picchu everyday before being named among the seven wonders of the world and that the number of visitors had increased to some 2,500 daily after its election.When asked about media reports that state there are extended opening hours to visit Machu Picchu, Prado clarified that the sanctuary continues to be open from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.Machu Picchu (Quechua: Machu Picchu, "Old mountain") is a pre-Columbian Inca site located 2,400 meters (7,875 ft) above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 km (50 miles) northwest of Cusco.
News source: ANDINA
sábado, 16 de agosto de 2008
Entrevista a Mario Testino
Mad for Marc and Mario
The Recap From Monday Night's Many Fêtes
SCOOP
For Love of Country"I wanted to do a book about Peru that wasn't about llamas and mountains," said Mario Testino at the V Man-hosted launch party for his new tome, Lima Peru. With bare-chested male models parading copies around the Bowery Hotel, guests like Mischa Barton, Demi Moore, and Margherita Missoni had trouble concentrating on its contents—the Testino-edited work of more than 100 Peruvian artists. "Isn't it great that [Visionaire founder] Stephen Gan got them to show off the book in their bathing suits?" said the super-snapper. "Actually, I'd prefer them with nothing on," interjected Vanity Fair's Elizabeth Saltzman Walker. Between Pisco Sour cocktails and a performance of the marinera, the traditional Peruvian courtship dance, the crowd, which doubled with late arrivals from the Marc Jacobs show, discussed the famous Testino touch. "Life is 90 percent perception and 10 percent reality," said Courtney Love. "And Mario gets that."
The Recap From Monday Night's Many Fêtes
SCOOP
For Love of Country"I wanted to do a book about Peru that wasn't about llamas and mountains," said Mario Testino at the V Man-hosted launch party for his new tome, Lima Peru. With bare-chested male models parading copies around the Bowery Hotel, guests like Mischa Barton, Demi Moore, and Margherita Missoni had trouble concentrating on its contents—the Testino-edited work of more than 100 Peruvian artists. "Isn't it great that [Visionaire founder] Stephen Gan got them to show off the book in their bathing suits?" said the super-snapper. "Actually, I'd prefer them with nothing on," interjected Vanity Fair's Elizabeth Saltzman Walker. Between Pisco Sour cocktails and a performance of the marinera, the traditional Peruvian courtship dance, the crowd, which doubled with late arrivals from the Marc Jacobs show, discussed the famous Testino touch. "Life is 90 percent perception and 10 percent reality," said Courtney Love. "And Mario gets that."
Ensalada de Papa Peruana
Recipe: Traditional Peruvian potato salad
August 16, 2008
Here's a Peruvian recipe you can make at home:Wash but do not peel 2 pounds of waxy potatoes. Place in saucepan of water and bring to boil for 5 minutes. Add salt and simmer until cooked. Strain potatoes and remove skin while still hot. Shell 2 hard-boiled eggs, add to potatoes and refrigerate for one hour. When cool, cut eggs and potatoes into large slices and place on plate. In a bowl, mix 1 chopped white medium onion and sprig of parsley. Add half-cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons of vinegar and pinch of salt. Mix well, then pour over potatoes and eggs. Add 2 cans of shredded tuna, 7 ounces of seedless black olives and mix well. Serve chilled.
SOURCE: UN International Year of the Potato
August 16, 2008
Here's a Peruvian recipe you can make at home:Wash but do not peel 2 pounds of waxy potatoes. Place in saucepan of water and bring to boil for 5 minutes. Add salt and simmer until cooked. Strain potatoes and remove skin while still hot. Shell 2 hard-boiled eggs, add to potatoes and refrigerate for one hour. When cool, cut eggs and potatoes into large slices and place on plate. In a bowl, mix 1 chopped white medium onion and sprig of parsley. Add half-cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons of vinegar and pinch of salt. Mix well, then pour over potatoes and eggs. Add 2 cans of shredded tuna, 7 ounces of seedless black olives and mix well. Serve chilled.
SOURCE: UN International Year of the Potato
Turistas australianos hacen trekking en Cusco
August 16, 2008
Page 1 of 3 Single page
Lee Mylne leaves a little of her heart in the Andes after a high-altitude spell of work experience with a difference.
Under a clear blue sky, as we marvel at the fortune bestowed upon us by the weather gods, our trekking guide Javier imparts a piece of wisdom.
"There is an old Peruvian saying," he says solemnly but with a repressed twinkle in his eye. "Never trust a woman's tears, a dog who limps or an Andean sky."
We are optimists, however, and our second day's trek continues in brilliant sunshine, just like the first. It is a day later that we wake and find that the adage might have some foundation after all: our tents are cloaked in overnight snow.
It is just one of the many rewards on an Andean adventure that never fails to exceed my expectations.
Our trek has started in the ancient town of Ollantaytambo, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. I am part of a group of 15 undertaking this trip to provide the labour and finance to build a small footbridge and a pipeline to bring fresh water to some of the households in a remote Andean village inaccessible by road.
Part of the cost of our 14-day World Expeditions trip - which includes sightseeing in the historic city of Cusco and a visit to the fabled Machu Picchu - will buy the materials and we will work alongside the villagers to complete the projects.
The first day of trekking at higher altitudes than my body is used to proves harder than I'd anticipated. The pace is slow but my heart rate is increasing. I quickly learn that trekking is not for the unfit or the faint-hearted.
"If I stop puffing, turn around and check that I'm still behind you," I tell the trekker plodding in front of me. Despite a few days in Cusco to acclimatise to living at above 2500 metres, I'm finding the going tough.
Vincente, the 12-year-old son of one of the porters, keeps pace with me for a while, smiling shyly and silently, then trots ahead, well used to the conditions and the altitude. Vincente and the porters are from Qelqanqa, a village of about 80 families in Peru's Urubamba region and our ultimate destination.
Our three-day trek takes us over mountain passes up to 4670 metres and through sweeping valleys punctuated by lakes and scattered with tiny wildflowers. It is wild and barren, starkly beautiful and full of small surprises.
As we walk, we slowly get to know each other. It's a mixed group, mostly Australians with a few Britons and Americans. The youngest is Jenny, 15, from Oregon, who is travelling with her mother, Joan; the oldest is Evan from Pennsylvania who is "72 years and three months" and leaves some younger walkers - including me - far in his wake on the trail.
At our first camp, the tent flap opens to a view of the sun's last rays on the snow-capped tip of Mount Veronica, also known, says Javier, as "the holy teardrop".
Each day we rise at 6am and after breakfast and packing up we're soon overtaken by the porters and llama carrying our tents, the kitchen tent and its contents and all the other gear. I'm acutely conscious of how ridiculously small and light my day pack must seem to them.
I become used to looking out for the large kettle - carried by hand - passing by on its way to the designated lunch or camping spot. By the time we arrive, our camp cook, Enier, his kitchen tent adorned with a Peruvian flag, has already produced a midday meal.
Enier is a widower with three children. Each day, with the help of his assistant, Carlos, he creates meals for our trekking party, three guides and a team of 20 porters, all from a one-burner gas stove inside a small tent. The meals are, without exception, nutritious and delectable.
On the morning we wake in snow, we don wet-weather gear and gratefully down hot porridge and coffee, and are off again. The snow cover adds another dimension to the trail and we barely notice the cold. A ghostly herd of wild horses appears through the mist; we pause to shelter at a pass in a tiny stone chapel adorned with simple crosses. Some high-spirited snowball fights punctuate the walk.
As we approach Qelqanqa, we are greeted by the eerie blast of a conch shell and a party including the village head man, schoolchildren and their teachers welcomes us with flowers, confetti and unexpected hugs. I look at the others and see some eyes are moist with tears. There are speeches, music and dancing and an escort of villagers as we walk for the last hour to the village.
The houses, like others we have passed in these valleys, are stone with thatched roofs. Toddlers peek shyly from doorways, pigs snuffle behind stone fences and dogs race around in circles. Everyone wears colourful traditional dress and headgear but it's not for our benefit; this is everyday life.
On arrival, we camp on the school football field and explore the work sites. Split into two teams, we will spend two days working on our projects. I'm on the bridge, a river-stone-and-cement construction designed to allow some of the children to reach school safely when the river rises. The other group will work on replacing the water reservoir and extending the pipeline.
At the site for the bridge, the river has been diverted into another channel to allow us to build the rock ramparts and, over the course of the first day, it gradually and miraculously takes shape as we hand-haul rocks alongside the locals, including an 80-year-old grandfather who soon becomes a favourite with us.
We've donned disposable blue overalls, rubber gloves and woolly hats to keep out the cold. We're keen to get stuck in and get dirty and that wish is very soon fulfilled.
We work human-chain style, with pots or buckets of rocks or sizeable boulders, passing them along as a bridge takes shape before our eyes. In the afternoons, the mist swirls around us, streaming up the valley from the Cloud Forest.
The second phase of the bridge-building is the concreting. It is hand-mixed on the river bank, the cement relayed short distances to the bridge. The plastic bucket soon splits and is replaced by battered cooking pots brought by smiling children who gather on the banks to satisfy their curiosity about the strangers in their midst.
Communication with the locals is limited. There is lots of pointing and laughter. Freddie, the only one who speaks Spanish, English and the local dialect, is our go-between.
Our fellow trekkers have toiled to build a reservoir about three kilometres from the village, while the villagers dug trenches for the pipeline. By the time we leave, water has been delivered to the nearest house where a concrete "fountain" with a tap, decorated with streamers, is ceremonially turned on to delighted cheers.
On the last night, we celebrate with a feast; a traditional pacha manca, cooked in three stone and earth ovens built on the hillside behind our campsite during the afternoon. We dine on two alpacas and two sheep, marinated in garlic, lemon, salt and pepper, and several varieties of potato, one of Peru's staples. The whole village turns out for it and the women take the chance to sell some of their colourful woven work.
Replete, we sit around in lamplight and hear stories of the Andes from Javier and his assistants, Jairo and Admil.
It has been an unforgettable experience. As we prepare for the walk out of Qelqanqa, we all believe what Javier has told us as we started out: we are "trekkers, not tourists" and that, along with our names written in wet concrete, a little bit of us all will be left here under the Andean skies.
Page 1 of 3 Single page
Lee Mylne leaves a little of her heart in the Andes after a high-altitude spell of work experience with a difference.
Under a clear blue sky, as we marvel at the fortune bestowed upon us by the weather gods, our trekking guide Javier imparts a piece of wisdom.
"There is an old Peruvian saying," he says solemnly but with a repressed twinkle in his eye. "Never trust a woman's tears, a dog who limps or an Andean sky."
We are optimists, however, and our second day's trek continues in brilliant sunshine, just like the first. It is a day later that we wake and find that the adage might have some foundation after all: our tents are cloaked in overnight snow.
It is just one of the many rewards on an Andean adventure that never fails to exceed my expectations.
Our trek has started in the ancient town of Ollantaytambo, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. I am part of a group of 15 undertaking this trip to provide the labour and finance to build a small footbridge and a pipeline to bring fresh water to some of the households in a remote Andean village inaccessible by road.
Part of the cost of our 14-day World Expeditions trip - which includes sightseeing in the historic city of Cusco and a visit to the fabled Machu Picchu - will buy the materials and we will work alongside the villagers to complete the projects.
The first day of trekking at higher altitudes than my body is used to proves harder than I'd anticipated. The pace is slow but my heart rate is increasing. I quickly learn that trekking is not for the unfit or the faint-hearted.
"If I stop puffing, turn around and check that I'm still behind you," I tell the trekker plodding in front of me. Despite a few days in Cusco to acclimatise to living at above 2500 metres, I'm finding the going tough.
Vincente, the 12-year-old son of one of the porters, keeps pace with me for a while, smiling shyly and silently, then trots ahead, well used to the conditions and the altitude. Vincente and the porters are from Qelqanqa, a village of about 80 families in Peru's Urubamba region and our ultimate destination.
Our three-day trek takes us over mountain passes up to 4670 metres and through sweeping valleys punctuated by lakes and scattered with tiny wildflowers. It is wild and barren, starkly beautiful and full of small surprises.
As we walk, we slowly get to know each other. It's a mixed group, mostly Australians with a few Britons and Americans. The youngest is Jenny, 15, from Oregon, who is travelling with her mother, Joan; the oldest is Evan from Pennsylvania who is "72 years and three months" and leaves some younger walkers - including me - far in his wake on the trail.
At our first camp, the tent flap opens to a view of the sun's last rays on the snow-capped tip of Mount Veronica, also known, says Javier, as "the holy teardrop".
Each day we rise at 6am and after breakfast and packing up we're soon overtaken by the porters and llama carrying our tents, the kitchen tent and its contents and all the other gear. I'm acutely conscious of how ridiculously small and light my day pack must seem to them.
I become used to looking out for the large kettle - carried by hand - passing by on its way to the designated lunch or camping spot. By the time we arrive, our camp cook, Enier, his kitchen tent adorned with a Peruvian flag, has already produced a midday meal.
Enier is a widower with three children. Each day, with the help of his assistant, Carlos, he creates meals for our trekking party, three guides and a team of 20 porters, all from a one-burner gas stove inside a small tent. The meals are, without exception, nutritious and delectable.
On the morning we wake in snow, we don wet-weather gear and gratefully down hot porridge and coffee, and are off again. The snow cover adds another dimension to the trail and we barely notice the cold. A ghostly herd of wild horses appears through the mist; we pause to shelter at a pass in a tiny stone chapel adorned with simple crosses. Some high-spirited snowball fights punctuate the walk.
As we approach Qelqanqa, we are greeted by the eerie blast of a conch shell and a party including the village head man, schoolchildren and their teachers welcomes us with flowers, confetti and unexpected hugs. I look at the others and see some eyes are moist with tears. There are speeches, music and dancing and an escort of villagers as we walk for the last hour to the village.
The houses, like others we have passed in these valleys, are stone with thatched roofs. Toddlers peek shyly from doorways, pigs snuffle behind stone fences and dogs race around in circles. Everyone wears colourful traditional dress and headgear but it's not for our benefit; this is everyday life.
On arrival, we camp on the school football field and explore the work sites. Split into two teams, we will spend two days working on our projects. I'm on the bridge, a river-stone-and-cement construction designed to allow some of the children to reach school safely when the river rises. The other group will work on replacing the water reservoir and extending the pipeline.
At the site for the bridge, the river has been diverted into another channel to allow us to build the rock ramparts and, over the course of the first day, it gradually and miraculously takes shape as we hand-haul rocks alongside the locals, including an 80-year-old grandfather who soon becomes a favourite with us.
We've donned disposable blue overalls, rubber gloves and woolly hats to keep out the cold. We're keen to get stuck in and get dirty and that wish is very soon fulfilled.
We work human-chain style, with pots or buckets of rocks or sizeable boulders, passing them along as a bridge takes shape before our eyes. In the afternoons, the mist swirls around us, streaming up the valley from the Cloud Forest.
The second phase of the bridge-building is the concreting. It is hand-mixed on the river bank, the cement relayed short distances to the bridge. The plastic bucket soon splits and is replaced by battered cooking pots brought by smiling children who gather on the banks to satisfy their curiosity about the strangers in their midst.
Communication with the locals is limited. There is lots of pointing and laughter. Freddie, the only one who speaks Spanish, English and the local dialect, is our go-between.
Our fellow trekkers have toiled to build a reservoir about three kilometres from the village, while the villagers dug trenches for the pipeline. By the time we leave, water has been delivered to the nearest house where a concrete "fountain" with a tap, decorated with streamers, is ceremonially turned on to delighted cheers.
On the last night, we celebrate with a feast; a traditional pacha manca, cooked in three stone and earth ovens built on the hillside behind our campsite during the afternoon. We dine on two alpacas and two sheep, marinated in garlic, lemon, salt and pepper, and several varieties of potato, one of Peru's staples. The whole village turns out for it and the women take the chance to sell some of their colourful woven work.
Replete, we sit around in lamplight and hear stories of the Andes from Javier and his assistants, Jairo and Admil.
It has been an unforgettable experience. As we prepare for the walk out of Qelqanqa, we all believe what Javier has told us as we started out: we are "trekkers, not tourists" and that, along with our names written in wet concrete, a little bit of us all will be left here under the Andean skies.
Comer un ceviche en Lima
Eat Ceviche in Lima
Grab a Cuzqueña and get comfortable. As Nicholas Gill explains, a trip to a Peruvian cevichería can be an all-day immersion in good conversation and raw seafood.
The situation: It’s Sunday, and after a night out in Lima, Peru, you’ve found yourself in a cevichería. It’s more, you discover, than a mere place to order ceviche. It’s a cultural institution where lime juice abounds, and the events and misadventures from the previous night are discussed, reenacted and celebrated. Here’s your primer.
When to go: While most cevicherías are open daily, Sunday is traditionally their busiest day and visiting one is a weekly ritual for many Limeños. After partying until dawn the night before in Lima’s discos, you might rest for a few hours but still feel like the bottom of your shoe. The act of going to a cevichería is something that can both refresh and revive; a combination of hair of the dog and raw seafood. The experience begins in the late morning and typically lasts all day; the overindulgence may, on a good day, eclipse that of the night before.
The basics: Early, crude forms of ceviche began to appear in pre-Colombian times in the coastal civilizations of South America where fish was “cooked” with a fruit called tumbo. Later the Incas ate salted fish marinated in chicha, a fermented corn drink, and when the Spanish arrived, they added limes and onions to the mix.
Ceviche preparations vary from place to place—in Mexico, finely diced fish in lemon juice is served with crackers and Tabasco; in Ecuador, ceviche includes tomatoes and is much soupier; in the Andes, chefs use trout—but it’s the Peruvian version that’s recently caught on outside Latin America.
In Peru, ceviche is eaten as a first course or appetizer. The dish requires fresh, quality ingredients; precise and lightning-fast execution; and a basic understanding of spices and acidity. The chef tosses fresh chunks of any firm white fish, such as flounder or sea bass, with onions, bits of Peruvian ají peppers, seasoning and—most importantly—lime juice only minutes before serving. Ceviche isn’t exactly raw like sashimi is raw, though. The acid in the lime actually cooks the fish just before you eat it, resulting in an explosion of taste and texture. In the same dish you’ll find a slice of sweet potato, a few sticks of boiled yucca and a small piece of corn on the cob.
Where to go: Pick up Lima’s restaurant guide, “Guia Gastronomica,” for suggestions, or head to the seaside districts of Barranco and Chorrillos, and look for the crowds spilling into the street from restaurants like Punta Arenas or La Canta Rana. For a step up in price and quality, check out dining options in the Miraflores district such as Caplina or the trendster hot spot La Mar, owned by Lima’s outspoken TV chef Gastón Acurio. At either you’ll find local celebrities and wealthy Limeños sipping on pisco-infused cocktails and noshing on Novo Andino (New Andean) foods, including a lineup of ceviches and tiraditos.
Still, the best cevicherías are a bit out of the way. Sonia, a ceviche shack near the Chorrillos fish market that has grown a fanatic following, is tucked away in a far corner of the city. Sankuay, aka Chez Wong, sits in an unpretentious part of Lima, but the loyal ensemble of BMWs and Mercedes outside give it away as a culinary gem. Inside, chef Javier Wong takes a look at you and decides what you are going to eat. If you don’t like it, then leave.
Order like an expert: To begin, pick at the toasted, salted corn kernels called cancha serrana already on the table, and make your first order. Start with something to drink, say, Leche de Tigre, aka Tiger’s Milk. It’s like a kick in the face. More clearly defined, it’s the tangy juice left over at the bottom of the ceviche bowl served in a tall shot glass. Sometimes it’s mixed with a shot of pisco, a white brandy that is Peru’s national spirit. Throw in a few 32-ounce beers (always Pilsen or Cuzqueña) for everyone to share. If dining after a rough night, opt for a pisco sour. Better yet, make it a double.
Next, move on to the goods: ceviche or tiradito. Ceviche comes in many forms: clásico (the traditional mix), mixto (with fish, squid, octopus and scallops), camarón (with crayfish), black conch (said to increase your sexual prowess), pato (with duck), and champiñones (with mushrooms). Tiradito is the modish, young cousin of ceviche. Created by Nikkei (Japanese) chefs in Lima, it relies on the tradition of dousing raw fish in lime juice, but the slices are paper thin and its makers add a spicy ají-based sauce.
Once you’ve finished your ceviche—another round of drinks, by the way, has likely been put on the table without your asking—you can order the rest of your meal. Your second course will be something hearty, and typically served with rice.
Need more starch? Try tacu-tacu de mariscos: day-old rice and beans refried and stuffed with seafood. Something more filling? Lenguado a la macho: flounder in a zesty sauce of onion, garlic, paprika, cilantro and rocoto peppers. Something unusual? Arroz negro: rice cooked in squid ink with sautéed squid, scallops and crayfish. Something multinational? Camarón saltado: a variation of Peru’s favorite Chinese fusion dish with shrimp instead of chicken.
Bask in the benefits: Die-hard connoisseurs will try to sell you the health attributes of ceviche like a can of snake oil—it will prevent sleepwalking, cure a hangover, and even increase your sex drive. While there may be some truth to their words, a visit to a cevicheria will at the very least guarantee good times and a full belly. Buon Provecho!
Grab a Cuzqueña and get comfortable. As Nicholas Gill explains, a trip to a Peruvian cevichería can be an all-day immersion in good conversation and raw seafood.
The situation: It’s Sunday, and after a night out in Lima, Peru, you’ve found yourself in a cevichería. It’s more, you discover, than a mere place to order ceviche. It’s a cultural institution where lime juice abounds, and the events and misadventures from the previous night are discussed, reenacted and celebrated. Here’s your primer.
When to go: While most cevicherías are open daily, Sunday is traditionally their busiest day and visiting one is a weekly ritual for many Limeños. After partying until dawn the night before in Lima’s discos, you might rest for a few hours but still feel like the bottom of your shoe. The act of going to a cevichería is something that can both refresh and revive; a combination of hair of the dog and raw seafood. The experience begins in the late morning and typically lasts all day; the overindulgence may, on a good day, eclipse that of the night before.
The basics: Early, crude forms of ceviche began to appear in pre-Colombian times in the coastal civilizations of South America where fish was “cooked” with a fruit called tumbo. Later the Incas ate salted fish marinated in chicha, a fermented corn drink, and when the Spanish arrived, they added limes and onions to the mix.
Ceviche preparations vary from place to place—in Mexico, finely diced fish in lemon juice is served with crackers and Tabasco; in Ecuador, ceviche includes tomatoes and is much soupier; in the Andes, chefs use trout—but it’s the Peruvian version that’s recently caught on outside Latin America.
In Peru, ceviche is eaten as a first course or appetizer. The dish requires fresh, quality ingredients; precise and lightning-fast execution; and a basic understanding of spices and acidity. The chef tosses fresh chunks of any firm white fish, such as flounder or sea bass, with onions, bits of Peruvian ají peppers, seasoning and—most importantly—lime juice only minutes before serving. Ceviche isn’t exactly raw like sashimi is raw, though. The acid in the lime actually cooks the fish just before you eat it, resulting in an explosion of taste and texture. In the same dish you’ll find a slice of sweet potato, a few sticks of boiled yucca and a small piece of corn on the cob.
Where to go: Pick up Lima’s restaurant guide, “Guia Gastronomica,” for suggestions, or head to the seaside districts of Barranco and Chorrillos, and look for the crowds spilling into the street from restaurants like Punta Arenas or La Canta Rana. For a step up in price and quality, check out dining options in the Miraflores district such as Caplina or the trendster hot spot La Mar, owned by Lima’s outspoken TV chef Gastón Acurio. At either you’ll find local celebrities and wealthy Limeños sipping on pisco-infused cocktails and noshing on Novo Andino (New Andean) foods, including a lineup of ceviches and tiraditos.
Still, the best cevicherías are a bit out of the way. Sonia, a ceviche shack near the Chorrillos fish market that has grown a fanatic following, is tucked away in a far corner of the city. Sankuay, aka Chez Wong, sits in an unpretentious part of Lima, but the loyal ensemble of BMWs and Mercedes outside give it away as a culinary gem. Inside, chef Javier Wong takes a look at you and decides what you are going to eat. If you don’t like it, then leave.
Order like an expert: To begin, pick at the toasted, salted corn kernels called cancha serrana already on the table, and make your first order. Start with something to drink, say, Leche de Tigre, aka Tiger’s Milk. It’s like a kick in the face. More clearly defined, it’s the tangy juice left over at the bottom of the ceviche bowl served in a tall shot glass. Sometimes it’s mixed with a shot of pisco, a white brandy that is Peru’s national spirit. Throw in a few 32-ounce beers (always Pilsen or Cuzqueña) for everyone to share. If dining after a rough night, opt for a pisco sour. Better yet, make it a double.
Next, move on to the goods: ceviche or tiradito. Ceviche comes in many forms: clásico (the traditional mix), mixto (with fish, squid, octopus and scallops), camarón (with crayfish), black conch (said to increase your sexual prowess), pato (with duck), and champiñones (with mushrooms). Tiradito is the modish, young cousin of ceviche. Created by Nikkei (Japanese) chefs in Lima, it relies on the tradition of dousing raw fish in lime juice, but the slices are paper thin and its makers add a spicy ají-based sauce.
Once you’ve finished your ceviche—another round of drinks, by the way, has likely been put on the table without your asking—you can order the rest of your meal. Your second course will be something hearty, and typically served with rice.
Need more starch? Try tacu-tacu de mariscos: day-old rice and beans refried and stuffed with seafood. Something more filling? Lenguado a la macho: flounder in a zesty sauce of onion, garlic, paprika, cilantro and rocoto peppers. Something unusual? Arroz negro: rice cooked in squid ink with sautéed squid, scallops and crayfish. Something multinational? Camarón saltado: a variation of Peru’s favorite Chinese fusion dish with shrimp instead of chicken.
Bask in the benefits: Die-hard connoisseurs will try to sell you the health attributes of ceviche like a can of snake oil—it will prevent sleepwalking, cure a hangover, and even increase your sex drive. While there may be some truth to their words, a visit to a cevicheria will at the very least guarantee good times and a full belly. Buon Provecho!
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