ARTICLES

	CARAL, THE FIRST CITY OF AMERICA
	CELEBRATIONS AND TRADITIONS
	DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA THAT…
	HOTELS IN PERU
	INTI RAYMI - THE FEAST OF THE SUN, THE INTI RAYMI
	RELIGION AND BELIEFS
	THE PERUVIAN DOG
	THE PISCO IS FROM PERU

CARAL, THE FIRST CITY OF AMERICA

The oldest city of America was located in the north of Peru, in Caral, according to the scientific tests, between 2,627 and 2,100 b. C. It covers an area of 66 hectares, is located at the beginning of the middle sector of the Supe Valley, in the province of Barranca, at Kilometre 184 of the northern Pan-American Highway.

Unlike Mesopotamia, Egypt and India – which exchanged goods, knowledge and experiences – the Caral civilization, one of the most ancient on the planet, achieved extraordinary early development in complete isolation from its contemporaries in America and the Old World.

Caral features public buildings with their characteristic sunken circular plaza, as well as a complex of domestic units. Caral boasts an elaborate architectural design and a significant investment of organized labour and planned construction, at Caral a number of objects from the jungle have been found, giving an idea of the intense trading which occurred.

The pristine state of Supe managed to mobilise a huge labour force and, through complex networking, was able to attract to its advantage the surplus produced over a wide area, from the coast to the Callejon de Huaylas, Conchucos, Huallaga and Marañon.

Today we are able to admire the social order, the architectural work, the geoglyps and lines which predate by more than 3,000 years those at Nazca, the decorative murals, musical instruments, elaborate textiles and personal adornments, the genetic variety of their products and their own images recreated in more than a hundred unfired clay statuettes.

CELEBRATIONS AND TRADITIONS

The fests in Peru are made of intense form, continuous and alive; they are celebrated near 3,000 popular celebrations at year where the tradition keeps itself latent in each corner of the country. Most of them are organized to worship a Saint mixed Andean and catholic characteristics, with magical -religious beliefs of a particular region. There are dances products of the mixture between Andean and western patterns. But two of them are symbols of the Peruvian identity: The Huayno and the Marinera, among others we have:
The festejo, the Vals Criollo, the Sikuri, the Huaylas, the Carnaval, the Santiago, the Haravi, the dance of scissors, the Chicha and the Cumbia Peruana.

Calendar of the main Festivals

January:

• New Year festivities (Año Nuevo)                                 
• Bajada de Reyes
• Marinera Festival
• Lima week, anniversary of the city

February:

• First week. The fiesta de la Virgen de la Candelaria in Puno, this is a splendid folkloric festival.
• Carnival

March:

• Festival de la Vendimia de Ica
• Fiesta de la Cruz (cross festival)

April:

• Semana Santa (the Holy week)
• National competition of the Peruvian horses
• Adventure Festival in Cotahuasi
• Easter week in Ayacucho, the most impressive and typical of the religious celebrations in the country.

May:

• Virgen de Chapi
• Señor de Muruhuay
• Semana de Ilo

June:

• Fiestas in Cusco
• Corpus Christi in Cusco and Cajamarca. Magnificent processions
• Qoylluriti, Snow Star festival
• Festival of San Juan in Iquitos.    

July:

• Paucartambo: Homage to the Virgin of Carmen, from 15th to the 17th of July.
• National day of Pisco (grape brandy), a mestizo product and symbol of cultural identity.
• On the 28th. Independence Day celebrations throughout the country.

August:

• From the 15th to 22nd, Festival of Arequipa
• From the 21st to the 31st. Negro Art festival in Cañete, songs and dances.
• 30th. Fiesta de Santa Rosa, the patron saint of Lima.

September:

• Fiesta of the Virgen of Natividad
• The spring and youth festival in Trujillo
• Warachicuy, Festival where children became adults.

October:

• The procession of the Señor de los Milagros, the patron Saint of Lima.
• Bullfight festival during the last two weeks of the month, at the Plaza de Acho (Lima´s bullring)

November:

• 1st. All Saints Day. First week, re-creation of the legend on the founders of the Inka empire emerging from Lake Titicaca in Puno.
• Day of Ayacucho songs

December:

• Fiesta of the Virgen Inmaculada Concepción
• Christmas

DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA THAT…

• Peru has 84 ecological zones of the 114 existing in the world.
• The canyon of Cotahuasi located in the Department of Arequipa is the deepest in the world with 3535 metres of depth.
• Peru has registered approximately 3800 species of butterflies becoming the country with more butterflies in the world, being the most spectacular species in the Peruvian Amazonia.
• The Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world at 3808 metres above sea level.
• The Condor is the greatest flying bird of the world, with a wingspan of over 3 metres and with a length from 1 to 1 1/20 metres.
• Peru is considered the Orquidea´s paradise, with 3000 within its ecosystems, of the 30,000 existing around the world.
• Peru has 115 species of hummingbirds of the 300 existing in the world, we found in Peru the smallest hummingbird, the Picaflor averojo (Asestrura bombus), that measures 06 centimeters length and weight no more than 10 grams. In addition there exist the longest tail hummingbird, the admirable picaflor, (Loddigesia mirabilis), and it measures more than thirteen centimeters.
• Peru cultivates 3000 of the 5000 varieties of potato in the world. The potatoes of greater quality take place over 3000 m.
• Caral is the oldest cultural expression in America located in the north of Peru, according to the scientific tests; it approximately has an antiquity between 2,627 and 2,100 before Christ.
• In the Peruvian sea, live 20 of the 67 smaller cetacean species, known in the world and hold the first place in volume of fishing of the world.
•  Peru has more than 80% of population of South American camelidos, 90% of Alpacas, 80% of Vicuna and 30% of Lamas.
• Puno is the folkloric capital of Peru and has three hundred varieties of dances.
• At the moment, 70% from the eatable plants that humanity consumes were a legacy of the Andean Culture.
• Peru passes on the more nutritious cereal of the world, the kiwicha (Amaranthus caudatus).
• The Qhapac Ñan or the Incas network roads is the most important architectonic work in pre-Hispanic America having around 40.000 Kilometers of road. Crossing it would be equivalent to travel around the world. The most important is the Inka trail to Machupicchu.
• The Amazon River is the second longer river in the world with 6,275 kilometers.
• Acho is the oldest bullring of America and the third older in the world.
• The Gocta waterfall is the third highest one in the world with more than 700 meters of altitude.

 



ACCOMMODATION IN PERU

 

We carefully select the hotels we use for our guests in Peru, basing our decisions on a number of criteria and with your comfort in mind. At all the travel destinations visited during our programs we select accommodation based on level of comfort, convenient location, good service, attentive staff, local character and charm (location and/or local architectural style).
To help you select your accommodation and decide upon the level of service you require, we divide the accommodation we offer into five categories:

 

Luxury – These are five-star (or occasionally selected, exceptional four-star hotels) chosen for their excellent standards of service, comfort, fine restaurants and superb location (usually within the historic centers of the principal travel destinations included in our itineraries).

 

First Class – Corresponding to internationally recognized standards for four-star accommodation, these hotels offer high standards of service and comfort, are centrally located and often housed in historic buildings renowned for their typical local architecture.

 

Tourist Class Upgrade – We use this category to define the higher end of the three-star hotel market. The accommodation we select possesses a combination of local charm, central locations, high standards of personalized service and comfort.

 

Tourist Class – This term covers three-star establishments. These hotels are comfortable, centrally-located and often family-run, while service is personalized and pleasantly local in flavour.

 

Budget Class – This category applies to what might be described as two-star hotels in Europe; while they are at the lower end of the scale of accommodation we offer, they are comfortable, with private bathrooms and the other services international travellers expect when away from home

 

Important Note: Please consider that on occasion accommodation a developing country like Peru may not meet the standards you are accustomed to in your home country. The places you will visit do not enjoy the same standards of living. Although there are hotels throughout Peru that match the luxury and facilities of their US counterparts, do not expect to find a Las Vegas or Cancun type of resort in places like Arequipa´ Colca canyon for example. However, such places do offer comfortable rural lodges of great character and local charm situated in stunning locations. 

 

You will find excellent and comfortable accommodation when travelling with Andean Skyline, but please do not expect some of the more lavish aspects of some of the world’s mass tourism destinations.

 

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INTI RAYMI


THE FEAST OF THE SUN, THE INTI RAYMI
Since 1944, in June 24th, is celebrated the day of Cusco and was agreed to evoke the Inti Raymi of the Inkas as the central ceremony of the festivals in Cusco. For obvious reasons it is not possible carry out in the original places neither with the same duration as time long ago. Nevertheless every year the staging performance for the different generations from Cusco young people that are in charge of the feast is gaining the communicative force, historical rigor and constitutes the alive message of identity and national integration.

The sun, the main God of the Inca civilization, was considered the creator of everything. It presided over the destinies of man and universe. The most splendid celebration made in Cusco was carried out to the King Sun. One had to adore and to offer sacrifices to the sun in order to avoid that in its long voyage trough the celestial space leaves the earth, its children and it returns offering heat and joy.

Thus, the Inti Raymi was born, the celebration of the sun, from the Qoricancha to the Haucaypata, in each solstice of winter, Cusco vibrated in a religious way, and the Inka and his parliament were prepared in purity and fast to worship the sun.

The Inka, sovereign of the Tahuantinsuyo preceded the central celebration with the sacrifice of the llama, and the Willaq Uma (principal priest), after opening the body of the animal saw in the vísceras and entrails the announcement of future events.

Immediately he concentrated rays of the sun, whose fire had to be kept by the virgins of the sun until the next year. While thousand of congregations who came from the four parts of the Tahuantinsuyo, with fervor and rejoicing, accompanied with songs and dances the services and offerings to their God; and the Inka princess offered the sacred bread (sankhu), the chicha with which the Inka initiated the toast to the sun, begging for prosperity, solidarity, wisdom, as well as better harvests for the town.

 

Ceremony in the Qoricancha (temple of the sun)
The Chasquis pututeros get into the Qoricancha´s garden and announce the beginning of the Inti Raymi, immediately make their appearance, the Harawis (musicians) to mark the march of the imperial army, the Aqllas, Ñustas, Qoya, t´ika t´akaqe and the real entourage.
After being stand in the apse of Qoricancha, the Inka greets to the God sun with a song and invites all the town to participate in the ceremony, immediately after the song, the Inka greets to the God Sun with a message, then invoking the population so that they participate in the ceremony. At the end of the message all the artists who represent the Inka Empire return to the Qoricancha temple to go later to the Plaza de Armas of Cusco

 

Intipampa
Following the rhythm of the music, the imperial army marks the time, as well as the Qoya, Aqllas, Ñustas, Pichaqkuna, T´ika t´akaq, waiting in the Intipamapa, for the exit of the Inca, in order to initiate to march till the Hauqaypata, by the streets Pampa del Castillo and Inti K´´iqllo (Loreto).

 

Hauyqapata                     
Four Chasquis located in the center of the Plaza de Armas announce the arrival of the Inca, entering with his entourage and imperial guard.
The son of the sun, in the heart of the city claims again the support of the tutelary Apus with who will go spiritually to Saqsayhuaman, main center of adoration.


Message to the sun
The Inca feels pleased by the concurrence of their people to who thanks with a glance. A total silence takes place meaning that everybody waits anxiously the sunrise, because it is supposed that not has dawn yet. The father sun get out and baths to the Inca with its first rays; as a grateful person he erects and makes the greeting to the sun or Intinapaykuy, the hymn to the sun is intoned. The representatives of the four suyos or regions (Qollasuyo, Antisuyo, Chinchaysuyu and Kuntisuyu), express their message and tribute to their father, the sun, showing the dances and products that brought like offerings.


Ceremony of the Chicha
The Inca takes in his hands a full gold glass from sacred chicha and offers to his father the sun, as a sign of filial love; as well as the Apus: Salkantay, Ausangati, Pachatusan, Huanacuri and Saqsayhuaman. Next the chicha is spilled to the Pachamama so that it arrives until the Qoricancha, then takes a silver glass, also full of chicha, offers to the sun and drinks it, after invites it to Willaq Uma and his entourage so that they share the same glass; simultaneously glasses full of chicha are served to Suyos delegations.


Rite of the Mosoq Willkanna (new Sacred Fire)
Three days before the celebration, the sacred fire of the prior Inti Raymi was extinguished in the borders of the Tahuantinsuyo, everybody hope that in this year the father Sun sends again its vivifying rays to light the new sacred fire.
The Inca uses a concave gold bracelet called Chipana, that oriented to the sun concentrates the rays on the recent ritual or Nina Kawsachiq previously prepared with carded cottons. ¡The awaited prodigy takes place!, the new sacred fire lighted and start the joy, as the God Sun has given the sign that renews its confidence and protection to its favorite son and its town.
The fire obtained is given to the Aqllas Willcaninas so that they feed and conserve it until the next year. The fire is also symbolically distributed to the four suyos so that they return with this valued gift to their origin regions.


Sacrifice of a Llama and auguries.
Returning to the ritual aspect, a llama is chosen and is leaded to the sacrifices table, the priest called Tarpuntay opens the entrails of the llama and extracts the heart and the lungs, in order to auguries and prognoses the life of the Tahuantinsuyo and its kings. If the heart and the lungs do not have injury and are still beating means it will be a good year.


Rite of the Sankhu (Sacred Bread)
The priests present to the Willaq Uma a full basket of Sankhu (bread) in roll form done of maize. The great priest blesses the Sankhu mixing it with the sacrificed llama blood, then ask the Inca eat a portion of the sacred food; and the priest as well, like the other members of the entourage and participants in the staging. Doing this they break the fast that remain all for three days, like preparation for the Inti Raymi.

The Inka full of joy tells his final message invoking his town that under the Sun god shelter, the people continue participating of the culture values of Tawantinsuyo, whose maximum expression is the reciprocity or Ayni.



 

RELIGION AND BELIEFS


Through the time the man has kept respect to the nature, which offers us all the necessary elements to live in harmonious relation; in the constant search of the truth, the origin of life and the reason of things, people are entered in the mystical world, worship, repay and respect to the natural elements like sun, earth, moon, water, stars, deities of the Inka culture, that provide us with well-being, health, love and peace until today.

Cusco has a great spiritual and magical energy transmitted to its inhabitants and visitors; we have given thanks to nature since ancestral times doing:

• “Mesadasâ€�, payments to the Pachamama or mother earth, with the Andean deities “Apus and Pachamamaâ€� protective spirits to whom we ask for take care of health, love, good fortune and specific favors. Everything is asked for the Willka Q´apas (Spirits of high connotation).

 

• The ceremony of cleaning and “revitalizaciónâ€� that looks for a spiritual balance using and healing with medicinal herbs, sacred flowers and some elements supplied for the Pachamama.
• Peregrinations and visits to Sacred Sanctuaries, energy places, used as interchange or reciprocity means; where you will experiment astral changes with the cleaning special therapy in order to balance yours “chacrasâ€�, (physical and spiritual problems).

 

• Andean marriages (natural commitment), ceremony of spiritual union, that trough a special offering in company of Mama Coca and Pachamama is made a natural and spiritual promise.
• Search and buys of ceremonial and treatment elements (medicinal herbs, objects and others) in markets of the city and mystical stores so that you can help to prepare the ceremonial table in the payment to earth, baths of purification and Coca reading. Finally visit to mystical andean chapels or “capillasâ€� and places of other esoteric guides.



 

THE PERUVIAN DOG


It was recognized as national patrimony of Peru in 2001, the Peruvian dog characterizes itself because it does not have hair and in fact does not need it since its corporal temperature has three degrees more than the human being has.
It has medicinal properties, a genetically syndrome, known like hipoplasia ectodermica what means that at the contact with the animal skin; the human skin is warmed up, being able to cure or to alleviate for example the rheumatism.
The Peruvian dog is considered a good pet, cheer, mischievous but very loyal to the master; it does not represent a threat for asthmatic people or those with bronchial allergies.

Antique
The antique of the Peruvian dog can be seen in some ceramic of different pre-Inca cultures: Mochica, Chimu, wich date from year 300 B.C. to 1460 A.C.
In the discovery of the lord of Sipan in 1987 in Huaca Rajada, we could observe a Peruvian dog skeleton, at the time of the Incas, the dog was well known as allqu and according to the chroniclers they were used for medicinal aims.

Scientific names: Canis Familiaris



 

THE PISCO IS FROM PERU


For many it is a discussion subject, but the intelligent ones speak with the truth, while others say only lies.
The Pisco is a typical drink of Peru and as Peruvians we have the affability to talk about this delicious drink, the history tell us that in the south of Peru at pre-Inca times, the valley of Pisco was inhabited by a human group, recognized by their remarkable pottery development. The potters were called Piskos and the containers that they elaborated took the same name as well. They contained the first alcoholic beverage product of the grape fermentation; these drinks are known at present times like Pisco.


The Pisco Sour
This national drink has its central day on the 1st Saturday of February


Ingredients:
2 ounces of Peruvian Pisco
2 ounces of Rubber Syrup
2 ounces of lemon juice
2 egg whites
Ice


Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients in the blander