Peru

New lodges will be built for Andean mountaineers in Ancash

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 00:18:00 +0000

Authorities in Huaraz, in the Ancash region, are planning to build new lodges for mountaineers that come from all over the world to climb the snow peaks of the Cordillera Blanca, the highest tropical mountain range on Earth. The lodges will be built at the bottom of the mountains offering the climbers a better access to their peaks.

New tourist signs in Apurimac

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 00:19:00 +0000

Visitors to Apurimac will find their way easy to this region’s tourist attractions with the new 44 tourist signs that have been installed on 7 destinations such as Choquequirao Archaeological Site, Cconoc Hot Springs, Pacucha Lake, Apurimac Canyon, Saywite Archaeological Site, Ampay National Sanctuary, and Pincahuacho Hot Springs.

National Museum of Chavin

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 00:22:00 +0000

Visitors to the massive temple of Chavin de Huantar, a UNESCO World Heritage Trust Site, are now able to admire the archaeological objects found in its underground tunnels and galleries at the new National Museum of Chavin, including the Tello Obelisk that was taken to Lima 90 years ago as well as other impressive carved stone monoliths. Eventually, a research and conservation center will be built near the museum.

On its opening day, reminiscences of the glorious past of the Chavin Culture were given by the sound of the “pututos”, trumpets made from sea conch, the way it is thought their rites were announced 3,000 years before Christ.

The museum has 14 exhibition rooms and is located about 4 hours east of Huaraz, in the region of Ancash. It has been built near the famous archaeological site and it is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9am to 5pm. including holidays.

Air Canada’s Boeing 767-300ER now flies to Lima

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 00:25:00 +0000

Visitors to Peru can fly now on Air Canada’s new Boeing 767-300ER, which features new and comfortable seats on its executive and economy classes as well as many hours of music and movies for your entertaining on board, from Toronto in a direct fly to Lima.

The Boeing 767 family of airplanes produces less pollutant emissions per pound of fuel than any comparably sized jetliner. They are also lighter and more efficient than competing jetliners, the 767s burn less fuel for better environmental performance and improved operating economics. These airplanes are quiet and the newest family members such as the 767-400ER are the quietest of all.

New luxury lodges in the Amazonas region

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:23:00 +0000

Two important tourist destinations in the Amazonas region will soon offer new lodges aimed to satisfy the demand from the ecological and luxurious market. One will be built near the Kuelap archaeological site and the other will offer rooms in front of the Gocta Falls.

Kuelap was built around 800 A.D. by the Chachapoyas, a fierce people that for years resisted the Incas colonization. Kuelap’s three entrances are narrow alleys between high walls of stones that become narrower as they reach the upper levels. There are 420 circular stone buildings in the citadel, which are decorated with rhombus and zigzag designs around them as well as carved stones with animal and anthropomorphic motifs. Beautiful orchids and bromeliads surround the structures.

The Gocta Falls, located in the cloud forests of northern Peru, is one of the highest in the planet at 771 meters high. It was unknown to the outside world until discovered in 2002. The locals of Chachapoyas kept it a secret for centuries because of a myth about a beautiful blond mermaid who lives in its waters and would bring a curse down on them if they revealed its whereabouts.

A 4,500 years old temple was discovered in Lambayeque

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:25:00 +0000

Recently, the Peruvian archaeologist Ignacio Alva discovered a structure that could mark the origin of the northern cultures of Peru such as the Moche, in Chiclayo, Lambayeque. The temple was built with mud; it has 20 meters on its side and is part of three sections that together form a pyramid on the Ventarrón hill. It is decorated with designs of fish and fishnets.

On the ground floor that includes the first phase built 4,500 years ago, a modeled image of two fish crossed and looking in opposite directions near a fire altar was found. This image is similar in size and technique to the “crossed hands”, a modeled in the archaeological site of Kotosh located in the central Andes in Huánuco, which is 4,000 years old. Mud and walls that were built on top of older structures for many years cover most of the site.

It is possible that this structure was part of a religious hub since archaeological evidences that point to that theory have been found in its surroundings.

The Avelinos of Junín dance was declared National Heritage

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:28:00 +0000

The National Cultural Institute (INC) declared the dance from Huancayo a National Cultural Heritage since it contributes to state the regional and national identity. The Avelinos of Junín historical, cultural and religious content were considered in its declaration.

The music is play with traditional Andean instruments such as the “tinya”, a hand-made leather drum, and the “wacra”, a trumpet made out of a bull horn, as well as the Andean harp, violins, clarinets and saxophones.

The dance features a historical event where Andrés Avelino Cáceres, the leader of the resistance against the Chilean invasion in the 1800’s, chose the best youngsters from the district of San Jeronimo de Tunán, Huancayo, to form a spy organization in order to get information about the enemy.

Royal palace discovered in Cusco

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:31:00 +0000

According to the archaeologists that found the site in Cusco, the structure may have been part of the royal palace of the Inca Pachacútec’s wife. Pachacútec (He who remakes the world) is remember as the first Inca emperor who began the expansion and the organization of the empire, as well as for his architectural and engineering legacy that reach monumental proportions across the empire including the redesign of its capital, Cusco, in the XV century.

Among the discoveries are two enclosures and part of a stone wall, which was built using the same technology used to build the Koricancha temple during Pachacútec’s reign. Two funeral areas were found as well, one with the remains of a woman buried with a few kitchen ceramics, and the other hasn’t been uncovered yet.

APEC Summit and the Declaration of Lima

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 00:21:00 +0000

Leaders from the Member Economies of the APEC decided to avoid protectionism and not raise trade barriers over the year 2009 in order to overcome the current global financial crisis. The agreement was done at the 16th summit held in Peru on November last year where members subscribed the Declaration of Lima, which also includes the encouragement of free trade, avoid economic recession and battle global warming.

APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation) was established in 1989 to further economic growth and prosperity for the region as well as to strengthen the Asia-Pacific community. The 21 APEC countries account for half the world’s economic activity, more than a third of the world’s population (2.6 billion people), and over 50% of world GDP (US$19,254 billion).

Secrets of the “Huaca” Pucllana revealed

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 00:23:00 +0000

After three years of research since its discovery, a burial chamber that was found in the “Huaca” Pucllana archaeological site was recently made public. It is the first untouched tomb found from the Wari Culture (AD 700). Inside the tomb, three mummies where found wrapped in layers of textiles and ropes, a male and female with funeral masks on them and a child that may had been sacrificed. The female’s mask was found in pristine condition, she then was named the Lady of the Mask. Among other objects found at the burial chamber are ceramics, tools and textiles made of cotton and alpaca fibers.

The “Huaca” Pucllana is an adobe pyramidal structure located within the city of Lima in the modern district of Miraflores; it was built by the Lima Culture around AD 400 and eventually became part of the Wari Empire, which was based in the Andean region of Ayacucho.

Expedition reaches unexplored area of the Colca Canyon

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 00:25:00 +0000

An international team of scientists and explorers lead by the Polish Jerzy Majcherczyk traveled through the narrowest area of the Colca Canyon, the second deepest in the world after Cotahuasi Canyon, both in the southern Peruvian Andes, exploring, filming and gathering scientific information about the canyon and its origin. On the nine-day journey, covering 20 kilometers of the area called “Cruz Del Condor”, the explorers discovered an archaeological site; a funeral compound dug high on one of the canyon’s walls. The Colca Canyon is 3,400 meters deep.

The expedition was called “Colca Condor 2008” and gathered a team of Americans, Polishes and Peruvians adventurers, who made a detailed topographic image of the area that was included with their scientific research on a documentary shown in Warsaw, Poland, last September.

Inca roads may soon be a World Heritage

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 00:27:00 +0000

The vast network of paved roads built by the Incas throughout the Andean range and the western coast of South America, the Qapaq Ñan, shared by six countries of the region, is been proposed as a historical monument to be appointed as a World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO.

The Qapaq Ñan was made of stone paths and hanging bridges over the Andean rivers, steps and ramps were built to overcome the steep slopes. It connected the four regions of the Inca Empire, called by them Tahuantinsuyo (the four quarters of the world). Trains of llamas carrying goods used to go through these roads as well as the “chasquis”, the mail runners who kept the Inca and his people informed about the latest news and statistics of their world.

The famous Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is one of the best examples of the greatness of the Qapaq Ñan; thousands of trekkers have already experienced this fabulous journey from Cusco to Machu Picchu. The Inca Trail is rated among the ten best trekking trails in the world because of its striking beauty, ancient Inca ruins and diverse ecological zones.

Cruising Peru

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Sat, 02 May 2009 23:11:00 +0000

Thousands of cruise passengers will visit Peru from December to April, sailing on cruise lines that now stop at two Peruvian ports, Callao and Pisco, offering visitors a few days to enjoy the main tourist destinations of the country such as Lima’s Historical Center, the Nasca Lines, Cusco and Machu Picchu. Among the ships that will arrive to Peru are Star Princess, Tahitian Princess, Royal Princess, Queen Mary 2, and Carnival Splendor.

A year of a thousand discoveries in Sacsayhuaman

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Sat, 02 May 2009 23:13:00 +0000

The research and excavations done in the area called “Cruz Mocco” at the Archaeological Park of Sacsayhuaman in Cusco have yield 19,309 objects this year so far. Recently, Peruvian archaeologists found the remains of an Inca personality who was buried in 1532 with several ceremonial objects including a couple of small gold sculptures in a tomb 40 centimeters deep.

Cahuachi secrets revealed from space

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Sat, 02 May 2009 23:15:00 +0000

Italian scientists discovered, with the help of satellite infrared images, a structure that looks like a pyramid buried in the archaeological site of Cahuachi, Nasca, in the region of Ica. The structure appears to be halve-built and has at least four terraces with rising levels.

Since 1982, the Italian archaeologist Giuseppe Orefici and his team members have been excavating in Cahuachi, 28 kilometers from Nasca, where they have found a walled building complex with four groups of large constructions. Among the buildings that stand out are the Great Pyramid, the Great Temple and the Stepped Temple. In 1998, a deposit with 200 textiles was discovered, some depicting unknown myths. These are ceremonial garments for children and adults.

Cahuachi is the largest mud ceremonial center in the world, covering an area of 24 square kilometers. It was an important center for the Nasca culture, BC 400 to AD 400, and it was mostly used to make agricultural offerings. The Nasca Culture is known worldwide because of its lines and gigantic figures drawn in the desert.

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/10/03/peru-cahuachi.html
http://www.caretas.com.pe/2003/1758/articulos/cahuachi.phtml
http://www.rpp.com.pe/

Underground passage discovered in Chavín de Huántar

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Sat, 02 May 2009 23:16:00 +0000

A subterranean passage was recently discovered beneath a circular plaza in the archaeological site of Chavín de Huántar. A small cavity on the side of the plaza leads to the passage, which has a stone staircase that ends two meters down into the tunnel. The passage connects with the Mosna River and is 400 meters long.

According to the American archaeologist John Rick, this place may have been used for offerings. Among the archaeological objects found in the passage are pieces of ceremonial ceramics, animal and human remains as well as some metal items.

Barack Obama featured in a Nativity Scene of Chincha

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Sat, 16 May 2009 22:25:00 +0000

On the 2008 Christmas Season, artisans in Chincha, Ica, built a Nativity Scene depicting Afro Peruvian characters made of fine ceramics from Ayacucho that included the then elected president of the United States of America, Barack Obama, as a guest. The image of the president was added to their work as a testimony of the current times, which bring changes and hope in Peru and the world.

Christmas in Cusco

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Sat, 16 May 2009 22:28:00 +0000

For over 70 years, Christmas Eve in Cusco have gathered hundreds of people in the Plaza de Armas, the main square, to enjoy the season while shopping and admiring exquisite Christmas art in the Santuranticuy, “Saints Sale” in Quechua; Santuranticuy is a provisional village market with a fiesta ambience, featuring skilled artisans from many Andean communities that come to show and sale their handicrafts from early in the morning to just before midnight. This traditional village market could soon be declared a National Cultural Heritage in Peru.

http://www.cusco-peru.org/cusco-festivities-cusco-december.shtml
http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/Noticia.aspx?id=Hw2LpAIX3Cg=

More security in Mancora

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Sat, 16 May 2009 22:29:00 +0000

Security in the sun destination of Mancora and nearby beaches, in Northern Peru, was improved for the summer season. More police and lifesaver units offered a secure environment to visitors between January and March in 2009.

Ancient site discovered in Amazonas

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Sat, 16 May 2009 22:31:00 +0000

A group of students and teachers discovered what appears to be a pre-Incan citadel in Utcubamba, in the region of Amazonas. The site was found on a mountain called Pachallama at 2,200 meters above sea level. Some of the structures that are not totally covered by the jungle look similar to the archaeological site of Kuelap, located in the same region. A couple of caves were also found with ancient objects made of ceramic.

Kuelap was built around 800 A.D by the Chachapoyas, a fierce people that for years resisted the Incas colonization. Kuelap’s three entrances are narrow alleys between high walls of stones that become narrower as they reach the upper levels. In the citadel are 420 circular stone buildings made with rhombus and zigzag designs around them as well as carved stones with animal and anthropomorphic motifs surrounded by beautiful orchids and bromeliads.

New benefits for visitors to the Colca Canyon

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:30:00 +0000

Visitors to the Colca Canyon may soon have the benefit of a life insurance while visiting the region; the insurance cost will be added to the entrance fee to the valley, by June 2009.

Pre-Hispanic villages discovered in Cusco

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:46:00 +0000

Archaeologists of the National Cultural Institute (INC) found two villages that were lost underground for more than 4 centuries. The discovery was done near the Huanacaure hill, known as the main shrine of the Inca Culture.

The research lead by Oscar Montufar La Torre used Spanish chronicles from the XVI and XVII centuries as references for their investigations such as the one of Sarmiento de Gamboa. The villages were known as Matagua and Quirirmanta, which were built by the Killke Culture before falling into Inca domination.

Improvements in the Anta-Huaraz airport

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:48:00 +0000

Locals and tourists will benefit with the works currently done to modernize the airport in Anta, Ancash, which will offer a comfortable and secure environment to incoming and outgoing passengers. It is expected that the number of flights connecting Anta-Huaraz with Lima and other places in Peru will increase as soon as the works are done.

Huaraz is the gateway to a wonderland of snow peaks and nature that attracts mountaineers that come from all over the world to climb the summits of the Cordillera Blanca, the highest tropical mountain range on Earth.

Another important attraction is the massive temple of Chavin de Huantar, a UNESCO World Heritage Trust Site, and its new museum, the National Museum of Chavin. Visitors to the museum can admire the archaeological objects found in the temple’s underground tunnels and galleries, including the Tello Obelisk that was taken to Lima ninety years ago as well as other impressive carved stone monoliths. Eventually, a research and conservation center will be built near the museum.

Cusco is one of Americans’ favorite destinations

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:52:00 +0000

According to a survey done by Condé Nast Traveller about the Americans’ favorite destinations in the continent, Cusco is number 6 of the 10 more visited places in the Americas. Buenos Aires (Argentina) is the first destination, and as for countries, Canada and Mexico are the most visited in the region.

Yellow Day

noreply@blogger.com (www.coolPeru.com) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 01:14:00 +0000

Lima’s shopping centers will soon be crowded with customers in search for the traditional yellow garment to receive the New Year. According to popular belief, wearing yellow underwear in December 31st brings prosperity and happiness in the New Year, some people even wear the yellow garment inside out before midnight, and then after receiving the New Year they switch it right. Quite a few of them opt to wear other kind of yellow garment, such as a shirt, tie or any accessory. Lately, red garments are also been used on this date to bring love on the New Year.

http://blogs.elcomercio.pe/corresponsalesescolares/2009/01/amarillo-el-color-favorito-par.html
http://www.larepublica.com.pe/component/option,com_contentant/task,view/id,196691/Itemid,/
http://journalperu.com/?p=18