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Rain and Sacred Valley rail repairs prompt PeruRail train detour

By Fertur Peru Travel | Published: May 18, 2013

After another heavy rainy season damaged tracks, railway concessionaire Ferrocarril Trasandino has  shut down PeruRail’s operations between Cusco and the Sacred Valley through the month of June.

You can read PeruRail’s release about the situation by clicking this link.

But basically, all trains originally scheduled to depart from Cusco – Poroy Station to the Machu Picchu Station in Aguas Calientes will be operating through a Bi-modal Service (bus+train) until June 30, 2013.

The specific route changes are as follows:

  • Vistadome 31, 203 and Expedition 33 will be running by bus from Wanchaq station (Five minutes by bus from downtown Cusco)
  • The bus will then take you to Pachar Station (1½ hrs) and from Pachar station, trains will be following the normal route to Machu Picchu station in Aguas Calientes.

Buses from Wanchaq station will be departing at the same time as PeruRail’s normal train schedules.

The same situation will also apply to the following services: Vistadome 32, 604 and Expedition 34. The transportation from Pachar Station to Wanchaq Station will be by bus.

perurail_pacha_bimodal

Please note that services between Ollantaytambo station and Machu Picchu station will not be modified.

Hiram Bingham passengers

Departure will be by bus (1½ hrs) from Wanchaq Station to Río Sagrado Hotel. From Río Sagrado you will be transferred by train to Machu Picchu station. The same applies for the return journey.

Posted in Cusco, Machu Picchu, News | Tagged Bi-modal service, Pachar Station, PeruRail, Poroy Station | Leave a comment

Peruvian Pisco’s 400-year history on exhibit in historic Lima

By Fertur Peru Travel | Published: May 8, 2013

Pisco's 400-year history on exhibit in Lima, PeruFour hundred years ago, on April 30, 1613, Pedro Manuel, a prosperous merchant from Peru’s Ica Valley, signed his last will and testament.

Manuel was the owner of a general store that sold a wide variety of products. Among them — listed as part of his estate — were more than 100 mud-ceramic containers and jars filled with the grape spirit, later known as Pisco, and a large copper boiler to distill the liquor.

His last will and testament remains, to date, the oldest known documentary evidence of Pisco production in Peru.

It is also the centerpiece of a fabulous exhibit at the historic Casa O’Higgins gallery in downtown Lima focused on the history of the sublime Peruvian liquor, best known as the key ingredient of the Pisco Sour cocktail.

The curatorial texts, by pisco historian Dr. Lorenzo Huertas are top rate, but strictly in Spanish.

Still, the photos, relics and documents are fascinating, and to a large extent self-explanatory.

Admission is free and the exhibit runs through June.

Pedro Manuel pisco will and testament, the oldest documentary evidence of Pisco liquor

Pedro Manuel’s  last will and testament is the oldest documentary evidence of Pisco liquor. It is the centerpiece of a free exhibit at Galería Histórico Bernardo O’Higgins in Lima’s historic city center celebrating Peruvian Pisco’s 400-year history
(Jr. De La Unión Nº 554
Tues – Sun 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
☎ 01-626-6625)
Click on Image to Enlarge

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Posted in History, Ica, Lima, News | Tagged free museum exhibit, pisco | Leave a comment

Llama-supported treks coming soon to Peru’s Chaparrí Reserve

By Fertur Peru Travel | Published: May 7, 2013

☼ Peru Nature Tours and Travel Adventures ☼

Llama treks at the Chaparri wildlife reserve in Peru's northern Lambayeque regionChaparrí, the private reserve in Northern Peru created and run by the local community, will soon offer visitors llama-supported treks, according to the reserve Director Heinz Plenge.

“We are talking about hikes of about eight hours along marked routes,” Plenge told state-run news agency Andina.

Chaparri Reserve, in the Tumbes region of Lambayeque, PeruChaparrí is one of the best protected dry forest areas in the country, and is home to a range of wildlife, including many endemic and threatened species, like Spectacled Bears, Andean Condor and White-winged Guan. It is also home to a growing population of South American camelids, including  about a dozen guanacos and close to 40 llamas.

“This year we are going to bring in another group. What we want is to restore the llama what it was in Northern Peru up until the arrival of the Spanish” in 1532, said Plenge, one of Peru’s preeminent wildlife photographers and environmentalists.

Tourists, from Peru and abroad, will be able to hike with the llamas, as well as horses, carrying the load of their equipment, backpacks and food to camp sites.  Read More »

Posted in Destinations, Family Travel, Lambayeque, News, Prominent Peruvians, Travel Photography, Wildlife | Tagged Heinz Plenge, horse and llama supported hikes, llama treks, wildlife reserve | Leave a comment

Cusco Tourism leader worried over Machu Picchu preservation

By Rick Vecchio | Published: May 4, 2013

The president of the Association of Cusco Tour Agencies says he’s concerned that poor management and overcrowding at Machu Picchu is taking an undue toll on the iconic Inca citadel, and he blames the Ministry of Culture.

Enrique Velarde told Peru’s tourism trade publication T News that the Culture Ministry is taking too long to update the Machu Picchu Master Plan. He said the ministry is dragging its feet on improving Machu Picchu’s tourist infrastructure and implementing new rules for visitors aimed at preserving the World Heritage site.

“It seems like they want it all to collapse,” Velarde was quoted saying.

The number of visitors to Machu Picchu surpassed one million tourists for the first time ever in 2012, according to totals published by the Ministry of Foreign Commerce and Tourism (MINCETUR).

The statistics show that during all but three months of  last year, the average number of visitors far exceeded the daily limit of 2,500 agreed to by Peru and UNESCO. Crowds swelled to well over 3,000 people per day during the months of April and July through November.

Average number of visitors to Machu Picchu far exceeded the daily limit of 2,500 agreed to by Peru and UNESCO in all but three months of the year in 2012.

Read More »

Posted in Archaeological Sites, Cusco, Machu Picchu, News | Tagged endangered archaeological sites, Machu Picchu visitor totals 2012, UNESCO | Leave a comment

Visit Sacsayhuaman to ponder an awesome megalithic mystery

By Fertur Peru Travel | Published: April 29, 2013

☼ Inca Tours and Travel Adventures ☼

Sacsayhuaman: This titanic feat of megalithic architecture has astounded observers since the Spanish ConquestVisit Cusco and you can witness one of the greatest structures ever erected, the Inca fortress temple of Sacsayhuaman.

This titanic feat of megalithic architecture has astounded observers from the time of the Spanish Conquest to the present day.

Pedro Sancho wrote in 1534 of Sacsayhuaman that “neither the  stone aqueduct of Segovia nor the buildings of Hercules nor the work of the Romans had the dignity of this fortress.”

Theories abound as to how the gigantic, irregular shaped boulders of its outer terrace walls were quarried and transported distances ranging from nine to 20 miles. The mammoth stone blocks were perfectly fitted together without  mortar by a bronze age civilization that had no standard system of writing, or even the wheel. Read More »

Posted in Cusco, Destinations, History | Tagged cusco tourist information, cusco tours, Inca architecture | Leave a comment

Luggage storage at Lima’s Jorge Chavez International Airport

By Fertur Peru Travel | Published: April 25, 2013

 

Find out where to store your luggage at Lima's Jorge Chavez International Airport & how much it costsLima’s Jorge Chavez Airport has been recognized as one of the best in Latin America year in and year out. But let’s say you have a long, long layover in Lima and don’t want to sit around. You want to get out to see the city, but don’t know what to do with your suitcases.

Well, there is a solution: the “left luggage” (luggage storage) in the domestic arrivals area of Jorge Chavez International Airport. Read More »

Posted in Lima, Tips, Travel Tips, What to Pack | Tagged Map of Jorge Chavez International Airport | Leave a comment

Activities for kids on an unforgettable Peru family vacation

By Fertur Peru Travel | Published: April 22, 2013

☼ When it comes to quality time with family, there is nothing comparable to luxury travel on a Peru vacation. ☼

Activities for kids on an amazing family vacation to CuscoLife is busy and time is short. So when you do finally decide on a vacation destination, spending quality time together as a family is a big priority. Researching family holiday packages might seem an overwhelming task, especially if you are looking for a range of engaging activities that you can enjoy with your children.

Here are some inspirational ideas for a family holiday in Peru. This hand-picked selection of hotels and destinations offer unique enrichment activities for children, allowing them to search for Inca treasures, learn about ancient Andean constellations, explore the citadel of Machu Picchu, and much more.

Cuzco holiday for your junior archaeologist & explorer

The ancient Inca capital is a wonderful destination for a family adventure, filled with activities for kids of varying ages.

The ChocoMuseo, Cusco, offering chocolate for kids as young as four and as old as 100 or more...What kid doesn’t love chocolate? (And Peruvian cacao is the main ingredient for some of the best chocolate on the planet.) So one great attraction for children as young as four is the chocolate workshop at the ChocoMuseo.

Sit back and enjoy a refreshing chocolate frappuccinno, or join in the fun with your children, learning the history of chocolate and how it’s made.

A wondrous evening activity in Cusco that’s perfect for parents with children 12 years old and up (although younger kids are absolutely welcome) is the Planetarium Cusco. Read More »

Posted in Cusco, Destinations, Family Travel, Machu Picchu, Paracas, Peruvian Cuisine, Puerto Maldonado, Superfoods, Tambopata, Tips, Wildlife | Tagged family holiday destinations, Peru tours for children, travel with kids, Vacation with kids | Leave a comment

A history travel must: tour Cusco’s Koricancha Sun Temple

By Fertur Peru Travel | Published: April 17, 2013

☼ Inca Tours and Travel Adventures ☼

The Koricancha's shrines — sanctuary temples to the Sun, Moon, Stars, Lightning and Rainbows — were built around the Inti Pampa, or Field of the Sun.In Quechua “Koricancha” (aka Coricancha or Qoricancha) means “courtyard of gold” — and to the utter amazement of the Spanish Conquistadors, that’s exactly what they beheld when they first laid eyes on the glimmering temple complex.

The massive, gold plated walls caught the rays of the setting sun.

This stupefying architectural marvel was the most sacred of Inca shrines, presided over by the chief astronomer priest, the Huillac-Umu.

The Spanish stripped the gold, and razed the temple to build the Church and Convent of Santo Domingo on top of its foundation.

But much of the complex, including its curved, once-gold covered, outer wall remains intact.

The Koricancha had six major structures, sanctuary temples to venerate the Sun, Moon, Stars, Lightning and Rainbows, as well as a residence for its priests.

Witness the mastery of incredible Inca masonry at the Corichancha-Santo Domingo Church with Fertur Peru Travel These chambers were revealed when an earthquake damaged the convent in 1953.

You can now walk through several of the original temple chambers to witness trapezoidal archways and sloping anti-seismic walls, the most intricate and seamless stonework found in Peru.

The the temples were built around the Inti Pampa, or Field of the Sun. At its center was a fountain, on which was mounted the legendary Inca Sunburst, a solid gold image of the sun. Read More »

Posted in Cusco, Destinations, History | Tagged cusco tourist information, cusco tours | Leave a comment

Alternative Lima Tour: Royal Felipe Fortress

By Fertur Peru Travel | Published: April 10, 2013

Standing guard at Fortaleza del Real FelipeTowering over the seafront at Lima’s Port of Callao is the Royal Felipe Fortress — a monument of 18th century military architecture well worth visiting with a knowledgeable guide.

Its star-shaped bastion towers and lookout posts, deep dungeons and elegant salons were built in honor of King Philip V.

18th century depiction of Lima and Port of CallaoFor more than a century, Peru’s Viceroyalty had struggled to fend off some of the most famous pirates and privateers of the age: Sir Francis Drake, John Hawkins, Thomas Cavendish and Jacques L’Hermite.

Then the massive earthquake and tsunami of October 1746 devastated Callao, destroying the port town and washing away its fortified walls.

With the City of Kings left wide open to attack by buccaneers, Viceroy José Antonio Manso de Velasco commissioned Luis Godin, a French engineer, to design the new fortress and construction began in August 1747. Read More »

Posted in Destinations, Family Travel, History, Lima | Tagged fortaleza del Real Felipe, Military History Museum, Royal Philip Fortress | Leave a comment

Lima’s legendary leaping monk saves drowning man

By Fertur Peru Travel | Published: April 2, 2013

The diving spectacle of the "Leap of the Monk," a daily re-enactment of a lovelorn friar's legendary suicide dive into the Pacific as his lover watched from a passing ship bound for Spain during Peru's 18th century colonial periodFor 26 years, Fernando Canchari, a professional diver, has reenacted the legendary lovelorn leap of Friar Francisco, who jumped to a watery death rather than be separated from the love of his life, the beautiful Clara.

But early on Easter Sunday, when Canchari dove into the torrid Pacific waters, it was not for the usual tips of spectators, and it had nothing to do with forbidden love.

Instead it was to rescue a drowning man.

Fernando Canchari, who for 26 years has re-enacted the legendary lovelorn "leap of the monk" explains to a television news crew how he dove into the crashing Pacific waves to save a reportedly drunken weekend reveler from drowning after the man fell from the cliff.“A woman alerted me that there was a man in the water in trouble,” Canchari told a television news crew. “I went over and I saw him. He was in the water at the break in the cliff shouting for help. He didn’t look good.”

Canchari swan dived, as he has done thousands of times, and pulled the man to the shore as volunteer firefighters were called in.

The reportedly drunken weekend reveler was carried from the rocky inlet up to a waiting ambulance.

drowning by Fernando Canchari, the diving monkThey say the forbidden love between Francisco and Clara was so strong that their spirits still whisper in the crashing waves and fluttering wings of the seagulls below the Pacific seaside cliff in Lima’s Chorrillos district. On Sunday, they were applauding.

Congratulations to Fernando Canchari for his heroic deed!

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Posted in History, Lima, News, Travel Photography | Leave a comment