Peruvian cuisine gains ground due to exquisite taste and presentation
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Gaston Acurio in Misturia 2010 opening.
Photo: ANDINA/Carlos Lezama |
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- Lima, Sep. 07 (ANDINA). Peruvians have always taken great pride in their national cuisine and its popularity has continued to grow over the years and in different countries, including neighboring Chile.
In remarks at Tuesday's opening of the Third International Gastronomic Fair Mistura 2010 in Lima, event organizer Gaston Acurio said that "Chileans could pay three times more for a Peruvian dish than they do for a French one."
The celebrity chef, owner of international restaurants and author of several books, pointed out that the 'made in Peru' brand is increasingly popular in the world and it involves not only cuisine, but also cinema and fashion.
"Peruvian cuisine is gaining ground all over the world thanks to its exquisite taste and presentation," said the star chef who aims to make the annual event as bigger as Germany's Oktoberfest.
Acurio went on to say that the recent creation of Peru's Ministry of Culture will further boost our gastronomy both within and outside our borders.
Mistura 2010 opened Tuesday and will run through Sunday, September 12, at Parque de la Exposicion in Lima.
Peru’s tourist attractions to be promoted at FIT 2010
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Lake Titicaca, Amazon River and Colca Valley are some of
the country's most popular tourist destinations. |
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- Lima, Sep. 07 (ANDINA). Peru’s Export and Tourism Promotion Board (Promperu) has announced its participation in the International Tourism Trade Fair of Latin America-FIT 2010, which will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from October 30 to November 2.
The authority's decision to participate in the FIT 2010 edition is part of its strategy to promote Peru's multifaceted tourist attractions and investment opportunities.
To that end, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur) has authorised the trip for two Promperu officials to attend the four-day event in the Argentine capital.
FIT, one of the major tourism trade events in the world, is jointly organized by Argentine Association of Tourism and Travel Agencies (AAAVYT), Buenos Aires Association of Tourism and Travel Agencies (AVIABUE) and Ferias Argentinas S.A.
The fair, with key travel agencies and wholesalers of the region, offering new tours, destinations and an extensive range of alternatives, will enable the visitors to plan their holiday or special trips.
It provides a good platform for the exhibitors to get informed about the latest happenings in the tourism packages and services field, contact new customers and position their companies in the current competitive market.
FIT - International Tourism Trade Fair of Latin America 2009 will serve as a venue to strengthen networks in local and international tourism markets.
Peru president opens Mistura gastronomic fair in Lima
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Peruvian President Alan Garcia shakes hands with Mistura
organizer Gaston Acurio. Photo: Sepres |
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- Lima, Sep. 07 (ANDINA). Peruvian President Alan Garcia has officially opened the annual Mistura Gastronomic Fair, which runs through September 12 at the Parque de la Exposición in Lima.
During the six-day event, national and international chefs will be on hand to serve up culinary delights and visitors will be able to buy more than 1,500 regional products including bread, coffee, chocolate and delicacies.
The opening ceremony began at 11:00 with the presence of Prime Minister Javier Velasquez, Lima's Mayor Luis Castaneda, Peruvian Society of Gastronomy (Apega) President Bernardo Roca Rey, and Peruvian celebrity chef Gaston Acurio, President of the Organizing Committee for 2010 Mistura.
Peruvian Ministers Mercedes Araoz (Finance), Jose Garcia Belaunde (Foreign Affairs), Martin Perez (Trade and Tourism), Adolfo de Cordova (Agriculture), Jose Antonio Chang (Education), Juan Ossio (Culture), and Nicanor Gonzales (Production) also participated in the opening day festivities at Mistura.
Over 30 chefs from the best restaurants in the country will serve traditional meals with an innovative twist for the bargain price of 6 to 12 soles alongside international chefs, over 100 food stalls, and 600 farmers.
Visitors will also be entertained with a long list of keynote speakers discussing various aspects of Peruvian cuisine including sociological and scientific topics.
Cooking classes will also be held to offer foodies the chance to obtain tips from professionals in creating Peruvian dishes. People who are knowledgeable in the topic may also like to take part in one of the round-table talks or alternatively just pick up cooking skills from experts.
Thirteen journalists from 7 countries to cover Mistura Fair 2010
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Gastronomic Fair Mistura 2009. Photo: ANDINA/Carlos Lezama |
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- Lima, Sep. 06 (ANDINA). Thirteen journalists from seven countries, invited by Peru’s Export and Tourism Promotion Board (Promperu), will cover the third edition of Mistura 2010 gastronomic fair that opens tomorrow in Lima.
Among the invited journalists are representatives of important media such as The Washington Post (US), El País (Spain), El Universal (Mexico), Folha de Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Clarín (Argentina).
Also El Mundo (Spain), Vancouver Sun and National Post (Canada), 994 Magazine (US), Huffington Post (US), and Semana (Colombia).
Other press media contacted by PromPeru and interested in covering Mistura 2010 are Granies on Safari (US), Le Figaro Magazine (France), Babelia (Spain), Comes & Bebes and Brasil Económico (Brazil), as well as Prazeres da Mesa (Brazil).
Besides visiting the gastronomic fair, the journalists will carry out other activities in Lima and complete their visit with trips to other destinations of the country.
Reporters from the US, Canada and Spain will go to Cusco and tour restaurants in the Sacred Valley.
Meanwhile, Latin American reporters will visit Ica to make the Pisco route and taste pisco sour, Peru's flagship drink.
Colca Valley exceeded expectations with over 21,000 visitors in August
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The Colca Valley is located in southern Peru, province of
Caylloma, Arequipa. |
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- Lima, Sep. 06 (ANDINA). A total of 21,444 tourists visited the impressive Colca Valley in August, a significant increase compared to the same period last year, Colca Autonomous Authority (Autocolca) reported.
Jose Luis Talavera, the official in charge of the corresponding entity said the number of tourists has increased and favorable responses have poured in the past four months, a reward for the promotion campaign initiated last year at a national and international level.
In addition to that, domestic tourists show more interest in exploring their own country by choosing Arequipa as the place where to spend their holidays and long weekends, Talavera stated.
Located in Arequipa, southern Peru, the Colca Valley has experienced a 14.8% growth of inbound foreign tourists from January to August over the same period last year, with 109,339 tourists.
Talavera added that Autocolca’s target is to attract 180,000 tourists by the end of the year.
Last year, the Colca Valley received a total of 146,818 visitors, a figure they expect to surpass this year by implementing new services.
Peru becoming one South America’s most desired tourist destinations
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Coricacha or Temple of the Sun in Cusco.
Photo: ANDINA / Archive |
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- Lima, Sep. 06 (ANDINA). Peru is rapid becoming one of South America’s most desired tourist destinations as getting into the Andean country is quite cheap and simple with plenty of internal flights operating on an about daily basis from all international airports, reported boosh news, a renowned tourism website.
"If there’s a place in South America overflowing with the amazing ruins of ancient civilizations and the riches of fascinating and awe-inspiring sightseeing’s, then for sure it’s Peru," reads an article named "The mystic and classic attractions of Peru".
The showy marvels such as Macchu Pichu, the Colca Canyon, Nazca lines, the Coricancha Inca Ruins and Pisco makes Peru a mandatory destination.
The publication recommends to plan a trip and take the flights to Peru between March and April, when the weather is warm and humidity levels are low down.
Getting into Peru is quite cheap and simple with plenty of internal flights to Peru operating on an about daily basis from all international airports and on a reasonably priced and reliable public transport system.
Bush news recommends to visit Pisco, which is a small fishing village, renowned for its blistering white grape brandy. It also brags the beginning of one of the major ancient civilizations in Peru, the Paracas culture, who left an amazing assortment of antiquities that are exhibited in the museums of Lima.
"The tourists flying into Peru through the cheap flights to Peru should never miss a trip to this marvelous city. The rocks are breathing with thousands of drifting and resident sea birds, including pelicans, flamingos, penguins, red boobies and terns."
Coricancha is another unmissable destination as it is all that leftovers of the ancient Temple of the Sun, which was an imperative temple in the Inca Empire, dedicated to Inti, the Sun God.
The Church of Santo Domingo is also present by the ruined temple that was trampled by the gold-hungry Spanish in the 17th century. Severe earthquakes have brutally damaged the church, but the Inca stone walls are still standing as a testimony.
"Curios readers will surely be fascinated to take the flights to Peru and observe those wonderful attractions by themselves".
The Sacred Valley of the Incas is a piece of such a breathtaking beauty, between the villages of Pisac and Ollantaytambo, at the banks of winding Urubamba River, close to ancient Inca ruins suspended high on the peak above, and scattered with little traditional settlements.
"So take now the flights to Peru and experience the mind blowing attractions yourself," said the website.
Mistura lures in cholocate lovers
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Peruvian chocolate is a must-try at Mistura. Photo: ANDINA |
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- Lima, Sep. 05 (ANDINA). This year's Mistura, a six-day culinary festival which kicks off Tuesday September 7 in Lima, will feature a special 300-square-meter area for Peruvian cocoa and chocolate lovers.
The Rincón del Chocolate (Chocolate Corner) will include several stands offering the best of Peruvian chocolate products with the participation of Diperugia, La Ibérica, La Orquídea de Tarapoto, Xocolati, among other renowned chocolate manufacturers.
The Mistura Third International Gastronomic Fair will be held in Lima from September 7 to 12 in Parque de la Exposición. According to its website, Mistura "will award ideas, values and commitment in all its culinary forms."
Over 30 chefs from the best restaurants in the country will serve traditional meals with an innovative twist for the bargain price of 6 to 12 soles alongside international chefs, over 100 food stalls, and 600 farmers.
Visitors will also be entertained with a long list of keynote speakers discussing various aspects of Peruvian cuisine including sociological and scientific topics. Cooking classes, competitions, movies, and performers will also be present to entertain visitors as well.
Each new airline flying to Peru generates $100 mln in annual revenues
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Peru’s Foreign Trade and Tourism Minister Martin Perez. |
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- Lima, Sep. 04 (ANDINA). Each new airline operating direct flights to lima, Peru generates some US$100 million in annual revenues, Peru’s Foreign Trade and Tourism Minister Martin Perez announced.
He estimates that about 300 passengers a day and over 90000 commuters a year will be added if a new airline begins to operate daily direct flights to Lima in a wide-bodied plane (i.e. a Boeing 777).
This translates into an additional US$100 million in annual revenues to the country as it is the calculation of tourism sector expenditure, which is very important for the country, he told Andina news agency.
He is also confident that Air France -with which he may meet in Paris- will resume direct flights between Paris and Lima, as the flow is increasing.
That is why the Council of Ministers’ Presidency (PCM) authorized the minister to pursue a trip to France in order to hold meetings with French airlines.
Air France will render its decision in the next few weeks and they want to contribute to make this a positive answer for the country.
Dulce Peru in Cusco to feature 25 local desserts
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New edition of Dulce Peru 2010 contest will be held in Cusco.
Photo: ANDINA / Percy Hurtado.
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- Cusco, Sep. 03 (ANDINA). This Saturday, September 4, thousands of Peruvians and foreign tourists are expected to participate in another edition of Dulce Perú 2010, a dessert contest to be held this time in the Andean city of Cusco.
Event organizer GGD Comunicaciones has announced that the event will feature more than 25 local desserts, including mazamorra de quinua, dulce de calabaza, dulce de níspero, sierra nevada, dulce de tomate, guisado, maná, manzana con chancaca and suspiro.
"In addition, there will be other innovative delights from which the best will be selected," GGD Comunicaciones general manager Elizabeth Du-Bois told Andina.
Starting at 10.00 am, the fourth edition of Dulce Peru will take place in Cusco's Regocijo park with the support of Peru's Export and Tourism Promotion Board (Promperu) and the Municipality of Cusco.
A team of judges will select the best local dessert, which will then compete at the Dulce Lima event against seven other delicacies from the same number of regions.
No more lines to pay departure taxes at Jorge Chavez airport
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Peru's Transport and Communications Minister Enrique
Cornejo chaired the launching of a new eponym stamp.
Photo: ANDINA/Juan Carlos Guzmán Negrini. |
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- Lima, Sep. 03 (ANDINA). Peru’s Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) today announced that in the coming days passengers won’t have to wait in lines to pay the departure tax TUUA or single fee for airport use at Jorge Chavez international airport.
"The exact date of this change will be announced in the next few days. This fee will be charged to the airline tickets," said Minister of Transport and Communications, Enrique Cornejo.
In September last year, the MTC reported that it had earlier suggested that the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) could incorporate such a fee in airline tickets in order to improve the quality of airport services nationwide.
Peru's Minister of Tourism meets with French airlines this week
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Peru's Trade and Tourism Minister Martin Perez.
Photo: ANDINA/ Alberto Orbegoso. |
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- Lima, Sep. 02 (ANDINA). Peru’s Foreign Trade and Tourism Minister Martin Perez will hold meetings with main airlines from France this week to explore the possibility of establishing direct air routes between both countries.
According to a supreme resolution of the Council of Ministers (PCM) published today, the coordination meetings will take place in Paris, France since today until September 6.
France is an important market that sends tourists to Peru, which is the reason why Mincetur considers necessary to boost work meetings and make research teams to explore the possibilities.
During the 17th World Tourism Organization (WTO) General Assembly, held in October of 2009 in the city of Astana (Kazajstan), it was approved by unanimity the convenience of the countries exploring new routes to improve the air connectivity and deal with the international economic crisis.
This commitment has as precedent the agreement adopted in the 5th Tourism Ministerial Meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) held in Lima in 2008.
New Lima tour program proves successful
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Tourists visiting the Plaza Mayor (Main Square) of Lima. |
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- Lima, Sep. 02 (ANDINA). Lima, the capital of Peru, is a city that many tourists have traditionally avoided spending much time in. A new city tour designed and run by the tour company Escaped to Peru is changing the perception of visitors to this huge South American metropolis.
The tour company Escaped to Peru has received a great response to its new format Lima city tour. Two months ago the company, based in Cusco, decided to introduce a new format for its full day city tours in Lima giving visitors a better and more rounded experience of this South American metropolis. Passengers who have taken the new tour have been very enthusiastic about their experience and the format has been deemed a success.
Gary Sargent, Managing Director of Escaped to Peru, explains "Lima has an unwarranted bad reputation in our opinion, it is in fact a nicer, safer city than many of its Latin American counterparts. Many people elect to avoid the city and just transit to Cusco or Arequipa, which in our opinion is a shame given its rich and varied history and the interesting legacy this has left".
The new full day city tour called "Culture and Contrasts" allows visitors to see some of the many facets of this huge city. As well as visiting the pre-Inca mud brick pyramids now surrounded by modern suburbs, plus the colonial center with its lovely ornate buildings with their wooden balconies, visitors also see some of the modern districts, both rich and poor.
The extreme contrasts of Peru are made obvious as visitors are shown some of the poorest neighborhoods such as La Victoria followed by affluent areas such a San Isidro. Passengers have walking tours several times during the day allowing then to see local people doing everyday things. Lunch is taken in the Bohemian district of Barranco in a local restaurant rather than in the more touristy places in Miraflores.
Gary ends by saying "After taking this tour our passengers are left in no doubt that Lima is a very interesting city with a rich heritage and plenty of things to see and do, and they are glad they didn't just fly in and out!".
Loreto promotes local tourism with International Raft Race
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Raft race in Amazon River. Photo: Dircetura |
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- Lima, Sep. 02 (ANDINA). Loreto authorities will carry out the XII International Raft Race involving 180 km in order to promote tourism and support the Amazon River on the competition to become one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.
The Regional Director of Foreign Trade, Tourism and Handicraft Mauro Guimet said that 33 international teams and 12 Peruvian teams have already been registered.
“The contest starts September 23, finishes three days after and goes throughout beaches such as Pescadores in Nauta and towns in Nanay,” he told Andina.
“This is an emblematic event for Loreto and will help us to cast votes supporting the Amazon River as one of the world’s natural wonders,” he added.
The competition, jointly organized with sport man Michael Collins as part of the World Tourism Day, will be supported by National Police and Defensa Civil (Peru's civil defense organization in case of natural disasters) in terms of security.
Registrations are opened until September 10 in the office of Loreto’s Regional Directorate of Foreign Trade, Tourism and Handicraft.
Peru plans new tourist route in Cusco
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Yunca Punku hanging bridge located over Vilcanota river,
in Cusco. Photo: ANDINA / Percy Hurtado. |
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- Lima, Sep. 01 (ANDINA). Peru plans to launch new tourist route including the Inca Trail to Antisuyo, the Yunca Punku hanging bridge and the colonial church of Andahuaylillas or “Sistine of America", the Regional Directorate of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Dircetur) reported.
The proposal will be launched on Thursday as part of the activities of World Tourism Day on September 27.
“Cusco can’t settle for what it is doing at the time. We have to expand (the tourism industry) more and more and continue to enjoy leadership status in the country,” stated the head of Dircetur Victor Hugo Perez when saying that they have many more attractions to show tourists.
According to him, the tour was tested by some tourists who ventured on foot and bicycles, and stood amazed.
“This new attraction will enable villagers to create new job posts and benefit themselves economically; they will show the beautiful landscapes.”
Aerolineas Star Peru new UATP merchant
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Star Peru flight to Ayacucho. Photo: ANDINA/ Vidal Tarqui |
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- Lima, Sep. 01 (ANDINA). Aerolineas Star Peru, Lima, chose UATP to address the needs of its corporate travelers and now accepts all UATP corporate cards effective immediately at all points of sale including online at Star Peru web site.
"Peru is in a growth phase for corporate travel and we chose to join the UATP Network in efforts to expand our corporate market share in the region," said, Roman Kasianov, General Manager, Star UP S.A. via prnewswire.com
"We strive for excellence in our service and it quickly became apparent that to grow our corporate market share and meet customer demands, we needed to fulfill the requests for UATP acceptance."
Client satisfaction is the core value behind Star Peru and it concentrates on providing excellent service based on flexibility, technology and social responsibility.
"Airlines are listening to corporate customers and building UATP into successful business strategies," said President and CEO, Ralph Kaiser, UATP. "As the increasing challenge for market share gain continues, Star Peru joined UATP to position itself to capitalize on new opportunities."
Star Peru has been serving Peru since 1997, beginning its operations with porter and charter services. In 2004, a commercial operation to domestic routes began and was the fastest growing airline in Peru, now serving 10 domestic destinations.
UATP accounts are accepted as a form of payment for corporate business travel worldwide by airlines, travel agencies and Amtrak.
Star Peru was founded in May 1997 and contributes to the economic and social development of Peru by promoting different tourist destinations from a cultural perspective.
Star Peru operates with a vision of establishing value for its clients based on Flexibility, Technology and Social Responsibility in its fleet of aircraft with a team of professionals with wide commitment to service, warmth and customer focus.
Arequipa’s gastronomy to captivate attendees at Mistura 2010
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- Arequipa, Aug. 31 (ANDINA). Three picanterias –traditional eating houses serving spicy food– from Arequipa invited by the Peruvian Society of Gastronomy (Apega) will participate in Mistura 2010 gastronomic fair, reported regional trade and tourism director Rocio Cervantes Mansilla.
Eateries include “La Lucila”, “La nueva Palomino” and “El rinconcito arequipeño”.
Cervantes said the picanterías will offer rocoto arequipeño, adobo, lechon al horno, chupe de camaron and other traditional dishes from the southern city.
Contestants expect to sell at least 2,500 dishes per day at Mistura, which has become the most representative fair of Peruvian food.
The third edition of Mistura 2010 will take place from September 7 to 12 at the Parque de la Exposicion in Lima.
More foreigners visited Arequipa in Jan-Jul period
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Anniversary celebrations in Arequipa.
Photo: ANDINA/Rocío Méndez |
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- Arequipa, Aug. 30 (ANDINA). At least 80,000 foreign tourists arrived in Arequipa between January and July this year, surpassing the figure for the same period last year, regional trade and tourism director Rocio Cervantes Mansilla said Monday.
Cervantes also noted that the number of domestic tourist arrivals hit 380,000 in the first seven months of the year, which was up from the same period in 2009.
"These figures are expected to increase further by the end of this month as at least 22,000 visitors have participated in the city's 470th founding anniversary celebrations," said the tourism official.
According to statistical data, most foreigners come from France, Spain, Italy and the United States, while Peruvian tourists are mostly from Trujillo, Tacna and Puno.
Peru: A country of contrasts and adventure
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Machu Picchu and other attractions in Peru. Photo: ANDINA |
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- Lima, Aug. 29 (ANDINA). Guide books on Peru call it a country of contrasts. Of rich and poor. Native and mestizo culture. Of bustling coastal cities and traditional Andean towns literally built on the foundations of the Inca Empire. The books are right.
Journalist Chris Nichols and his wife left Southern California in late July to explore this South American country, "a destination that's not at the top of most travelers' lists, but ought to be," he says.
"We had long wanted to visit Peru for separate reasons: I wanted to see Lima, the nation's capital where my father spent two of his high school years while my grandfather worked at the U.S. Embassy.
"My wife, on the other hand, wanted to experience Machu Picchu, the ancient Inca city known to most only through stunning photographs in world history books.
"We visited both places and others during our 10-day tour, which took us from coastal Lima to the Andean high country of Cuzco and finally to Machu Picchu, on the edge of the Amazon jungle.
"At times it was a whirlwind adventure, complete with river rafting in the Andes and navigating the crowded streets of Lima, where cars rule the road and taxi rides are a white-knuckle experience. Click here to read his full story at North County Times.
Conference of American Armies members visit Machu Picchu
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Conference of American Armies members visit Machu Picchu
Photo: Andina/ Difusión |
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- Cusco, Aug. 29 (ANDINA). A 70-member delegation of military commanders, generals and high-ranking officials attending the Conference of American Armies (CAA) arrived in Cusco this week to visit the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, as part of activities marking marking the conference's 25th anniversary.
The CAA is an organization that promotes cohesion, improves hemispheric security and strengthens inter-American friendships on an army-to-army basis.
Accompanied by Peruvian army chief Otto Guibovich, the delegation flew to Cusco on Friday and on Saturday morning they headed to the Aguas Calientes town, the main gateway to the ancient Inca ruins.
General Otto Guibovich said that high-ranking military officers, who attended the Conference of American Armies in Lima, discussed and exchanged experiences on defense issues with an emphasis on security and democratic development of member countries.
“Agreements against drug trafficking were given priority during the meeting,” he sai
Peru to invest over US$ 163 million in six tourist destinations
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Kuelap Fortress in Amazonas, Peru. Photo: ANDINA/Archive |
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- Lima, Aug. 29 (ANDINA). With the support of international cooperation, the Peruvian government will invest more than US$ 163 million to promote sustainable development of six high-priority tourist destinations in different regions of the country.
According to Peru's Trade and Tourism Ministry (Mincetur), the six destinations to benefit from such investment are Kuelap Fortress in Amazonas, Moche Route in Lambayeque and La Libertad, the northern beaches, the Amazon, Lake Titicaca in Puno and Colca Valley in Arequipa.
Located at the top of rocky cliffs and guarded by a gigantic defensive wall, Kuelap contains in its interior circular compartments with decorative friezes. Peru's private investment promotion agency, or Proinversion, is currently promoting a cable railway project in the area.
The project seeks for the development of a system to transport tourists in cable railway, in the province of Luya, department of Amazonas. The cable railways will have 3.8 km of length and will demand an investment of around US$ 10.6 million. Currently, Proinversión is defining the characteristics of the transaction with the Ministry of Tourism and Foreign Trade (Mincetur) for this concession that shall be granted during the fourth quarter of 2010.
The government is also planning to improve tourism service and infrastructure in the Moche Route, an archaeological tour in northern Peru which includes the famous Lord of Sipan tomb and Tucume Pyramids in Lambayeque region and the Temple of the Sun and the Moon and Chan Chan, the world's largest pre-Hispanic mud-brick citadel, both located in La Libertad region.
These six destinations are part of the 2008-2018 National Strategic Plan for Tourism (Pentur), a government initiative, developed under the aegis of Mincetur, that will serve as the basis for implementation of a series of initiatives aimed at fostering sustained growth of national tourism over the coming years.
"The country offers attractive investment opportunities for the private sector because it combines culture, nature, history, among other things," Mincetur said
Santa Rosa de Quives to receive 7,000 visitors during long weekend
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- Lima, Aug. 28 (ANDINA). The district of Santa Rosa de Quives, in the province of Canta, in central Lima, expects to receive 7,000 visitors from August 28-30 to mark celebrations to commemorate the Day of the Patroness of Lima, the Americas and the Philippines, Santa Rosa de Lima.
Municipal Manager Oscar Amat Pérez explained that most of the visitors will arrive on the central day, Monday 30, however, as it is a long weekend, people will star arriving since Saturday afternoon.
“Considering prior years, we estimate that 5,000 visitors will arrive on Monday, and other 2,000 on Saturday and Sunday,” he told Andina news agency.
Festivities start Sunday with a traditional mass, which will be celebrated at 19:00 hours (Monday, 00:00 GMT).
Saint Rose of Lima was the name bestowed upon Isabel Flores de Oliva, a woman who dedicated her life to caring for the sick.
She was born in Lima in 1586 and died in 1617. Her character and good work earned her considerable fame even within her own lifetime and by the end of her own century she had become the first saint of the Americas and the patron saint of Lima.
Her shrine, in the historic centre of Lima, attracts a continual flow of pilgrims who come in hope of a miracle or a cure. On her day, pilgrims compose letters, detailing their needs, and leave them at the well in the garden of the hermitage, or in the shrine itself.
The anniversary is a holiday celebrated throughout Peru, but especially in the city of Lima and the town of Santa Rosa de Quives.
Lambayeque museums to attract over 300,000 visitors this year
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Inaugurating ceremony of Huaca Rajada - Sipán site museum.
Photo: ANDINA / Alberto Orbegoso
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- Lima, Aug. 27 (ANDINA). The six museums of Lambayeque, in northern Peru, are expected to receive over 300,000 national and foreign tourists, reported Celso Sialer Távara, director of the Executive Unit 111: Naylamp-Lambayeque.
New discoveries showcased to Peru and the world increase expectations.
In statements to Andina, Sialer said tourists are highly attracted by museums of Tumbas Reales de Sipán, Arqueológico Bruning, Nacional Sicán and the on-site museums of Huaca Rajada-Sipán, Chotuna and Túcume.
Sialer said that it will be easy to meet the goal of 300,000 tourists as “in the last few months a higher number tourists was registered in the area”.
Some 15,000 tourists were expected to visit
Peru connects with International Space Station from Machu Picchu today
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Machu Picchu to connect with the International Space Station. |
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- Lima, Aug. 26 (ANDINA). A ten-minute connection will be made with the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday afternoon from the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Cusco, which will be directly broadcasted by Andina News Agency website.
The radio connection with the crew of the space station will be carried out with transmission and reception equipments assembled in Peru by experts of Lima-based National University of Engineering (UNI), reported the university's rector Aurelio Padilla Rios.
He explained that such connection is possible due to an alliance with the South West State University in Russia (UESOR), as a test to improve future communications.
“We’re getting used to these equipments that were lent to us by the UESOR once, but now they belong to the UNI and we’ll try its communication abilities that, for now, will only be of voice,” the rector told Andina.
Pastor indicated that the communication will be made between 15:30 (20:30 GMT) and 16:00 hours. Six cosmonauts (three Americans and three Russians) will greet the Peruvians and tell how they live in the space and the research they develop.
Some 95% of hotel investments concentrated in Lima, Cusco, Ica & Arequipa
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Libertador Palacio del Inka Hotel Cusco. Photo: ANDINA |
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- Lima, Aug. 26 (ANDINA). Some 95% of hotel investments in Peru, which currently goes up to US$845.28 million, is concentrated in the departments of Lima, Cusco, Ica y Arequipa, according to Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur).
Peru's Hotel Society (SHP) said that most investment is located in Lima and Cusco, with US$317.60 million and US$317.40 million, respectively in the 2010-2011 period.
These departments are followed by Ica with US$99.60 million, Arequipa US$64.40 millions, Puno US$22.20 million, Tumbes US$15 million, La Libertad US$2.5 million and Ucayali US$5 million, among others.
The ranking of the main investor groups is led by Hoteles Libertador with US$200 million, followed by Peruvian Tours Agency with US$64 million, Marriot with US$60 million, Orient Express Hotels with US$52 million and Casa Andina with US$43 million.
The list includes Hilton Hotels with US$40 million, GHL Hotels with US$36 million, Accor with US$35 million, Inversiones La Rioja with US$33 million, San Agustín Hotels with Us$29 million, Hoteles José Antonio with US$24 million and Intercontinental Hotels with US$22 million.
Over 25,000 Peruvians to head north this weekend
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Fiori bus terminal. Photo: ANDINA/Vidal Tarqui |
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- Lima, Aug. 26 (ANDINA). More than 25,000 people will travel from Lima to Peru's main northern cities during the long holiday weekend of August 28-30, said the general manager of Fiori bus terminal, Erick Hidalgo.
August 30 is a national holiday in Peru, as the country marks the death anniversary of Santa Rosa of Lima, the first Catholic saint of the Americas.
Erick Hidalgo noted that Chiclayo and Trujillo in Lambayeque and La Libertad regions, respectively, are the most popular northern cities thanks to an increasingly growing tourism development and the great variety of culinary delights.
"In La Libertad, tourists can visit the Chan Chan archaeological complex as well as the Temple of the Dragon or Rainbow (Huaca El Dragon o Arco Iris) and the Temple of the Sun and the Moon, among other sites," he said.
Other attractions are the city's main square, the Cathedral, Santo Domingo Church, La Merced Church, and Huanchaco beach.
“Lambayeque is also popular among travelers who are eager to visit historical sites such as the famous Lord of Sipan tomb, the Tucume archeological complex, or the Pomac Forest Historical Sanctuary," Hidalgo added.
The Fiori bus terminal is the main bus terminal for long-distance buses connecting Peru's capital city, Lima, with various destinations in northern Peru.
Flow of domestic flight passengers rose 22.19% in first half 2010
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Domestic arrivals at the Jorge Chavez International Airport.
Photo: ANDINA/ Archive
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- Lima, Aug. 26 (ANDINA). The air traffic in domestic regular flights in Peru totaled 2.48 million passengers between January and June 2010, a 22.19 percent increase compared to the same period last year (2.33 million passengers), the General Administration of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC) reported Wednesday.
This is explained by the fact that more than 70% of airlines posted gains in domestic passenger demand. Lan Peru air traffic increased 7,36% and Star Peru’s rose 30.31%.
According to DGAC, some 445,701 passengers were transported in June, a 30.07% rise over the same month last year when the total number of passengers carried was 342,661.
The most demanded cities were Cusco (with an increase of 10.62% regarding 2009), Arequipa (65.45%), Iquitos (28.61) and Piura (32.14).
Flow of international flight passengers totaled 2.26 million in first half 2010
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Jorge Chavez International Airport. Photo: ANDINA |
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- Lima, Aug. 25 (ANDINA). The air traffic in international regular flights to Peru totaled 2 million 268,208 passengers between January and June 2010, a 0.84 percent drop over 2009 (2 million 388,193 passengers), the General Administration of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC) reported Wednesday.
The international market is still showing a downward trend. Spirit Airlines registered a 73.67% fall in passangers, while Lacsa and Taca Peru showed a 43.7% and 26.68% decrease, respectively.
So far this year, January continues to be the month with the highest number of passengers transported (434,678 people), while June posted a 2.2 percent contraction with 399,352 passengers.
In the first half of the year, Miami - Lima was the most demanded flight route with 128,991 passengers transported. While only in June, this same route registered most passengers with 25,224 people.
According to DGAC, the most demanded destinations in June were Miami (US), Madrid (Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Santiago (Chile) and Bogota (Colombia).
Lan Peru continued to be the airline carrying most passengers during January and May, which added to Lan Airlines flights, leads the Peruvian market with a joint participation of 42% and a total of 979,587 passengers transported.
400-year-old letter shows how Peruvian natives used numbers
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The back side of an early 17th century letter shows translations
for numbers from Spanish to a lost language.
Photo: Jeffrey Quilter |
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- Lima, Aug. 25 (ANDINA). In the early 1600s in northern Peru, a curious Spaniard jotted down some notes on the back of a letter. Four hundred years later, archaeologists dug up and studied the paper, revealing what appear to be the first traces of a lost language.
“It’s a little piece of paper with a big story to tell,” said Jeffrey Quilter, who has conducted investigations in Peru for more than three decades.
Quilter is deputy director for curatorial affairs at Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, as well as director of the archaeological project at Magdalena de Cao Viejo in the El Brujo Archaeological Complex, where the paper was excavated two years ago.
According to an article at physorg.com, the writing is a set of translations from Spanish names of numbers (uno, dos, and tres) and Arabic numerals (4-10, 21, 30, 100, and 200) into the unknown language. Some of the translated numbers have never been seen before, while others may have been borrowed from Quechua or a related local language.
Quechua is still spoken today in Peru, but in the early 17th century many other languages were spoken in the region, such as Quingnam and Pescadora.
Information about them today is limited. Even so, the archaeologists were able to deduce that speakers of the lost language used a decimal system like our own.
Quilter said that this simple list offers “a glimpse of the peoples of ancient and early colonial Peru who spoke a language lost to us until this discovery.”
“The find is significant because it offers the first glimpse of a previously unknown language and number system,” said Quilter. “It also points to the great diversity of Peru’s cultural heritage in the early colonial period. The interactions between natives and Spanish were far more complex than previously thought.”
The name of the lost language is still a mystery. The American-Peruvian research team was able to determine it was not Mochica, spoken on the north coast into the colonial period but now extinct, and pointed to Quingnam and Pescadora as possible candidates.
Neither Quingnam nor Pescadora, however, have been documented beyond their names. There is even a possibility that Quingnam and Pescadora are the same language but they were identified as separate tongues in early colonial Spanish writings, so a definitive connection has not yet been established.
Peru's Lake Titicaca graces cover of Travel+Leisure magazine
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Lago Titicaca se luce en portada de
prestigiosa revista Travel + Leisure. |
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- Lima, Aug. 24 (ANDINA). The beauty of Lake Titicaca in Puno, southern Peru, can now be seen gracing the cover of Mexican edition of top travel magazine Travel+Leisure, which also includes a 10-page article describing the top attractions of Cusco and Puno.
Mexican reporter Daniela Vaca and photographer Theda Acha were greatly impressed by southern Peru's culture, gastronomy and natural lanscapes, especially Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Sacred Valley and Chincheros peasant community, in Cusco.
During their trip in Chincheros, they met traditional artisans in women's craft collectives and learned about their lives. These women sell their articrafts in a small market located on the top of a mountain, said the article named "Esplendor Inca".
Travel+Leisure is a US-based magazine which focuses on leisure travel and features resorts, restaurants, cuisine, and entertainment. It includes World's Best Awards, a reader survey rating destinations and travel providers.
The Mexican edition of Travel+Leisure is addressed to potencial Mexican travelers, who spend US$15,000 per year, only in travel. Its circulation reaches 46,500 and 186,000 readers.
This article is the result of a press tour organized by Peru’s Export and Tourism Promotion Board (Promperu), June 21-29, as part of its strategy to position Peru's image abroad.
The tour included journalists from Mexican media namely Travel+Leisure magazine, Reforma daily and Expressions magazine, reported Promperu.
All of them praised the great services and quality of Peruvian hotels such as Miraflores Park Plaza (Lima), Monasterio (Cusco), Río Sagrado (Sacred Valley) and Titilaka (Puno), as well as Lan's service, which provided national and international tickets.
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