travel inspirations
Peru ISSUE #SIX
#06 Spring 2017 | Lu€15 www.diariesofmagazine.com
WELCOME
Peru — In Pursuit of its Hidden Treasures When we prepared to write this editorial we promised ourselves we would not mention Machu Picchu in any of the first paragraphs. We have just failed to do so, in order to prove our point: there is so much more in Peru besides this stunning and unique legacy of the pre-Columbian civilisations. In this issue we will highlight the three regions of the country: the jungle, the coast and the highlands, each with its own feel, geography and traditions. The first one, the jungle, has probably generated some perplexity among you. Is there jungle in Peru? Yes, part of the country is hidden in the remote jungle of the Amazon basin’s rainforest. Patrícia takes us there on a journey along the largest river in the world to Iquitos and from there on to the smaller settlements along the river.
Finally, the highlands, the Andes and the Altiplano where there are peaks above 6,000 metres high and where charming Andean towns with colonial architecture lie, such as the white village of Arequipa. In this issue of diariesof Jessica will take you to Lake Titicaca so you can find out how the indigenous people live on floating islands; you will read about Yannis’ indecision between cycling along the coast or thorough the Andean mountains; Paulo and Goran, our motorcycling friends devoured the roads of the country on an epic voyage of discovery of the Pan-American Highway. Morten and Mai Brit ‘landrovered’ through the great Colca canyon looking for condors, which they found in all their splendour. And yes, we couldn’t avoid it, Daniel will share his discovery of the absolutely amazing city of the Incas, Machu Picchu. As for biodiversity, the numbers are great enough to pique the interest in travellers who are passionate about wildlife. There are 1,800 species of birds, of which we highlight the Andean Condor, the largest flying bird in the world. The sociable and intelligent llama, the wild vicuna or the gregarious pelican are also widely evident without having to go deep into the wild. Come prepared to learn Quechua or other native languages. Why should you do it? To speak to those faces that look exotic and fascinating, and that — as our experienced showed us — warm up when you speak their language. We chose our cover page to emphasise this idea. Peru is not Machu Picchu, it is much more than that and we hope this magazine will prove us right. As usual at diariesof, we made a selection of places and activities which we think are worthwhile, never intending to cover all the points of interest. That’s because our idea is still to give you the desire to go there and create your own experiences and discoveries.
Cover Photo Girl with a llama in Cuzco, posing for passers-by, in traditional dress. Photography by Anabela Valente
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Peru has more than 3,000 kilometres of immense Pacific coastline. Places such as Huanchaco are much-loved by surfers. The coast is also home to the amazing Paracas National Reserve, the place for bird watching. From the coast, the dunes invade the roads and occasionally give rise to an oasis, such as Huacachina. It is not far from here that the arid plain is filled with the mystery of the renowned Nazca lines.
CONTENTS
42 ADVENTURE
7 diariesof Peru
The Pan-American Highway
CO NTEN TS
102
EXPLORE
Cycling through Peru
ZENTRIP
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CONTENTS CONTENTS
26
CITY
Arequipa & Lima
CO NTEN TS EDITORIAL 3 CONTRIBUTORS 11 FACTS&FIGURES 14
114
POSTCARDS 16 CITY 26
Arequipa & Lima
INTERVIEW
CARING
EXPLORE
Backpacking at 60 the Lake Titicaca
Cycling through Peru 102 The Lost City 126 of the Incas
ADVENTURE
The Pan-American 42 Highway
Adrenaline in the Oasis 90 of Huacachina
140
NATURE
Paracas & 50 Ballestas Islands
Land Rovering from 78 Colca to Nazca The Peruvian 120 Amazon
ESSENTIALS
PORTRAITS 70
Essentials of Peru
ADVENTURE
Adrenaline in the Oasis of Huacachina
Face to Face
90
CARING 114
Mountain People
FOOD 136
Buen Provecho
ESSENTIALS 140 Essentials of Peru
9 diariesof Peru
Walter Silvera 40 a Photographer
Mountain People
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CONTRIBUTORS
André Varandas was born in 1983, and soon discovered how to put his creativity into practice, through drawing and painting. Curious, an avid lover of cultures, surf and motorcycles, he graduated, in Marketing, from the University of Beira Interior, and added a degree from the Faculty of Business Sciences at the University of León, Spain. He currently works as Marketing Director.
Mai-Brit Hauge Garval is a lawyer born in Denmark in 1973. She loves travelling, climbing, trekking and running. She is also a biker. When she is abroad Mai-Brit makes a point on visiting vineyards and looking for new recipes. Luckily all of these combine with her goal: to see the world. Follow her and her adventures on landroving.dk
Morten Garval was born in Denmark in 1968. He is a mechanical engineer whose passion for travelling has taken him around the world. Morten has seen the world from his motorbike and from on board cargo ships, though in the last few years he has remained loyal to his Land Rover. He is also a passionate climber and trekker and photography occupies a special place on his trips. Follow him and his adventures on landroving.dk
Patrícia Campos discovered her passion for travelling after doing some volunteer work in Africa. When she travels she pursues cultural exchanges and tries to have a positive social impact. She has been on two voluntary missions in Africa, on a solo trip around Latin America for nine months and she is already looking forward to her next trip. At the moment she dedicates her life to writing, photographing and being a tour leader at The Wanderlust. lookingaround.me
Yannis Bastian graduated from university with a Master’s degree in Outdoor Education. After the theory, the greatest practice ever: an unsupported cycling journey around the world! He left Luxembourg in 2014, and his route took him through Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand from where he flew to cycle the Pan-American Highway. After two-anda-half years, Yannis is back in Luxembourg and planning his next adventure. fb.com/yannisworldcyclingadventure
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CO NTRI BU TORS
ccperu.lu PeruLux
Connecting Luxembourg & Peru The Chamber was established by a group of businessmen and professionals in Luxembourg in 2004 in order to promote economic and cultural development, trade and financial relations as well as tourism and legal relations between Peru and Luxembourg.
contact@ccperu.lu | www.ccperu.lu
since 2004
Chambre de Commerce et de Tourisme du PĂŠrou au Luxembourg
CONTRIBUTORS
Jessica Gaspar was born in Luxembourg in 1990. Jessica left Luxembourg to go to the South of France to pursue her university studies in Montpellier. Passionate about travel, tourism and cultures, she decided to travel around the world for a year before starting a professional career. Now that she is back to Luxembourg and working, she takes every opportunity she has to travel. Follow her and her adventures on instagram. com/jessica_gaspar_ rodrigues
Goran Djurdjevic was born in 1973, in Serbia. He started riding motorbikes at the age of ten, on his holidays in Serbia, and at fifteen he bought his first 50cc motorbike. In 2008, he made his first long motorbike trip, through Croatia, and since then it has become his preferred way to travel. Besides Europe, he has also ridden the famous route 66 in North America, the Ruta 40, the Carretera Austral and the Pan-American Highway in South America.
Paulo Mota is an avid traveller. He backpacked extensively throughout South America for one year. He later discovered the pleasures of the motorbike and has since made several motorbike road trips in Europe. His latest adventure was in South America, where he drove more than 10,000 kilometres through Peru, Argentina, Chile and Bolivia.
Rui Daniel was born in Luxembourg in 1977. He is a piano teacher in Leiria, Portugal. When not teaching, Daniel travels. He has visited 108 countries and it is his goal to get to know every country in the world. He is particularly fascinated by the less visited countries, because the people there are generally friendly and welcoming. Follow him and his adventures on fb/backpackingwithruidaniel
JoĂŁo LeitĂŁo is a Portuguese visual artist, a compulsive traveller and an explorer. He is also a photography enthusiast, travel blogger and tour leader. He lives and works in Morocco, but he is a citizen of the world. He has visited more than 125 countries. Whenever he travels, he enjoys interacting with the local people most; getting to know their stories, culture and lifestyle, visiting historic places and living through exotic and breath-taking experiences. joaoleitao.com
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CO NTRI BU TORS
Choclo
is the term used for corn. In Peru there are more than 55 sorts of corn. It is available in different colours, including yellow, white, black and purple.
Coca
plant is used for its medicinal properties and has had a religious significance in the Andean region for thousands of years. Its leaves have been used as a stimulant and they help to overcome fatigue, hunger and thirst. They are also effective against altitude sickness. In the 19th century, Albert Niemann isolated an active ingredient in the coca leaf, which he called cocaine.
90 3,000 3 5k There are around 90 different micro climates in Peru, which make it one of the most biodiverse countries on the planet.
Peru claims to be the cradle of the potato. There are over 3,000 varieties of potato in the country. Peruvians have an expression that says it all: ‘I am more Peruvian than the potato’.
There are three official languages in the country: Spanish, Quechua and Aymara. There are however many other native languages in the Amazon area.
The oldest human settlement in the Americas is traced back to the sacred City of Caral-Supe, a few hours north of the capital Lima. The 626 hectares site dates back to over 5,000 years.
‘ Almost seventy years later I remember clearly how the magic of translating the words in books into images enriched my life, breaking the barriers of time and space... ’ ~ Mario Vargas Llosa
Peruvian Nobel Prize in Literature
FACTS&FIGURES
FACTS&FI GURES
Peru has been awarded one Nobel Prize. It was given in Literature to the novelist Mario Vargas Llosa, in 2010. He is Peru’s most famous intellectual. His first novel, The Time of the Hero, deals with the Military College of Lima’s cruel and authoritarian regime. The military ended up burning the book. In 1990, he ran to the presidential election, but lost.
Peru has the second highest number of shamans in the world; second only to India. The shamans (or curanderos) have the potential to heal when they enter a state of trance which is reached through the use of certain substances, such as the Ayahuasca.
Cerro Blanco is the highest sand dune in the world and measures 1,176 metres in height. It is located in the Sechura Desert near the Nazca lines. The highest peak in Peru is the Huascarán situated at 6,768 metres.
500 It is estimated that the time it takes to spin, dye, and weave a traditional Peruvian poncho is around 500 hours, over a period of six months. Peruvians are generally given one poncho upon entering adulthood, and it is expected to last a lifetime.
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2010 2
nd 1,176
‘Hiking to Laguna 69’ Huaraz The impressive location of Lake 69 at an altitude of 4,450 metres makes it worth the walk through the Huascarán National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site. The park is home to more than 400 lakes. Morten Garval
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POSTCARDS Send your photos with a description to jorge.valente@diariesof.lu
‘Crossing the Amazon River by Boat’ Iquitos I made the trip from Macapá in Brazil (near the Atlantic Ocean) until Iquitos in Peru, and from Iquitos I took the Napo River all the way to El Coca (Ecuador), making the same itinerary as the famous ‘Conquistador’ (Francisco de Orellana completed the first known navigation of the entire length of the Amazon River back in the 16th century). It took me around 600 hours of boats and sleeping in a hammock. João Leitão
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’Young Emperors’ Cuzco Two children sitting in front of the great gate of the Cuzco’s cathedral, one of the most emblematic features of the Plaza de Armas, the main colonial square. This Basilica-Cathedral is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Anabela Valente
‘Luchador, a Superhero’ Huanchaco Travelling through Huanchaco, this child’s costume caught our attention. He is wearing a homemade version of the costume worn by the Luchador (wrestler). This is a myth of a popular hero from Mexico. The Luchador is a wrestler of Lucha Libre who spends his free time saving widows and orphans. He fights against the wicked and thanks to his strength he delivers justice. Many children disguise themselves as luchadores to wear the superhero’s disguise. André Varandas
‘Indigenous Community, Survivors of our Times’ Rainbow Mountain Global warming has melted the snow that covered the Rainbow Mountain of the Willkanuta mountain range until 2013. Climate change is now a threat to these landscapes and to the communities that have lived here for such a long time. These mountains provide six of the world’s twenty main food crops and are home to a large number of domesticated animals, including sheep, goats, yaks, llamas and alpacas. The indigenous people have adapted to climatic changes over the centuries, but will they survive to the drastic changes of the coming centuries?
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Patrícia Campos
‘Journey through the Sacred Valley’ Calca Arriving from Cuzco, the view point offers this marvellous overview of the Sacred valley and the view itself is self-explanatory of the name — Sacred valley — because of the fertile plain and agreeable climate on a region that is surrounded by peaks situated at an altitude above 5,000 metres high. This region remains an important agricultural region since the Incas. It is also the place to discover many of its Inca ruins on the way to Machu Picchu. Jorge Valente
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’A Rest with a View’ Colca Valley Colca Valley´s immensity. A young lady, her llama and her falcon. A couple and two motorbikes. It is invaluable to get here before any other tourists arrive, and that´s just one of the great things about motorcycle travelling. It was rainy season and the night before there was a big storm, so we got there — a bit covered in mud — but it surely paid off. Fátima Ropero & André Braz are from Spain and Portugal, respectively. They met as teenagers while dreaming about riding motorcycles and travelling together around the globe. Eventually they managed to live the dream and are still having many adventures together. Translator and director, they currently live in Lisbon.
‘Scenic Road’ Puquio to Nazca Long and winding road through the arid landscape of the Sechura Desert until Nazca, with the Cerro Blanco, the highest sand dune in the world, in the background. The road is very busy with heavy trucks, that tend to cut the corners, beware! Jorge Valente
‘The Salt Mines of Maras’ Maras Hardly 40 kilometres away from Cuzco, the Maras salt ponds have been exploited since the Inca era. Anyone in the community can own a pond and harvest it for their own consumption or sale. The salty water emerges from the spring of an underground stream.
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Anabela Valente
Arequipa & Lima 2 7 diariesof Peru
White City, City of Kings, Enchanted Cities
Text by Anabela Valente Photography by Morten Garval, Christian Vinces, Ksenia Ragozina, Matyas Rehak, Jorge Valente