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MODERN LIMA

ARCHAEOLOGICAL WONDERS OF NORTHERN PERU

Northern Peru is an area not often explored by visitors, yet it is a region that holds hidden gems for adventurous Peru vacations. Most people have heard the legends of the Incas, MACHU PICCHU and the Sacred Valley, but how many people have heard of the Valley of Pyramids and the Temple of the Sun?

Many people are unaware that in Peru there were a great many civilizations that pre-dated the Inca. Northern Peru was once the center of several mighty civilizations including the Sipán, Moche, and Chimu.

THE ANCIENT SITE OF CHAN CHAN, NEAR THE CITY OF TRUJILLO, PERÚ.

Human remains have been found in the area that date back nearly 5,000 years – easily competing with many ancient sites of the ‘Old World’. Visitors to northern Peru can explore pyramids, wander around colonial cities, observe local rural lifestyles and enjoy the numerous awe-inspiring archaeological findings at local museums and ruins.

What makes these societies so mystical and wondrous is that not much is known about them; they used no form of writing to record their history – leaving their only messages through works of art and ceramics.

Archaeologists have to interpret what they find in order to piece together a story that is yearning to be told. There are numerous ruins, monuments and museums that piece together that story, for visitors and locals. However, just seeing the ancient sights makes you appreciate the complexity and organization of these cultures that existed before ours.

First time visitors should start their trip in the town of Trujillo, which is Peru’s third biggest city. Visitors can relax enjoying the cities colonial architectural heritage and take advantage of being close to a number of archaeological sites.

Nearby are the Temples of the Sun and Moon. The temples are two huge adobe brick buildings pyramid form, with a large flat area that was probably used for a town market.

The Temple of the Sun is the largest but sadly some of it was washed away due to looters as they deliberately diverted a river to try to find hidden gold. It is thought that this area was the former capital of the Moche civilization.

Also near to Trujillo is the site of Chan Chan, one of the most important archaeological sites in Peru. Chan Chan was the capital of the Chimu civilization, before their conquest by the Incas. It was the largest pre-Columbian city in South America; covering an area of over 20 km.

Visitors marvel at the wondrous art carved onto the city walls; decoration that is clearly visible throughout the site. Chan Chan is a marvelous adobe city that transports you back in time to a civilization and culture that has been lost.

On leaving Trujillo visitors should head to the coastal city of Chiclayo. The city is home to the Lord of Sipán exhibition at the Royal Tombs Museum. The Lord of Sipán was one of Peru’s most spectacular recent discoveries.

Found in 1987, the tomb was uncovered fully intact, which is what makes it such an important discovery that allowed archeologists to gain a better insight into the workings of the Moche people. Lambeque is also home to the National Archaeological and Anthropological Museum, the museum’s four stories house one of the best collections of gold, silver, and copper objects from the several cultures that flourished in the region over previous millennia.

The “Señora de Cao” or Lady of Cao, is a new discovery.

Chiclayo is also near to the ‘Valley of the Pyramids’. Tucume, as it is known to locals, is a huge complex that includes 26 large adobe pyramids that were built by the Sicán civilization in about 1000AD. The valley area was probably a regional centre of power and the valley contains a range of structures and pyramids that could have been used for a range of purposes.

In 2008 a new discovery was announced in just North of modern Chiclayo, Cerro Pátapo ruins are the ruins of the Wari culture. What is most remarkable is that it was thought the Wari only lived in the south, yet discovery here has had to change that perspective.

These are just a few of the many gems that exist in northern Peru, with new discoveries made frequently. Archaeologists are slowly learning, piecing together bits information to tell us the story of these great civilizations.

More info in:

 http://www.inkanatura.com/aboutculturesandarchaeologicalsites.asp

IN THE AMAZONAS

The fortress of Kuelap (or Cuélap), associated with the Chachapoyas culture, consists of massive exterior stone walls containing more than four hundred buildings. The structure, situated on a ridge overlooking the Utcubamba Valley in northern Peru, is roughly 600 meters in length and 110 meters in width. It could have been built to defend against the Huari or other hostile peoples however evidence of these hostile groups at the site is minimal. Radiocarbon dating samples show that the structures construction started in the 6th century AD and occupied until the Early Colonial period (1532-1570), however through the pre-Columbian, conquest and colonial periods we have only the four brief references to Kuelap. In lieu of newly discovered documents, there exists no other testimony concerning the site until 1843.

Read more in  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuelap

Clay tombs hold watch from the cliffs. Archaeological discoveries provide compelling evidence to the rich legacy of the Chachapoyan culture.

NEW DISCOVERY IN ANCASH

A few minutes south of the city of Casma, on the coast of the department of Ancash, in about four square kilometers of desert landscape stand two stone buildings called Chankillo. They were probably built in the decline of the Cupisnique and Chavin cultures, about 2,300 years. The first is apparently a fortress, the other is composed of thirteen towers will unveil its mysteries. Recent studies are showing that these towers erected by the ancient Peruvians keep an accurate record the movements of the sun, which makes them THE OLDEST ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY AROUND THE PLANET.

SOUTH OF LIMA :  CARAL - THE EARLIEST CIVILIZATION IN THE NEW WORLD

The most notable of the Norte Chico cities is Caral in the Supe Valley: Caral excavations were begun in 1994 by Ruth Shady Solís, a Peruvian anthropologist and archeologist. She is also founder and director of the Archeological project Caral.

The ruins of Caral are located in an arid region, but with nearby rivers, some 14 miles from the coast and 120 miles north of Peru’s modern capital city of Lima. Caral was inhabited between 2627 B.C. and 2020 B.C. and its land area was about 150 acres. Caral city was comprised of six pyramids (or platform mounds), two plazas, an amphitheatre, and ordinary houses. The population is estimated to have been about 3,000. The living arrangement seems to have been large, well kept rooms atop the pyramids for the elite, ground-level complexes for craftsmen, and shabbier outlying shantytowns for workers.

More info in:

http://www.go2peru.com/historical.htm

the following web pages are a reference for information about this topic for being one of the most complete, though not necessarily recommend the service of the company and I have not connection with them.

CUSCO THE NAVEL OF THE WORLD

Cusco has been called the archaeological capital of the America’s as nowhere else on this continent can boast such a collection of well preserved ruins of a great civilization that are easily accessible. But Cusco is also a city riddled with contrast between native styles and the western world, historic and modern architecture that have lent the city a rare beauty. Most visitor who set foot in Cusco are keener to get to the citadel of Machu Picchu, a four-hour tour train ride away, but Cusco, as a city in itself is teeming with interesting spots to see. The first thing that stand out about this pre-Hispanic capital are its Inca walls, those enormous stones which were doe-tailed into a perfect fit, on top of which the conquerors built a new Spanish city. Early chroniclers did not exaggerate when they showed their admiration o the size of these temples and palace, as the wave of earthquakes that hit the city toppled the Spanish colonial architecture but left the Inca stonework intact.

Over the course of time, researchers found that the inclination of the stonework, witch slopes inwards, and the Inca’s fondness for trapezoidal door and windows were not a just a whim of decoration, but rather were features of antiseismic architecture, which matched the way the granite clocks were carved. 

Today, what is particularly fascinating is the fusion between the indigenous base and later European art, an extraordinarily harmonious blend which sit eh root of the unique beauty of Cusco. This can be most clearly seen in the religious buildings, above all the church of Santo Domingo which was built on top of Qoricancha, the ancient temple of the Sun.  The site features a dramatic counterpoint between the lightweight Spanish construction and the somber granite block so venerated by the Inca five centuries ago.

Located at an altitude of 3,360 meters above sea level, Cusco was built in the Urubamba valley in the south Easter Peruvian Andes and called the Navel of the Word, by the Quechua tribes. The city has a long and rich history which according to some historians dates back to 1200 AD and linked Inca ruler Manco Capac.  However, Cusco saw its halcyon days in the fifteenth century under de rule of emperor Pachacutec, who led an expansion drive that extended the Inca empire as far South as Chile and Argentina and Ecuador and Colombia to the north. The rapid spread of the empire was halted only by the arrival of Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro, who in 1534 added Cusco definitively to the realms of King Charles V. the invasion opened the ways to a cultural mix that left its imprint on every aspect of Peruvian culture, as especially in the ancient Andean capital.

The best-treasured jewels

The traveler arriving in Cusco will find there are key sites to be visited. The main square, the Plaza de Armas is the obligatory starting point, and a particularly attractive spot as it is surrounded, like a traditional retablo folk scene, by traditional neighborhoods, which stud the rolling hills above. The magnificent view is heightened by the looming shapes of the church of La Compañía and the cathedral. Here, in the early hours, one can hear the chimes of the Maria Angola, the famous church bell minted from an alloy that included gold and silver.

The sour carries on to the cloisters of Santo Domingo, slapped don to pot the pagan wall of the Qoricancha. The church boast a superb collection of 31 oil paintings by seventeenth-century artist José Espinosa. The so-called Cusco School of painting had a fundamental influence on colonial art, and the most important churches housed painting by such well-known artist as Bernardo Bitti (sixteenth century) and Diego Quispe Tito (seventeenth century).

Sculpting as an art form took off in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, with its finest expression visible in altar and choir stalls. The most impressive piece of woodcarving is the pulpit in the church of San Blas. A work nearly 9 meter high and finely carved out of cedar. The pulpit is famous not just, because it is the maximum exponent o baroque art in Peru. But also because of the legend that have been spun around its creator. It is said the pulpit was carved by Esteban Orcacitas, a leper who after having been granted a miracle, paid tribute by dedicating his life to the intricate design.

STREET NAMES

Of curse, Cusco is not just home to stirring monument and works of art. The beauty of this city is that it is a stroller’s dream. Just taking walk through the artist quarter of San Blas will conjure up the lost pleasure of wandering around a town no particular direction, of looking at people, imagining mysterious event in times long gone. The twisting street of old Cusco are redolent with images of the old Spanish Vice-regency, and even before, the cyclopean age to the Inca Empire.

But after a few days of wandering around the city, one begins to realize that these street bear names that are unexpected to say the least. From the streets called Afligidos (afflicted), the stroller may carry on through Desesperados (desperate) and later Crimen (crime). The street names get even odder, running from Cadenas (chains)= up the Cuesta de Amargura  (hill of bitterness) crossing through Huacay Puncu (the weeping gate) before ending up in the street called Ataud (coffin) and finally a narrow street which is Purgario (Purgatory).

But just as the visitor is growing convinced that the Cuzco inhabitants of old were marked by tragic lives, a stroll will lead to another street called Encuentro (Encounter), before things get a little cozier up a narrow, bustling alley called Abracitos (Hugs).  Minutes later, one can sit on a bench in the famous Plaza Regocijo (the Rejoicing Square), before setting off in search of the Cuesta del Alabado (the Hill of the Praised One).

Of course, not all streetnames are evidence of a highly contrasting temperament.  There are others with oddly evocative names like Siete Culebras (Seven Snakes) or the Cuesta del Almirante (the Admiral's Hill).  But one shouldn't get the impression that the good people of Cuzco are overly serious. just check out the street called Mira Calcetas (Looking at Stockings), which according to chronicler Angel Carreño was so-called because, as the historian once wrote, the person who climbs up this hill does not just see the stockings of the less fairer of the sexes, but also the thighs of the daughters of Eve.

Of course, there are also streets with less picturesque names, which for some reason or another are an indispensable reference for visitors.  Such is the case of Procuradores, which is well-known for its reputation as being the meeting point for the varied alternative characters that cluster in Cuzco, including artisans, bricheros (the Andean equivalent of a Latin Lover) and the last surviving hippies.  Cuzco today has become curiously cosmopolitan in that respect.

CUZCO BY NIGHT

Nothing could surprise the visitor more to find that this old city, held by many to become the cultural frontier of the western world, transforms at night into one of the noisiest and most festive spots around.  Near the Plaza de Armas, the second floor of many of the old colonial mansions have been rustically adapted into pubs, bars and discos to provide visitors with some wild nightlife.

These joints feature everything from the best of Andean melodies to blasting contemporary rock.  And these odd combinations don't just crop up in the music. in spots like the Ukukus, Kamikaze and the Up-Down, people flock here from all over the world and of all ages, coming together in a multi-lingual camaraderie.  Rosy Danish maidens clad in ripped blue jeans can often be spotted dancing the night away with long-haired individuals claiming to be the last true descendant of the Incas.  It is not rare to find that tourists who came for a few days are seduced by the idea of escaping the outside world and settling down for a few months in an old house to enjoy the never-ending party of Cuzco nights.

MORE ABOUT CUSCO

Colours, friendship, pleasure and a great diversity of customs and traditions, handicrafts and folklore dances. Cusco is one of the most important cities of the region.

The neuralgic centre of the Inca Empire, with its magnificent temples, Cusco offers beautiful landscapes and an approach to the old Inca culture. Cusco is not only its ruins; it is also its people and their customs, this strange but very interesting mixture of the old Europe and the new continent.

Cusco is and will always be a Capital of culture. Cusco is history, tradition and reality: a tourist destination that can't be missed by those who love history.

Cusco, mythical capital of the Inca Empire, not only proudly preserves the remaining stonewalls from this lost culture, it also keeps intact many structures built during the Spanish colony, that evoke the greatness of the Children of the Sun and the Spanish influence after the conquest.

Churches, convents and monasteries were raised on top of the temples formerly built to the Inca divinities.

Cusco and its surroundings are full of churches; La Merced, Santa Teresa, Santa Clara and many more. Here is a list of some:

The Cathedral

La Compañía de Jesús

La Merced Church and Convent

Santo Domingo Convent

San Blas Temple

Santa Catalina Church and Monastery

Santa Teresa Church and Monastery

Santa Clara Church and Monastery

San Francisco Church and Monastery

San Antonio Abad Seminary

Parish de Indios

Also the old Mansions (Casonas) of Cusco tell us how the Spanish first settlers and their descendants lived.

Learn how these houses were built and discover the main architectural techniques of Colonial times. Here is a list:

El Cabildo

The Inquisition

Palace of the Admiral

Casa of the Four Busts

Casa de la Calle Tigre

Casa de las Sierpes

Casa Cabrera

Casa of Inca Garcilazo de la Vega

Casa of the Marquis de Picoaga

Casa of the Marquis de Valleumbroso

Casa of the Marquis de Escobar

Casa de Silva

Casa Clorinda Matto

ADVENTURE SPORTS IN CUSCO

Cusco brings us emotions. It is a good destination for people who love adventure and adrenalin shocks. The Inca Trail is the best option for travellers who go in for trekking. In two or four days, depending on your choice, you will reach Machu Picchu from Cusco. The hang glider lovers will find in Cusco high mountains and thermal areas, the best conditions to enjoy the flight. Rafting and kayaking on the Urubamba river or in the Apurímac canyon will be an unforgettable experience.

GASTRONOMY IN CUSCO

The great variety and long road of Cusco's gastronomy has achieved great prestige on an international level. You will find the most typical dishes that made the cuisine of this region so very famous. Discover these new trends and variety of flavours at any of the restaurants in Cusco.  Also the Novoandina Cuisine (it rescues the traditional products of Andean, and sometimes coastal origin, as the quinua, the kiwicha, the tarwi, the oca, the olluco, the meat of alpaca etc all of high energy and nutritious, to incorporate them to a modern, creative kitchen and of high method grade) is now the new star in high class hotels and restaurants.  

WERE TO STAY

In Cuzco you can find thousands of hotels to stay. Prestigious travel magazines named The Monasterio Hotel as the best to stay in the world.  This hotel introduced the world’s very first oxygen-enriched rooms, the best cuisine and service in a magic place. Casa Andina Hotels brings about 10 hotels in all Cusco for every budget. Also you can find new exquisite hotels in the Urubamba Valley (with stunning views) and near Machu Picchu. Just search in the web pages and you will find many options.

Also recommend:

Visit the Museo de Arte  Precolombino (the best Pre-Columbian Museum of Latin America) and of course taste de excellent Peruvian Nouveau Cuisine in our MAP Café (inside the Museum).

Make de Inca Trail (the only way to enjoy the spectacular views of the Sacred Valley)

Enjoy a balloon flight over the valley.

Go by train to Machu Picchu (highly recommend)

Visit the surroundings like Pisac and go to the Market.

Discover the varied and exotic flora and fauna of the area (specially orchids, butterflies and humming-birds)

FORBES NAMES PERUVIAN FOOD A TOP 10 TREND OF 2012

http://www.peruthisweek.com/food-240-forbes-names-peruvian-food-a-top-10-trend-of-2012/

Peru the paradise for nature lovers from COCOVE

PERUVIAN DELIGHTS

Peruvian delights from COCOVE