Air France Resumes Operations in Peru and Other News
AIR FRANCE RESUMED OPERATIONS IN PERU
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Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru. (Photo: ANDINA)
PERU, RUSSIA LAUNCH FREE-VISA AGREEMENT
ANDINA. A 2010 agreement between Russia and Peru on visa-free short-term travel comes into effect on last Tuesday.
The agreement between the two governments was signed on November 13, 2010 in Japan’s Yokohama, RIA Novosti reported.
Under the agreement, Russian and Peruvian tourists are not required visas for entry, exit, transit or stay on the territory of another state for up to 90 days within each 180-day period from the first entry.
Many states in Latin America scraped visa requirements for Russian citizens, including Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Guatemala and Brazil.
TOP 10 EPIC TRAIN JOURNEYS BY CNN
ANDINA. The Hiram Bingham Orient-Express, which connects Cusco to Machu Picchu, ranked second in the list of the top 10 epic train journeys in the world compiled by CNNGo, a travel television show broadcast by CNN.
The publication highlights the gastronomy that it is offered “during the four hours it takes to climb heavenwards through the spectacular Andes mountains” and adds that “this is the easy way to tackle the Inca Trail.”
In addition, it mentions Hiram Bingham, who was an American historian credited with bringing the ancient Inca site of Machu Picchu to world attention.
On the other hand, the travelers are reminded to take their party frock for the cocktail party on the return evening journey. This train boards from Poroy with a cost of US$588 round-trip.
The list of the top epic train journeys also includes the Orient-Express route to Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, the legendary Venice-Simplon, which passes through several cities in Europe and the Trans-Siberian Railway in Russia, allowing discover of the Russian Arctic and the silk Road from Moscow.
Another train on the list was the Pride of Africa, offering luxurious suites on a train that can be boarded in Cape Town, South Africa, or in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
Luxury train service to Machu Picchu. (Photo: ANDINA)
PROTECTION OF MACHU PICCHU DURING
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS IS GUARANTEED
ANDINA. The protection of the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu is guaranteed during the two ceremonies scheduled on the occasion of the 100th anniversary celebration of its scientific discovery, the High Level Commission responsible for the organization of the event said.
The National Service of Protected Natural Areas by the State (Sernanp) made an assessment of the areas to be used for the two ceremonies (one during the day and the other at the night), as well as the technical conditions and the entire logistics involved for the celebrations scheduled for July 7.
Media equipments of both TV Peru and of Iguana Films were supervised in order to verify that they would not affect the sanctuary.
The first evaluation has been positive as it was verified that the High Level Commission has followed the recommendations made by Sernanp and Cusco’s Regional Directorate of Culture.
For instance, using two different locations for each event in agricultural areas, which will guarantee that celebrations will take place far away from the sanctuary’s sensitive areas and, thus, avoiding doing any damage to the monument.
Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. (Photo: ANDINA)
OLYMPIANS TO RUN THE INCA TRAIL
ANDINA. Winter Olympic medalist Martin Koukal from the Czech Republic and fellow Olympian Roberto Carcelen from Peru are leading the running expedition called “Joining the two lost Inca’s cities – from Choquequirao to Machu Picchu” from July 1 to 13.
Over a period of five days, the two professional cross-country skiers will cover a 50-mile-long route that exceeds 30,000 feet of elevation gain.
Roberto Carcelen was a runner and surfer before his wife introduced him to cross-country skiing.
“Cross-country skiing is considered the hardest sport in the world, and that aspect really attracted me,” Carcelen told the New York Times in a 2009 interview.
Carcelen was the first Peruvian ever to qualify to the Winter Olympics.
The running expedition is coordinated by Inca Runners, LLC, a US-based adventure travel company founded by Carcelen in 2003. As a part of the Inca Runners Ambassadors Program, Inca Runners LLC is inviting a number of world-class athletes to visit Peru.
Carcelen learned of the Chasquis first time he went to the Andes, Livingingperu.com reports.
“They were endurance messenger runners from the Inca Empire, they had the role of posting and delivering goods to the Inca royalty running on the Inca Trail system,” he said.
“I got inspired by the ideal of these old Peruvians and the fact the the Inca Trail system is still there, to offer all inclusive running tours on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. I ran all those trails several times, they are amazing, best altitude training while visiting the main tourist attractions.”
The Inca Runners expedition says its trips have two goals. First, to promote Peru as an attractive high-altitude training destination for endurance athletes who want to improve their overall fitness goals and second to deliver donation care package and interact with kids in the villages along the route.
“Our Ambassador Program has scheduled three more trips to Peru in 2011 and ten trips for the 2012 season. All the trips are lead by Olympians and elite, world-class athletes”, says Hugo Mendez, Inca Runners CEO.
Peruvian cross-country skier Roberto Carcelen at the 2010
Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. (Photo. Captura TV)
CHAN CHAN, KUELAP, MACHU PICCHU
DECLARED ‘SISTER CITADELS’
ANDINA. Peru’s Ministry of Culture has formally declared the archaeological complexes of Chan Chan in La Libertad, Kuelap in Amazonas and the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu in Cusco as ‘sister citadels’.
The official recognition was granted by Supreme Decree No. 004-2011-MC, published in the legal notices section of the daily newspaper El Peruano.
According to the document, the three famous citadels share common aspects and have significant cultural value, which in the cases of Chan Chan and Machu Picchu has earned them Unesco world heritage status.
“They were the main settlements of the ancient Chimu, Chachapoyas and Inca cultures and are examples of architectural, aesthetic and scientific achievements of pre-Hispanic Peru,” it adds.
Another aspect shared by the three sites is the harmonious adaptation to the natural environment as Kuelap and Machu Picchu combined with the Amazon and Andean jungle, while Chan Chan is specially adapted to the coastal desert of Peru.
The Peruvian government said that Chan Chan, Kuelap, Machu Picchu are symbols of regional identity, and the latter succeeded in becoming one of the most representative expressions of national identity.
Chan Chan is located approximately 5km west of Trujillo in northern Peru.
ARCHEOLOGISTS MAKE NEW
DISCOVERIES IN PACHACAMAC TEMPLE
ANDINA. A group of archeologists, lead by Katiusha Bernuy, recently discovered the entry to the Calle Norte –Sur (North-South street) of the temple of Pachacamac, in southeast Lima.
Such entry would be the original entrance to this pre-Hispanic center, and this space is expected to be opened for visitors in 2013.
Exploration works, which are part of the Pachacamac Management Plan Project, suggest that the Calle Norte –Sur dates back to 1380 to 1440 D.C.
This street was an important route to the temple complex, which was defined and delineated by tall walls of stone and adobe. The road currently is 332 meters long and between 2 and 4.7 meters wide.
In addition, the archaeologists found the tomb of an important figure with cranial deformation, surrounded by women, and who was buried with a ceremonial kero, textile and vessels.
Also, a gigant spondylus and a bone carved with a feline face were found.
PISCO BECOMES
FASTEST-GROWING SPIRIT IN US
ANDINA. Pisco, the clear grape spirit of South America, is emerging from the mist of history and bringing rich freshness to cocktails.
In New York and other cities, liquor stores and bars that carried no pisco a few years ago have several now and are adding more, making it the fastest-growing spirit in the country, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.
The new piscos are a far cry from the famously rustic, hangover-inducing stuff that was previously available. Top-shelf piscos are being made for Peruvian connoisseurs, and these newer entries are feeding the growing export market, often with an assist from American expertise, passion and money.
“Pisco is not quite mainstream yet,” said Julie Reiner, an owner of Lani Kai in Manhattan and Clover Club in Brooklyn. “But it is gaining traction as the public learns about it.”
According to an article in the Dining & Wine section of the New York Times, data from consulting firm Veritrade show that Peru leads the surge, with pisco exports to the United States having nearly doubled last year.
Johnny Schuler, a restaurateur and television personality in Lima, is the distiller for Pisco Portón, a product aimed at the American market. Last month, Mr. Schuler said the company, which he owns with William Kallop, a Texas oilman, would spend millions promoting the spirit.
Pisco Portón may be one of the best-funded new brands, but it is not the first at the high end. In 2005, Diego Loret de Mola, a Peruvian-American who had worked in finance, began to import BarSol. Melanie and Lizzie Asher, sisters who were born in Peru, attended Harvard and now live in Washington, introduced Macchu Pisco in 2006.
Within a year, they were the biggest exporters of Peruvian pisco, and they say their sales have increased 30 percent every year.
Campo de Encanto, a partnership between a mixologist and a sommelier in San Francisco together with a distiller in Peru, made its debut in 2010. So did Viñas de Oro, a line of 11 piscos that Timothy Childs, an entrepreneur from San Francisco and a founder of ClearGrape, discovered on a trip to Peru.
