Travel
17 March, 2010 09:08:49 | in
Amazon
Published in
El Comercio
Adapted from Spanish by Diana Schwalb
 |
| Puerto Palmeras resort hotel in Tarapoto. |
| |
The beautiful eastern Peruvian jungle awaits you with its exotic beauty and the pleasant warmth of its people. This heavenly place is one of the few places in the Amazon that is also recommended in the rainy season.
Only a few minutes from the city, you will find yourself submerged into nature. Pack strong bug repellent, plenty of fluids, a cap, a coat for the rain and join us in this great adventure.
Into the Wild
Two hours from Tarapoto, exiting at Marginal Sur road and driving on a dirt road for an hour, you will find the hotel Puma Rinri.
This lodge, located on the banks of the Huallaga River, is on 65 hectares of agricultural land and has capacity for 30 people, who could be distributed in two four room cabins.
read more »tags :
Tarapoto Peru travel Amazon Add comment | Add to del.icio.us |
9 March, 2010 19:38:34 | in
Arequipa
By Marisol Grau, El Comercio
Adapted from Spanish by Diana Schwalb

Atiquipa is a town so small that it hides in the hills of the coast of Arequipa. Only a large welcome sign at kilometer 600 of the Panamericana Sur serves as a confirmation for travelers that they are on the right track and if they take the detour in the direction opposite to the sea, they will find the town.
In the town itself, there is not much to see and the main attractions of the district are scattered around it. Secluded beaches, archeology and nature are the favorite options for those looking to satisfy their explorer soul.
Coming from Lima, we suggest you visit first some pre-Hispanic towns.
read more »Add comment | Add to del.icio.us |
5 March, 2010 14:57:53 | in
Lambayeque
By Milagros Vera, El Comercio
Adapted from Spanish by Diana Schwalb

The Chaparrí Ecological Reserve is fascinating. Entering it gives you the feeling of being enchanted, in the middle of nowhere and, at the same time, in the center of the world. It makes you feel reconciled with nature, full of life and relaxed to the extreme.
In this natural paradise there is no Internet, no cell phone signal and no cable channels. However, it just takes one look at the impressive landscape of endless dry forest to realise that those urban details are unnecessary.
Waking up to the sweet melody of a bird, having breakfast together with hummingbirds and reading a book while breathing fresh air is a luxury that you can enjoy here.
If you enjoy walking, this place has long trails to do it and you will most likely be surprised by a coastal fox, which is the smallest of South America, or by a spectacled bear pulling fruit off a tree. But fear not “because the animals that inhabit Chaparrí do not feel threatened and therefore do not attack,” explains its director, Heinz Plenge.
read more »tags :
Chaparrí Chiclayo Mochica Chongoyape Add comment | Add to del.icio.us |
3 March, 2010 10:06:30 | in
Amazon
In Pucullpa, you can shape clay handicrafts, take authentic iconography home with you (tattooed on your skin) and learn more about ayahuasca from the Shipibo tribe.
By Milagros Vera Colens, El Comercio
Adapted from Spanish by Katrina Heimark
“Magical, delightful and traditional,” “an unforgettable experience,” “a visit that must be repeated,” are some of the expressions from tourists after visiting the native community of San Francisco, located just an hour from the city of Pucallpa.
It is considered one of the most representative communities of the region (they still preserve their customs and their traditions, as well as their language). However, San Francisco offers much more than just a cultural trip, explains Giovanna Vega, General Manager of Amazon World, an agency that offers this package to travelers.
read more »tags :
SanFrancisco Amazon Shipibo Pucallpa Huaraz ayahuasca 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us |
24 February, 2010 10:13:42 | in
Peru
By Charles Sizemore

Mark Twain is credited with saying “Everybody complains about the weather but nobody does anything about it.” This is an apt metaphor for the health care system in the United States. Everyone complains about its cost and bureaucracy, but no one does anything about it.
The fact is, there is very little US citizens can do as individual consumers of health care. Costs are kept elevated by forces beyond our control. We can "self ration" (i.e. forgo some non-critical medical procedures), but at the end of the day we have very little bargaining power, either with the insurance companies or with the doctors and hospitals, for the services we need.
So what is a cash-strapped patient to do? In a word, leave.
I've used medical tourism in the past for various minor procedures when it was convenient. But I recently had a much larger use for medical tourism. Around eight pounds, in fact.
read more »tags :
Trujillo Peru Americans Mark Twain 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us |
24 February, 2010 10:11:01 | in
Peruvian beaches
By Marie Alvarez-Calderon
We hear a lot these days about global warming — and those of us who have seen its effects first hand can testify that, regardless of what or whom is to blame,
something is indeed going on. A brief glance at the newspapers or Internet confirms that glaciers are melting. In Peru the Cordillera Blanca in the Andes is beginning to look a lot like the Cordillera Negra; torrential rains and flooding have caused loss of homes, crops, and serious damage to the Machu Picchu tourist trade.
We’ve even seen a few drops of rain on the coast. Heading down the
Panamericana a couple of Fridays ago, police guided traffic through foot-deep water running off from what we were sure must be rain, but instead turned out to be a broken water main. But still, climate change is in the making and assigning or avoiding blame won’t do much to fix the problem. While the higher-ups debate the fate of the world, I’d like to suggest taking a different approach: Travel to Peru.
read more »tags :
Lima Jorge Chavez airport Cordillera Blanca Machu Picchu 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us |
23 February, 2010 18:07:25 | in
Chachapoyas
By Jessie Kwak
Photos by Robert Kittilson
“
¿Quisieran que les cuento la historia de la mistica sirena? Would you like to hear the story of the mystical mermaid?” Señora Teo tapped her walking stick on the trail and glanced over her shoulder. I nodded, too out of breath to answer.
“Not too long ago, there was a shaman named Gregorio,” she began, without a trace of exertion. “He and his wife lived by the river, and he would often go up to the base of the waterfall and speak with the mermaid that lived there…”
read more »tags :
Chachapoyas Cocachimba Amazonas Gocta Falls Add comment | Add to del.icio.us |
23 February, 2010 12:54:04 | in
Ancash
By Jane Silcock
Before I arrived in Chimbote all I heard of the city was that it smelled like fish. As my bus rolled into the terminal more than a year and a half ago, the first sight I had of the coastal city was the thick white fish-smelling smog pumping out of the nearby factories. Chimbotanos are immune to the smell, saying, "When it smells bad, Chimbote has money.”
For the largest fishing port in Peru, located just six hours north of Lima, the fish meal and anchovy industry is everything. It was the reason the population increased from 2,400 in 1940 to 170,000 in 1970. Now more than 400,000 call Chimbote home. Despite the population growth, development didn’t follow the pattern like other coastal cities such as nearby Trujillo. Chimbotanos sometimes describe their city as disorganized and chaotic. But Chimbote is changing.
read more »tags :
Chimbote Huanchaco Tarapoto Arequipa Iquitos Caleta Colorado 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us |
17 February, 2010 09:45:48 | in
Puno
By Andrew Dare
The first two weeks of February sees one of the largest fiestas in South America in Puno, next to lake Titicaca: the spectacular Festival of the Virgen de la Candelaria.
The event is really split into two parts, but as well as the organized events, spontaneous groups of musicians and dancers can and do spring up at any time and anywhere in the town.
read more »tags :
Puno Seville Cardiz Karen Schwarz Bolivia Titicaca Diablada Candelaria 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us |
3 February, 2010 03:59:09 | in
Chavín de Huantar
By Milagros Vera Colens
For El Comercio

Between the Cordillera Blanca and the Marañón River canyon is Conchucos Valley: an area that houses dreamlike landscapes, towns full of tradition, rich culture and ideal destinations for adventure sports.
Along this route there are several tourism ventures that are prepared to welcome you. One of them is the association Hijos de Acopalca, composed of 400 families that provide a proposal for rural community tourism which combines nature with archaeological and historical content.
Gold of the Andes
The journey begins at Chavin, located two hours from the city of Huaraz. There, you will find the archaeological monument of the same name which was declared Patrimony of Humanity.
read more »tags :
Cordillera Blanca Marañon River Conchucos Valley Chavin Huaraz Add comment | Add to del.icio.us |