Living in Peru : your everyday companion

By Ben Jonjak and Diana P. Olano

It started simple enough. Last year, in one of our weekly newsletter's "Peru this Week", the Livinginperu.com team asked its over 22,000 readers to answer one question: What made them most proud of Peru? The response was overwhelming to say the least. With everything from the neon-colored, sweet beverage Inca Kola to the ancient Cusqueñan citadel of Ollantaytambo being suggested. Each email provided a new idea, a new inspiration.

By the end of the week, our team was left with hundreds of reasons with why one should be proud of Peru. And so, the book "101 reasons to be proud of Peru" was born. Our Editor-in-Chief and General Manager of Livinginperu.com Carsten Korch, the driving force behind "101 Reasons..." put the plan into action.

The publication was first released in pdf form for our loyal and dedicated readers who inspired its creation. After almost half-a-million people downloaded the complimentary file, Korch knew it had the potential for bigger things. So for months, a team of dedicated professionals worked long and hard to make a print version of the book. Blood, sweat and tears have literally gone into the making of "101 reasons..." The hard work paid off, however, and the Spanish version of book saw its release July 7, 2008 at a launch party at the Hotel Marriot in Miraflores.

Press, colleagues and friends were all present for the marking of this great achievement in promoting Peruvian culture and tourism. The attractive, coffee-table style volume contains photos and text regarding 101 of Peru´s most celebrated people, places, and cultural offerings.  At the inaugural presentation, the book was being offered for 35 Nuevo Soles with the proceeds being set aside for donation to ALINEN (a charitable group assisting children with cancer).

Speakers included Rafo León, Mercedes Araoz and Carsten Korch. The presenters spoke beside a slide-show presentation that projected images from the publication.  The mood was light and hopeful as each speaker expressed his/her affection for the country, and their desire to spread the joys of cultural and traditional tourism in Peru to both those visiting from other countries and Peruvians themselves.

The overall reaction to the first physical version of "101 Reasons" was extremely positive.  The pages are high-quality gloss which serve to greatly accentuate the full-color photography included in the work.  Several hundred copies of the Spanish version of the book (the English one is being released in August) were set aside to be distributed to local schools where they are to be used as an educational tool.

On the inside cover of the book is a cheerful admission that 101 reasons is far to few to cover everything about Peru. Thus, there is an e-mail provided (101@livinginperu.com) and an invitation to submit further suggestions for a possible subsequent edition.

Check out www.101peru.com to keep updated on the status of future versions in other languages, to order the book or to download the free e-version. You can also visit La Pastelería San Antonio bakeries or Ilaria jewelry stores to purchase a copy in person.

To view more pictures from the launch party, check our our Gallery.