CULTURAL
TOURS
Experience Peru from an Indigenous perspective...
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Bed and Breakfast provided in Cuzco - All year around
5 minutes walk from Plaza de Armas -
$20.00 per person, per night
G uided Excursions in and around Cuzco available: Sacred Valley of the Inkas: Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu, Pisac...Circuit of the Four Lakes...Amazon...
Email: yachaywasi@nyc.rr.com
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Explore the three natural areas of Peru: the coast...,
the mountains... and the jungle... The country has a long tradition
of hospitality and friendliness dating back to the Inka ancestors. Peru
was part of Tawantinsuyu -in Quechua: the Four Quarters of the
World -the Inka Empire which extended from modern Colombia through
Chile. You are invited to discover a
world of traditions, art and legends...to enjoy the music and craftsmanship
of the descendants of the Inkas and to explore amazing archeological sites
amid the natural beauty of the Andes.
HIGHLIGHTS
Nazca's wonderful, enigmatic lines, etched in an arid plateau by ancient artists, form creatures: monkey...spider...hummingbird...which can only be fully viewed from the air.
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Puno is situated on the shores of Lake Titicaca, highest navigable lake in the world (3800 meters). The Uros Floating Islands are constructed of totora reeds growing along the lake shore. Island women sell embroidered tapestries. Sillustani is known for its Chullpas (circular burial towers) which were probably built by one of the tribes ruling the area before Inka domination. |
Ollantaytambo, named for a local rebellious chieftain Ollanta, who had a forbidden love for one daughter of Inka Pachakutic, is the only town in Peru remaining as the Inkas laid it with its street plan in the trapezoid shape. Terraces in Ollantaytambo are aligned in such a way that they form shapes of animals, such as llama. Ollantay men, young and old, wear characteristic white hats and orange/red ponchos. | ![]() |
Aguas Calientes features Thermal Baths with naturally hot mineral water available for bathing under the sky in two open pools.
The jungle covered ruins of Machu
Picchu, the "Lost City", were uncovered in 1911. The high
quality of the architecture shows that it was essentially a site of spiritual
and ceremonial significance with shrines such as Intiwatana (place where
the sun is tied) and the temple of the three windows. In 1983, Machu Picchu
was selected as one of UNESCO World
Heritage Sites. Archeologist Hiram Bingham (1875-1956) saw Machu Picchu
for the first time in 1911 after local Andean natives told him of the site.
In his own words: ",...They sent a small boy with me as a guide...The
little boy urged us to climb up a steep hill over what seemed to be a flight
of stone steps. Surprise followed surprise in bewildering succession. We
came to a great stairway of large granite blocks. Then we walked along
a path to a clearing where the Indians had planted a small vegetable garden.
Suddenly we found ourselves standing in front of the ruins of two of the
finest and most interesting structures in Ancient America...The sight held
me spellbound.", Lost City of the Incas by Hiram Bingham, 1948
- pg. 164, 166. Later on, Mr. Bingham returned with funds and equipment
to clear the Sacred City of centuries old dirt and vegetation.
Qosqo (Cuzco) "The Navel of the World" was the capital of the Inka empire. It is a mixture of ancient sites and colonial places, such as the Plaza de Armas with its cathedral built on an Inka palace, and Qorikancha, the Temple of the Sun. Inka foundations and walls can be seen through the city: the Stone of 12 angles in Calle Loreto illustrates the skills of these ancient builders.
The fortress of Saqsaywaman,
(multi-colored falcon), built at the beginning of the Inka empire, was
a military and religious structure. Only the massive walls remain... In
this site yearly on June 24, the festival of Inti Raymi (Homage to the
Sun) is reenacted in front of a huge crowd sitting on these walls. This
day is part of a week long celebration "Serenata al Qosqo" where
dancers and musicians participate from all over Peru wearing the traditional
costumes typical of the villages which they represent.
Tambo Machay was popularly called "Baño del Inka"
(Inka's bath). It is a series of 3 waterfalls built in the stone, channeling
water from a spring used for ritual ablutions.
Qenqo, north of Saqsaywaman, was a Huaca (shrine), with large niches and altar. The walls were carved into channels for ritual Chicha (fermented drink) or blood.
Puerto Maldonado, near the river Madre de Dios, is surrounded by the still wild and virgin Amazon jungle which offers amazing variety of fauna and flora: ocelots, tapirs, colorful macaws, 13 types of monkeys, numerous birds and butterflies...myriad of species of flowers, medicinal plants and gigantic trees...
Lima, the contemporary capital of Peru, was built in 1535 by the Spanish. The Museo de Oro has a dazzling private collection of pre-Inka and Inka gold jewelry and ceremonial objects.
BED and BREAKFAST year 'round in QOSQO
$ 20.00 per person per night