One week ago the Oruro Carnival Bolivia, came to an end. The carnival, a UNESCO-listed Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, is celebrated for ten days around Ash Wednesday. People from throughout Bolivia and beyond gather in the streets of Oruro for the annual carnival, one of the most widely celebrated and oldest cultural traditions in Latin America. The roughly 2,000 year old event features tens of thousands of dancers in spectacularly detailed and colorful costumes and masks accompanied by huge bands. It is a dramatic fusion of indigenous music, dances and rituals combined with Euro-Christian traditions. Read more about Bolivia's top festivals and download a free Bolivia festival calendar guide. Oruro Carnival Bolivia Andean & Catholic Tradtions behind Oruro Carnival Carnaval de Oruro represents more than just a lively celebration, it is symbolic of the syncretism between the Catholic ideals imparted by Colonial expansion and the thousands of years old Andean rituals that are so ingrained in the region. After the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores, the native celebration was transformed by the incorporation of a Catholic ritual focused on the Virgin of Candelaria, or in Bolivia a focus on the Virgin of Socavón, who is believed to watch over laborers working in the region’s many mines. Dancing troupes The numerous comparsas, or groups comprised of 1,000-strong troupes of dancers, musicians and other characters during the carnival, are focused on different aspects of life in the high Andes, such as agricultural cycles, mining, religion and other themes. La Diablada, or the devil’s dance, is one of the many distinguishing features of the carnival with colorfully costumed dancers, masked diablos, and choreographed routines intricately enacting the victory of the Archangel St. Michael over Lucifer. The dance also serves as an allegory of the Spanish conquest of the
One week ago the Oruro Carnival Bolivia, came to an end. The carnival, a UNESCO-listed Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, is celebrated for ten days around Ash Wednesday. People from throughout Bolivia and beyond gather in the streets of Oruro for the annual carnival, one of…
A few months ago, while visiting Cusco, I had the opportunity to go horseback riding at Hacienda Huayoccari, a lovely, traditional hacienda owned by the gracious and charismatic Lambarri family and located in the heart of the Sacred Valley. Horse riding in the Sacred Valley is one of the many top adventure activities in the area, alongside biking, hiking, kayaking, standup paddle boarding and more and a great way to soak up the natural scenery - one of the highlights of the Sacred Valley. Paso Horse Riding Sacred Valley Riding the elegant and distinguished breed of Peruvian Paso Horse is wonderful experience and a fantastic way to take in the inspiring and often times dramatic scenery of the Sacred Valley. The Paso Horse is ideal for beginners. Hacienda Huayoccari Horseriding I took a taxi from the hotel in Urubamba where I was staying, Tambo del Inka, to Huayoccari, a quaint and rural town about 20 minutes away. When I arrived at the hacienda, one of the owners, Jose Ignacio Lambarri, greeted me cheerfully and together we drove a few minutes to an open field where the Lambarri family typically hosts traditional Peruvian Paso Horse shows for those with a particular interest in this fine and distinguished breed. Peruvian Paso Horses Here, I met the chalan who entered wearing all white, as is traditional. Chalans are the people in charge of caring for and training the horses and accompanying all guests during their horsebacking riding excursions. After sharing a few words with the chalan, he introduced me to Gustavo, a mature, chestnut-colored Peruvian Paso Horse who would be my companion for the morning. The Paso Horse is known for a distinguished, stable, smooth ride as it naturally has a four-beat lateral gait, the paso llano, as opposed to the more common diagonal
A few months ago, while visiting Cusco, I had the opportunity to go horseback riding at Hacienda Huayoccari, a lovely, traditional hacienda owned by the gracious and charismatic Lambarri family and located in the heart of the Sacred Valley. Horse riding in the Sacred Valley is one of the many…
The month of February is filled annually with festivities and carnivals in many corners of the world; Peru is no exception. The first two weeks of February are replete with colors, music and dancing as people flock to Puno, a city in the Altiplano on Lake Titicaca, to celebrate Puno’s patron saint during La Fiesta de la Virgen de Candelaria. The Candelaria Festival is one of Peru's top festivals and recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Read more on Peru's best festivals and down a free festival calendar to help plan your trip to time with the top cultural events and festivities. Candelaria Festival in Peru Candelaria Festival is often compared to Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Carnival in Oruro, Bolivia, because of the sheer size of the event, number of participants and the mix of Catholicism with beliefs and traditions of native cultures. Every year the celebrations in Puno include hundreds of thousands of dancers in amazingly detailed and colorful costumes, along with tens of thousands of musicians who reenact hundreds of traditional dances in a stadium, as well as more informally each day in the street. Preparations for the festival are extensive and start almost a year in advance, whereby thousands of directors, sponsors, embroiderers and artisans work throughout the year creating the masks, boots and shoes, bells and other items that adorn the dancers and musicians. These skills are passed on to younger generations through rehearsals and artisan workshops. Folk tradition meets Catholic beliefs The blending of folkloric traditions, like the Inca culture’s reverence of Pachamama (Mother Earth), and Catholic traditions, like the Virgin of Candlemas, is apparent during this festival. In colonial times many indigenous people used Catholic saints to mask their reverence of Andean deities. The celebration dates back to the 16th
The month of February is filled annually with festivities and carnivals in many corners of the world; Peru is no exception. The first two weeks of February are replete with colors, music and dancing as people flock to Puno, a city in the Altiplano on Lake Titicaca, to celebrate Puno’s…
Last week, three members of Aracari’s sales team had the opportunity to try out the climbing wall at Pirqa, one of Lima’s best indoor climbing gyms. The name Pirqa derives from the Quechua and Aymara words for a stone wall. In addition, for climbers, a pirqa is a pile of rocks used during a trek to show where the trail is so that they can continue along the right path. If your path leads you to the Pirqa climbing gym, you will discover that rock climbing can be a fun adventure for almost anyone from children to adults. Even if it’s your first time, the friendly instructors at Pirqa will give you helpful tips to get you started and make sure your experience is both fun and challenging. Here we share our expeirence testing our Piraq Climbing Wall Lima. Scaling Pirqa Climbing Wall Lima We arrived on a Friday evening and were welcomed by the friendly staff at the reception. They provided us with special shoes to wear. The shoes that climbers use are interestingly called “pies de gato” in Spanish, meaning “cat’s feet” because they are light, flexible and they grip well allowing the climber to move adeptly like a cat. Wearing clothes that are comfortable for exercise is recommended and there are lockers to use free of charge to leave your belongings while you climb. Mark, Giovanna and I were led off to the spacious climbing area to do 5 minutes of warm-up exercises for our arms and wrists in preparation for the climb. There are two sections, a bouldering area and the regular 15 meter-high wall. For more experienced climbers, the bouldering wall also has an overhanging roof area to practice climbing upside down and maneuvering over tricky areas. There are also cushions below since the climbers
Last week, three members of Aracari’s sales team had the opportunity to try out the climbing wall at Pirqa, one of Lima’s best indoor climbing gyms. The name Pirqa derives from the Quechua and Aymara words for a stone wall. In addition, for climbers, a pirqa is a pile of…
January 22nd was the inauguration of David LaChapelle’s photography exhibition at the MAC Lima, the Museum of Contemporary art in Lima. LaChapelle is an American photographer known best for his commercial and fine art photography although he also has directed music videos and created short films and a full-length feature. The exhibit is a condensed compilation of photographs from his career spanning from his first photographs in 1984 up until 2013. Two Aracari team members, Bianca and I, were lucky enough to arrive in time to find a place in the quickly-filling outdoor space where David LaChapelle was going to talk prior to the exhibition opening at 7:30pm. LaChapelle prefers to attend all inaugurations of his work because he feels it’s part of his job to be present--although he wants the photos to speak for themselves and for each to interpret them in his or her own way. David LaChapelle is a fascinating character, from his slow drawl peppered with pensive sounds, chuckles and pauses, to the way he spoke directly and informally to the crowd, encouraging us to make our artistic mark on the world. Born in 1973 in Connecticut, he dropped out of high school and made his way to New York City when he was 14 years old. He got a job at Studio 54 and enjoyed a life surrounded by the party atmosphere of the art and fashion worlds of New York in the 80’s. In an attempt to finish high school, he had a brief stint at North Carolina School of the Arts where a photography course piqued his interest and he began shooting and developing film in a friend’s loft in the East Village upon his return to New York. His first photos were in black and white, experimenting with bleach, manipulating negatives and
January 22nd was the inauguration of David LaChapelle’s photography exhibition at the MAC Lima, the Museum of Contemporary art in Lima. LaChapelle is an American photographer known best for his commercial and fine art photography although he also has directed music videos and created short films and a full-length feature….
Chilcano Week If Happy Hour and other such drink deals and socializing opportunities appeal to you, look no further. Starting last Friday, January 9th and running until the 18th is La Semana del Chilcano 2015, or “Chilcano Week”, where many bars and restaurants all over Lima promote this popular pisco-based cocktail using a selection of exotic flavors as a twist on the original and lower prices such as 2-for-1 deals and even buy 3 get the 4th free. Those partaking in the 4 for the price of 3 option should note that chilcanos are not drinks for the low in tolerance. You might want to take advantage of the combination deals some locations offer, for example, two chilcanos and piqueos in order to have a snack along with your drinks. The idea for this celebration of chilcanos was created in 2009 by journalist and writer Manuel Cadenas Mujica and celebrated for the first time in 2010. The idea was to promote good quality pisco--a traditional Peruvian alcohol--on a national and international level. Each year La Semana del Chilcano has a theme and this year it is “Chilcano que se respeta”. Slogans of the past few years have included: “El pisco en boca de todos”, “El chilcano es una fiesta”, and “Conoce el pisco, conoce el Perú”. What is a Chilcano? Chilcano is a cocktail made of pisco, ginger ale and lime, with angostura bitters added as an optional ingredient. In variations on the original drink, flavors are added such as coca leaves, passion fruit, chica morada or chili pepper. As the official website for la Semana del Chilcano warns, be wary of flavored chilcanos and low-quality pisco because it takes away from the refreshing taste, quality and flavor of the traditional chilcano. However, for those of you who like experimenting
Chilcano Week If Happy Hour and other such drink deals and socializing opportunities appeal to you, look no further. Starting last Friday, January 9th and running until the 18th is La Semana del Chilcano 2015, or “Chilcano Week”, where many bars and restaurants all over Lima promote this popular pisco-based…
