Few cities elicit in me and others a love-hate relationship as Beijing does. One thing I love about Beijing is the contrast between the old traditional Chinese and the ultra-modern: both coexist side by side. It is undoubtedly a very interesting city, but equally tough both to navigate and feel comfortable in. Most people I know don’t like it. The weather is extreme, and while I was there in the peak of summer, temperatures can go up as high as 40°C (104°F). If not as hot as that, then it is horribly polluted. So it’s no picnic. Travel in Beijing and Yunnan Because I have been to Beijing several times, and done all the usual sights (The Great Wall, Forbidden City, Tiannamen Square, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven), and I have been fortunate enough to stay at an actual Hutong home at my friend´s house. This year, during my two weeks there, I decided to immerse myself in experiences that focus on aspects of Chinese culture and lifestyle. I love to eat Chinese food but don’t know how to cook it. I think it is a great idea to learn about a culture through its food, and I try to take cooking classes wherever I go (within reason). Learning to make dumplings sounded like a great opportunity, and I therefore enrolled in a day cooking class at Hutong Cuisine, where together with 10 other amateur cooks, we were taught the secrets of making boiled, steamed and pan fried dumplings. During 4 hard working hours, we learned to make the dough, chop the ingredients properly, dress them and then create the beautifully crafted dumplings. The whole process looks easy but it is a true challenge, at least for me. I haven’t yet tested the recipe but will do so soon! Daunting
Few cities elicit in me and others a love-hate relationship as Beijing does. One thing I love about Beijing is the contrast between the old traditional Chinese and the ultra-modern: both coexist side by side. It is undoubtedly a very interesting city, but equally tough both to navigate and feel…
On August 15th Aracari was invited to attend the inauguration of an exhibition of popular art at the Peruvian-North American Cultural Institute (ICPNA) curated by Aracari’s history and art specialist in Lima, John Alfredo Davis Benavides. The exhibit is free to the public and will be on display from now until the 28th of September. Peruvian Popular Art Exhibition in Lima John Alfredo, along with two other curators, artist Jaime Liébana and owner of Las Pallas arts and handicrafts shop, Mari Solari, collaborated to assemble this exhibit with over 300 pieces on display. It is the final exhibit in a series on popular art that began over a decade ago at the ICPNA, which was co-sponsored by the University of Ricardo Palma in Lima. The exhibits have been organized by region, theme, subject and medium, but this last one was the most ambitious, aiming to take on the concept of popular art as a whole. On a Friday evening, people crowded into the Germán Krüger Espantoso Gallery at the ICPNA in Miraflores for the opening of the exhibition titled, “Arte Popular? Tradiciones Sin Tiempo”, which translates as, “Popular Art? Timeless Traditions”. After a warm introduction from the director at the ICPNA, John Alfredo spoke to the audience about the exhibition and the general question it provokes, which is, about popular art being treated as real art rather than cultural artifacts or crafts. He continued to explain briefly the organization of the exhibit, which was ultimately arranged into three categories: ethnic art, rural art and urban art. After his words, the crowd broke up and perused the gallery, munching on hors d’ouerves and sipping wine that was provided at the event. A few days after the inauguration, we sat down over a coffee with John Alfredo in his workshop to talk
On August 15th Aracari was invited to attend the inauguration of an exhibition of popular art at the Peruvian-North American Cultural Institute (ICPNA) curated by Aracari’s history and art specialist in Lima, John Alfredo Davis Benavides. The exhibit is free to the public and will be on display from now…
Aracari Travel. Discovering Bolivia At Aracari, we are not just known for our expertise on travel in Peru; we have been arranging luxury trips to Bolivia for years now, and it is a destination that we highly recommend to those with a sense of adventure and a love of nature and culture. With increasing interest in travel to Bolivia, we have recently begun collaborating with an expert there, our insider in La Paz who coordinates travel services and ensures that Aracari guests are taken care of during their journeys. Our man in La Paz is James Brunker, born in England (Kent to be exact), who has lived in the administrative capital since 2004 and is our source of knowledge on all things Bolivia. James greets our clients who travel to Bolivia with a phone call upon arrival and is in touch with them throughout their travels to check on them, explain the itinerary, give information about destinations and answer any questions that may arise. We spoke with James to learn a bit more about him and his insider tips on travel in his adopted home. About James Brunker James arrived in Bolivia as a tour guide, splitting his time between Bolivia and Peru with tour groups, until his interest in the city of La Paz drew him to try living there (a decision which he also credits to his wife who lives there). James began working in tourism right out of college as a raft and kayaking guide in the Austrian Alps before moving on to trekking and more general tourism activities, traveling for tours in Spain, China, Nepal, Costa Rica, Cuba, Panamá, Ecuador, Patagonia (Argentina / Chile), and of course, Peru and Bolivia. Now James spends most of his time in Bolivia working as a freelance photographer, which began as a
Aracari Travel. Discovering Bolivia At Aracari, we are not just known for our expertise on travel in Peru; we have been arranging luxury trips to Bolivia for years now, and it is a destination that we highly recommend to those with a sense of adventure and a love of nature and culture….
Featured Photo: The Ausangate lodge to lodge trek by Andean Lodges. As well as keeping our eye on state of the art developments in luxury Peru hotels, at Aracari we also adore small scale properties that reflect their environment, incorporate local culture and that minimise their impact on their natural surroundings. Earlier this year, we met with Maria Eugenia de Aliaga of KM Cero to talk about a new initiative that she co-founded and that adheres to these very qualities. Established in 2013 to support the development of sustainable tourism in Peru, Albergues Peruanos is a non-profit organisation that promotes the travel industry in rural areas of Peru by fostering a network of unique and charming lodges (albergues). The network of lodges offer individuals access to destinations that are rarely visited by travellers from overseas, but that are nonetheless beautiful and offer unique opportunities for travelling off-the-beaten-path. All of the lodges that are featured on Albergues Peruanos have been chosen for their location, their standards of hospitality and their connection to the natural environment. The organisation is dedicated to promoting lodges that demonstrate an active role in protecting the environment and supporting the local communities near which they are located. To illustrate their high standards, some of the requirements for the participating lodges include the following: Lodges must have programs in place to reduce energy costs, waste produced and water consumed. Lodge operations must not adversely affect the local community and actively support the local economy where possible. Lodges and affiliated tours must not harm or disrupt the local flora and fauna of the region Lodges must communicate their standards of environmental protection to guests. These examples are but a few of the prerequisites for a lodge joining the Albergues Peruanos network. They have developed a detailed “Sustainability Guide &
Featured Photo: The Ausangate lodge to lodge trek by Andean Lodges. As well as keeping our eye on state of the art developments in luxury Peru hotels, at Aracari we also adore small scale properties that reflect their environment, incorporate local culture and that minimise their impact on their natural…
Lima by train Traveling by train has not lost its romance in Peru as the well-known scenic train rides to Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca continue to enchant travelers. However, it is likely that you have not heard about the second highest railway in the world, which is a train from Lima to Huancayo that runs through the heart of the Andes. The train passes through breathtaking Andean landscapes during a 12 hour journey that ends in the city of Huancayo in the central Andes, the capital of a region known for its fertile land and traditional handicrafts. The Ferrocarril Central Andino is an impressive engineering feat, designed by Polish engineer Ernest Malinowsky and constructed by American Henry Meiggs between 1870 and 1908. This ride is a major attraction for train enthusiasts with 58 bridges, 69 tunnels and 6 switchbacks. Beginning in Lima, the train climbs 4,631m (15,193ft) in just 158km (98mi) at the highest pass in Galera at 4,781m (15,685ft) from which is descends until Huancayo at 3,261m (10,698ft). The train runs only five times a year, from April to October, though in the past it ran at least twice a month, and the company in charge of the railway has proposed blasting a tunnel through a mountain to reduce the trip time by nearly half. Presently, the train departs Lima at 7:00am and returns two days later from Huancayo at the same hour. This June I had the chance to experience this incredible journey from Lima to Huancayo accompanied by Aracari Lima specialist, John Alfredo Davis Benavides. When we arrived at the Desamparados Station in the historic Lima center, it was still dark, and passengers with weekend bags were lined up waiting to board. There are two classes of passenger cars on the train--touristic and classic. We were
Lima by train Traveling by train has not lost its romance in Peru as the well-known scenic train rides to Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca continue to enchant travelers. However, it is likely that you have not heard about the second highest railway in the world, which is a train…
