Educational institution, Kusi Kawsay in Pisac celebrated its 5th anniversary this year, and looking at recent advances the school has made, it is clear how it has matured and grown since its opening. For those unfamiliar with Kusi Kawsay, it is an independently-run school situated just above the famous Pisac Market in the Urubamba Valley with a pedagogy modeled on the Waldorf Educational Method. The focus here is on the incorporation of Andean culture and worldview into the classroom, placing a special importance on the arts. It was founded by five families who felt that traditional schools in the Cusco region discouraged Andean children from expressing and taking pride in their cultural heritage among other concerns about the overall management of students, classrooms and staff. So they started their own school, Kusi Kawsay, which in Quechua means “happy life”. Aracari has paid the school several visits, and our guests have generously donated this wonderful institution, contributing directly to its development and thus the development of the children who attend, as the school depends on individual donors and grants. Aracari also offers guests the opportunity to visit the school in Pisac to learn about its foundation and development from one of the founding parents. Below are some of the latest developments that Kusi Kawsay shared in its annual report for their 2013 academic year. The full report can be found here. Teacher training and developments - Kusi Kawsay received a one-year grant from Global Fund for Children towards organizational development of the school to work on interpersonal dynamics among faculty and assisting with the further progression of planning, fundraising, governance, human resource development, financial management, monitoring, learning and assessment. In addition to this support, Kusi Kawsay has yearly workshops for teacher training from ProHumanus, a civil association in Peru that offers teachers
Educational institution, Kusi Kawsay in Pisac celebrated its 5th anniversary this year, and looking at recent advances the school has made, it is clear how it has matured and grown since its opening. For those unfamiliar with Kusi Kawsay, it is an independently-run school situated just above the famous Pisac…
*Photo credits to RPP Noticias for images of the Danzaq and Saqra dancers featured above. Festival in Peru, Señor de Choquekillka From now through September some of the most fascinating and unique festivals will be celebrated throughout Peru including the upcoming Pentecostal celebrations this weekend followed by Qoyllur Riti, Corpus Christi and Inti Raymi in the coming weeks. The city of Ollantaytambo in the Urubamba Valley will celebrate the vibrant Festival of the Señor de Choquekillka in honor of their patron saint and Pentecost beginning this Saturday June 7th through Tuesday June 10th. Ollantaytambo is located about 80 kilometers from the city of Cusco and is known for its impressive Inca fortress, original Inca streets and architecture and the train station that services travellers to Machu Picchu. The festival, proclaimed Cultural Patrimony of the Nation in 2008, is a spectacular example of syncretism between the Catholic and Inca religious traditions and beliefs, combining dances, food and rituals of the region with the observation of Pentecost, which marks the end of the Easter season in the Catholic Church. During the festival, a cross bearing the image of the Señor de Choquekillka is taken out of the church in the main plaza and carried through the streets to the Temple of Santiago the Apostle in a colorful procession accompanied by musicians. This procession happens various times over the course of the festival. During four days the town is abuzz with festivities that include dancing, singing, religious processions and masses, bull fights and fireworks as sponsors of the festival offer the community an abundance of traditional and local dishes. There are more than 16 unique dances performed by around 400 dancers, all dressed in brilliant costumes, each symbolic of a moment or aspect of the history of the region and Peru. There are
*Photo credits to RPP Noticias for images of the Danzaq and Saqra dancers featured above. Festival in Peru, Señor de Choquekillka From now through September some of the most fascinating and unique festivals will be celebrated throughout Peru including the upcoming Pentecostal celebrations this weekend followed by Qoyllur Riti, Corpus…
It was with great anticipation (and little preparation) that I boarded my Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul last week. Such little preparation that only on the plane did I realise I needed a visa for entry which is easily obtainable online on: https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/. Thankfully that can be obtained at the airport. The last time I was there was on a trip with my parents back in 1978, so I guess it hardly counts! Aracari's Founder Shares her Trip to Istanbul Experience I was there to participate in a conference for a couple of days, and decided to stay on when the conference ended to visit a bit of Istanbul. To my delight, a dear friend of mine and one of my favourite culture connoisseur travel companions enthusiastically decided to join me, so that made the visit much more interesting, pleasant and entertaining. After checking the Globalista report and various travel specialists in my circles, we decided that despite the existence in Istanbul of marvelous 5-star branded, deluxe properties with gorgeous views of the Bosphorus, our style (and budget) was much better matched to the small and characterful boutique hotels in Istanbul. Istanbul is huge, and there are advantages and disadvantages to staying in different neighbourhoods. There is the Sultanahmed, or old city, where the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, The Grand Bazaar and Topkapi Palace are located; there is Beyoğlu and Nişantaşi, the areas where the posh Istanbulers hang out; there is the classic seafront area where many of the 5-star hotels are located where you can afford amazing views; there is Beşiktaş, the up-and-coming seafront area, which is fabulous if you are into running; and there is Ḉukurcuma, the bohemian/antique/artsy area with its steep narrow streets and eccentric cafes and stores. The latter is what we chose, and the hotel, the House Hotel Galatasaray,
It was with great anticipation (and little preparation) that I boarded my Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul last week. Such little preparation that only on the plane did I realise I needed a visa for entry which is easily obtainable online on: https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/. Thankfully that can be obtained at the…
The Peruvian Amazon is one of the most biodiverse environments in the world with around 300 tree species per hectare. To put this into perspective, in all of the United States and Canada (696.9 million hectares of forest combined) there are about 700 tree species in total. Take a moment to let that factoid sink in… Deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon However, as is now widely recognized, a serious issue in the Amazon is deforestation. This is largely caused by unsustainable agricultural practices, namely slash-and-burn agriculture in which trees and vegetation are cut down and the rainforest is burned to clear it for farmland and grazing livestock. The soil in the Amazon is not meant to be cleared of forest, and after one or two years of farming, the land is no longer fertile and must be left fallow for a long time. The farmers must then abandon it and move on to clear another section of rainforest. Though this method has been used for thousands of years, it can hardly be considered the most efficient agricultural practice for subsistence farmers as it causes soil erosion, destroys habitats and can lead to the permanent loss of forest. Without training in sustainable farming practices and with the need of subsistence income to maintain basic needs, farmers have depended on this method. In the Amazon of Peru, 7.9 million hectares of land have been deforested, much of it owned by smallholder farmers. As much as 18% of global carbon emissions are attributed to deforestation—more than transportation. Moreover, the Amazon Rainforest produces 20% of the world’s oxygen, which makes deforestation a critical issue as concerns about climate change become increasingly urgent. Plant your Future At this crucial moment, a grassroots organization called Plant your Future emerged in the jungle city of Iquitos. Plant your Future is a non-profit organization that disseminates
The Peruvian Amazon is one of the most biodiverse environments in the world with around 300 tree species per hectare. To put this into perspective, in all of the United States and Canada (696.9 million hectares of forest combined) there are about 700 tree species in total. Take a moment to…
Lima City Tour The city of Lima was founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535, but its history extends far beyond that to civilizations that inhabited this fertile stretch of coastal desert thousands of years before Columbus had even thought to sail across the Atlantic. For those spending a day or several days in Peru’s capital, Aracari offers an experience that takes you through Lima’s rich past (according to your interests) with Aracari friend and Lima specialist in history and folk art, John Alfredo Davis Benavides. Last week some of us from the Aracari team slipped out of the office for a few hours to experience for ourselves the tour with John Alfredo, who is the second-generation member of a family dedicated to the revival and promotion of Peruvian folk art. He is one of few authorities on Andean folk art in Peru and is a walking encyclopedia on history in Lima, where he was born and raised. Our first stop was the Morro Solar in the district of Chorillos at the top of a curve in the coast commonly called “La Herradura” or the horseshoe for its shape. At the peak of the low hill you find the cross built in 1988 and a statue of Jesus, replica of the iconic Christ of Corcovado of Rio de Janeiro, which are illuminated at night and stand out in the darkness along the coast. From this point, you get a vista of the Costa Verde and the city of Lima stretching out to the foothills of the Andes in the east. It is from here that you can see Lima is a desert with layers of clay along the coast exposed and the rocky sediment of the Morro Solar evidencing the arid climate. Lima is a sprawling metropolis, home to one-third of the
Lima City Tour The city of Lima was founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535, but its history extends far beyond that to civilizations that inhabited this fertile stretch of coastal desert thousands of years before Columbus had even thought to sail across the Atlantic. For those spending a day or several…
Photos are big part of our work here at Aracari; it’s difficult to promote travel in Peru and Bolivia without stunning visuals. Not only do we often find ourselves sifting through oodles of photos of Machu Picchu, the Salar de Uyuni or Lake Titicaca to find that perfect shot to inspire the imagination, we’re constantly honing our own photography skills in a bid to convey the experiences that Aracari offers those who travel with us. Living and breathing photos, we were naturally all very excited about the Lima Bienal 2014. The second edition of this biannual event brings together a range of photographers and curators from Peru, Latin America and further afield in a series of exhibitions held in galleries and cultural centres throughout Peru’s capital. The exhibitions kicked off in early April and will run until August, covering a variety of themes and subjects. The aim is to “highlight the histories of photography that stand out in 21st-century culture. The curatorial proposition seeks to organize this view of photography according to the dynamics of transformation, transition and expression.” We cherry picked our three favourite exhibitions from this year’s event, of which you can find details below. You can find full details of exhibitions on the Lima Photo Biennial website. El Cielo del Desierto - Maria Reiche y las Líneas de Nasca (The Desert Sky – Maria Reiche and the Nazca Lines) With Photos by Yann Arthus-Bertrand Centro Cultural Inca Garcilaso, Jr. Ucayali 391, Cercado de Lima Until June 29th 2014 This fascinating exhibition brings together photos and personal possessions of Maria Reiche, the German archaeologist famed for her work in conserving the Nazca Lines. The photos by Yann Arthus-Bertrand reveal Reiche’s pioneering work in protecting the archaeology of Peru’s southern desert, with a number of shots displaying the vast
Photos are big part of our work here at Aracari; it’s difficult to promote travel in Peru and Bolivia without stunning visuals. Not only do we often find ourselves sifting through oodles of photos of Machu Picchu, the Salar de Uyuni or Lake Titicaca to find that perfect shot to…
