by Marisol Mosquera After our long journey across deserts, lagoons and the Salar de Uyuni and endless drives through Potosi and Sucre, arriving in La Paz by plane - and into our 5 star hotel Casa Grande - was the most unbelievable indulgence. La Paz and Surroundings The condition of Bolivia's roads is better than 10 years ago, but not much better. A lot of the roads are unpaved or poorly paved, even around La Paz. Very bumpy and dusty experiences, so a well-appointed modern room was just what we needed. We flew Aero Bolivia from Sucre. This is a state-owned airline, which together with a small but growing private airline called Amaszonas cover all domestic routes. It was a good flight but we had a bizarre stopover in Cochabamba, where they asked us to disembark, to then walk through the airport and through security only to board the plane again. At least we were amused at our random encounter with the plane of Cristina Kirchner, who was on a State visit, (she visits Bolivia frequently these days), including red carpet along the runway, flower arcade and military band. Domestic flights in Bolivia are seldom direct. One is rather short of breath on arrival at El Alto - one of the highest airports in the world at over 4,000 metres, a tiny airport with only one baggage claim belt. Walk outside on a typical clear winter day, without a single cloud in the sky, and the first thing you see are the wonderful views of the imposing peaks of the Cordillera Real: Huayna Potosi and Illimani among many other smaller snowcapped peaks. As we drive down to La Paz, the three most remarkable characteristics of this city are immediately evident and never leave you: the astounding mountain views, the dramatic
by Marisol Mosquera After our long journey across deserts, lagoons and the Salar de Uyuni and endless drives through Potosi and Sucre, arriving in La Paz by plane – and into our 5 star hotel Casa Grande – was the most unbelievable indulgence. La Paz and Surroundings The condition of…
Potosi and Sucre by Marisol Mosquera The drive between Uyuni and Potosi used to take all day, but with paved road all the way, it is now a swift 3 and a half hour drive. Nico and I, together with Vicky and Nora who joined us from Aracari's Lima office, left early on what was set to be a packed day - we needed to have a full day of sightseeing in Potosi before reaching our home for the night (which would turn out to be the highlight), the Hotel Museo - Hacienda Cayara. Potosi But first, the sights! Potosi is a strange city, a chaotic and unattractive town, yet it still displays the grandeur and significance of its past. A UNESCO heritage site since 1987, standing at 4000m above sea level, Potosi was an important metropolis in the 16th century with a population larger than that of Paris or London. This was all thanks to "Cerro Rico" or Rich Mountain which stands next to the city, and which fed the world with what it seemed to be an endless supply of silver during the times of the Spanish Empire. The silver that came out - which legend says was enough to build a bridge from Potosi to Madrid - financed the highly indebted Spanish empire at the time and made many people millionaires!! The fascinating and tragic history of this city (many tens of thousands died extracting the mineral) can be witnessed through visits to the major monuments: The "Casa de la Moneda" or Royal Mint, one of the most important secular colonial monuments in South America; and the Convent of Santa Teresa, the most interesting of many convents and churches. These two landmarks take up the best part of the afternoon. But the most bizarre and compelling visit was
Potosi and Sucre by Marisol Mosquera The drive between Uyuni and Potosi used to take all day, but with paved road all the way, it is now a swift 3 and a half hour drive. Nico and I, together with Vicky and Nora who joined us from Aracari’s Lima office,…
Peru trip report by Marisol Mosquera I have been to the Salar de Uyuni and Desert + Lagoons area twice before, but it had been a while since I last visited. Since then there have been some improvements to the infrastructure, which makes the visit easier and expands the itinerary options, all of which is great news! Visiting the entire area requires 3 or 4 days. We have spent 4 wonderful if tough and cold days here, but again I have confirmed that this is one of the most fascinating spots on earth, at least in my experience. The photos we have taken can give you a small glimpse of the beauty and uniqueness of the landscape and the experience. I highly recommend a visit to this area. I would divide the area in two sections: One is the Desert and Lagoons area and the other is the Salar. They are both wonderful. We have done both, but travellers can decide to do one or the other. I would recommend doing both if you come all the way to Bolivia. But there are people who are briefly visiting La Paz and are short of time, and would like to come to the Salar only, and that is possible in as short a time as 1 day 1 night, because now there are two daily flights into Uyuni from La Paz. Desert + Lagoons The Desert + Lagoons area is the area the between the Chilean border and the southern border of the Salar. This is a very large area and much road travel is required, approx 550kms driving in two days. Roads are unpaved and unmarked, and some sections are rocky paths and can't be called roads. There is no cellular coverage in this area and accommodation is basic and
Peru trip report by Marisol Mosquera I have been to the Salar de Uyuni and Desert + Lagoons area twice before, but it had been a while since I last visited. Since then there have been some improvements to the infrastructure, which makes the visit easier and expands the itinerary…
Visiting the Atacama Desert Aracari's Founder Marisol Mosquera shares a series of reports from her trip across Chile, Bolivia and Peru in July 2012 I love San Pedro de Atacama in Northern Chile as a destination for outdoor activities and relaxation. The hotels are excellent and varied, and the geography so diverse, you can stay here for 3 , 4 days or more and have a great time. Its geographic location, bordering Bolivia and Argentina, means the Atacama Desert combines well with an overland trip through the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve to the impressive salt flats of Uyuni in Bolivia, or to Salta in Argentina. The town of Atacama The last time I came to San Pedro was 10 years ago. The town hasn't changed much, it is practically the same thing. It has a feeling of a town in the wild west: very quiet, roads are unpaved and there is little to see and do. We went into the Museum and it looks exactly the same as it did 10 years ago. The humble church is the same on the outside but the interior has been restored, it is a very simple village church. I hear the municipality has strict regulations on the appearance of the town: they want it to look as authentic as possible, this is why the roads are unpaved and they regulate the construction. I particularly liked the pharmacy which has opened just recently keeping the old style. Where to stay in the Atacama Desert What has really changed is that there are so many new hotels now. When I came, there was Explora at the high end and Hosteria San Pedro at the budget level. Now there are countless hotels, and it is this is what I really wanted to experience on this trip. But is not cheap
Visiting the Atacama Desert Aracari’s Founder Marisol Mosquera shares a series of reports from her trip across Chile, Bolivia and Peru in July 2012 I love San Pedro de Atacama in Northern Chile as a destination for outdoor activities and relaxation. The hotels are excellent and varied, and the geography so…
The Galapagos Islands is a keystone of the experiences that Aracari can offer, and there has been a lot going on recently. We talked with Galapagos specialist Santiago Martinez to get his take on the latest news, Santiago has previously lived on the islands and has been taking groups there for 27 years, he is the co-founder of Gentian Trails, one of Aracari’s close friends in Ecuador. Lonesome George passes away The last of his kind, Lonesome George sadly passed away last weekend, marking the extinction of the species the Pinta Island tortoise. “I was really sad” Santiago told us, “George was the only one of his kind, and his death was so sudden”. “Nobody knows exactly how old he was, but it was presumably in the region of 150 years old .. it is possible that he was around when Charles Darwin first visited.” George had made a name for himself due to the lack of enthusiasm that he showed for continuing his species. Several attempts were made to breed with other turtles, but George’s libido just did not budge. “They tried all sorts of things,” Santiago told me “but he just didn’t pay attention”. On George’s legacy Santiago said “He was an icon of conservation on the Galapagos islands, he survived the damage to the area before the Galapagos Islands became a national park and, as the last of his kind, he is a reminder of the impact that human beings have had upon nature.” “He also acted as a catalyst for conservation of the National Park, he was a large part of the Park’s identity and his profile helped NGOs to raise awareness for the Park’s conservation.” Needless to say, George will be sorely missed. Read more about his fascinating profile on the Guardian and Time magazine.
The Galapagos Islands is a keystone of the experiences that Aracari can offer, and there has been a lot going on recently. We talked with Galapagos specialist Santiago Martinez to get his take on the latest news, Santiago has previously lived on the islands and has been taking groups there…
Discover this peruvian restaurants. Delicious! Peruvian food is on the march! As recently reported in UK newspaper The Independent Peruvian cuisine is going global. Nick Curtis reported that “Native chefs … are reworking the nation's classic dishes and its cornucopia of fresh ingredients for gourmet palates. International gastronomes such as Denmark's René Redzepi and Spain's Ferran Adrià sing the praises of Peruvian food, and Peruvian restaurants are springing up across the Americas, Spain and London.”, marking just the latest in a series of commentaries charting the booming exportation of Peruvian cuisine. At Aracari, being big fans of our country’s beautiful cuisine, we can’t help but oblige. Being a well-travelled bunch we thought we’d try out 2 brand new Peruvian restaurants in Europe: Tradición Moderna in Barcelona and Ceviche in London, to see if they matched up to the challenge of replicating Peruvian cuisine abroad. Tradición Moderna C/ Castillejos, 397. Barcelona, Spain Tel. 686 220 200 Travel Planner Cécile visited Tradición Moderna in Barcelona. She said that the restaurant was a modern and simple take on Peruvian cuisine, nothing too heavy, a mix of traditional and modern fusion, and with minimalist decor. She visited with her family, and emphasised that the food here is very child-friendly. On whether Tradicion Moderna is a good representation of Peruvian cuisine, she said “it is becoming very well known in the Peruvian community in Barcelona, and everyone who comes here for lunch or dinner end up very happy” adding that the “service is very efficient”. They ate ceviche, lomo saltado and tamales, all of which retained the familiarity of Peruvian flavour, she told me. --- Ceviche 17 Frith Street SoHo London W1D 4RG http://cevicheuk.com After being invited by owner Martin Morales, I myself visited Ceviche in London during a trip home to the UK. Ceviche has
Discover this peruvian restaurants. Delicious! Peruvian food is on the march! As recently reported in UK newspaper The Independent Peruvian cuisine is going global. Nick Curtis reported that “Native chefs … are reworking the nation’s classic dishes and its cornucopia of fresh ingredients for gourmet palates. International gastronomes such as…
