Pisco and Wines of Peru: Pisco Portón

Located 70 km southeast of Paracas lies a vast fertile land known for producing large quantities of succulent grapes used to create Pisco (Peru’s national drink) as well as a selection of increasingly high-regarded wines.  A few weeks ago, Aracari-founder Marisol, Lauren, and I went in search of a route that…

MAC Barranco – Contemporary Art in Lima

For several decades, the Instituto de Arte Contemporáneo (IAC), a major national cultural institution, has been fighting to provide Peru, and particularly its capital city, with a proper museum dedicated to contemporary art. In January of this year, the IAC finally made this dream a reality and opened the Museo…

The Ship, The Lady, and the Lake follows the extraordinary account of Meriel Larken’s quest to restore the “Yavari” steamship in Peru’s Lake Titicaca.  The story vividly describes her account of finding the decrepit ship rotting away in the Lake, how she discovered the ship’s incredible history, and her project…

2013: The Year of Quinoa

Peru gastronomy. The Year of Quinoa Quinoa, the so-called “mother grain of the Incas,” has become increasingly popular throughout the world, not only for its excellent nutritional value, but also for its versatility in the kitchen and overall tastiness. So much so that the United Nations officially declared 2013 as…

A Visit to Suasi Island Following our adventure to Taquile Island  in Lake Titicaca, James and I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a relaxing two days at Suasi Island, the only privately owned island on the Peruvian side of the lake.  This tiny island is home to Martha Giraldo’s…

In honor of the recent celebration of Chinese New Year, we thought we’d put together a brief introduction to Chinese culture in Peru, one of the many cultures that has helped shape Peru into the diverse country that it is today. Chinese immigrants arrived in Peru in the 19th century…