We are delighted to announce that on April 3rd, Oscar winning actress Susan Sarandon achieved a career first by re-opening Machu Picchu to visitors. After an around-the-clock two month effort to repair a 17 mile section of the railroad track, everyone could breathe a sigh of relief as the sun shone down as the first visitors made their way into the ancient city. Traditionally seen as the ‘crown jewel of Peru’, the whole country suffered 66 days of closure after torrential rains damaged the railway, which other than by foot is the only way to access the fabled ancient city. With no damage to the site itself, the reopening is massively welcome, not least for the poor families who rely on their income from this UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, there is a sliver of a silver lining to this cloud. With no Machu Picchu to rely upon the diversification of tourism marketing in Peru which was already taking place has sped up, and this, the most varied and exciting of South American nations is starting to display its multi-faceted wealth and beauty which extends way beyond the Inca civilization and their mountainous enclaves. The word ‘diverse’ is often as over-used as ‘magical’ to describe a destination, yet Peruvian geology, cuisine, culture, ecology and history is genuinely as diverse (and as magical) as it comes. Split by the magnificent Andes mountain range that ripples down the length of the country, Peru is home to over half a million square kilometers of Amazon rainforest and almost 2,500 kilometers of dry, arid coastline. If that boggles the mind, then imagine the thousands of species of birds, animals and plants that live here. Just as there are many species still left to be discovered, this is one of the richest areas of archaeology

Celebrating 2008, the Year of the Potato          Looking from a Western perspective (perhaps over a plate of fries), the United Nations declaration that 2008 will be the Year of the Potato, might be incorrectly perceived to be yet another example of officialdom gone nuts. The humble, homely potato is often seen as an object of derision in the West, in centuries past as a 'food for the poor', and today in phrases such as 'potato head' or 'couch potato'. And yet this unbelievably hardy, flexible, nutritious, low-fat food is the most consumed vegetable in the World, with over 6,000 different 'cultivated types' and 213 million tonnes grown to eat each year. In South America, the potato has been a resident feature for over 13,000 years when scientists believe wild varieties grew on the Chilean coast. No later than 7,000 years ago, Andean peoples farmed potatoes possibly on the northern Bolivian altiplano between lakes Titicaca and Poopó. Like the people living on this windswept land, some 12,000 feet above sea level, the potato had to be extraordinarily hardy and tenacious - enduring poor soil, radical temperature swings and frosts at any time of the year. Where most plants withered, the potato thrived. In the early 16th Century, the Spanish introduced the potato to Europe, initially as a botanic curiosity (solanum tuberosum). Alas, first impressions were typically negative, with the Europeans believing the potato to be poisonous or evil since it also belongs to the 'nightshade' family. Nevertheless, its innate goodness eventually won them over and potato cultivation became the 'bread' of Europe's industrial revolution. In fact, there are claims that the potato does more than fill the stomach - some say rheumatism can be prevented if you carry a potato in your pocket, facial blemishes may be removed by washing