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This May 29th, Peru honors the 2 million hectare Manu Biosphere Reserve which stretches between the departments of Cusco and Madre de Dios during Manu National Park Day. Many travelers dream of visiting the tropical rainforest of the Peruvian Amazon, and stopping by Manu is a great way to do it. Manu is divided into the pristine and prohibited Nuclear Zone, the Buffer Zone, where eco-tourism and controlled scientific research is permitted; and the Cultural Zone, which is open to all. Manu is believed to house the greatest biodiversity range on the planet, providing refuge for many endangered species, including the jaguar, river wolf, and the spectacled bear.

The tropical rainforest of Manu is carved by rivers which rush from the high Andes down into the Amazon basin, widening and slowing, branching off and separating into cochas or lagoons which are the principal habitats of wildlife. As visitors delve into the labyrinth of rivers and lagoons, they enter a different world, with lush vegetation and a matchless biodiversity boasting more than 20,000 plant species, 1200 butterfly species, 1000 bird species, 200 mammal species, and 13 primates. In fact, Manu boasts the highest bird, mammal and plant diversity of any park on the planet. Of the 14 monkey species such as the squirrel monkey and maquisapa, you can see the leoncito, the world smallest. You can also observe manatees, felines, sloth, possums, capybara, agoutis, boa, giant tortoises, pecari, tapirs, North Andean and red deer, egrets and more! Scientists estimate that around 12,000 species in the Manu Biosphere Reserve remain to be identified.

All this wildlife relies on lush vegetation that is always green, including the gigantic trees of the area, such as the Caoba and the Lupuna, which reach up to 60 mts. in height, and other plants such as palms and heliconia. From the canopy hang lianas and climbing plants. Manu protects a surprising 10% of the world’s vascular plants- just one hectare can shelter more than 220 tree species.

Aside from protecting the natural wealth of Manu, there are also indigenous communities which live within the reserve, among them the Amahuaca, Yune, Nahua, Amarakaeri, Huashipaire, and the Matsiguenka, the last of whom admit travelers into their community. They, and the petroglyphs and ruins scattered throughout the jungle, provide a glimpse at a rich cultural history of the Peruvian Amazon.

What to Do in Manu!

Those of you interested in eco-tourism will greatly enjoy a visit to Manu, camping along the riverside or staying in community-operated eco-lodges, walking trails or going by canoe while observing the unique surrounding flora and fauna with your naturalist guide. Trips begin by land or air, than by motorboat along the river as you delve into the jungle.

Pirwa Travel Service offers some 3, 4, and 5 day packages for exploring Manu. You begin in Cusco, downhill biking from the high Andes through distinct ecological floors by bike, watching the landscapes change as we descend through the Cloud and Dwarf Forests until we reach the tropical rainforest. Along the larger than life route, there are stops to observe the pre-Incan Ninamarca tombs and the courtship dance of the bright Cock of the Rocks. Then we’ll canoe into the rainforest along the Pilcopata River, meeting the Matshiguenka tribe and exploring jungle trails as we watch the alligatos, monkeys, and parrots. Lodging in the park is in eco-lodges or by camping along the riverside.

Getting There

Manu is located 403 miles from the hot and isolated regional capital of Puerto Maldonado, which acts as a gateway for the reserve. Puerto Maldonaldo can be reached by land route from Cusco, or by air via Lima. (You may arrive by air from Cusco as well, but by contracting light aircraft rather than public transport.) From there one can move up the Manu River by motorboat.

It is recommendable to arrive from Cusco in organized package tours, as entry is not sold to individuals but to authorized agencies.

• From May to October it’s very hot, with cool nights and frequent rains. The rainy season goes from January to March, but there can be unexpected rains throughout the year, so travelers bring your rain poncho regardless!
• Tours may not operate, or may operate but with significant changes, during the rainy season, depending on water levels.
• Prepare for heat (daily temperature averages 35ºC during the day and 25ºC during the night), but cover your limbs, by finding long-sleeved shirts in light fabrics as protection against insect-bourne diseases.
  

A Peculiar Breed: The World’s Smoothest Ride

The Peruvian Stepping horse developed in the northern regions of Peru through 400 year process of isolation and selective breeding using Spanish and Berber breeds of horses which were originally introduced during the period of the Spanish Conquest and the beginning of the colonial period. It is instantly recognizable by its peculiar and elegant gait a side-stepping method consisting of a series of synchronized movements of the front and hind legs in a parallel. Where other horses trot when moving at medium-speed, the compact and muscular Peruvian Paso horse employs this 4-beat lateral step, known as the paso llano.

This unique movement makes riding these horses a comfortable experience of smooth horizontal swaying, rather than both vertical and horizontal as in the case of other horses. The unique rhythm of the walk allows the Peruvian Paso Horse to be used as well in dance shows and competitions, where the man is on horseback and the woman on foot, and they dance the traditional dance of the Peruvian coast, the graceful Marinera.
 

The Event

The first Peruvian Stepping Horse Contest was held in June of 1929 in the Amancaes Pampa, with the first annual National Contest being held in April of 1945. The annual National Show in Lima is a major event in Peruvian cultural life, and is in reality, a weeklong festival. Beginning on Monday, horses and riders compete in different categories during the day and parties celebrating the music and cuisine of the Peruvian coast are thrown in the evenings. During Sunday’s closing ceremony, you can sample the different dishes of Peru in a food fair while watching the prize ceremony in which the best Peruvian stepping horses in the country demonstrate their abilities and the parade in which the horses and chalanes file to the marinera rhythm of coastal Peru. There’s also be Creole music and folkloric dances. The highlight is the IV National Marinera on Horse and Foot Contest, where the men dance on horseback and the women on foot.

When: This year, the LXVII National Peruvian Stepping Horse Contest kicks off on Monday, April 15^th and culminates the following Sunday. Entrance is free for all days except for Sunday’s closing ceremony on April 22^nd.

Where: The event takes place at the Mamacona stables near the pre-Inca ruins of Pachacámac. It’s located 19 miles south of Lima.

How: There are ranches which offer a visit to their facilities and lesson on the history of the horses, their characteristics, and training information along with visits to watch the National Contest, with a dinner or lunch included. If you’re staying in Miraflores you can get picked up, with daily departures at around 10:00am and also 3:00pm. If you’re interested in the arranging of a package, you can always stop by Pirwa Travel Service, which has information counters in both of our Miraflores hostels: Pirwa Prada Backpackers and Pirwa Inclan B&B.

When it comes to a comfortable and affordable place a stay during your travels in Lima, you can find budget-friendly private rooms or shared dormitory accomodations in both of our Pirwa locations, always with cheery colors, a warm atmosphere, comfy beds, and hot water. Not to mention that communal spaces from bars to rooftop patios give you plenty of space to get to know other travelers from around the world. Pirwa Hostels has it’s own travel agency which serves our clients, Pirwa Travel Service, which can assist you with guided excursions and packages as well as separate trip elements such as transport and entrances. And since we have hostel locations in Lima, Cusco, Puno, Arequipa, Nazca, and Machu Picchu in Peru and La Paz in Bolivia, and serve our clients with unforgettable tours and treks throughout both these countries, it’s easy to get your whole itinerary taken care of in one place.

Holy Week is fast approaching! During this time, Cusco is a very popular destination for domestic and international travelers, as the erstwhile Imperial City of the Incas celebrates the event in its own Andean-Catholic style, notably with feasting, folkloric music and dance, processions of the Black Christ.

Palm Sunday

Left to Right: Palm Sunday Dance Troupe, Crowd Watching the Dancers

The syncretism of pre-Columbian Andean beliefs and Catholicism makes Cusco’s Holy Week unlike any other you’ll see. The day starts with mass in Cusco’s ornate Basilica Cathedral. In the Plaza de Armas of Cusco, the city’s main square, religious reenactments are followed by folkloric dances whilst vendors circle with their wares which promise good fortune.

Sample guinea pig and other dishes at the Festival de Sabor Andino (Festival of Andean Flavor) in the main square of the district of San Jeronimo, including Holy Week’s most traditional eats: roast suckling pig with Peruvian potatoes, tamales, and large rounds of ch’uta bread.

Holy Monday: Cusco’s Lord of Tremors

Monday of each Holy Week, the Lord of Tremors is taken out from the Cathedral of Cusco in procession with musicians and devotees, while the faithful strew purple ñucchu petals, which in ancient times were used as an offering to Inca gods but now are said to symbolize the blood of Christ.

Originally christened as Lord of Good Death upon its arrival to Cusco, it was long forgotten in an altar in the Chapel interior, darkening over time by the resinous nature of its construction materials, and the smoke of candles and incense. On Palm Sunday, 1650 an earthquake of devastating magnitude ravaged the city, tumbling temples, convents, and estates. The initial quake, believed for a long time afterwards to have been the world’s most severe on record, was followed by an unceasing stream of aftershocks over the following days. As buildings damaged in the initial quake crumbled during the aftershocks, the faithful carried out processions seeking forgiveness, carrying different virgins and saints, with women covering their faces covered in ash as a form of punishment against their own vanity and the men dragging heavy chains which wrapped about their necks as they bargained for salvation, but the aftershocks continued.

It was not until the Christ was taken out in procession and placed in the Plaza de Armas to be adored that the aftershocks ceased, giving birth to the cult of the Lord of Tremors, also often referred to as the Black Christ, who became the city’s patron saint.

In Cusco the processions continue to this day each Holy Monday. Some of the faithful believes that the color of their indigenous Christ darkens as he realizes miracles, and that the weight of the litter which the most devoted bear is the weight of the sins one carries, and that his face will express the nature of the coming year. 60 thousand devotees gather to receive his blessings.

Good Friday

Left to Right: Easter Spread in Pirwa Colonial, Dining Together in Pirwa Colonial

On Good Friday, the Hampirantikuy Market springs up to sell medicinal plants and plants for good fortune or of religious significance and devotees walk the Stations of the Cross from Plaza San Francisco to the Lord’s Cross in Sacsayhuaman Archeological Complex, the Inca fortress of the giant stones overlooking Cusco.  Unlike other places, Cusco does not celebrate this day with fasting, but with feasting. The tradition is to prepare 12 dishes.

Holy Week in Cusco fills up FAST, but Pirwa Hostels has four different locations in Cusco, so we’ve still got availability!

For an unbeatable view of the dancing and processions, try the Pirwa Posada del Corregidor! The in-house restaurant, Plus Café, has balconies overlooking the Plaza de Armas of Cusco, which is a great way to see the happenings without jostling for a spot at street level. (The photo at right was actually taken during the Inti Raymi Festival, but it’s a good representation of the way the plaza fills up during festivals, and the view from the Plus Café balcony.) Pirwa Suecia B&B, located a half block from the Plaza de Armas, is good spot if you wish to be close to the action.

If you’re looking for shared dormitories and fun common areas that include a bar and lounge with billiards, darts, ping-pong and more, then try Pirwa Colonial Backpackers. Pirwa San Blas Familiar would be a great choice as well, as it’s located in the bohemian neighborhood of San Blas 4 blocks up from the Plaza de Armas. Besides its picturesque nature, this area also boasts a concentration of artists’ galleries and studios, which during Holy Week will go into overdrive displaying unique and colorful wares during art fairs.

For Catholics, the feast day of St Patrick on March 17^th celebrates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. In countries around the globe the day has become synonymous with Irish national pride. Even though this isn’t a holiday which is celebrated very widely in Peru, Pirwa has always sought to be a gathering place for travelers from all over the world, and we’d never miss a reason to throw a party!

Celebrants often wear shamrocks or the color green, as the color became associated with St Patrick’s Day because St Patrick used  the three-leaved shamrock to explain the trinity.

Parades are common in many countries, and the lifting of Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol means that revelers often feast and drink a good amount of Irish beer (dyed green if you want to go there!) or whiskey.

Plans at Pirwa Hostels are well-underway for our annual St. Patrick’s Day party at Pirwa Colonial Backpackers on the 17th. There’ll be irish specials throughout the week, and those of you who are Irish can sidle up to the bar for a welcome drink on the house.

Pirwa Colonial Backpackers is located in Plaza San Francisco, only two blocks from the Plaza de Armas of Cusco, the city’s main square, and you can expect things to be starting around 9:00pm.

We hope that all our backpacking friends, Irish and otherwise, join us for our St Patrick’s Day celebrations this year!

February 24 – March 4th

The Verano Negro (Black Summer) Festival is celebrated the final week of each February in Ica’s Chincha province with the objective of the festival is to highlight Afro-Peruvian culture, food, poetry and dance. Celebrations are centered in the district of El Carmen in the city of Chincha and among other cultural expressions include gastronomical fairs, art fairs, wine and brandy fairs touting the region’s most famous products, poetry reciting contests, and especially dances, parties, and parades around the Plaza de Armas (city center)- all celebrating the richness of Afro-Peruvian cultures.

The colorful and riotous festivities is one of the most important events to occur each year in the Chincha Province, and lucky travelers who chance upon it will have the chance to see folkloric dances like the landó and panalivios in dance contests, shows, and parades, and see musicians playing traditional instruments such as the Peruvian cajón, maracas, and even the jawbone of a donkey.

For Transport or Excursions during your trip, think of Pirwa Travel!

You can get to the city of Chincha, considered the cradle of Afro-Peruvian folkloric culture, in the province of Chincha in the Ica Region by taking a bus from Lima. The trip is about 200km south. If you’re using Lima as a base, Pirwa has two locations in Lima’s Miraflores District, Pirwa Inclan B&B and Pirwa Prada Backpackers, with in-house travel desks from Pirwa Travel Service where you can get all the help you need to arrange bus transport or other trip details.

Eating Carapulcra

Highlights from the Official Program-

Verano Negro 2012

Friday, Feb 24th
07:00pm:  Inauguration at Chincha’s Plaza  de Armas.

Saturday, Feb 25th
10:00am:  “Raspa Fresh 2012″- the famous smoothies/icees of the Peruvian coast! Sample the wares in Chincha’s Plaza de Armas

10:00am:  VIII National Marinera Contest at Chincha’s Coliseo Cerrado.  Make sure to stop by to see the graceful national dance of Peru which is danced with handkerchiefs.

12:00pm:  XXIV Grape Stomping Festival at the Naldo Navarro Winery. This is a good chance to pick up some of Ica’s famous wines and Peruvian pisco grape brandy!

05:00pm:  Cajón Playing Master Class at the Cajón Players of Peru Creative Network (Calle Lima 518). Learn how to play the iconic Afro-Peruvian instrument

Sunday, Feb 26th

10:00am:  First Session of the Great Cajoneada (Cajón Playing Fest) in the Plaza de Armas

11:00am:  Raspa Fresh 2012 in the Plaza de Armas

12:00pm:  Selection & Crowning of Miss Verano Negro 2012, with performances by the Afro-Peruvian Ballet, Los Ochoas Orchestra, and Grupo Kaliente along with raffles and gifts at Las Totoritas Beach

02:30pm:  Great Bingo in the Plaza de Armas

Monday, Feb 27th

07:00pm:  Inter-provincial bus, Chincha – Pisco route, from the Plaza de Armas

Tuesday, Feb 28th

04:00pm:  “Caress of Living Nature Art Show” at Chincha’s Library

08:00pm:  Great Afro-Peruvian Dance Parade around the Plaza de Armas- don’t miss your opportunity to appreciate the great variety of Afro-Peruvian music and dance, and also party along!!

Wednesday, Feb 29th

04:00pm:  “Caress of Living Nature” Art Show in Chincha’s library

05:00pm:  “Ebano & Clay” Art Show in Chincha’s Cultural Center

08:00pm:  “Marinera in a Thousand Ways” Open-Air Party in the Plaza de Armas

Thursday, March 1st

08:00pm:  Urban Dance Open-Air Party in the Plaza de Armas

Friday, March 2nd

09:00 pm:  Open-Air Party featuring local and national artists

Saturday, March 3rd

08:00am:  Touristic Circuit throughout Ica, organized bythe Social Services Administation of Chincha

10:00am:  Gastronomical Fair in the Plaza de Armas. While in Ica, be sure to pick up some bottles of the most famous product to have developed in the region, pisco grape-brandy, and sample one of the most traditional meals of the region, carapulcra stew!

11:00am:  SENASA’s Theatrical Presentation, “Erraticating the Fruit Fly in the Ica Region” in the Plaza de Armas

02:00pm:  “Marinera in a Thousand Ways” at the Plaza de Armas

08:00pm:  Afro-Peruvian Festival in the Plaza de Armas

09:00pm:  Watch  local and national artists perform and compete in a traditional Peña at the Gambug de Amador

Sunday, March 4th

09:00am:  “Getting to know Chincha” Tour- Sign up at Chincha’s Cultural Center

10:00am: The Great “Cajoneada” (Cajón Playing Party) in the Plaza de Armas

10:00am:  Gastronomical Fair in the Plaza de Armas de Chincha

07:00pm:  Closing and Prize Ceremony at Chincha’s Library

09:00pm:  Open-Airl Dance to the sounds of the Orquestra Bony band in the Plaza de Armas!