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The announcement has been made that this January Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, and Chile will submit the Inca Trail as a Candidate for UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although never before have 6 countries united for one candidacy, the complex road network known as the Great Inka Trail stretched into all of these countries over its 6000km. The honor would afford it worldwide recognition, guaranteeing its protection and conservation. The solicitude which will be presented to UNESCO comprises six segments which are conserved and which total 1,200km.

A main path starting in Cusco led to each of the 4 suyos, or regions, with roads branching off through the diverse geography of Andean peaks, coastal plains, desert, and jungle. Its infrastructure included bridges and pulleys with hanging baskets for crossing rivers and ravines, wayside inns (tambos) every 21km, warehouses (kallankas), control check-points every 7km, and sacred sites.  In the mountains, one finds zones paved with stone slabs, carved stone steps, retaining walls, and tunnels. In the jungle, zones with drainage channels on either side to avoid flooding.

Pirwa Travel offers the Classic 4 Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, the most famous segment of the Inca Trail network, as well as other excursions utilizing original Inca trails, such as Inka Jungle and Sanctuary Garden.

During the time of the Empire, it was known as Qhapac Ñan, or the Royal Road. It was built under the order of Inca Pachacutec in the 15^th century (the same Inca responsible for Machu Picchu).

Then, it allowed for rapid administration, trade, and military deployment. Now, it is popular with travelers for its ruins, lauded history, and beautiful landscapes- if you’re planning a trip to South America, it’s an unmissable stop. Let’s all hope the petition is accepted!

Dec 25nd to 27th in Huancavelica

Every December Huancavelica celebrates one of its major claims to fame- the Peruvian Scissor Dance (Danza de las Tijeras or Galas), which UNESCO declared part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the World. This unique and acrobatic dance with roots honoring the pre-Columbian deities of the natural world was once danced by the holy men, the “Tusuq Laylas”, whom the Spaniards ran off into the hills, declaring them devil`s spawn. They were allowed to return only on the condition that from that point forward their dance would honor the Catholic religion.

This festival consists of a series of contests to declare the best scissor dancers. Two or more dancers take turns performing, with intricate stepwork and acrobatic flips and jumps. Violin and harp orchestras accompany the deance, with the scissors marking the beat. Dances must not only exhibit their dancing skills, but also fortitude in marathon 10 to 12 hours competitions known as the Atapanacuy, where they continue dancing intermittently with their competitors throughout. Tradition holds that the dancers gain their ability to compete for so long from the devil himself. As part of this pact, the Atipanacuy ritual presents the devil’s tests to the scissor dancers, where some of these “sons of the devil” will even spill their blood in the name of Christ. They run metal spikes through their bodies and perform other extreme spectacles- this one is not for the timid! Thus, the challenges will at times include not only dance but also contests of physical skill, magic and blood challenges.

When to Travel: The Program

Here’s the official program for this year’s festivities. Don’t forget your camera and, during this time of year, your rain gear!

December 24^th: INC (National Institute of Culture) Huancavelica / From 2:00 pm

The festival’s sponsors lead the inauguration, kicking off the scissor dances and a contest between the Quichkas.

December 25th: Atrium of the San Francisco Church / From 1:00 pm

Dance and Zapateo with sonajas and scissors, men and women

December 26^th: Atrium of the San Francisco Church / From 1:00 pm

December 27^th: Pucachaca / From 1:00 pm

On these two days the dances continue as in the previous days, but here is the addition of the celebration of Atipanacuy.

1. Fireworks, Firecrackers & Noisemakers

2. Confetti

3. Yellow Underwear**

4. Champagne

5. Boxed Fruitcake*

6. Assorted Accessories

7. All Your Friends at Pirwa!!
   

*Really

**REALLY….Do you want to have a “lucky” 2012 or not?

Don’t worry about where you’re going to find yellow underwear and the other items on the list- you won’t be able to avoid them on all the street corners!

If you’re in Cusco, be ready for the traditional “Run Around the Plaza”. We may all start the night off in our separate parties, but once the clock nears 12 it all empties into the Plaza de Armas for a loud, firework-lit race around the square!

The World’s Deepest Canyon

If for many years neighboring Colca Canyon was famed as the world’s deepest canyon, it is only because Cotahuasi Canyon wasn’t measured until 1995. At 3,535m, this geological wonder is the rightful owner of that title. The canyon  was home to the Wari before the Inca conquered this region and annexed it to their empire in order to shorten the salt route connecting Cusco and the coast.

Let yourself be humbled by the immense landscapes and humbling profundity of Cotahuasi Canyon, and the power of the river that carved it out over the millennia during this four-day tour that will take you along a route marked by stunning lakes, thermal baths, waterfalls, petrified forests, and puya and cactus forests. Walk along Inca trails, passing local peasants with llamas or donkeys; visit quaint towns with narrow streets bordered by white-washed buildings and centered round colonial churches; relax in the Luicho Medicinal Baths. Observe how pre-Inca terraces are still being farmed today, producing quinoa, amaranth, purple corn, and other native crops. We’ll descend through the 12 ecosystems of the “Canyon of Wonder” See the surprising Sipia Waterfalls, where the rocks narrow the river to 5m wide so that they burst through, fall 150m, and crash over the rocks in a spectacle of spray and rainbows. Explore the canyon floor and riverside.

During the return trip to Arequipa, we stop to visit the rock formation known as Maje Castle, fodder for a variety of legends, the mysterious Toro Muerto (Dead Bull) petroglyphs, where volcanic rock resulting from eruptions of Coropuna and Chachani were engraved 1000 to 1500 years ago. They are believed to be the work of the Wari and Chuquibamba cultures, but no archeological  remains have been directly associated with this site.

Click here and check out this and other tours by Pirwa Travel Service in Arequipa!

Matador Assistant by Jorge Vera

Although bullfights take place in Peru throughout the year, it is during the October/November bullfighting season that the most prestigious bullfighters of Spain and the Americas come together to compete in the world’s second-oldest bullring, the 244 year old Lima’s Plaza de Acho. This year the Feria begins on Nov. 2^nd and ends in December, with 05 scheduled events featuring the world’s best bullfighters each Sunday afternoon at 3:30pm. The bullfighter executing the best moves wins the 18k Escapulario de Oro and the best bull wins the Escapulario de Plata.

Bullfighting’s popularity in Peru is rising alongside rising protests on the grounds of animal cruelty. For a unique look into Peruvian culture, you can join in with the spectators or with the protestors according to your personal conviction. Those interested in watching a match, though, should be aware that in Peru it is to the death (and, as always, the bull has the disadvantage.)

Passageway in the Plaza de Acho

How to Get There

Tickets are sold at Teleticket shops at the Wong and Metro Supermarkets chain. You’ll have the option of sol, sun, and sombra, shade. Sol is cheaper at around US$20, with prices climbing up to US$120 for first-row sombra.

You can check newspapers for restaurant offers, as varius locales offer special pre-event menus and then bus their clients to the bullring, a good option for those worried about going to the Rímac neighborhood and the Plaza de Acho bullring by themselves. (The area around the bullring is not the best, and anytime there are .)