There are many intriguing reasons why a visit to Machu Picchu should be an integral part of your trip to Peru. As the most visited site in Peru, and one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu as a feat of engineering is all the more impressive for having been built without the use of iron tools or the wheel.

Here are some little-known facts about Machu Picchu to keep in mind when you visit:

1- Declared a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1983, Machu Picchu was brought to the attention of the Western World when a local farmer named Melchor Arteaga showed it to Hiram Bingham in 1911. At the time, his team excavated and appropriated priceless Incan artifacts from the site and sent them to Yale University. In a piece of good news, these artifacts were finally returned to Peru, their rightful home, in 2012. They are on display at the Casa Concha Museum in Cusco.

2- The structures you see at Machu Picchu are only part of the story. The foundational layer of Machu Picchu had to be carved out of a gap between two crests in the Earth. Tons of earth and stone were moved to form a flat enough surface to support building on the site. This means that over 50% of the construction of Machu Picchu was done under the earth. Crushed stones and deep foundations comprise the underground engineering infrastructure of the Inca citadel.

3- The Intihuatana is a ceremonial stone that is speculated to have associations with the Inca calendar. Inti means Sun and Huatana means “to tie up”, and so the Intihuatana is literally where the Sun is tied up. The Intihuatana casts its most elongated shadow during the summer solstice on its southern side: at the time of the winter solstice, a short shadow darkens its northern side. Because of this, some believe that the Intihuatana functioned as an astronomical clock for the Inca, though nobody really knows for sure what it was used for. Unfortunately, it suffered some damage in 2000 during a movie shoot: a piece of it was chipped when a crane fell upon it.

4- Perhaps the ghostlike atmosphere of the misty cloud forest inspired these beliefs, but Machu Picchu is known to be a place inhabited by spirits from centuries past. Many of the porters on the Inca Trail make sure to sleep with a shiny metallic item, or a mirror underneath them to prevent being carried away by the ancient spirits that are wandering about.

5- Machu Picchu was constructed in the 15th century. Its stonework is so well fit together that not even a piece of paper can be inserted between two of the stones. Rocks weighing many tons were brought to this site by hundreds of humans working together to physically haul them uphill.

6- There are more than 150 buildings at Machu Picchu and more than 100 flights of stone stairs.  The buildings had various purposes, including bathhouses, temples, residences, storage areas, and sanctuaries. The Temple of the Sun boasts a semi-circular wall, setting it apart from most Inca structures. The Temple of the Condor is actually shaped like a condor, one of the Inca’s sacred animals. The windows built into the wall of the Temple of Three Windows frame the rising sun.

Nestled in the cloud forest and surrounded by nature, a visit to Machu Picchu is among the most fascinating experiences you can have during your Peru journey. We will continue with more fascinating facts about Machu Picchu in Part 2 of this series. Meanwhile, contact us for assistance in planning your Peru adventure and be prepared for the thrill of a lifetime as you come to Machu Picchu and feast your eyes on one of the world’s most impressive manmade wonders and supreme engineering achievements.

Yet again, Machu Picchu has laid claim to the prestigious Best Tourist Attraction Award, as defined by the World Travel Awards. This is the third year in a row that Machu Picchu won the award: Peru was also honored for the eighth year running as the World’s Leading Culinary Destination, and has been named the World’s Leading Cultural Destination for the seventh consecutive time.

How has Machu Picchu withstood the test of time to claim this honor yet again?

Rediscovered in 1911 by explorer Hiram Bingham, and brought to the attention of the larger world in the decades thereafter, Machu Picchu offers a fascinating glimpse into the Inca culture of the 15th century, before the Spanish arrived. Intriguingly, the sense of discovery has endured: coming upon Machu Picchu for the first time is still a breathtaking moment for each individual visitor. Partially due to the symmetrical beauty of its structures, partly to its effortless incorporation into the cloud forest surrounding it, and partly due to an indescribable mysticism about the place, Machu Picchu is still a main attraction on many travelers’ bucket lists.

Those who traverse the Inca Trail also experience the sense of high adventure and challenge with an amazing climax: their first view of Machu Picchu through the Inti Punku, the Sun Gate, after trekking for one to five days on foot to get there. Its setting in the misty cloud forest also lends to the sense of mystery and surprise: it is as if each traveler gains the fresh sense of discovery experienced by its first New World visitors.

Over 1.5 million people visited Machu Picchu in 2018: the 2019 stats are not yet in but are expected to meet or exceed the prior year. In the past decade, Peru has taken steps to protect and preserve this UNESCO Heritage site by changing some of the regulations pertaining to visiting it. Entry tickets are no longer sold at the gate but must be purchased in advance either online or through a travel agent in Cusco. Tickets have also been limited to 2500 per day, so as to control the erosion caused by foot traffic to the site, and entries to the two overlooking peaks of Machu Picchu Mountain and Huayna Picchu Mountain are also limited to 400 per day. Therefore, if you intend to visit Machu Picchu in 2020, it is essential that you arrange your Peru trip far in advance in order to be assured tickets.

The classic Inca Trail has also been limited to 500 travelers per day, over half of which are guides and porters. If you choose to trek the classic Inca Trail, you will be walking along the original pavement laid down by the Incas centuries ago. Again, time is of the essence in booking the Inca Trail, as tickets quickly sell out, so it makes sense to plan several months ahead if you are to get the days you want. Several alternative approaches to Machu Picchu are available to the adventurer who prefers a more off-the-beaten-path trek, each of which offers its own spectacular views and unique beauty. These include the Salkantay Trek, and the Lares Trek, as well as longer options, such as the 9-day trek including Choquequirao, ending in Machu Picchu.

Whether your choice is to visit Machu Picchu as the highlight of your Peru tour or to embark on a trekking adventure that culminates at Machu Picchu, we at Kuoda are able to finesse this “experience of a lifetime” down to the smallest detail during your Peru vacation.

If you love colorful celebrations, June is the month to plan your trip to Peru – the Jubilee month in Cusco!

1. Hayhuarikuy

Where: Plaza de Armas
When: June 1, 2020

The festivities kick off with an Inca ceremony that takes place on the Plaza de Armas on June 1. Known as Hayhuarikuy in Quechua, the festival marks the beginning of Cusco’s plethora of June parties and events. Andean priests gather on the Plaza de Armas with offerings of agricultural products and chicha de jora, a fermented beer made from corn. The Apus or deities of Cusco are invoked and asked to oversee and bless the important rituals that take place in June.

2. Q’oyllur riti

Where: Sinakara Valley
When: June 6-10, 2020

Next up is the Q’oyllur ritior Star Snow Festival, which this year will be held from June 6 – 10, during June’s full moon. This massive pilgrimage sees huge contingents of Quechua and Aymara-speaking communities gathering together and making a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Q’oyllur riti, located in the remote Sinakara Valley on Mount Ausangate, one of the most important Apus, or mountain deities in Cusco. Tens of thousands of people are in attendance for this six-hour journey: it is considered to be one of the largest yearly pilgrimages in South America. The pilgrims, dressed in colorful traditional Andean garb, chant prayers and sing songs during their walk, and participate in ritual bathing to purify their energies before approaching the Gods. The custom of imbibing chicha de jora, which is considered a sacrament, is widespread during the pilgrimage.

3. Corpus Christi

Where: Cusco’s Plaza de Armas
When: June 11, 2020

The main day of the Corpus Christi Festival takes place on June 11 this year, sixty days after Easter Sunday. Although this feast is celebrated throughout Latin America, it is at its most vibrant in Cusco. It is ostensibly a celebration of the Eucharist, which was introduced by the Spaniards in the 16th century. Many saint icons are brought in colorful processional parades to Cusco’s Plaza de Armas and exhibited to the crowd that are numbers in the thousands. They are housed in Cusco’s Cathedral for a week before returning to their home churches on the eighth day, an occasion for more parades.

Corpus Christi has a special meal that you can find being prepared throughout the city, known as Chiriuchu. It’s a cold meal that celebrates the diversity of products available throughout the Inca Empire, including chicken, sausage, torrejas (pancakes made from cornmeal), fish eggs, seaweed, a bit of cheese, some Cusco corn on the cob (not sweet, but delightful nonetheless), colorful rocoto peppers, and guinea pig, or cuy. We can help you find a local restaurant to try this dish, or, it may also be found being sold by Andean ladies in booths around the Plaza de Armas and other sites in Cusco.

4. Festival of Q’eswachaka

Where: Canas Province
When: June 14, 2020

The Festival of Q’eswachaka falls on the second Sunday in June: this year it’s on June 14th. This is a great way to learn about a Peruvian tradition that has all but died out: it is a coming together of communities to reconstruct the suspension bridge that spans the Apurimac River in the Canas province. At one time, these bridges could be found throughout the Inca Empire and this is one of the very few that remains. The material used to build the bridge, a type of grass known as ichu, is gathered beginning on the Thursday before the main event. Men, women, and children all participate in the gathering, curing, and braiding of the ichu grass, and on the fourth day, (Sunday), the bridge is rebuilt to last another year, accompanied by much ribaldry, music, celebration, and fun.

5. Inti Raymi

Where: Cusco
When: June 24, 2020

Inti Raymi is a religious reenactment of a Quechua ceremony that celebrates Inti, the Sun God, and asks for his blessings for the coming agricultural season and the year. It begins at the Qoricancha, or Golden Temple, moves to the Plaza de Armas, and ends with an elaborate ceremony at Sacsayhuaman, the archaeological site overlooking Cusco. Tens of thousands of people visit Cusco to partake in the festive atmosphere of processions, parades, music, dancing and prayer that are part of this exciting and vibrant event.

6. Festival of Ollantay Raymi

Where: Ollantaytambo
When: June 29th, 2020

The Ollantay Raymi Festival takes place in the town of Ollantaytambo on June 29th this year. It is a festival that celebrates Inti, the Sun God and is held at the spectacular ruin overlooking Ollantaytambo: it is accompanied by festivities, music, dancing, and prayer. A theater enactment known as the Drama of Ollantaytambo is performed during the Ollantay Raymi Festival. It recounts the story of the ill-starred love affair between an Inca princess and a military general.

We would be delighted to arrange for you and your companions to attend any or all of these Cusco festivities in June. Contact us for help with planning your Peru luxury trip.

The Peruvian yearly calendar is loaded with festivals and events full of local color, music, dancing, and the chance to sample Peru’s famous gastronomy, throughout every region of the country. Whether you time your trip to Peru to coincide with a particularly exciting festivity, or wish to arrive at a quieter time and avoid crowds, this event calendar will be a great tool to help with your Peru vacation planning. This is the second installment of a two-part blog that includes significant events taking place in Peru from July through December of 2020.

1- Virgen del Carmen

When: July 15-18, 2020
Where: Paucartambo
This otherwise sleepy town hosts a massive celebration, the Virgen del Carmen festival, every July. The town is located 4 hours east of Cusco, and every year thousands of locals and tourists alike converge upon it to celebrate the Virgen del Carmen, an Andean Madonna. On the central day, the icon of the Virgen del Carmen is carried through the town, accompanied by the ever-increasing fervor of masked and costumed dancers and musicians, who wage a triumphant battle against Satan and his cadre of demons. On the last day, participants flock to the local cemetery to pay homage to the souls of the departed.

2- Mistura (at time of publication of this blog, this event not yet confirmed for 2020)

When: TBD
Where: Lima (TBD)
This “food event extraordinaire” takes place every September in Lima. It celebrates cuisine from the various regions of Peru and from other nations as well. To give you an idea of the popularity of Mistura, in 2008, its first year, it had about 30,000 attendees: in 2017, over 600,000 people attended! A nominal admission fee gains you entrance to the food fair, with a huge diversity of tasting plates on offer. Smaller and larger portions are available at a fixed price. The chance to sample many different kinds of gourmet fare and beverages make this event enormously popular with food-lovers from all over the world. (The 2020 dates and location have yet to be announced.)

3-El Señor de Los Milagros

When: Oct 18-28
Where: Lima, Cusco, throughout Peru
This is a celebration of the endurance of the Brown Christ, El Cristo Moreno, whose image was created by a slave in the 17th century in Lima’s Pachacamilla Barrio, near the city center. A temple was built to shelter the image, which withstood a massive earthquake in 1655, and has remained unharmed in subsequent tremors and quakes. On the first Saturday in October, a replica of the Cristo Moreno is paraded through the streets of Lima and Cusco. Purple is the signature color of this celebration, and you will see many violet-costumed participants, as well as purple ornaments, floats, and banners if you attend. It is also a great time to try Peruvian mazamorra morada (a type of pudding made from thickened and sweetened purple corn drink). Thousands flock to Peru in October to marvel at the dazzling displays that accompany this event.

4- Puno Week

When: Nov 1-7
Where:Puno
This is one of the significant celebrations in Puno, a city located on Peru’s Altiplano (high plains) on the shores of Lake Titicaca. It dedicated to Manco Capác, the legendary founder of the Inca Empire, who is believed to have emerged from the waters of Lake Titicaca. An aquatic procession wherein the participants slowly drift from the Floating Islands of Uros on large totora reed watercraft and proceed to the Puno Harbor is one of the week’s main events. Dancing, music, parades, and wild parties take place throughout Puno over the course of the week.

5- Santurantikuy

When: Dec 24
Where: Cusco’s Main Square
Santurantikuy, a Quechua word that translates to “Buying a Saint,” is a craft fair that has been held on Cusco’s Plaza de Armas for five centuries! The saints are religious icons that are painted by locals and sold to adorn the nativity scenes, or pesebres, which are the main Christmas displays put up this time of year throughout Peru. In addition to saints and materials for the pesebre, Cusco’s Plaza de Armas is stuffed full of vendors selling everything from handcrafted soaps to jewelry, from chocolate to toys to knit hats and scarves for Christmas gifts. Thousands of people attend, so progress is slow as you make your way from one end of the plaza to the other and marvel at the sheer variety of items available for purchase from local craft vendors, and hopefully pick up a few Christmas gifts for the folks back home.

Peruvians know how to celebrate, and their yearly calendar is loaded with festivals and events replete with local color, music, dancing, food and drink throughout every region of the country. Whether you want to time your trip to Peru to coincide with a particularly exciting festivity or wish to arrive at a quieter time and avoid the crowds, we present this 2020 event calendar as a resource to help with your Peru vacation planning. This blog is divided into Parts 1 and 2, to cover the first and second half of the year. We look forward to helping you with your 2020 Peru trip!

1- Fiesta de La Virgen de La Candelaria

When: Feb 2- 11, 2020
Where: Puno

This lively event takes place in the altiplano city of Puno, in the Lake Titicaca region.

Costumed musicians and dancers take over the entire city, especially on February 2nd, the most significant day of the festival. On this day, an enormous procession of party-goers accompanies the statue of the Virgin of Candelaria through the streets, with much singing, dancing, and celebration. This festivity combines elements of Andean and Catholic beliefs and is considered so significant that it has been declared an Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

2- Carnavales

When: Feb 22-25
Where: all over Peru

Carnavales are celebrated all over Peru: they are the days of food, fun, and excess in anticipation of Lent, when a more sober attitude will prevail as people renounce indulgences. In the Cusco region, it is celebrated with water balloons, foam spray, and squirt guns, as groups of boys and girls try to soak one another all in good fun. On the final day, people take turns hacking at the Yunza, a large tree laden with gifts: similar to the practice of striking a piñata: the “winner” who finally fells the tree and releases the gifts has to sponsor next year’s party!

3- Fiesta de la Vendimia

When: Early March
Where: Ica

This ten-day long celebration takes place in the wine country of Ica. Crowds in the thousands converge on the town as Ica’s wineries open to the public and offer tastings and wine-crafting tours and events. Parades, a marinera dance contest, and vibrant fireworks displays mark the celebration. The Queen of the Harvest is chosen and presides over the main parade, which takes place on Sunday. Participants can try their hand – or rather foot -at grape-stomping, participate in traditional dances, and sample the festive local cuisine.

4- Semana Santa

When: April 5 – 11
Where: Cusco and other regions

Semana Santa, or Holy Week, is celebrated with solemn yet colorful processions starting on Palm Sunday and leading up to Easter Sunday. The Señor de Los Temblores or Lord of Earthquakes procession occurs on Holy Monday: it honors the Christ figure that is said to have protected the city from a major earthquake in 1650. A Black Christ icon is paraded around the Main Plaza, carried to the Plaza de San Francisco, and back again, accompanied by a procession of Quechua singers and dancers. Holy Thursday is celebrated with the consumption of 12 different dishes, one for each of the 12 apostles.

5- Fiesta de la Cruz

When:May 3
Where: Lima, Cusco, Ica, Andean highlands

This event combines aspects of Catholic and Andean worship. Enormous wooden crosses are adorned with blossoms, dressed with colorful fabrics, and carried to local churches, accompanied by musicians and dancers in vibrant costumes. This is among the festivals that include the famous Tijeras (scissors) dance during which teams of young men perform elaborate and fantastic gymnastics while holding a scissors in one hand.

6- Q’oyllur riti (Star Snow Festival)

When: June 6-10
Where: Cusco highlands

This mystical festival, held during the time of June’s full moon, specifically celebrates the return of the Pleiades constellation, which is of great significance to Andean communities across Peru, and also honors the Apu (Mountain Spirit) Ausangate. The ceremony is a syncretic blend of Andean and Christian beliefs. Few people visit this remote place most other days of the year, but every June thousands of members of Quechua and Aymara-speaking communities come together and make a six-hour pilgrimage to the Q’oyllur riti Shrine, located on Ausangate. This is one of the most massive annual pilgrimage events in the Andes.

7- Inti Raymi

When: June 24
Where: Cusco

Inti Raymi is a reenactment of a centuries-old Quechua ceremony that greets the return of the Sun on the Winter Solstice and asks for Inti (the Sun God’s) blessings and help in the coming year. It encompasses three different sites around Cusco, beginning at the Qoricancha Temple in Cusco, stopping in the Plaza de Armas, and culminating with an elaborate ceremony, music and dancing, and the “sacrifice” of a llama at the archaeological site of Sacsayhuaman above Cusco. The entire town of Cusco becomes one huge party, as thousands turn out to join in the festivities, and tourists come to observe and enjoy the spectacle.

Have you planned a trip to Peru for the New Year? Then you may find yourself witnessing some different and interesting practices. Throughout Latin America, there are quite a few unique traditions that are celebrated to ring out the old and ring in the new. If you find yourself in Latin America for New Year’s, here are some of the traditions you may encounter:

Yellow underwear: In Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and Mexico, wearing yellow underwear on New Year’s Eve is said to bring good luck, though for it to work, you need to receive a new pair of yellow underwear as a gift. There are small variations on this custom in different countries. For example, in Peru, you should wear yellow underwear for money and red underwear for love.  And in Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina, they greet the New Year with pink underwear instead of yellow.

Burning old clothes/ burning effigies: Late New Year’s Eve, you may find the streets filled with smoke and fire! It may seem like a war zone, but it is only the annual burning of effigies and piles of old clothing that takes place throughout Peru on New Year’s Eve. The belief is that if you burn your old clothes you will cleanse away all of the old energy of the previous year and make room for the new. The effigies could be political figures or celebrities, or simply a set of straw-stuffed clothes. An intriguing tradition, though definitely NOT for asthmatics or the faint of breath, as the streets become quite filled with smoke and fumes.

Grapes– In this time-honored tradition of Spanish origin and performed in Peru, Mexico, and other Latin American countries, you gather six red and six green grapes and wait until midnight. At the stroke of midnight, gobble one grape for every chime and make a wish for the coming year, one for each grape! Not only will you get your wishes but you will also protect yourself from evil spirits in the coming year. Careful not to choke or your wishes can’t come true!

Run around the block with a Suitcase – Love to travel? We hope so! Throughout Latin America, if you pack your suitcase and run around the block on New Year’s Eve, you will surely get the chance to travel to new places in the coming year. Be sure to pack right: if you want a beach vacation, pack a bathing suit and a towel; if you want to take a trip to Peru, (and we highly recommend this), pack lots of sweaters! A variation is to just leave and enter the doorway of your home with your suitcase, once each for the number of times you want to travel in the coming year.

Lentils- A Peruvian “recipe” for a fantastic year-to-come is as follows: on December 31, purchase some lentils, some wheat, some limes, and some cinnamon sticks. Halve the limes and place them in the four corners of your house to ward off negative energy. Fill your pockets with the lentils, cinnamon sticks, and wheat: the lentils and wheat bring prosperity, and the cinnamon brings love.

Potatoes– In both Peru and Colombia, it is customary to place three potatoes under your bed to prophesy about your economic fortunes in the coming year. One potato is completely peeled, one is half- peeled, and the other is unpeeled. At midnight, pull out a potato at random to find out what kind of year you can look forward to. Unpeeled means great finances, half-peeled means regular, and peeled means a poor year ahead.

These are just a few of the traditions you may encounter that make for a colorful New Year’s in Peru and South America. Be sure to incorporate some of these traditions into your New Year’s Eve to add sparkle to your celebration and ring in a great 2020! Happy New Year!

In this 4th installment of our series on Christmas in South America, we will give you a glimpse into how Christmas is celebrated in Ecuador. A small country situated between Peru and Colombia, Ecuador includes part of the Amazon Jungle, the Andes Mountains, and the beautiful Pacific coastline, off of which are found the world-famous wildlife haven, the Galápagos Islands.

If you find yourself there for Christmas, you may have the good fortune of getting the opportunity to witness Ecuador’s elaborate Christmas pageant, the Pase del Niño Viajero, (The Passage of the Travelling Child). This celebration had its charming beginning in the early 1960s, when a statue of el Niño Jesus, the Christ Child, was brought to Rome to receive blessings from the Pope. When the statue was brought back to Ecuador, a voice was heard yelling from the gathered audience, “The traveler has returned!” The statue was forthwith known as the Niño Viajero, the Child Traveler.

Beginning in the first week of December, many processions and parades commemorate Joseph and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem, but the most festive celebration takes place on December 24th. In the popular mountain village of Cuenca, crowds line the streets in anticipation of the pageant that includes elaborately decorated floats, brilliantly costumed musicians and dancers, and barnyard animals like llamas and horses. The most ornate float of all bears the statue of the Christ Child, who is brought to the Catedral de la Inmaculada, Church of the Immaculate, for ceremonies honoring Jesus’ birth.

As in many countries in South America, Ecuadoreans create pesebres, or nativity scenes, as their main Christmas decoration. Pesebres may get very elaborate indeed, with miniature figures of people, animals, and homes. Some of these scenes even have live plants and greenery covering hand-molded hills and valleys, with water running through in simulation of creeks and rivers! They all include figures of the Holy Family and the Christ Child in the manger. Ecuadoreans also celebrate the Novenas, the nine days leading up to Christmas, with gatherings, prayers, and hymns at the homes of different families that may belong to a church community. Novena celebrations include festive food items like hot chocolate and sweets.

Ecuador has also adopted the custom of putting up a Christmas tree in the main square in recent decades, and there are ongoing competitions among small villages and towns as to which has the tallest tree. The southern city of Machala had a 33-meter tall tree (108 feet!) lit with more than 10,000 lights that won the competition a few years ago.

Traditional Christmas Eve or Nochebuena foods include a roasted turkey or chicken, wine or chicha (fermented corn beer), rice dishes with cheese, and various salads. A favorite Ecuadorean Christmas beverage is rompope, similar to eggnog, but with more liquor! Ecuadoreans often use aguardiente, which is liquor distilled from sugar cane, instead of rum. Here’s a recipe.

After the Christmas meal, which is consumed on December 24th, Ecuadoreans stream in large numbers to attend the Misa de Gallo, the midnight mass, so-named because it goes into the wee hours and may end with the first rooster crow of the morning.

Christmas lists for desired presents may be placed in old shoes and left at the side of the beds of family members. In the morning, Papa Noel, or Santa Claus (a relatively recent figure in Ecuador’s Christmas celebrations) may bring a new pair of shoes along with the presents from the list.

Thus ends our series on Christmas around South America. Would you like to celebrate Christmas as they do in Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia? Make sure to contact us early in the year, as this is a busy time to travel, and we will be delighted to arrange a journey that will immerse you and your family in the beauty and magic of a South American Christmas in the near future.