peru for connoisseurs

peru for connoisseurs

peru for connoisseurs At COLTUR Peru we define luxury not solely by the level of accommodations - 56 years in the business have taught us that the depth, uniqueness and quality of an itinerary is really what separates a true experience from a tour. Although the itinerary we present to you includes world-class inns, the true beauty of it lies in the learning experience - your hosts, the places to be visited and the unique way of looking at such will prove this program to be second to none. I truly hope you enjoy what our team has put together, and decide to join us in this amazing adventure. Sincerely, Enrique M. Velasco Director - Sales COLTUR Peru

YOUR HOSTS

PENELOPE ALZAMORA: a Limean native, thanks to her foodie parents and a nanny who introduced her to traditional Peruvian gastronomy, Penelope became passionate about cooking. After studying Culinary Arts in Johnson & Wells (Providence) and working in the catering and restaurant businesses, Penelope moved to San Francisco, were she taught at the Tante Marie Cooking School. Back in Lima, she is now devoted to both her family and cooking classes. SILVIA STERN was born in Peru to Central European Jewish immigrants. The Stern s had an inclination for science, which influenced Silvia in choosing Mathematics upon entering university. However, art and humanities also had a strong draw on her, earning a second degree Art Restoration. With husband Eduardo Barbosa, Silvia focuses in Peruvian colonial art, and they start the Barbosa- Stern collection, considered one of the best private collections in Peru, and housed by the world s most renowned museums. PETER FROST is a writer, expedition guide and independent scholar who has been exploring the Andes since 1971. In the early 2000 s he led National Geographic sponsored expeditions into the remote Vilcabamba, exploring the unknown Inca site of Qoriwayrachina. The discovery was featured in the NatGeo documentary Inca Mummies, and also appeared in the February 2004 issue of the magazine.

THE EXPERIENCE photo (C) walter wust

lima A heavenly day for foodies and art lovers. After breakfast, we will join Penelope and visit a local market, where we will not only purchase the ingredients for lunch, but also see, smell and taste the abundance of produce, seafood and spices that are native to the country. Then we re off to Penelope s apartment in Barranco, Lima s quaint bohemian neighborhood, where, while sipping some Pisco Sours to help us build an appetite, we will prepare our own ceviche and other Peruvian trademark dishes. After some table-talk (and maybe a few more Pisco Sours), we head to the Barbosa-Stern private colonial art collection, where owner Silvia and son Aldo will be waiting for us. One of the most interesting aspects of this visit is that, through art, we will learn about the mid to late colonial period, a time of Peruvian history almost always overlooked in regular tours. photo (C) penelope alzamora

urubamba sacred valley While in the Urubamba Valley, we will visit Ollantaytambo, the only town to still maintain the Inca urban planning system, and also the most strategic settlement in the area during Inca times, as it was the gateway to Machu Picchu and the jungle territories. We will then head to Chinchero, home of master weaver Nilda Callanaupa. Textile production has profound historic and cultural significance in the Andes, and Nilda runs a highly successful National Geographic Societysupported project to rescue and revive this way of life. During lunch with Nilda, in a more intimate and relaxed atmosphere, we will learn about her life story - born in the highlands of Peru, Nilda was a child prodigy that by age 15 was lecturing in world-renowned venues such as Harvard University and the Smithsonian Institute.

machu picchu Those snow-capped peaks in an unknown and unexplored part of Peru fascinated me greatly. They tempted me to go and see what lay beyond. In the ever famous words of Rudyard Kipling there was something hidden! Go find it! Go and look beyond the ranges something lost beyond the ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go! HIRAM BINGHAM In Machu Picchu, Peter Frost will masterfully guide us through its discovery process, as well as the different theories that try to explain who built it, and why. Peter will explain about Machu Picchu s place in the Inca empire, its abandonment until the late 19th century, culminating in Hiram Bingham s 1911 discovery, thus penetrating into the swirl of myth, controversy and genuine scientific research that has attended Bingham, Yale, and Machu Picchu since then.

cuzco The origin of the group we now call the Incas is still uncertain, but we do know that they arrived from the south during the early 13th century, settling in the Cuzco area, which became the administrative and religious center of the empire. Even though the Spanish chose Lima as the capital of the new vice-royalty, Cuzco was certainly the most important theater in their effort to subdue and control the large Andean population. During our time in Cuzco we will learn about the early colonial period - the legends surrounding the fall of the city into Spanish hands, and how the Catholic Church played a role as important as that of the military. The Qoriqancha temple, the most sacred of all places in Andean cosmo-vision, and pictured below, is a perfect example of the latter. Destroying the upper part of it, the Dominican order built their church on top of the Inca structure - a symbolic yet very clear message for the natives. Note how arches reflect on one of the remaining Inca walls inside the temple - arches were not used in Incan engineering, but rather are a trait of Western architecture.

THE INNS photo (c) INKATERRA

LIMA CUZCO Hotels for this program have been handpicked, being what we believe is the best Peru has to offer: boutique properties that provide warmth, intimacy and an unparalleled sense of place. photo (c) hotel B Hotel B, located in the bohemian neighborhood of Barranco, is an arts-boutique, 17-suite property, housed in a former mansion that boasts the glamour of Lima of the 1920 s. Tucked along the Urubamba Sacred Valley is a small piece of heaven: the Sol y Luna Lodge & Spa. This program features the Deluxe Casitas, an oasis of space and color, showcasing the resort s trademark original artwork and custom crafted décor. Nested within its own preserve, there is no better place to headquarter our Machu Picchu discovery than INKATERRA s Pueblo hotel. Selected for this experience are the Inkaterra Suites, 1,900 ft2 of selfindulgence, surrounded by orchids, hummingbirds and the soothing sound of the rainforest. A meticulously restored 1600 s colonial manor house, INKATERRA s La Casona in Cuzco is the embodiment of boutique, its 11 suites craftfully decorated with a blend of native and colonial art. photo (c) INKATERRA

Peru for Connoisseurs PROGRAM DETAILS Day 01: Arrival to LIMA - Greet upon arrival and transfer to hotel. - Overnight in Lima. Day 02: LIMA - Buffet breakfast - Cooking classes and lunch at Penelope Alzamora s house in Barranco, Lima s bohemian district - PM Barbosa-Stern private collection - Overnight in Lima. B, L Day 03: LIMA CUZCO - URUBAMBA SACRED VALLEY - Buffet breakfast. - Transfer to the airport and assistance with flight. - Flight to Cuzco. - Greet upon arrival and transfer to the Urubamba Sacred Valley - Gourmet picnic lunch including Andean religious ritual Tribute to the Mother Earth - Dinner-lecture with Peter Frost (dinner not included) - Overnight in Urubamba B, L Day 04: URUBAMBA SACRED VALLEY - Buffet breakfast. - AM visit Ollantaytambo fortress and Inca town - Lunch with Nilda Callanaupa at her National Geographic - sponsored native weaving project - Overnight in Urubamba B, L Day 05: URUBAMBA SACRED VALLEY-MACHU PICCHU - Buffet breakfast. - Transfer to train station and HIRAM BINGHAM luxury Orient Express train to Machu Picchu. - Brunch on board - Guided tour of the Machu Picchu citadel - Dinner and overnight in Machu Picchu (Aguas Calientes) B, L, D. Day 06: MACHU PICCHU - CUZCO - Buffet breakfast. - Second Machu Picchu visit to watch sunrise - Room at hotel available until departure time (approx. 5.00PM) - HIRAM BINGHAM train to Cuzco (3-course dinner included) - Greet at train station and transfer to hotel - Overnight in Cuzco B, D DAY 07: CUZCO - Buffet breakfast. - Mid AM Cuzco City Tour. 1. Korikancha or Temple of the Sun. 2. Cathedral. 3. Casa Concha museum - Balance of the day at leisure - Overnight in Cuzco. B DAY 08: CUZCO - LIMA - ORIGIN - Buffet breakfast. - Transfer to airport asistance. - Flight to Lima - Greet upon arrival and transfer to hotel - Hotel room and transportation unit available until departure time - Transfer to the airport and assistance with international flight B, L

Av. Reducto 1255 Miraflores Lima 18 PERU Phone : (51-1) 615 5555 24hrs. (51-1) 99756-6676 Fax : (51-1) 446-8073 Fax : (51-1) 446-9392 peru@colturperu.com www.colturperu.com All photographic material contained in this document property of COLTUR Peru unless otherwise noted