With Brazil’s soaring economy and selection as the host for the 2016 Summer Olympics, Rio was in good spirits for the preparation of this year’s Carnival, which for many visitors is the defining Brazil travel experience.

Flamboyant scenes from the streets of Rio during Carnival

Things kicked off on Saturday 13 February and despite the crippling heat making it the hottest Carnival in five decades, dancers and performers rocked the streets sporting colorful flamboyant costumes sprouting feathers from their backs and sometimes even reptiles from their heads.

During this wildly expressive event, everyone is encouraged to flaunt it, any way you want, the more color the better. There are no ridiculous costumes in Rio during carnival. No matter how outlandish someone is dressed, someone else has found a way to stretch the limit even further.

Amidst the unprecedented heat wave but refreshingly cool nights, the city estimates that a total of 2.5 million people took to the streets to let loose in typical Carnival fashion.  The usual crowd of Hollywood and MTV stars made appearances, including Beyonce, Madonna, Hugh Jackman, Paris Hilton, and Alicia Keys.

The mayor took efforts to reduce the usual problems of disorder and sanitation by quadrupling the number of public toilets available and restricting certain activities on the two main Rio beaches, Ipanema and Copacabana. In general the attempts at a more safe and secure Carnival, especially with mounting pressure from Rio’s coming Olympic bid, were successful.

This year’s champion of the Rio Carnival parades competition was the Unidos da Tijuca samba group who took home the title for the first time in more than seven decades. The theme of their performance was “It’s a Secret,” and they made references to some of the great mysteries of the world including the Bermuda Triangle, ancient lost civilizations and Area 51.

Over 3,600 people played a part in the presentation which included a huge ski ramp that was climbed by a team of Spidermen and skied down by a team of Batmen.  They even paid homage to Michael Jackson at one point. Groups spend millions of dollars putting together their extravagant shows and are judged in ten different categories before a winner is selected.

The streets may have quieted down for a while, but with Brazil’s continued growth as a popular South America travel destination, the quiet won’t last long. Soon Samba schools will begin pooling creative ideas for next year’s performances and people will begin checking their calendars to see if they can squeeze in some vacation time for February 2011.

There will be a new flight connecting Cusco with Iguazu, making Peru travel connections to the breathtaking waterfalls even easier. With this new direct access visitors will be able to see two of South America’s most important travel destinations in less than a week (Machu Picchu and Iguazu Falls). Iguazu Falls is one of the most exciting natural sites in the world, with 275 falls along a 1.6 mile section of the Iguazu River. It was named an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

The second addition to Lan Peru will be a few flights a week between Easter Island and Lima. This will eliminate the need for travelers to go to Santiago before flying to Easter Island. Lan is clearly expanding its Lima hub, with even more plans in the future for new connections and additional frequencies to popular business destinations.

The new flights to Easter Island will be launched sometime in the second half of 2010. Beginning with a few flights a week, they will be matching the demands of the consumers. Lan says Easter Island and Iguazu are only a part of what they are planning for the coming years. Several expansion options are being considered such as a flight to the Galapagos, teaming up with TAME carrier. Flights to the Galapagos are very restricted so Lan would be unable to operate any new services to the island chain’s two airports.

With Lan’s expansions focusing especially on southern destinations, Latin America travelers can benefit from the efficiency of more routes. Travelers have more flexibility on how they want to plan their vacation. For further information on the new flights, see the LAN Peru website: www.lan.com or to book a Latin America vacation package, contact a Latin America For Less travel advisor on travel@latinamericaforless.com.

The Plaza de Armas of Ayacucho is beautifully developed, with a stunning cathedral on the east side and lush green grasses surrounding a central fountain. Take a visit to the central market and you’ll find you’re probably the only person in there that doesn’t speak Quechua. Rows of Señora’s stand in front of huge sacks of ‘wawa’, fresh-baked sweet bread, in the shape of a baby after its Quechua name.

Ayacucho Cathedral at Night

When your face appears at the juice bars, the women lean over their counters smiling and waving you over, competing for your business. Walking down the aisle of smelly cheeses, you’ll pop out onto the back street where against the wall, you’ll find huge sacks of coca leaves, and men and women, young and old coming to buy coca.

Sadly, in the 1980s, the city and region of Ayacucho were affected by unrest caused by the Maoist guerrilla band, known as the Shining Path. Combined with the Peruvian military’s often harsh reaction, the unrest caused Ayacucho to become one of the poorest regions of Peru. Fortunately the strife ended with the arrest of the Shining Path’s leader in 1992 and Ayacucho has been a peaceful place for more than 15 years.

This difficult history has left Ayacucho struggling to develop as a tourist destination despite its stunning location and friendly inhabitants. The city offers visitors a balance between modern comforts and traditional culture. In the center you’ll find quality hotels with hot water, restaurants with English menus serving a wide variety of dishes beyond the locally popular pollo a la brasa and puca picante. There’s an artisan market that makes souvenir buying easy and offers  among the cheapest prices on Peruvian handicrafts you’ll find anywhere in the country.

Central Ayacucho

I was in Ayacucho long enough to become a regular at the juice counter, trying to spread my custom around though it’s difficult when these sweet ladies smile in recognition of my face and call up my usual without a moment’s thought, ‘platano con leche.’ They always had plenty of customers anyway, no matter when I showed up.

The downtown is a far cry from what you’ll find in the outer districts of the city, where people live very simply without many of the comforts of modern life. Taking the bus up the hill to the orphanage where I was a volunteer, I’d sit next to a tired old woman, with a sun-dried face under a brown, flat-brimmed hat, huge bundles of vegetables filled a rice-sack at her feet and a young baby wrapped around her back in a brightly colored wool shawl. Soon, I’d stand up to give up my seat to another woman, looking the same.

Climbing down from the bus to the dusty, rubble streets of Carmen Alto, children are playing soccer in sandals made of tire, and an old toothless man is standing on the corner selling cheese. Listening to the playful banter of the children however, you wouldn’t know they had a problem in the world.

Looking across the city tucked down in the valley to the 10,000 ft mountains on the other side, you can see the large white obelisk at Quinua. Just an hour away, this is the site of the Battle of Ayacucho, winning Peru the War of Independence in 1824. Nowadays, you can explore the quaint little town, famous for beautiful handcrafted pottery, horseback riding and its short hike to a beautiful waterfall.

The well-preserved Wari ruins are located just below Quinua on your way back to Ayacucho. The hiking is beautiful, and the rich history of the ancient Wari culture is evident in administrative and ceremonial sites. Exploring off the path a little bit and you’ll find broken shards of pottery and arrowheads scattered on the ground. Quinua and Wari are just two of the easy excursions from Ayacucho.

Ayacucho can be reached daily from Lima in just over an hour flight with LC Busre or Star Peru. In fact, there are rumors of a regular Ayacucho – Cusco flight being added to the agenda in the next couple years, which will quickly boost the tourism industry in Ayacucho, linking it as an easy stop-over on the way to Machu Picchu. The city is certainly ready for it.

So, check your Peru itineraries, because maybe now is the best time to go before the city loses some of that undiscovered quality.

Emily was a volunteer for the Casa Hogar Los Gorriones in Ayacucho, Peru. If you would like to learn more about volunteering at Los Gorriones or how you can help, please visit their website.

Based on feedback from returning clients, Peru For Less has compiled the following list of Machu Picchu Travel Alternatives.

Machu Picchu travel alternatives, from Peru For Less

Tipon-Piquillajta-Andahuaylillas Day Tour

This series of lesser-known and under visited ruins just west of Cusco offer a fascinating insight into the size and strength of the Inca Empire, as well as features and a history that aren’t to be found at the more famous citadel of Machu Picchu.

The ruins of Tipon are thought to be an ancient Inca palace and are home to elaborately engineered waterways, baths and fountains, plus a functioning irrigation system that reveals the ingenuity of the Inca’s engineers.

From here it’s a short journey to Piquillajta, which was originally a pre-Inca ruin from the Wari civilization and was probably conquered and re-settled by the Inca as their empire expanded. A tour of Piquillajta gives an interesting history of the growth of the empire, and how the Inca were able to incorporate previously independent civilizations into their own.

Eventually your tour brings you to a Colonial-era archeological gem, known as the
“Andean Sistine Chapel,” the 17^th century church at Andahuaylillas is famous for its beautiful decorations and unique interior design. The church’s intriguing décor, complete with graphical depictions of the routes to heaven and hell, glittering golden gilding and a blend of Christian and indigenous iconography all reflect early attempts by the Spanish to convert the locals to Christianity.

Peru Adventure Trek to Choquequirao

The Inca Trail is closed for routine maintenance every February and may remain closed into March this year, but that doesn’t mean that lovers of the great outdoors cannot enjoy the Cusco region’s unrivaled trekking opportunities.

Machu Picchu travel alternatives: the ruins of Choquequirao

One of the most dramatic (and least visited) alternative Inca Trail treks is the four day hike to Choquequirao, a challenging route that is rewarded with a visit to the magnificent ruins of Choquequirao; a huge and deeply impressive site that receives a fraction of Machu Picchu’s annual visitor numbers.

The trek crosses a range of environments, beginning in the rolling fields and small farming settlements of the sierra before entering the savage Apurimac valley with the river thundering several thousand feet below. The trail drops almost 5,000 feet to river level and the following day climbs immediately back up an equivalent distance back up the steep valley walls.

Eventually entering Choquequirao itself is well worth the challenge, especially since yours may well be the only group in the entire site. It takes at least a full day to explore the ruins in their entirety, and of particular note are the enormous complexes of agricultural terraces, some of which were decorated with unique patterns and designs that are not found in any other Andean site.

The route back from Choquequirao follows a different trail, entering the more humid semi-tropical environment of the high-jungle, where parakeets and tarantulas are a common sight and the trees drip with tropical fruits such as mangoes and avocados. After spending the third night on the grounds of an old Colonial hacienda, the trail re-enters the rolling landscapes of the first day before rejoining road transport for the journey back to Cusco.

Sacred Valley Day Tour

The beautiful Sacred Valley that runs away from the city of Cusco along the line of the Urubamba river (and past Machu Picchu, eventually) is home to a huge number of ancient settlements and towns, ruins and glorious landscapes.

Ruins of Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley

It is possible to take a day tour of the Sacred Valley’s highlights, starting from and returning to Cusco. Tours start early and descend through unchanged landscapes into the Valley itself before reaching the town of Ollantaytambo.

Olltantaytambo is one of the oldest continually inhabited towns in the Andes and people have been living here since at least the 13^th century.  The town is characterized by ancient stone houses built in the trademark style of the Inca, winding cobbled streets bisected by atmospheric flowing rivers and of course the hillside fortress ruins that look over the entire settlement.

The ruins are not particularly large but they have a fascinating history, as the location of a great Inca victory over the Spanish conquistadores, which almost caused the invasion to fail.

After touring the town and the ruins, it’s a short journey to the next destination, the buzzing town of Pisac. It is well worth timing your tour to coincide with market day on Sunday when the entire town comes alive with campesinos descending from the surrounding hills to sell their wares and stock up on provisions. You’ll see everything on sale, from live chickens to coca leaves, as well as a large selection of handicrafts which make ideal souvenirs.

You also have the option to visit Pisac ruins, much larger than at Ollantaytambo and dominating a breathtaking location on the hilltops above the town. The trail around the site runs above steep hillsides and deep ravines, allowing stunning views of the entire valley. A visit to the ruins is available on request.

From Pisac, it’s just a short drive through yet more stunning scenery back to the city of Cusco.

Other sites and excursions in the Sacred Valley

There are a huge number of other tours and excursions available in the Cusco and Sacred Valley region:

A tour of the ruins at Moras & Moray: known as the research laboratories of the Inca, the circular agricultural terraces at Moray were used to examine the full range of growing conditions and environments across the Inca Empire, ensuring that food was never scarce and the entire empire was well fed.

A rafting trip down the Urubamba River is guaranteed to excite and is ideal for beginner rafters with no previous experience. Trips last around 2 hours and range from class 2 and 3 rapids.

The countryside surrounding Cusco is perfect for horseback riding tours, exploring a beautiful landscape which is dotted with villages and settlements where life has changed little over the centuries.

For further information on any of these tours and more, contact a Peru For Less travel advisor at any time, on travel@peruforless.com or 1-817-230-4971.

Aji de Gallina, a famous Peru dish

Peru is a fascinating place with some incredible food and some of the most caring and giving people I’ve ever met.  I used to go grocery shopping in the street markets.  The chickens are alive when you pick them out in many of the markets.  The variety of fruits and vegetables available there are incredible, and the one I miss the most is the little yellow papas amarillas (yellow potatoes).

Aji de Gallina is what was served at large family gatherings on Sundays when I lived in Lima. It’s even better the nest day because the flavors blend overnight. This recipe is the one given to me by my Peruvian mother-in-law and it’s my favorite version.

There are a lot of steps and it’s a bit time consuming but it’s well worth it – it also feeds a large amount of people for a small amount of money. If you double the rice serving, this recipe will easily feed eight people.

Aji De Gallina

Ingredients:

1  3 – 4 lb chicken (if you can get a hen from your butcher that’s even better)
1/2 package galletas (you can substitute 1/2 package of saltines if you can’t find Spanish crackers) – more as needed
2 slices white bread
3 fresh (not canned) aji amarillo, chopped seeds and all  (you can substitute jalapenos if you can’t find Peruvian yellow peppers)
6 cloves garlic
1 can evaporated milk
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
vegetable oil
milk, as needed
salt

Stew the chicken in enough water to come within an inch of the top of the chicken.   In a blender or small food processor place the peppers, three cloves of garlic, a pinch of salt, end enough vegetable oil to process the peppers into a slightly chunky sauce.  Set aside.

In a blender place the crushed crackers, bread, three cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon of the hot pepper sauce, and evaporated milk.  Puree until smooth.

Chop onion and nuts and set aside.

When the chicken is done, reserve stock and shred the chicken into a separate container.

In cleaned stew pot place 2 tbsp vegetable oil and sauté onions until slightly clear on medium heat.  Add cumin and turmeric and continue cooking a minute or so, stirring often to toast the spices.  Add all but 1 cup of stock to sautéed onion, stirring to release the spices from bottom of pan.  Add the evaporated milk mixture to pan and lower heat.  Heat through, stirring often to prevent sticking.  The sauce thickens quickly.  (If the sauce isn’t as thick as you like you can put the reserved chicken stock in the blender with more crackers and puree smooth, then add to pot until it is the consistency that you like.  If it thickens too much you can add the remaining stock and/or a little milk to thin it out.)  Add the shredded chicken, parmesan cheese, and nuts.  Add salt and more of the pepper sauce to taste and serve over rice.  I always offer the remaining pepper sauce at the table, because this dish is best really spicy, but some people can’t tolerate too much heat so I make it mild for them.

For Rice:

3 cups water
2 cups uncooked extra long grain white rice, well rinsed
1 clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped
1 tsp oil
pinch salt

Boil water. Add oil, garlic, salt, and rice.  Bring back to a boil, stir, then reduce heat to low and cover tightly.  (Do not stir or remove lid while cooking).  Cook for 20 to 25 minutes until all liquid is absorbed.

This dish is usually served over rice, with sliced boiled potatoes and olives on the side.  (If you have any leftovers you can add a little milk when you re-heat it to thin it out, it usually thickens more when refrigerated).

Buen Provecho!

LAN Peru has announced the new service from San Francisco to Lima, which brings an additional benefit to connecting passengers traveling from destinations throughout the continent, including Santiago, Chile, Sao Paulo, Brazil and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The new service brings LAN Airlines’ total number of US gateways to four, joining New York, Los Angeles and Miami.

The route is good news to travelers planning Peru vacations, and will also help visitors experience any number of other important South America vacation destinations, such as Iguazu Falls, Patagonia and Easter Island.

For further information on the new flights, see the LAN Peru website: www.lan.com or to book a Peru vacation package, contact a Peru For Less travel advisor.

Some of the most remote and exciting Peru adventure treks can be found in the Vilcabamba mountain range, a few hours drive from Cusco, where the mountains are characterized by steep ravines, dense, almost tropical vegetation and some of Peru’s most isolated and impressive ruins and archeological sites.

Choquequirao on one of the new Peru trekking adventure routes in Vilcabamba. Photograph, Matthew Barker 2009

This new range of Vilcabamba treks offers adventure lovers a chance to stray away from the crowds and venture deep into untouched territory. All of the treks range from a moderate to challenging activity level: ideal for the physically fit and active, or for experienced trekkers who want to push their boundaries.

One of the many attractions of the Vilcabamba mountain range is the area’s richness in history and archeology. This region was the last refuge of the Inca as they retreated from Cusco during the Spanish conquest. It is here that visitors can find the last Inca cities, at Espiritu Pampa, Vilcabamba and Choquequirao.

Treks can even link these isolated, barely explored ruins with the most famous site of all: Machu Picchu, an epic ten day adventure across the mountains that follows the final footsteps of the Inca.

Importantly, aware of the challenging nature of these routes, which range between extremes in altitude and temperature, Peru For Less offers some of the highest quality trekking services available – with the best possible guides, equipment, food and chefs. Touches like warm showers, pre-warmed sleeping bags and three full meals per day plus snacks are aimed to ensure comfort at every step during a Vilcabamba treks.

With the world’s eyes on some of the world’s most important natural wonders, we decided to write a Latin America For Less guide on how to visit each of the sites in line for title of South America’s most important natural wonder.

An Andean Condor soaring through Colca Canyon, Peru

In fourth place, the majestic Colca Canyon is among one of the front runners for the leading spot.

The Canyon, twice as deep as the famous Grand Canyon, is characterized by a long and fascinating history as well as being home to a large colony of Andean Condors.

Colca Canyon, a popular stop off point during many Peru vacations, is inhabited by traditional communities, with agricultural terraces and unchanging villages dotting the landscape. The highlight of any visit to Colca is the Cruz del Condor, above the Canyon’s deepest point, where visitors have the strongest chance of spotting a magnificent Condor circling overhead.

Visiting Colca Canyon

Most Peru tours that include a stop at Colca first visit the city of Arequipa, before heading into the surrounding mountains for a night in the remote canyon region.

The road is bumpy in places and the journey from Arequipa takes several hours, so the tour is bound to start early. Travelers are also likely to notice the altitude and a store of coca-leaf sweets are recommended to avoid altitude sickness during the journey.

The small and pleasant town of Chivay, at the head of the Canyon is usually the first stop. It is here that most hotels are situated, along with a number of restaurants and peñas (restaurants with nightly performances of folk music and dance), plus the famous hot springs.

From Chivay you can make your way by road along the Canyon itself, until arriving at the Cruz del Condor for some spectacular views and photo opportunities.

For those wanting to spend more time at the Canyon, there are a huge number of opportunities for adventure activities and hiking with walking or cycling down into the Canyon and rafting along the river are all popular activities. Longer, multi-day treks through the region are also possible.