With the first match on Friday (11^th June) the eyes of the world are going to be on South Africa, and with the final on the 11^th July it is a month of football madness.

Football fans in Peru will be watching every match, despite the fact that Peru didn't quality

Sadly Peru wasn’t able to qualify; but the South American nations of Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and of course Brazil will all be fighting for the title.

One thing that I have learnt during my time in South America is that everybody loves football; it runs in the blood with many South American towns almost deserted during key cup matches.

Trying to get a taxi while Boca Juniors play River in Buenos Aires is not a good idea.

So while you’re here on your Peru vacation why not get into the spirit of the continent, find a bar, a big screen and enjoy the show.

Where to go:

In Lima there are a number of options. Many hotels, bars and casinos will be showing the match.

The well known places for a good crowd are The Corner Bar in Miraflores and the El Estadio bar near to San Martin square in the centre.

The Corner Bar, a typical American sports bar, is home away from home for sports fans. But with one of the first matches being England v the USA on the 12^th June, there should be a good vibe.

El Estado is in the city centre and is for serious sports fans. With 50″ HD screens and a range of Peruvian food this could be a place to spend a long afternoon.

The Fiesta Casino on Av Benevides in Miraflores is also counting down the days to the world cup, boasting food and drinks to keep you going during the match.

In the rest of Peru as well as Lima, Casa Andina Hotels will be showing matches in all of its bars. Casa Andina are have a special promotion where you can try some of the national food from each and have a beer for only 25 Soles.

This means ‘Cheeseburgers‘ and ‘Fish & Chips‘ for the USA v England match on Saturday and Nachos on sale for the Mexico v France match.

Being a writer, I’m not supposed to be overly biased. However, being a Brit living in Peru I have to say – come on ENGLAND!

In an effort to promote public appreciation for local arts, the weeklong festivities include extended hours at galleries, artist talks, a children´s drawing contest, and a concert as the grand finale.

Lima's week of art, Peru

Whether you’re on top of the contemporary art scene or just a casual arts enthusiast, La Semana de Arte is a great way to discover the city during a Lima tour.

Throughout the week, chic galleries in Barranco and Miraflores have hosted the city’s top avante-garde artists. It´s a rotating parade of cutting edge artworks that visitors can check out for free.

At the Museo de Arte (MALI), José Carlos Martinat´s fascinating ¨Monumentos Vandalizables: Abstraccion de Poder III¨, which includes graffitied models of buildings that represent institutions of power in Lima, and the local photographer Mario Testino´s stunning ¨Portraits¨ are also on view in the newly-remodeled Palacio de la Exposición.

From 7am to 11pm today, the San Isidro district gets to play posh, hosting contemporary art at a number of galleries. The Enlace Arte Contemporaneo displays work by Luis E. Camejo; La Galeria presents work by Valeria Ghezzi; Galeria Vertice exhibits a group show incorporating videography, photography, and canvas works; Galeria Indigo also hosts a group show; and Centro Cultural University Catolica Gallery showcases work on the poet César Vallejo.

On Saturday, the district of Callao ends the art fest with a children´s drawing festival at noon and free concert by the local rock band FRAGIL at 7pm at the Real Felipe Museum.

You can view the giant sculptures by Benito Rosa, Antonio Pareja, Silvia Westphalen, Javier Aldana, and more. The children´s festival, hosted by Faber-Castell, features a children´s drawing contest.

With a population of nearly 9 million, the city of Lima can seem daunting sprawl of sights to a traveler. Events like La Semana de Arte help to reign in the nearly endless options. If you can´t be in Lima this week for Art Week, consider taking a tour of Lima or planning your future trip to coincide with other cultural events.

The lake is the highest navigated area of water in the world and is one of the largest. What makes the lake so attractive are the amazingly crafted Islands of Uros, created out of locally grown tortoa reed in a process that has been passed down from generation to generation.

Tortoa reeds of Lake Titicaca.

The lake is easily accessible from Cusco and there are two primary transport options between Cusco and the principle city in the area, Puno. You can travel either by train or by bus. You can fly, but it would involve a connection in Lima.

The bus from Cusco to Puno takes between and 8 and 9 hours and makes various stops along the way at archaeological sites, as well as at rest-stops and restaurants.

The train ride is slightly longer – some 10 hours – but while the bus features first class accommodations for a vehicle of its variety, the first class accommodations on the train are significantly more opulent with lounge-chair seating, fine china and silverware used for first-rate, delicious meals, and a lookout-car, where guests can leisurely enjoy the scenery of the Peruvian highlands.

While the more luxurious train makes no stops, shorter bus ride to Puno does make several pauses along the way. Tourists traveling by bus normally enjoy bilingual guided stops at the following locations along the route:

• Andahuaylillas: known as the “Sixteenth Chapel of the Americas,” this church features an exhibition of colonial art work dating back to the XVI and XVII century. (Entrance fee: US $1.5/person)
• Raqchi: This is the temple dedicated to God Wiracocha, supreme God of the Incas. (Entrance fee: US$2/person)
• Sicuani: Here guests will be able to rest and enjoy an Andean buffet lunch
• La Raya: This is the highest point of the trip, where guests will be able to appreciate snow-peaked mountains, alpacas and the amazing scenery of the Andean countryside.
• Pukara: This is ancient archaeological complex constructed in a grand pyramidal shape dating as far back as 4,000 B.C. (entrance fee $2)

By travelling by bus, the journey normally includes snacks and on board hostess assistance.

For more cautious travelers a key advantage of bus transport is that you embark and disembark from a private bus station in both cities as opposed to a public train station.

The mode of transport you choose to take depends on your personal preference.

However many people talk about how spectacular the views are along the train route, especially as you approach Lake Titicaca.

Reaching Lima, the capital of Peru as well as many other popular destinations in South America just keeps on getting easier. A number of international airlines offer direct routes and the choice has got wider as LAN airlines has announced a new set or routes direct from the US, along with a number of promotional fares.

LAN, who is partnered with American Airlines, is now the only airline offering direct flights from San Francisco. The new route starts on the 1 July 2010 and will offer four flights per week. Along with other direct flights available from New York, Miami and Los Angeles – getting to South America just keeps getting easier.

For travelers hoping to see as much as South America in short space of time, LAN has also announced a direct flight from Cusco to Iguazu in Argentina to compliment its other regional routes; allowing you to make the most out of your time in this stunning continent and see more of the world famous sites that are located here.

If travelling from Europe, a number of national airlines have direct flights to the South America including KLM and British Airways. Major cities in the region such as Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Bogota, Santiago and Lima operate as airport hubs, offering easy direct onward connections to other airports in the region.

See a previous blog article on advice as to how to get the cheapest fares.

For further information on the new flights, see the LAN Peru website: www.lan.com.

Peru’s ancient city of Cusco has started to prepare for the festival of Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun God, the most significant and spectacular of Peru’s historical celebrations.

Every June 24^th, the day of the winter solstice, the people of Cusco stage an enormous celebration of the sun, which was the main deity to Peru’s ancient Andean civilizations, including the Inca. Inti Raymi is the largest traditional festival in Peru, and an unforgettable cultural experience for all, which revolves around a modern interpretation of the historical celebrations of the Sun God.

A colorful scene at Cusco's Inti Raymi Festival, Peru. Photograph: Danielle Lane 2008

Thousands of people crowd to watch the opening event, held in the shadow of the Monastery of Santa Domingo. From here begins a procession of hundreds of representatives from the four corners of the Inca Empire, all in regional and traditional dress which reflects the diversity and size of the Empire.

As the procession continues, you will become entranced by the colors and variation of the participants’ attire and accessories. As the final representatives file in, the anticipation for the Inca King to finally show starts to build.

A cloud of smoke appears followed by the grand entrance of the King himself. At this point the crowd falls so silent it’s possible to hear a pin drop. The King delivers a short but expressive speech in the indigenous Quechua language before lifting his staff to commence the festivities.

The atmosphere fills with rejoice and music and dancing takes over. The crowd goes wild and the procession begins its march to a more celebratory beat, this time leaving for Cusco’s main square, the Plaza de Armas. The Inca King, along with his Queen and Nobility are carried by dozens of porters on separate, elaborately decorated golden litters.

The Inca King Addresses Worshippers at Cusco's Inti Raymi Festival, Peru. Photograph: Danielle Lane 2008

The crowds quickly move the few blocks to the plaza to find a good place to watch the second segment of the festival.  The procession files in and decorates the already beautiful square with dancing and marching in tune followed by the Inca King.  He dismounts his litter and blesses the sacrificial gifts that are to be offered to the Sun God in thanks for a good harvest and to pray for good fortune and climate in the coming year.

The tradition of sacrifice and making offerings was extremely strong in ancient Andean civilizations with all sorts of gifts offered to the deities, ranging from inanimate objects such as tools, gold and art, to livestock and even sometimes human sacrifice. These days, symbolic items are used in place of living creatures, and visiting tourists need not worry about unexpectedly finding themselves on the altar.

The procession then continues the roughly three kilometers to the grand hilltop ruins of Sacsayhuaman, where the main event occurs. Here the Inca King and his nobility mount a platform to conduct the ritual sacrifice of a llama and to present gifts of gold and silver to the Sun God. Again, these days the actual sacrifice is a dramatized reconstruction and no creatures are harmed.

However, despite the reconstructions, the ritual is conducted in all sincerity and religious devotion, and is taken incredibly seriously by worshippers, who observe a deep connection with the spiritual world of Peru’s indigenous civilizations.

Fortunately for foreign visitors, it is possible to observe the entire ceremony with the accompaniment of a professional tour guide, on hand to interpret and translate the entire proceedings and explain the significance of each element of the ceremony.

My personal experience of the festival of Inti Raymi in 2008 was one of the most inspiring and fascinating cultural encounters of my life, and I highly recommend the festival to any visitor fortunate enough to visit Peru during this spectacular event.

Visitors wishing to take part in the Inti Raymi festival during their Peru vacation should take a look at Peru For Less’ Kingdom of the Inca Inti Raymi travel deal.

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.

Peruvians have always been proud of their unique cultural fusion – the merging of Hispanic with traditional Andean societies, along with a healthy dose of Afro-Caribbean influence as well as the countless indigenous communities of the selva, the deep Amazon jungle.

The most famous outcome of this cultural melting pot has been Peruvian criollo cuisine, a treat for anyone enjoying a Peru travel experience. But the fusion is expressed in many other forms, in particular the country’s rich music and dance traditions, which come under the spotlight during this time of year, as the Peruvian winter fades into the long, sultry summer.

A major event is la Dia de la Cancion Criolla, or the Day of the Creole Song, a major national event on 31 October that is most prominent in the music loving coastal towns and cities.

Much of this music was influenced by the descendants of African slaves, and is characterized by lively, fast rhythms and fun, flirtatious dancing. Popular instruments are the guitar and the cajón, a rectangular wooden box that is played as a percussion instrument by fast-handed drummers with perfect timing.

The Day of the Creole Song is a major celebration right along Peru’s central coast but is less prominent in highland or jungle communities, where other forms of indigenous music are more popular.

For the best celebrations, head to Lima, Trujillo, Ica or Chiclayo. Celebrations tend to be focused around the towns’ central Plaza de Armas, and the numerous bars and peñas nearby, although in Lima, some of the best events are to be found in the southern districts of Surco and Barranco.

The event makes for great memories during Peru vacations, but come prepared for loud, boisterous and raucous celebrations, especially as the sun goes down and the proceedings become more alcohol fuelled. For the most authentic experiences, go with some Peruvian friends.

A couple of weeks after the Day of the Creole Song festival and another big criollo event comes to Peru, the Festival de Danzas Negras, in the town of Chincha, just south of Lima.

Playing the Canjon in Chincha, Peru. Photograph: Creative Commons

Chincha, in particular the neighborhood of El Carmen, is home to one of Peru’s most distinct and vibrant Afro Peruano communities. Mostly descended from slaves brought from Africa to work on coastal cotton plantations, the community of El Carmen has retained its rich identity, which is celebrated every November with a major dance festival, attracting visitors from across the country, especially Lima folk looking for a weekend break on the coast.

The festival usually occurs over the first weekend of November. It’s easy to get to Chincha and El Carmen by bus from Lima, a journey that takes around two hours. Hotels in the area are likely to get booked up fairly quickly so either make reservations ahead or arrive early to get a decent room.

The capital city Lima is arguably the best place to head to sample Peruvian fare, where there are countless eateries that tempt travelers and locals alike with an array of succulent Peruvian dishes.

Ceviche, made from raw fish marinated in lime juice, a typically Limeño dish to enjoy on a Peru vacation

A recent article in the New York Times threw the spotlight over small family run restaurants in Lima – or huariques – as being an inexpensive option for tasting typical Peruvian dishes.

Often operating behind closed doors, the owners of huariques specialize in preparing one or two single recipes that have been handed down through their families for generations. These recipes originate from anywhere between Japan and Africa, yet they always make full use of ingredients found on the Peruvian coast, mountains and jungle.

The atmosphere of huariques, reports the NYT, can be rustic and informal, but the food is no less delicious; such favorites as Ceviche (raw fish marinated in lime and chilli), Anticuchos (succulent skewered beef heart) and Lomo Saltado (stir fried beef sirloin with onion, chilli peppers, tomatoes and French fries) are sometimes of better quality than even the finest restaurants in Peru.

Unfortunately for those who travel to Lima, huariques can be difficult to track down, or are not always available at the desired time. Luckily there are a whole host of quality Lima restaurants that give travelers the opportunity to indulge in some delicious Peruvian cuisine.

Latin America For Less Director and Peru cuisine fanatic, Bernard Schleien

Asked to detail some of the finest restaurants in Lima, Latin America For Less Director Bernard Schleien was eager to point out a few of his favorites:

Astrid y Gaston: Finest restaurant in Peru and probably among the finest in the world. Peruvian and international food. This is a highly acclaimed restaurant with a solid international reputation. Average main course $20.
Phone: (01) 4441496
Address: Cantaurias 175, Miraflores

Malabar. Excellent creative cuisine. Local and international food. Astrid y Gaston used to be my favorite restaurant until I visited this one. The chef and owner is truly talented and my guess is that this restaurant will be officially recognized as the best in Peru in the near future. Average main course $20.
Phone: (01)4405200, (01). 440 5300
Address: Camino Real. 101 , San Isidro

Casa Hacienda Moreyra. Hacienda style restaurant and probably one of the very few Lima restaurants where architecture meets excellent food. Local and international food. Average Main course $20.
Phone: (01) 4443979, (01)4444022
Address: Paz Soldán 290, San Isidro

El Tanta. Same owners as Astrid y Gaston. Excellent food and value (local and international). Average main course $13.
Phone: (01) 3723528
Address: Prolongación Primavera 692, Surco

La Mar. Same owners as Astrid y Gaston (Gaston Acurio is a local hero for entrepreneurship and the leading figure in Peru’s culinary big bang). Superb Seafood. Expect a 30-60 minute wait. Average main course $13.
Address: La Mar Av. 774, Miraflores

A life long aficionado of cooking in his home country, Mr. Schleien holds the cuisine of Lima in particularly high esteem. “It is Peru’s melting pot … People from all over Peru and all over the world have migrated to Lima and they have fused their cooking.”

Furthermore, he explained that the application of gourmet habits from the West to Peruvian cooking – such as technique, presentation and food hygiene – have helped the capital city to perfect its culinary offering.

And whether eating in a family ran huarique or in any of the city’s best restaurants, those who travel to Peru can rest assured that they are always likely to be enamored with Lima’s excellent cuisine.