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Amazing Posada’s in South America

Dec 9

Posted by dillon in South American Tours | No Comments

Somewhere between the overpriced boutique hotels and the bargain hostels lie the special places with great service, “buena onda” (a good vibe) and rates that make you assume there has been a misprint. Posadas (which is Spanish for “inns”) are not around every corner, however, so you have to know where to look. Here are some great one’s in South America.

1. Peru: Apu Lodge, Ollantaytambo

Many people rush through it on their way to nearby Machu Picchu, but the ancient Inca town of Ollantaytambo is well worth exploring for a few days, to get stuck into some alternative treks through the Sacred Valley or simply to hang out among the 15th-century ruins that dot the hillsides. The newly built Apu Lodge is run by Louise Norton, the Scottish founder of leaplocal.org (which puts travellers in touch with local guides), and her Peruvian husband. Seemingly designed with weary trekkers in mind, rooms come with orthopaedic beds, snug duvets and piping-hot power showers.

2. Bolivia: Las Olas, Copacabana

Copacabana in Bolivia

Copacabana in Bolivia

South America’s other Copacabana is perched on the Bolivian shores of Lake Titicaca – but without the bikini thongs. With spectacular panoramic views across the expanse of royal-blue water, Las Olas is a quirky complex of four suites, owned and designed by a German architect. No detail has been overlooked: stairs are made from eucalyptus wood, windows are patterned with stained glass and floors feature cross-sections of pine trunks. For the most memorable experience, opt for the suite that resembles a terracotta-coloured beehive and comes with a circular bed. Book well ahead.

3. Uruguay: La Posada del Faro, Cabo Polonio

Savvy travellers bypass Uruguay’s most famous resort – the over-hyped, over-concreted Punta del Este – and head further up the coast to Cabo Polonio, an isolated village situated on its own peninsula. With no paved roads, no electricity and no internet, it’s ideal for those wanting a complete getaway. La Posada del Faro is new on the scene. Request one of their two bright-and-white front rooms, which lead straight on to an open porch with views across the village, the sprawling beach and the iconic lighthouse. It’s currently the low season, so the posada is closed, but it is open for bookings from December onwards. (Note: not to be confused with La Posada Del Faro in José Ignacio which, costing up to £350, is not such a bargain.)

4. Ecuador: Madre Tierra, Vilacabamba

The best time to approach Madre Tierra is just as the sun begins to set. That’s when the candles start twinkling in the canopy of ferns and you’ll be met by a night-time soundtrack of trilling crickets, cascading waterfalls and the low hum of voices from the open-fronted restaurant. Found just outside the town of Vilcabamba, in the so-called “Valley of the Immortals”, Madre Tierra has a new-age feel, with rooms resembling gingerbread cottages from a Brothers Grimm storybook. Relax in a hammock overlooking the sacred Madango mountain or with a treatment in the on-site spa.

5. Argentina: Capricho, Salta

If you’re heading to northwest Argentina, do your best to get a suite here. There are only two of them (one with a small lounge, the other with a spiral staircase to its own mezzanine). The service and styling are way beyond what you’d expect for the price, with nice touches that include lighting the central courtyard with tealights every night and welcoming every guest with a glass of local wine or a cup of speciality tea. The hearty breakfast is homemade, from the caramelised apple cake to the yogurt. And it’s also fantastically located, just a few minutes’ walk from the main plaza.

6. Colombia: La Casa, Santa Marta

Behind La Casa’s modest frontage lie three colourful guest rooms, a characteristic internal patio and an outdoor plunge pool that becomes a huge asset when the sun hits its peak. Having been extensively remodelled, the property is an ideal starting point for Tayrona National Park, one of the country’s biggest attractions. Guests are invited to stock up on products from the local markets – including seafood, freshly plucked from the Caribbean – and cook it themselves in the huge, open kitchen. Ask owner Angela about her yoga retreats.

7. Brazil: Eliconial, Paraty

When you are told a monkey could swing by for breakfast, you know you’re in a special place. Eliconial is a 20-minute walk from the historic centre of Paraty, with its cobbled streets and colonial houses, and it’s an even shorter walk to the beach. Set in a garden of tropical heliconias, the complex of wood-panelled bungalows includes a fair-sized outdoor pool. Book ahead if you want your visit to coincide with Paraty’s growing literary festival (flip.org.br), which takes place every August.

8. Argentina: Querido, Buenos Aires

Opening just two months ago, Querido is the labour of love of Anglo-Brazilian owners, who have spent more than two years transforming the site of a run-down 1920s townhouse. Although now thoroughly modernised, it retains many original features – such as the heavy-wood frames of the windows. The lounge is furnished with well-selected finds from local vintage shops, while the four subtly styled upstairs rooms all have shiny, polished parquet floors. The hotel is located on a peaceful residential street in the increasingly up-and-coming Villa Crespo barrio, yet it’s still less than 10 minutes’ walk to Palermo Soho, where you’ll find the city’s largest concentration of bars, restaurants and designer boutiques.

9. Venezuela: Posada Movida, Los Roques

This place would be just like a home from home – if your home was a Mediterranean-style villa in the middle of the Caribbean. Posada Movida sits on one of the 350 islands that make up the coral archipelago of Los Roques, 80 miles off the Venezuelan mainland. Book one of its six air-conditioned ensuites and owner Mario can help organise day trips of scuba diving, kite surfing or sea fishing. The posada’s rates typically include breakfast, a boat-trip to nearby islands, a picnic on the beach and a fresh-fish dinner.

10. Chile: Harrington B&B, Valparaíso

With its sunny yellow frontage, Victorian features and corrugated-iron panelling, this 1920s house is typically “Valpo”. Owned by a Franco-Chilean couple, it is on Cerro Concepción, where the city is at its most bohemian, with an abundance of arty cafes and vibrant street murals. Rooms have bright, clean, minimalist decor, with hot showers powered by the Pacific sun. The generous breakfast spread includes freshly baked bread and cakes.

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South American Travel to be Changed by New Quito Airport

Nov 30

Posted by dillon in South American Tours | No Comments

Tourism officials in Ecuador say plans for a new airport in Quito are set to change travel in South America for the better. Currently commercial travel to the Ecuadorian capital is hampered by conditions at Tababela airport as planes have been known to have problems with the high altitudes and the very short runways.

The new airport, however, well address these concerns and will also address the concern of limited capacity. The new airport will reportable have the ability to receive more than four million passengers annually. It will also have a loading capacity of 270,000.

Quito set to receive an airport upgrade

Quito set to receive an airport upgrade

Luz Elena Coloma, the Quito Turismo general manager, said that following the opening of this new airport they expect to see business and leisure traffic to Quito and throughout the whole country grow substantially year-on-year. Thus, the airport in Quito is looking forward to these changes.

Looking a little ways into the future, the airport will be designed to allow for further expansion in 2020 and in 2030. This is being done so that the airport will be able to grow in order to meet demand. This new airport itself will extend to cover an area of about 3,700 acres.

Luz went on to say that Quito is a gateway city for the rest of Ecuador, Galapagos Islands and for Latin America as a whole. This new improved airport will help to further boost the area’s economy.

The new airport will finally open for business in November of 2011. Overall, this expanded airport should be able to bring in more tourists to the area, which is good news for Quito, as well as the surrounding areas.

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Five Reasons to Visit Panama

Nov 24

Posted by dillon in South American Tours | No Comments

Panama is the southernmost country in Central America, and if not for its mind-bogglingly thick Darien National Park, the so-called Panamerican Highway could run from Alaska to the bottom of South America. But you knew all of that, didn’t you? What you may not be aware of, however, is just how stunning and tourist-friendly this incredible nation is.  If you’ve been considering a tropical getaway, here are five good reasons you should head to Panama.

1) Panama uses US dollars as its currency

You heard right: US dollars! The how, who, what and why goes back quite some time and would probably only interest historians, but present day argonauts will certainly appreciate skipping the Robbery Machine (i.e. the foreign exchange booth) as they sail through customs. Panamanians may call it the Balboa, but make no mistake — the paper currency used throughout Panama is the US dollar, and coins are either US minted coins or Panamanian counterparts of identical size and weight.

2) Easy to reach (by plane or car)

Ever tried flying into a Caribbean airport? Okay, so it’s not that difficult, but your flight paths are generally limited. Really limited. Tocumen International Airport (PTY) is a real-deal airport, with direct flights to a smorgasbord of locations around the world. It’s the only major airport in Central America with two runways, and it also happens to be one of the cheapest to fly into thanks to a healthy amount of airline competition.

3) Diversity of land

Sure, Aruba has desert landscapes, and Turks and Caicos has the Conch Sound. Grand Cayman has shockingly blue waters fit for diving. But good luck finding a single place in the Caribbean, using a single currency, accessible via a single roadway system that offers picturesque beaches, white water rafing outfits and canopy tours. Panama is startlingly diverse; on one end, you’ve got the practically impassable Darien National Park. On the other, there’s

Panama City

Panama City

, a pristine hot spot for surfers. In between, you’ve got boquete laden with flora, the lush mountains of El Valle, unspoiled beaches in Coronado and modern day nightlife awaiting you in Panama City. If you can’t find a landscape that suits you in Panama, you’re probably not looking hard enough.

Also, Panama road rules mimic those of America; folks drive on the right, and the Panamerican Highway runs nearly the length of the country. You’ll have far fewer signs and far more ambiguous speed limits, but it’s not too difficult to grok for the amateur traveler. After all, that’s what GPS rentals are for. I’m not saying driving in Panama is simple, but it’s totally doable. And yes, every single kilometer is an adventure of epic proportions.

4) No risk of hurricane

Here’s one you probably haven’t considered. In recorded history (reaching back to 1851 by some reports), not a single hurricane has made landfall on Panama. It remains the only Central American nation to avoid being struck by one, making it far safer to travel to than many of the islands hovering out in the Atlantic. No risk of hurricanes, yet still providing 365 days of pure, tropical bliss in terms of weather.

5) It’s still natural… or should I say, unspoiled

Look, the Caribbean is a truly magnificent place. Given the sheer quantity of countries and cultures, it’s impossible — nay, unfair — to lump it all together as one. There are most certainly locales in the Atlantic chain of islands that are relatively unspoiled. Prune Island comes to mind, but that’s just one of many. But by and large, the unspoiled islands in the Caribbean don’t meet an earlier criteria here: ease of access. Some of these require multiple plane hops, ferry rides and golf cart shuttles. That may intrigue some, but the fewer connections in our schedule, the less potential follies we see.

Panama, on the whole, is still largely untouched by tourism. Just over one million non-natives visited last year, which definitely isn’t many in the grand scheme of things. Just an hour outside of Panama City lies a string of beach towns — Punta Chame, Gorgona, Coronado, El Palmar and San Carlos (just to name a few). You’ll find just enough lodging here to stay comfortably (rental condos are just now starting to pop up), but you’ll still get luscious views of the oceans (yeah, oceans — you can swim in the Pacific and Atlantic in under two hours if you’re a good enough driver) and jaw-dropping looks at nearby mountain ranges. You’ll be hard-pressed to find more than a few dozen Earthlings on Panama’s central beaches, particularly during the week. Postcard-quality shots abound, and it’s comically easy to lose the world and find your soul in secluded places like Punta Chame.

There’s just enough tourist infrastructure here to keep vacationers occupied — white water rafing, zipline excursions and fishing expeditions abound — but you’ll bypass the glut of chain restaurants, overpopulated coastlines and horrific traffic (outside of Panama City, of course) that typify so many other tropical destinations.

Needless to say, your trip will be made a great deal easier if you speak at least some Spanish. People are genuinely warm here, and the diversity and beauty of the land is certainly awe-inspiring.

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24 Hours in Banos, Ecuador

Nov 16

Posted by dillon in South American Tours | No Comments

Snuggled between Peru and Colombia on South America’s north-west coast, Ecuador is best known for the natural wonders of the Andes and as the gateway to the Galapagos Islands. A lesser known destination in this small little gem is Banos which is famous for all kinds of adventure activities. Below desribes 24 hours in this exciting nature town!

10pm

Wildlife in Banos

Wildlife in Banos

We arrive to a warm welcome at local guesthous and a British guy tells us that locals came close to noosing a guy who attempted to pinch his camera on a bus the day before.

6.45am

The alarm clock scythes through the early morning peace. My mission, should I accept it, is to rise and search for the world’s smallest hummingbird: the gorgeted woodstar.

7am

My hideout is the first-floor balcony of Casa Verde. The valley on either side is beautiful. Beneath, in the garden, is the target zone: a bright pink begonia bush.

7.05am

Doubts set in. I have never before ”birded on” and wouldn’t know a dabbling duck from a titmouse. Who am I kidding to think I can spot a bird that clocks in at 5.7 centimetres at full stretch? But soon, two hummingbirds hover into view, zip towards the begonia, then fly out of sight. One has petrol-green feathers and a sidestep Fernando Torres would envy.

7.15 am

I’ve no idea if these dawn chorus acrobats are rufous-tails, fawn-breasted brilliants, booted racket-tails or Andean emeralds but they’re too big to be Ecuador’s smallest hummingbird.

7.25am

Well, blow me over with a sparrow’s fart if there isn’t a tiny flying object bopping on the begonia. Years of inexperience convince me that it is the wondrous gorgeted woodstar, not just a bee with weight issues.

9.30am

Awake for the second time, I descend the pale wooden staircase in the morning-fresh glow of ornithological achievement to feast on organic muesli, home-made bread and sugar cane for seconds. Outside, two condors ride thermals like winged surfers high above the Rio Verde swelled by overnight rain.

10.30am

To market we go, with our host, Greenshields, and John, his three-year-old son. John, Banos’s only celebrity blonde, darts about, brave and bold as a comet, while locals shower him with affection.

11.30am

In the shadow of Tungurahua, the Black Giant, the largest volcano in Ecuador (5016 metres), we swim in the scalding hot and shrivelling cold waters of La Piscina, the thermal baths, until we’re blanched like stone fruit.

1.30pm

It’s almuerzo time. A sign on the door of Cafe Hood says: ”Bullfighting is tortura. Ni arte. Ni Cultura.” I endorse the sentiment with a beer, a bean burrito and warm husky rice.

Cafe Hood: Maldonado, next to Parque Central, phone +593 6 274 0537.

2.15pm

We are hiring bikes when the bike lady’s toddler Carolina does a bolt past me down the street. Having joined the search party, I locate the chubby escapee several frantic minutes later. She’s eating ice-cream, unfazed by the alarm she’s caused. Bikes can be hired at several shops in the centre of town for about $US5 a day. Check that the brakes and gears work before taking off.

2.30pm

The road from Banos to Puyo along the Pastaza river valley is a melodrama of waterfalls, sharp bends, sheer drops and snaking tunnels. We don’t have to pedal, just clench our butt cheeks and brake for dear life.

3.45pm

We start our descent on foot through rainforest along an old rum-smugglers’ trail to ElPailon del Diablo, the Devil’s Cauldron, a thunderous basin of fizzing water guaranteed to tackle even the toughest stains. We catch a flat-bed truck back to town to save the hassle of cycling uphill and to spare the indignity of baring my particulars to the good folk of Banos because of a wardrobe malfunction, i.e. one pair of badly torn shorts.

8pm

Dinner at Cafe Mariane. The candle light on the deep red walls makes us wish Benjamin Franklin had never had a kite; the mushroom steak’s bigger than Tasmania and, best of all, the pan flute quartet spares us Guantanamera.

11pm

I mimic the dramatic courtship dive of a hummingbird, the quickest known aerial manoeuvre in the natural world, as I collapse into bed and am out for the count quicker than a missed Kodak moment.

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Is Ceviche South America’s Best Dish?

Nov 12

Posted by dillon in South American Tours | No Comments

If you had to eat one dish for the rest of your life, what would it be? It’s easy to think about your favorite foods, but what about the best dishes around the world? You can travel and roam all the cities of the earth and spend your whole life filling your stomach to its fullest desires.

Ceviche: Peru's most famous dish

Ceviche: Peru's most famous dish

There has been many debate about what is the best dish in each continent in the world. For example in North America is it the all American Burger and Fries or is it the tacos of Mexico? In Europe is it the Pizza of Italy or the Schnitzel of Germany. In Australia you basically have the choice of Damper or Pavlova which doesn’t inspire the groumet foodie.

But what about in South America? Here below are a few of our favourites:

Peruvian Ceviche: A lot of travelers like to call Peru the International Culinary Capital of Latin America. With such a big title, it’s almost too easy to decide that Peruvian Ceviche is one of the most delicious foods on the continent. The popular seafood dish is made from fresh raw dish marinated in citrus juices and spiced with chilli peppers and other condiments. Not only is it a traditional dish, but it is also popular in neighboring countries like Ecuador and Chile.

Argentinean Asado: You havn’t experienced a real barbeque until you have experienced the pure meat heaven that is an Argentinean Asado.  Asado is a technique for cooking cuts of meat, usually consisting of beef  alongside various other meats, which are cooked on a grill (parrilla) or open fire. Don’t expect too much in the way of salads but if they are served, they usually contain meat!

Lomo Saltado Peru: Lomo saltado is a Peruvian entree that has Asian influences (chifa) consisting of strips of sirloin marinated in vinegar, soy sauce and spices, then stir fried with red onions, parsley and tomatoes. Served traditionally over white rice with homemade french fries.

These are just a few of our South American favourites, to find out more about South American cuisine – visit Chimuadventures.

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Peru’s Machu Picchu wins award as best ecotourism destination in South America

Nov 2

Posted by dillon in Inca Trail Tours, South American Tours | No Comments

The Inca city of Machu Picchu in Peru has won the 2010 World Travel Award as the best ecologic tourism destination in South America.

Winning the award was equal to winning the Oscar for best picture the Peru’s Promotion Commission for Export and Tourism (Promperu) said in a press statement.

Machu Picchu in Peru

Machu Picchu in Peru

After more than 185,000 tourism operators in the world nominated Machu Picchu, the World Travel Award’s jury chose the city over other destinations such as Brazil’s Pantanal and Argentina’s Patagonia and Iguazu falls.

Peru will receive the award on Nov. 7 in London in the World Travel Market and hope that the success of Machu Picchu will bring tourists to Peru and encourage them to visit the less popular places particularly in the north of the country.

Machu Picchu is located in a mountain of Urubamaba Valley, some 110 kilometers from Cusco city, capital of the ancient Incan empire and is famous also for the Inca trail – the hike which leads to Machu Picchu from the Sacred Valley.

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Road access to Machu Picchu looking likely

Oct 25

Posted by greg in South American Tours | No Comments

The latest news from Peru is great for travelers.  Peru’s Congress voted unanimously Thursday in support of building a new access road to Machu Picchu.

In a 75-0 vote, lawmakers declared that paving the narrow dirt roads connecting the towns of Ollantaytambo, Santa María and Santa Teresa, located northwest of Machu Picchu, is  “a public necessity and a priority of national interest.”

In January, train service to Machu Picchu was cut off after the Vilcanota River overran its banks, wiping out the rail line and stranding thousands of tourists  for days until they were airlifted out by helicopter. The Inca Citadel, Peru’s biggest tourist attraction, was closed for two months.

Machu Picchu “is an economic resource and a symbol for the nation, and for that reason it is the duty of the state and the Congress to hand down the laws that allow us to guarantee its conservation and adequate accessibility,” said José Carrasco, chairman of the Congressional Budget Committee.

Since the disaster in January, pressure has been mounting from Peru’s tourism sector to develop other routes in and out of Machu Picchu, not only to provide emergency exits from the zone, but also to break the near-monopoly held by PeruRail and the town of Aguas Calientes, located in the gorge below the ruins.

According to reports provided by the National Chamber of Tourism, each day Machu Picchu was closed caused losses in excess of one million dollars.

Proposed alternate road route to Machu Picchu. Click on Image to Enlarge.Proposed alternate road route to Machu Picchu. Click on Image to Enlarge.

Congressman Jorge Foinquinos, chairman of the Foreign Trade Commission, said proposed legislation to build the alternative road access is needed “to provide for every contingency that may occur in the area and not depend exclusively on a rail line.”

The move by Congress puts it on a collision course with Peru’s National Institute of Culture (INC), which has made it clear that it — as the gatekeeper to Machu Picchu — is opposed to creating a new access route that could let the tourism floodgates fly wide open.

Peru’s government has worked hard to appease UNESCO’s demands to lessen the impact of visitors to Machu Picchu. The Andean nation narrowly escaped being added to the list of endangered World Heritage sites following the record surge of visitors in 2008, when the number of tourists far outpaced carrying capacity for the site on several days.

The UNESCO-sponsored Management Plan for Machu Picchu called for no more than 917 visitors per day – and no more than 385 visitors at any one time – while the INC has recommended a maximum carrying capacity of 2,000 visitors. Peru’s central government advocated in 2002 for 3,400, and the parties settled in 2008 on a daily limit of 2,500 visitors.

The deal was struck after the Peruvian government proposed a $132.5 million emergency plan to preserve the ruins and limit the flow of tourists, as well as take measure to prevent forest fires and landslides.

Carlos Canales, president of Peru’s National Chamber of Tourism (Canatur), has called into question the technical basis that the INC used for setting that limit at 2,500 visitors per day and advocates doubling the figure.

The INC’s study “was not prepared by specialists,” Canales contended in Monday’s edition of Peru’s main business daily Gestión. “Nor have international methodologies been used to measure the environmental impact and the burden caused by the number of visitors.”

“You can distribute the number of tourist routes into the sanctuary and you could easily double the amount estimated by the INC and reach up to 5,000 visitors a day,” Canales said in a statement on Canatur’s Web site.

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Argentina the Most Popular in South America?

Oct 19

Posted by dillon in South American Tours | No Comments

Recent reports have confirmed that Argentina has doubled its influence on the global tourism market since 2003.

In the last decade, Argentina has been trying to move away from being a relatively unknown South American giant with good beef, horsemeat and footballers. It is fast becoming the leader in South American tourism. Not only are many Argentineans traveling abroad, but a large number of tourists have been visiting Argentina itself.

The figure actually prove it as total of 2 million tourists arrived to Argentina last year, leaving revenue in the region

Buenos Aires - The capital of Argentina

Buenos Aires - The capital of Argentina

of $2.7 billion. Many of the visitors have been coming from neighboring Brazil, with the big spenders arriving also from North America. People are starting to realize that Argentina has the best educated population in South America, thus leaving them most prepared for the influx of new tourists. Argentina is also relatively safe, in comparison to many countries nearby.

The airline industry has reacted to the surge in Argentinean tourism by arranging more flights to and from the South American country. For example, there are going to be non-stop flights between London and Buenos Aires starting in 2011. Also the direct services between Sydney and Buenos Aires has had a significant impact on arrival numbers. As Argentina becomes more popular, other cities are certain to come into play throughout the country.

To find out more on Chimu Adventures’ Argentina tours, visit our website.

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Another ancient treasure unearthed in Peru

Oct 18

Posted by greg in South American Tours | No Comments

Peru is often described as the “Egypt of the Americas” Every year, scores of new ruins are found. Our intrepid reporter discovers ruins in the Amazon region of Peru near the town of Jaen, at over 4000 years old it is one of the oldest sites ever found in the Americas.

Over four decades, the Hermógenes Mejía Solf museum in Jaén, Cajamarca, an area of northern Peru where the Andes start descending into the Amazon, has displayed more than 3000 fossils, items of pottery and stone objects, all of mysterious beauty from cultures of the ancient Amazonia. Locals have always been amazed by the diversity of items found, though had no idea of their history.

Ruins near Jaen, Peru

Ruins near Jaen, Peru

The only attempt to clear things up came from Gamonal Ulises Guevara, a noted librarian that since 1971 has attempted the difficult task of organising the collection, much of which is without context – first found by looters, then sold to collectors who went on to donate to the museum.

Gamonal knew that behind the items, that didn’t all seem to come from the same time and place, there was a page of history waiting to be read – and with the help of archaeologist Quirino Olivera, since May of this year, that missing page has started to be revealed.

Less than 10 minutes from the center of Jaén, a group of researchers supported by residents unearthered two temples, which according to early indications, belong to a culture that could be as much as 4000 years old and would have been the ancestors of the Bracamoros culture, who straddled the present-day Peru-Ecuador border.

At both temples some 14 tombs have been uncovered, including some containing the bones of infants and adolescents, who were placed as offerings at different times over 800 years of the building’s use.

The areas where the temples are located are known as Monte Grande and San Isidro, areas at risk for a long time of being ploughed and used for agriculture before finally because used as a public dump.

When archaeologists started work they found large semicircular walls, first made of mud mortar then others made of stones weighing up to 200kg.

The team was surprised by the technique used to decorate the walls with different color mud, and because the 8 phases of construction were in perfect alignment.

Perhaps most astonishing is that the temples, according to Quirino, appear to have been built around 2000 BC… some 4000 years ago. This is the first discovery of its kind in the region, and the first from this period of time in any contact zone between the Andes and the Amazon.

“We could be facing one of the earliest civilisations of Peru. If we keep digging we could find evidence dating back to before Chavín, Caral and Ventarrón. Not in the Andes nor in the coast will anything have been found that is quite so old”, Olivera explained proudly.

In the temples there have been found snail and spondylus shells, indicating the the civilisation had contact with people in Peru’s Amazon and with the Ecuadorian coast.

The excavations were carried out under an integration program between Peru and Ecuador, which includes the basins of the rivers in May, Chinchipe, Marañón, Utcubamba and Puyango-Tumbes.

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Amazon treehouse anyone?

Oct 12

Posted by greg in South American Tours | 1 Comment

With a huge range of Amazon lodges and experiences available, there isnt one quite like this.. our intrepid explorer finds out more..

THE night before I fly to the rainforest, I stay at a hotel in Cuzco. Stretching the length of the dining room is a startling mural that shows a fantasy of an Amazonian paradise: bare-breasted maidens bathing in pools surrounded by compliant jungle animals.

inkaterra_tambopataI’m not quite sure what I expected from the Amazon. It has become such a romanticised ecological symbol that it’s hard to see the trees for the wood. This is why I want to spend some time in it, on a small, malaria-free reserve near the Peruvian town of Puerto Maldonado, near the Bolivian border.

Specifically, I’m headed for Reserva Amazonica, owned by the hotel group Inkaterra, which has built a luxurious bedroom 27 metres high, 35 ground-level cabanas and a canopy bar.

When the lodge first told me I’d be sleeping up a tree, I had assumed it was merely Latin hyperbole; but no, here is the tree house, clinging to the slender trunk of a cepanchila. To get here, you must climb a wooden tower and a series of rope walkways. The lodge also has Peru’s longest canopy walkway I am told!

As the first guest and guinea pig (not a comforting concept in Peru), I’m issued with a panic button so that, if necessary, a member of staff can rush in, strap me to their chest and abseil to the ground. In the end, I keep my finger off the button, although sleeping so high is certainly an intense experience.

The nearest analogy I can conjure is that of being in a small cabin at sea, with the wind and outside noise amplified, which is quite something the night a group of monkeys rattles the walkway and plays on the roof.

The dawn chorus is raucous and spectacular, from the horned screamer bird that some say sounds like a donkey drowning, to the ”water-dropping-from-a-giant-tube” gloop-gloop-gloop noises of the oropendola. There are also tree frogs that sound exactly like digital cameras bleeping.

My guide, Eric, joins me in the tree house at 5am so we can see the sun rise over the top of the Amazon rainforest. It feels biblical, a moment of creation. I have become used to seeing the sun slowly filter its way to the forest floor – but above the canopy it comes up fast, like a searchlight, and illuminates the heads of the trees so they look like fibre-optic lamps.

Eric lists the ways in which local people can survive here: by logging or gold-panning, which is environmentally destructive; by gathering brazil nuts, which is slow and subject to market whims; but the best of all, he says, is you – the tourist.

Tourism is one of the few economic imperatives that can persuade a government to preserve a rainforest.

He might be right: if we really want to save the Amazon, we should go and stay there.

Chimu Adventures offers a range of different lodges in the Amazon as well as Amazon river cruises. We also sell the Inkaterra lodge. Prices start at $390 AUD per night. Contact us on info@chimuadventures.com for more information.

Source www.smh.com.au

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