Ayacucho

The Four Emblematic Dances of Peru

The Four Emblematic Dances of Peru

Dance is a fundamental part of Peruvian cultural expression and identity, taking pre-Columbian traditions and combining them with later Hispanic and African influences.

If you are lucky enough to witness one of Peru’s many festivals, you are sure to see locals expressing themselves and their region through dance, just as they have for centuries.

The Shining Path - Peru's Maoists

The Shining Path - Peru's Maoists

In 1962, Ayacucho’s university offered Abimael Guzmán (born 1934) a job as professor of philosophy. Guzmán developed radical views, traveled to China, and formed the Maoist Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) movement which originally aimed to return land and power to disenfranchised campesinos.

Puya Raimondii - Pineapple meets Triffid!

Puya Raimondii - Pineapple meets Triffid!

Northern Peru is a region of contrasts and extremes ... and even plant life muscles its way into the litany of tallest and highest. Puya raimondii is the world’s largest bromeliad (the family to which the pineapple belongs) and boasts the tallest flower spike in the world.