PeruNorth's musings on events & destinations in Northern Peru, Amazonia ... and beyond. Detailed tour reviews.
Regular PeruNorth clients, Elana Dallas & Alastair Hatchett, give their thoughts on a trip to Colombia’s Caribbean coast.
Cultural visit to Cartagena, followed by few days at nearby beach resort, Baru.
Particular interest in work of Colombian author, Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
“Thank you for another brilliantly organised trip that once again exceeded all our expectations.
Feedback from Trujillo to Chiclayo itinerary, which included:
Highlights of Moche culture eg. Chan Chan & Sipan.
Hotel in shadow of Huaca de la Luna.
Beachside restaurants
“Just wanted to let you know that Emily and I very much enjoyed our Moche Tour.
Juanes is a traditional dish widely consumed throughout the Peruvian Amazon, especially the High Amazon.
It is designed for travelling: pre-cooked food that is wrapped in a leaf, normally from the endemic Cachibou tree (Calathea lutea) - known locally as bijao - which acts as a picnic box for the contents. The leaf also infuses the food with a subtle, but distinctive flavour.
It was not until 1935, the year of Lima's 400th anniversary, that Lindley created a carbonated soft drink based on the native plant Lemon Verbena (Aloysia citrodora). This was given the name Inca Kola and launched with the strapline 'Solo hay una y no se parece a ninguna' (There is only one, and it’s unlike any other).
When thinking of movement in Amazonia, river transport probably comes to mind. Being home to the longest river in the world, with countless tributaries, it is certainly true that a myriad boats - ranging from dugout canoes to narrow peke-peke speedboats to luxury cruise ships - ply the waterways, carrying people and supplies.
And yet, when you step out of the airport in Iquitos, Tarapoto, Pucallpa, or any city in Peru's Amazon, you will be struck by the sight - and sound - of another form of transport: the mototaxi, which will generally outnumber cars by at least five to one.
Guano (seabird droppings) covers the coastal islands and cliffs of Peru in a thick, odiferous, white layer. Derived from the Quechua word huanu (manure), guano has been used as a natural, nitrate-rich fertilizer since pre-Inca times. The sunny atmosphere of the coast bakes in the nitrates, and lack of rain ensures that the droppings are not washed away.
Carlos Fitzcarrald was born to an Irish-American father and Peruvian mother in 1867, and raised in the city of Iquitos, which became the heart of the Rubber Boom.
Venturing deep into the Amazon in the 1890s, Fitzcarrald discovered a trove of rubber trees in the region of Madre de Dios that now holds Manu National Park.
