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PERU for Foodies & Art lovers If Peru is an ethnic melting pot, Lima is its port of entry. It was here that our rich Andean past first met the Spanish conquistadores, this initial “culture shock” later complemented by African, Arab, European, and Asian immigrations. Centuries of blending these different culinary expressions resulted in what Peruvian now proudly claim to be the finest cuisine in Latin America. Enrique Velasco Director COLTUR Peru Ceviche © Enrique Velasco /COLTUR Peru Lima MALI Museum © COLTUR Peru Lima Lima, the only oceanfront capital city in Aliaga family, hosts our private dinner in Latin America and gateway to Peru`s mi- this oldest colonial mansion in Lima, and llenary culture, will be the starting point perhaps all of South America. of this extraordinary voyage of artistic and culinary discovery. The Casa Aliaga was built in 1536 on a piece of land given by Francisco Pizarro to Geróni- When in Lima, it is a must to immerse your- mo de Aliaga, his main lieutenant. Maru has self in a genuine, local cevicheria lived in the house since she was 7 years old, experience. To delve deep in the understan- and knowing its past inside out, she master- ding of Peru´s trademark dish we share the fully intertwines Peruvian history with that table with re-nowned chef Diego Alcantara, of her own family. who enthusiastically recounts the history of Maru guides us on a 500-year journey back ceviche and explains how its modern ver- in time, exploring the mansion’s luxurious sion has a tremendous Japanese influence. interior with rich decorative wood and trim carving, elaborated sculptures, as well as What better way to understand 3,000 years elegant colonial art and furniture. of Peruvian history than through 1,200 sam- ples of the country´s finest art, ranging from pre-Columbian and Inca ceramics, textiles and metallury, up to modern abstract works. On a private tour with the curator, we explo- re the newly reopened Art Museum of Lima, known as MALI, which holds one of the most important art collections in Latin America, housed in an ironwork palace originally built by the Eiffel Company. COLTUR Peru COLTUR "Back in the 1500`s this was prime real © state“ states Maru de Aliaga, after a warm greeting and a soothing pisco sour. Maru, who belongs to the 17th generation of the MALI Museum MALI Maru de Aliaga © COLTUR Peru We explore our Bohemian side and walk and African slaves who cooked in their kit- late Eduardo Barbosa and his wife Silvia Stern. around Lima’s artistic Barranco district, chens, yet this food is found far more frequent- Silvia and son Aldo personally guide us arriving at the stunning bright blue historic ly in the kitchens of Limeña grandmothers through the myriad of Vice-regal master- residence that houses Las Pallas art gallery. than in restaurants, making Isolina a rare pieces of painting, sculptures, silverware and This quality collection, founded 27 years ago by treat of home-style cooking. The owner, José art objects that elucidate more than four cen- the charismatic Welsh immigrant Mari Solari, del Castillo, who named the restaurant after turies of Spanish art. displays traditional crafts and folk art from the his mother, has resurrected traditional fami- three major regions of Peru: coast, Andes and ly recipes such as cuchareo, slang for tender, LIMA outline Amazon. slow-cooked meats eaten with a spoon, like the rich osso buco estofado cooked for four hours • Lunch at a genuine cevicheria We stay in Barranco to dine on criollo cuisine in red wine and herbs. • Visit to MALI museum • Casa de Aliaga guided by its host & dinner at the stylish 1906-renovated tavern Isolina • Stroll around Barranco district Taberna Peruana, gifted with the company of A short drive takes us to the very traditional • Visit to Las Pallas folk art Gallery Jorge Riveros-Cayo, award-winning journalist neighborhood of San Isidro, where we disco- • Lunch at Isolina Limean Taberna and self-declared incurable foodie. ver one of the worlds most exquisite private • Visit to Barbosa Stern private Collection Criollo cuisine is inherited from the Spanish colonial art collections in the residence of the Diego Alcantara at a typical Cevicheria © COLTUR Peru Market in Lima © COLTUR Peru Sacred Valley Native weaver, Chinchero © Erika Navarro / COLTUR Peru Urubamba Valley The Urubamba Valley was an area map of contemporary pottery of utmost spiritual importance styles. A visit to his studio is an during the Inca times, dubbed experience in and by itself: in a Sacred because of the river that remodeled orphanage with large forms it: Willkamayu, which is gardens and a small zoo, we see all Quechua for “sacred river.” Upon of his trained artists at work, wor- arrival we enjoy a one-of-a-kind king, shaping and firing the clay, exclusive outdoor gourmet painting it with natural colors and tented lunch with the majestic polishing all pieces with semi-pre- Andes as a backdrop! cious stones. An Andean pacco (priest) performs But the highlight is meeting Pablo a sacred offering to the mountain himself: a delightful, talkative, spirits (Apus) and mother earth spontaneous artist still in peak (pachamama) for the welfare of creation after 40 years of dedica- our trip. tion to his art. We muddy our hands with rich Ollantaytambo is the only conti- clay in a ceramic workshop with nuously inhabited pre-Hispanic the legendary Pablo Seminario, settlement that still maintains internationally known for his con- the Inca urban planning system. temporary creative pottery based We visit this major Inca tambo – on pre-Inca techniques and de- administrative and sacred center signs. Originally an architect from at a strategic road crossing – that Lima, Pablo and his wife Marilú was also the site of Manco Inca’s Behar, settled in the Urubamba fierce rebellion against the Spani- Valley in the late 1970s, and fo- sh in 1536. llowing their passion, the Semi- This large temple site displays nario Studio flourished from an some of the finest stonework of intimate family-run operation to our whole journey, with perfectly placing Urubamba on the world set stones that used no mortar. Quinoa fi elds © COLTUR Peru "No two articles woven by the same weaver have been lost. We have a hands-on step-by- turies of Peruvian art, including ceremonial are ever the same" master weaver Nilda step demonstration of the entire weaving goblets known as keros, all housed in diffe- Callañaupa proudly states as she describes process, from making thread on the drop rent rooms according to era: pre-Incan, Incan, the minute creativity of textiles in the Andes. spindle to dying the yarn with natural plants, Viceregal and Republican. The ambrosial food As a young woman, Nilda realized that the warping the back-strap loom, and weaving deserves special mention, with its sophistica- ancient weaving and dying techniques of her the intricate designs representative of the ted presentation and the use of organic fresh community of Chinchero were giving way to Andean world. produce grown at the estate itself. factory clothing, so she galvanized the wo- men of Chinchero to create the first women’s Dinner is held at the elegant Huayoccari URUBAMBA VALLEY outline weaving cooperative in the region, an initiati- estate, founded in the 17th century by the ve that changed the course of weaving his- Lambarri Orihuela family. This country man- • Outdoor Picnic lunch tory. Initially funded by a grant from National sion offers a stunning overview of the Uru- • Visit Pablo Seminario pottery workshop Geographic, without her dedication and bamba River Valley, and guests will have the • Visit to Ollantaytambo • Visit to Nilda Callanaupa weavers workshop vision this ancient tradition –vital to Inca and chance to walk through family gardens and • Visit and dinner at Huayoccari state current social structure of the village – would an admirable collection depicting four cen- Pablo Seminario © Seminario ceramics Picnic lunch at Urubamba Valley © COLTUR Peru Machu Picchu Those snow-capped peaks in an unknown and unexplored part of Peru fascinated me greatly. They tempted me to go and see what lay beyond. In the ever famous words of Rudyard Kipling there was “something hidden! Go f ind it! Go and look beyond the ranges – something lost beyond the ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go!” Hiram Bingham A bit over a century ago Hiram Bingham made the scientific discovery of Machu Picchu, a site he thought to be the Incas last stronghold. Accompanied by an expert guide, we will learn about its meaning and place within the Inca Empire. The beauty and complexity of the architecture, the spec- tacular natural landscapes, and the energy contained within its structures will take your breath away. Machu Picchu citadel © Enrique Velasco / COLTUR Peru Cusco Woman drinking chicha © Enrique Velasco /COLTUR Peru Cusco During Inca times, Cusco, which means fusion Andean cuisine. “navel of the world” in ancient Quechua was the political, administrative and reli- Decorated with big colorful paintings, gious center of the empire. Home to one of iron, wood, and buckets of fresh flowers the three most important shrines during everywhere, the ambience is of people who Inca times, there is a tremendous amount know this place, and have come especially of mystical talk about the city. Energy ema- for their favorite dish paired with their favo- nates from wherever you look, and even the rite wine. most hardened skeptics notice a certain something about the place. There is a flow of conversation and no one is in a hurry. They are there for the food, wi- Our first evening in Cusco we head to Baco, thout pretension.

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