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The city of Cusco is one of Peru's most important - and most visited - travel destinations, and for good reason: this was the heart of the Inca Empire, a place where all the myth and legend of ancient Andean societies found their most visible and enduring expressions. And that legacy is everywhere; in the city's great ruins and the enormous stone walls that remain standing to this day, in the surrounding villages that have been continuously inhabited for countless centuries and in the faces of the Quechua-speaking locals - people who have seen empires come and go, while their culture and traditions remain as vibrant as ever.

But what what you won't read in most of the guides is that all is not necessarily well in this most popular of popular tourist hotspots. Cusco is a city inundated by visiting outsiders, flocking to experience the city's stunning architecture and its proximity to Peru's other major draw cards, Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley.

Cusco is struggling under the strain of its own popularity and it is hugely important that visitors are mindful of their impact on the city, environment and culture that they are visiting. This covers the obvious: try to limit your environmental impact and not worsen the city's congestion problem by zipping around in taxis or small tour buses, ask before taking anyone's photograph and don't be surprised if your subject expects a Sol or two in return.

But also try to learn a little about the culture you're visiting before you arrive. Understand that indigenous Andean communities are often more conservative than Hispanic Peruvians and Westerners, and that for them, many of the must see tourist sights are actually deeply sacred places.

Your Peru Guide: Cusco Highlights In Pictures

The Plaza de Armas is Cusco's old colonial centre, dominated by the Cathedral and several churches. The Cathedral and the Church of the Companion of Jesus are well worth a visit, especially the Cathedral's collection of art from the Cusco School, a blending of indigenous and European influences that represents the cultural assimilation that took place here following the conquest.

The ruins of Saqsaywaman sit on a hilltop looking down over the city and are constructed of enormous stone blocks and impressive fortifications, making everyone assume the place was originally a military fortress. But recent discoveries have suggested the site was at least as important as a spiritual centre. Despite this, the jagged pattern of the walls are still recognisable as the fearsome jaguar teeth they were first intended to replicate.

The neighbourhood of San Blas rises up away from the centre on a steep hillside, and his home to a warren of winding cobbled streets, small squares and original colonial architecture. San Blas gets even more atmospheric at night when the area's bars come alive. Live music and drinks offers can be found in virtually any of the bars around the popular KM 0. They're all tried, tested and recommended.

Visiting Tips

Cusco is a high altitude city. Over 3,300 meters high. And that means very thin air for us sea-level dwellers, which can take several days getting used to. In fact, it's advisable to work your way up to this altitude and visit some of Peru's slightly lower sights first - Arequipa and the Sacred Valley are ideal. If you fly straight to Cusco from Lima, expect at least a tinge of soroche (altitude sickness) which can cause lethargy, headaches and vomiting. Don't overexert yourself, don't overindulge (especially with the booze), and feel free to try a mouthful of coca leaves, or at least some coca leaf tea, which really does help.

Most visitors to Cusco feel obliged to invest in the boleto turistico (tourist ticket) which is required for most of the city's museums and other sights. The ticket is expensive though, and although it is valid for ten days, most visitors staying in Cusco for a few days don't end up getting its full value. Only buy it if you want to visit all the sights that are included, and bear in mind that some of the city's best museums and other attractions (the ruins of Qorikancha, the Cathedral, the Museum of Pre-Colombian Art and the Inca Museum) are not included.

Saying that, the nearby ruins of Saqsaywaman and most sights in the Sacred Valley are all pretty much must-see places, and they're all included in the ticket, so the choice is yours.

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Everyone knows that Paddington Bear arrived in England from Deepest Darkest Peru. That description of his homeland arises from the dense, brooding rainforests covering large areas of the country but of course that's only part of what makes holidays to Peru so special.

There are the mighty Andes mountains rising up out of the dark green blanket of jungle and the rivers, notably the incomparable Amazon that for centuries were the only way into the heartland of the country. As if the breathtaking scenery alone were not enough to make Peru Holidays the most unforgettable you could ever experience there's more. There's the romance and history of the country. The Incas and the Spanish Conquistadores have left us the most intriguing relics to remind us of their dramatic stories.

If hiking is your thing you can go Trekking Peru and follow ancient tracks to the Sacred Valley of the Incas and visit Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas which sits on a high saddle between two much higher peaks in the mountains North West of Cuzco. Here you begin to get some idea of the mighty empire of the Incas and the advanced civilisation they created so long ago.

The ruins you gaze at today in awe and wonder lay hidden from the eyes of outsiders for centuries before being re-discovered as recently as 1911 by an archaeologist from Yale University in the United States, one Hiram Bingham. It's due to his efforts, and it must have been tremendous undertaking especially back then, that you're able to see this wonder of the ancient world today and from it learn so much about the Incas and their way of life. So remember old Hiram and his companions.

Not far from the Urubamba valley, known as the Sacred Valley, lies the Regional Capital, Cusco, often spelled "Cuzco". This city was the capital of the Inca Empire from about the 1200s to 1535 when it was sacked by the conquistadores led by Francisco Pizarro.

Although several of the buildings erected by the conquistadores were practically destroyed in a severe earthquake in 1950 most of the old Inca structures survived and their remains can be seen to this day. Your Andean adventure should certainly include a visit to this city where modern life goes on amid so much history.

High in the Andes you must find your way to the highest commercially navigable lake in the world, lake Titicaca, 12507 feet (3812m if you must) above sea level. It's also the largest lake in South America in terms of volume of water. As you gaze across the lake from Peru the next land on the far side is Bolivia. You can take excursions by boat on the lake and explore its islands.

Of course all of these well known sites such as Manchu Picchu and Cuzco, so rich in Inca heritage and Lake Titicaca too are unmissable visits for all Peru holidays but they are still only part of what this incredible country has to offer.

One feature you can't miss of course because of its sheer size is the mighty Amazon. Whether it's the longest river in the world or the second longest seems to be the subject of some debate. What is certain is that it's the largest in terms of volume of water flow. In fact one fifth of all the water that flows along all the world's rivers flows down the Amazon.

The mouth of the Amazon is in Brazil on the Atlantic coast of South America while its source is in Peru so anywhere in Peru is a long way upstream. Nevertheless the river in Peru is already large enough for quite large vessels to use it and it has long been the easiest means of access to large areas of the country. Today trekking Peru usually involves travelling by boat at least some of the time.

You can spend a whole holiday in Peru on and near to the Amazon or one of its many tributaries. Kayaking is very popular for those who want to get really close to nature but if comfort is more your thing there are various cruises on the rivers with knowledgeable local guides.

In Peru as elsewhere in South America the rain forests are under threat from various factors and you won't want to add to the problems. Tourism has to be sustainable in these sensitive areas so when you look for a holiday company which arranges Peru holidays it's important to choose one that can demonstrate its commitment to sustainability in all its activities.

Peru is a long way away from the UK so make your journey worthwhile by allowing yourself as much time there as possible. It'll be an experience you will never forget.

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The idea of warm lazy days in a tropical beach paradise is sufficient to allure travelers to see Cook Islands. It is the ideal getaway for people like you who would like to have a rest from the demanding way of life with the modern cities. Allow yourself to savor a moment of peaceful relaxation in this great haven.

Scattered from the expanse on the South Pacific are 15 tiny islands each brimming with wildlife. Apart from the immensely remarkable pure scenery, Cook Islands greet you with a Polynesian tradition uniquely molded through a thousand of years. In Rarotonga, the main island, the beaches playfully sparkle as if calling your name. But there is far more to this island than its beaches. You will discover several activities in this island at the same time. Hiking, horse riding, sailing and windsurfing are just a few of the activities tourists can enjoy. All the same, travelers on a holiday in this location prefer to just lay back and relish in the scenery and particularly the food. There are restaurants that offer an assortment of dishes ranging from Chinese, Italian and Continental but it is recommended that you try Umaki - the Island's classic normal Polynesian feast.

Aitutaki also draws in visitors because of the enjoyable coral atoll that surrounds an equally beautiful lagoon. Divers and snorkeling enthusiasts enjoy the glorious coral reef that is home to a colorful marine living. Then there's Atui, an island with limestone caves which is fit for exploration. The rest of the islands, especially those in the northern component, are seldom visited by visitors owing to its distance from the chief island.

The unspoiled beauty of Cook Islands would make you wish you could stay a bit longer. So enjoy it although you'll be able to, breathe from the fresh breeze that gently touches your face, and savor every pleasure that this island has to offer.

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Indian tribes

The main focus of this article is to outline some historical and esoteric subjects related to the area of the Amazon, where is the presence of many native tribes, some of them even unknown to us. The world is more importantly aware of the situation of various native people, who live in isolation, and it is almost unbelievable that animals have better protection than groups of people living freely in nature, if their wish is to stay forever in isolation. A desire to live this way is the legitimate right - the basic right... The situation of these people is, however, appalling even in spite of the UNO's recommendations.

The Madidi National Park

One of the most attractive and arcane natural parks is the Madidi National Park, which was established on September 21, 1995. It covers the area of almost 19,000 km2 and it is on the Bolivia-Peru border in Latin America. There is not even a full list of the flora and fauna in the area, as this place has been explored only a little until now.

The National Geographic classifies this area as "the reservation with the richest biodiversity in the world". The population consists of various groups, of the uncontacted people, too. In our history, Indians were abused by the influx of white settlers, who made slaves of them, and this is the dark side of the Latin America's history, but in North America it was not much too better. Many Indian tribes experienced their worst times particularly in the period of the so-called "rubber industry", when white migrants massacred them often.

During the age when South America was first explored, some historians followed various native tribes that had never come into contact with the white culture. One of such tribes is the alleged Toromona group of people. During the colonization, Spaniards did not have much luck to settle down in the area of the Amazon, where their main goal was to find a secret place called Patiti - an alleged hiding place of the Incas' biggest treasures, which the Incas concealed from Spaniards. There are also some historical records that confirm the fact that the Incas sealed subterranean tunnels in ritual ceremonies.

Toromona Indians contacted the white civilization only in battle. It is known that they supported the Incas and there are historical records about this tribe, albeit it has never been found. One of their chieftains became famous in a battle against Spaniards and records say that his name was Tarano.

Sometimes in the 20th century, Protestant missionaries observed, during their flight above the Amazon area, an isolated group of Indians somewhere near the Madre de Dios River and they came to a conclusion that it could be these Toromona people. However, later - after making a personal contact with them - they identified them as quite a different group (Araona), the number of which is about one hundred and they live in vulnerable conditions; however, they linguistically belong to the same group as the Toromona tribe.

Cordillera Apolobamba is probably the least explored area in the Andes. It is a line of hills - cordillera, the highest peak of which is Chaupi Orco at 6044 m above the sea level. Many people consider this particular part of the Andes to be a place where El Dorado or Patiti can be found. Apolobamba has a unique eco environment with unknown species of fauna and flora. Father Miguel Cavello Balboa wrote about one city of gold and he described Patiti as a place protected by warrior women; he also mentioned the Toromona tribe with notes that it did not have any mercy in killing.

A route from La Paz (capitol of Bolivia) to Pelechuca (a little city in the heart of Apolobamba) takes about 14 hours by bus and civilized people seldom visit such a wild region. This is certainly one of the reasons why this area is known so little. Apolobamba ends with the Amazon forest on its eastern side; many people died here, as they thought that a way to the legendary "lost city" starts somewhere here. Madre de Dios forest starts here, too; if translated, it is the Mother (Madre) of (de) God (Dios).

A well-known British traveler Percy Fawcett made several expeditions to the Amazon including this region (Apolobamba) and in 1914 he met one Indian tribe called Maxubis in the region of Mato Grosso (Brazil). These people were sun worshippers. They showed him some signs to prove that they had come from a much higher civilization.

We can speak about two types of "alienated" Indian or native tribes - 1) the isolated and 2) the uncontacted ones. Whereabouts of the isolated are known, but they refuse to come into contact with us. There may be some information about the uncontacted, but the contact has never been established. The word "contact" is important to understand here, as it means more than just one meeting with a member of the majority race. For example, among the uncontacted is the Toromona tribe, but also Huaorani or Tagaeri, though the existence of the Toromona people requires an independent confirmation.

On January 18, 2007, FUNAI (Fundacao Nacional do Indio), which is a Brazil's national institute for protection of Indians, confirmed the presence of 67 tribes as the uncontacted, while in the year 2005 FUNAI reported the number of 40.

Albeit the Norwegian biologists Lars Hafskjold, who searched for this ethnic group (Toromona), became quite famous by his disappearance (1997), we still know nothing about the existence of the Toromona tribe. However, it is known that Lars had only one goal - to find this tribe, which is a puzzle to many historians.

Uncontacted tribes in South America

Brazil is the country with the biggest number of unknown ethnic groups in the world; their number in a group is about 20 to 400 aborigines.

Bolivia: Sinabo/Kapuibo (Nahua), Yanaigua, Yuqui...

Brazil: Apiaka, Apurina, Arua, Ava-Canoeiros, Guaja, Ingarune, Kanibo (Mayo), Kaniwa (Korubo), Karafawyana, Karitiana, Katawixi, Kayapo do Rio Liberdade, Kayapo-Pu'ro, Kayapo-Pituiaro, Kayapo-Kararao, Kulina, Maku (Nadeb), Mamaindé, Hi-Marima, Mayoruna, Miqueleno (Cujubi), Nereyana, Pakaa-Nova, Papavo group, then Pariuaia, Piriutiti, Sateré, Tupi-Kawahib (Piripicura), Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau, Wayapi (Yawapi), Yakarawakta...

Columbia: Karabayo, Guaviare Macusa

Ecuador: Huaorani

Guyana: Wapishana

French Guiana: Wayapi

Peru: Morunahua, Parquenahua, Pisabo

Surinam: Akulio

Venezuela: Yanomami

Paraguay: Totobiegosode clan

Aramu Muru

Aramu Muru, a mysterious door found only recently (1996), can be photographed some 34 km from Puno, a city in Peru in 3825 m above the sea level near the lake Titicaca. After discovering this mysterious door, a wider public became more interested in an Indian legend that spoke of a "gate to the land of Gods". The "stargate" near the lake Titicaca is a stone construction seven meters high and seven meters wide. There is a legend about an Incan priest, Aramu Muru, who belonged to the "seven rays cult"; one day he set off from Tiahuanaco to Cusco with a golden disc that represented the "Key of the Seven Rays Gods". The disc had allegedly controlled openings into subterranean tunnels. The priest disappeared on his way and nobody has ever seen him since then.

Native people living nearby say that strange phenomena can be seen sometimes near this door, for example, high men accompanied by shining "balls of light", or "people" entering into this door and disappearing there. For those who live here, it is clear evidence that legends really contain messages of gods. In addition, there are many historical records about tunnels in South America; these reports appeared immediately after Spaniards found that the Incas concealed most of their gold and used the tunnel system to hide it. Does not the "door" of Aramu Muru look like an entrance into the underground?
http://www.karinya.com/door1.htm

More from history

There are theories about an ancient migration from Asia to America. Nobody denies that the ancient history of South America can yet even today reveal unknown secrets from the time of many years before Christ, and that more civilizations co-existed here. Albeit scholars consider the Olmecs to be the oldest civilization, other cultures like Pucara and Tiahuanaco (Tiwanaku) are often mentioned in historical relation to the lake Titicaca, from the waters of which Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo arose - as the legends say - who founded the Inca Empire. There is an Island of the Sun with very ancient temple in the middle of the lake.

Before the Inca Empire, the Aymará culture lived here. It is the ethnic group living in part of the Andes, especially in Peru and Bolivia, even today. The heritage of this culture is also Pachamama (Mother of God), who has her shrines in Peru and Bolivia. The Incas absorbed Pachamama as a "dragon goddess" of fertility, but the best translation is "Mother Earth". The Aymará culture, which had prospered near the lake Titicaca already some 1500 years before Christ, left various archeological artifacts here. In the 15th century, the Incas conquered this civilization.

The Incas

Most historians agree that the Incas had 13 emperors: 1. Manco Capac, 2. Sinchi Roca, 3. Lloque Yupanqui, 4. Maita Capac, 5. Capac Yupanqui, 6. Inca Roca, 7. Yahuar Huacac, 8. Inca Viracocha, 9. Pachacuti-Inca-Yupanqui, 10. Topa Inca Yupanqui, 11. Huayna Capac, 12. Huascar, 13. Atahuallpa. The Inca Empire arose in the year 1200 AD and ended in 1535 AD.

People in Peru, Bolivia and the rest of the Inca Empire were not all the "true Incas", but Indians of the Quechua and Aymará origin. The Incas were the elite governors of other race, who were convinced that they had come from a bearded messenger of gods, whom they worshipped as Viracocha. It is known that this is the reason why they welcomed Spaniards with such a great respect; however, they made a mistake and their genocide followed soon. After the Spanish colonization the Indians, who refused to become Christians, were made slaves. The Inca Empire was remarkable by making it possible to build the territorially biggest Empire in the pre-Columbian America and its political center was Cusco, a city in nowadays Peru. The Empire did not last too long. Spaniards destroyed it in the 16th century also because the Empire was undergoing a severe crisis in the time when Atahualpa, who reigned in the North, and his brother Huascar, engaged in combats against each other. Thus, the Spanish conquistador, Francisco Pizarro, entered into historical records as the conqueror of the Inca Empire.

The Incas, when they understood that they lost in the war, ran away into the mountains. Many of them fell to slavery or were killed by diseases that Europeans had brought here.

Religion

The concept of Viracocha or Apu Qun Tiqsi Wiraqutra and, too, Con-Tici Viracocha - the god of the Incas, was taken from the culture of inhabitants living in the region before the Incas took over. The legend has it that Viracocha had a son - Inti, and a daughter called Pachamama. The legend also speaks about the deluge in which the two Inti's children had been saved - the son Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo (mother of fertility), who rebuilt the world thereafter.

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