The Rough Guide to Peru, 4th Edition (Rough Guide Travel Guides) - Softcover

Jenkins, Dilwyn

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1858285364 ISBN 13: 9781858285368

Publisher: Rough Guides, 2000

Synopsis

Introduction

The land of gold and of the sun-worshipping Incas, Peru was sixteenth-century Europe's major source of treasure, and once the home of the largest empire in the world. Since then the riches of the Incas have fuelled the European imagination, although in many ways the country's real appeal lies in the sheer beauty of its various landscapes, the abundance of its wildlife, and the strong and colourful character of the people - newly recovered after a period of political upheaval, from the 1980s until the early 1990s, that was as bloody and unpredictable as any during the country's history.

Above all, Peru is the most varied and exciting of all the South American nations. Most people visualize the country as mountainous, and are aware of the great Inca relics, but many are unaware of the splendour of the immense desert coastline and the vast tracts of tropical rainforest. Dividing these contrasting environments, chain after chain of breathtaking peaks, the Andes, over seven thousand metres high and four hundred kilometres wide in places, ripple the entire length of the nation. So distinct are these three regions that it is very difficult to generalize about the country, but one thing for sure is that Peru offers a unique opportunity to experience an incredibly wide range of spectacular scenery, a wealth of heritage, and a vibrant living culture.

The Incas and their native allies were unable to resist the mounted and fire- armed conquerors, and following the Spanish Conquest in the sixteenth century the colony developed by exploiting its Inca treasures, vast mineral deposits and the essentially slave labour which the colonists extracted from the indigenous people. After achieving independence from the Spanish in the early nineteenth century, Peru became a republic in traditional South American style, and although it is still very much dominated by the Spanish and mestizo descendants of Pizarro, some ten million Peruvians (more than half the population) are of pure Indian blood. In the country, native life can have changed little in the last four centuries. However, "progress" is gradually transforming much of Peru - already the cities wear a distinctly Western aspect, and roads and tracks now connect almost every corner of the Republic with the industrial urbanizaciones that dominate the few fertile valleys along the coast. Only the Amazon jungle - nearly two-thirds of Peru's landmass but with a mere fraction of its population - remains beyond its reach, and even here oil and lumber companies, cattle ranchers, cocaine producers and settlers, are taking an increasing toll.

Always an exciting place to visit, and frantic as it sometimes appears on the surface, the laid-back calmness of the Peruvian temperament continues to underpin life even in the cities. Lima may operate at a terrifying pace at times - the traffic, the money-grabbers, the political situation - but there always seems to be time to talk, for a ceviche, another drink . . . It's a country where the resourceful and open traveller can break through complex barriers of class, race, and language far more easily than most of its inhabitants can; and also one in which the limousines and villas of the elite remain little more than a thin veneer on a nation whose roots lie firmly, and increasingly consciously, in its ethnic traditions and the earth itself.

About this title

About the Author

Dilwyn Jenkins has been traveling to South America since the age of 18. After working as a teacher and journalist, he has led expeditions to and made films with indigenous groups in the Amazon. He is the author of The Rough Guide to Peru (with Kiki Deere), Renewable Energy Systems: The Earthscan Expert Guide to Renewable Energy Technologies for Home and Business, and DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Brazil (with Oliver Marshall).

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Where to go

With each region offering so many different attractions, it's hard to generalize about the places you should visit first: the specific attractions of each part of Peru are discussed in greater detail in the chapter introductions. Apart from the ostensibly unattractive capital, Lima, where you may well arrive, Cusco is perhaps the most obvious place to start. It's a beautiful and bustling colonial city, the ancient heart of the Inca Empire, surrounded by some of the most spectacular mountain landscapes and palatial ruins in Peru and magnificent hiking country. Yet along the coast, too, there are fascinating archeological sites - the bizarre Nazca Lines south of Lima, the great adobe cities and ceremonial centres of Chan Chan, Tcume and Batan Grande in the north - and a rich crop of sea life, most accessible around the Paracas National Park. The coastal towns, almost all of them with superb beaches, also offer nightlife and great food. For mountains and long-distance treks there are the stunning glacial lakes, snowy peaks and little-known ruins of the sierra north of Lima, above all around Huaraz, Cajamarca and Chachapoyas. If it's wildlife you're interested in, there's plenty to see almost everywhere. The jungle, however, provides startling opportunities for close and exotic encounters. From the comfort of tourist lodges in Iquitos to exciting river excursions around the Manu reserved areas or Puerto Maldonado, the fauna and flora of the world's largest tropical forest can be experienced first-hand perhaps more easily than in any other quarter of the Amazon.

When to go

Picking the best time to visit Peru's various regions is complicated by the country's physical characteristics. Summer along the desert coast more or less fits the expected image of the southern hemisphere - extremely hot and sunny between December and March (especially in the north), cooler and with a frequent hazy mist between April and November. Sometimes though, in the polluted environs of Lima, the coastal winter can get cold enough to require a sweater. Swimming is possible all year round, though the water itself (thanks to the Humboldt Current) is cool-to-cold at the best of times, except for the most northern beaches. To swim or surf for any length of time south of Mncora, you'd need to follow local custom and wear a wetsuit. Apart from the occasional shower over Lima it hardly ever rains in the desert. The freak exception, every ten years or so, is when the shift in ocean currents of El Nio causes torrential downpours, devastating crops, roads and communities all down the coast. It last broke in 1998, and previous to that in 1983, both times bringing with it the devastation to crops, bridges and any houses constructed in or too close to apparently dry river beds.

In the Andes, the seasons are more clearly marked, with heavy rains from December to March and a relatively dry period from June to September, when, although it can be cold at night, it is certainly the best time for trekking and most outward-bound activities. Some of the mountain rivers go up a few levels for rafting and canoeing in the rainy season, but anyone serious about this should contact the experts in the field for advice on planning an itinerary. And of course, there are always a few sunny weeks in the rainy season and wet ones in the dry. A similar pattern dominates much of the jungle, though rainfall here is heavier and more frequent, and it's hot and humid all year round. The lowland rainforest areas around Iquitos have a fairly consistent pattern of rain and sun all year, but they are affected by rising or dropping water levels, according to the rainy season or dry season in the mountains where the headwaters starts. This means that water levels are higher between December and January, which offers distinct advantages for spotting wildlife and access by canoe to remote creeks. At the risk of over-generalizing then, the coast should be visited around January while it's hot, and the mountains and jungles are at their best after the rains, from May until September, except for the Iquitos region. Since this is unlikely to be possible on a single trip, there's little point in worrying about it - the country's attractions are invariably enough to override the need for guarantees of good weather.

Edition details

• Publisher: Rough Guides
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 1858285364
• ISBN 13: 9781858285368
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 4
• Number of pages: 480