Pirwa – Page 50 – Pirwa Hostels BLOG

Exploring the Seaside Miraflores District of Lima

January 28, 2015 Pirwa

The ample gardens and parks of Miraflores’ seaside cliffs and its central park make it the city’s greenest area. Thanks to these, the district offers travelers a scenic, laidback respite from the gray city of Lima. Miraflores is the place to go in Lima if you are looking for freshly-prepared ceviche or hip nightlife. Because it has traditionally been a slightly more affluent district, and is now so popular with travelers, Miraflores is the safest area of Lima. You’ll still want to be wary of pickpockets, but you can certainly go out at night without worry.

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From Cusco to Puno along the Sun Route

January 27, 2015 Pirwa

Each morning at 7:30am, buses leave Cusco for Puno. While some are direct trips, others follow the ‘Sun Route’ and offer guided stops along the way, where one can enjoy Incan ruins, colonial art, prehistoric history, scenic landscapes, and an Andean buffet. With the added visits, the journey takes about 9 hours total to cover 250 miles, and it’s available in the reverse as well, from Puno to Cusco.

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Exploring Amantaní Island on Lake Titicaca

January 22, 2015 Pirwa

At a little less than 6 miles squared, Amantaní the largest island on the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca. It has a population of approximately 800 families, split into 8 communities (Santa Rosa, Lampayuni, Sancayuni, Alto Sancayuni, Occosuyo, Incatiana, Colquecachi and Villa Orinojón). Boats begin leaving Puno for the Floating Islands of Uros and the Islands of Taquile and Amantaní at 8:30 each morning, with the trip to Amantaní Island taking almost 4 hours.

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The Surprising San Pedro Market in Cusco, Peru

January 21, 2015 Pirwa

George Bernard Shaw once said that there is no sincerer love than the love of food. While he was likely referencing the enjoyment we receive when partaking of food, the sentiment is even more apt when applied to the production of food: the growing of vegetables, the sorting of grains, the preparation of dishes. To learn how Cusco lives and loves, you only need to visit its most popular market, where locals have gathered since the time of the Incas (when it was just an open field) to sell and procure items for their daily needs. It’s a bustling atmosphere offering products and flavors that are exotic to foreign eyes; and unlike other popular sights and attractions you’ll see in and around Cusco, the San Pedro Market offers a glimpse of the true face of Cusco.

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The Official Program for the 2015 Virgin of Candelaria Festival in Puno, Peru

January 18, 2015 Pirwa

One of the most spectacular annual festivals in Peru, and in South America in general, is the Virgin of Candelaria Festival each February in Puno, which honors the city’s patron saint. In a stunning display of faith and devotion, the city embarks on a vibrant display of costume, music, and dance, showing off some of the hundreds of different classified dances which have earned the city a reputation as the Folkloric Capital of Peru. More than 40 thousand dancers, 5 thousand musicians, and an astonishing 25 thousand indirect participants (from embroiderers to artisans specializing in masks, boots, bells and others necessary artisan goods) take part to entertain the more than a hundred thousand visitors that the city receives at this time. Celebrations last for weeks, but here we’ve compiled the details on the main days of the 2015 festival: