Peru – Page 5 – Pirwa Hostels BLOG

Señor de los Milagros & the Purple Month in Lima

October 1, 2015 Pirwa

Each year, on October 28^th, the largest religious procession in South America takes to the streets of Lima in honor of the Lord of Miracles (Señor de los Milagros). The city is overtaken by a festival atmosphere and by the color which believers don throughout the month in a show of devotion- even the city’s soccer team changes into purple. Because of an image painted by an Angolan slave centuries ago, October in Lima is known as the Purple Month and is marked by festivities and the year’s most prestigious bullfights. October even has its own pastry that bakeries and street vendors throughout the city hawk with enthusiasm: the Turrón de Doña Pepa.

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A Visit to Tambopata National Reserve in the Peruvian Amazon

August 10, 2015 Pirwa

Travelers visit the Amazonian city of Puerto Maldonado in order to use it as a gateway into the famously diverse Amazon rainforest. From Puerto Maldonado, they have a choice of three protected national reserves whose buffer zones are open to tourism. Tambopata National Reserve is popular mainly because of Lake Sandoval, which teems with life and can be visited in a short daytrip, and because of its parrot and macaw clay licks. There’s plenty to see in Tambopata, if you have a few days to spare.

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Buying Alpaca in Peru

July 31, 2015 Pirwa

Aug 1^st is National Alpaca Day in Peru. In honor of this, and of the fact that alpaca wool is a more ecologically sustainable choice than cashmere, we’re focusing on purchasing alpaca in Peru.

Alpaca sweaters and scarves are one of the most common purchases during visits to Peru, as they can be used during the trip (Andean nights are chilly), are highly associated with the Andean region, and are more affordable at the source than abroad. Unfortunately, the majority of these knits are actually made from a mix of lamb’s wool with alpaca. One can tell because it simply isn’t as soft- wool has to be treated with lanolin, which makes it somewhat itchy to most people.

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What to Pack for the Amazon Rainforest

June 9, 2015 Pirwa

While most everyone can easily pack for a beach weekend, preparing for a trip to the Amazon is confusing to many people. We all know that there will be intense heat, humidity, and mosquitos, but how best to prepare for this? Here are our best recommendations for trips to the Amazon Rainforest, whether it be vía Rurrenabaque in Bolivia or Puerto Maldonado or Iquitos in Peru.

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The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, a World Heritage Site

May 21, 2015 Pirwa

Last year, the Inca Trail was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was the first time that six countries (Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina and Chile) united to apply to one candidacy, but the complex 30,000km road network known as the Great Inka Trail has connected these six countries since Inca times.