Chronicles of On The Road Travel

Christmas in Cusco!

Now you've got your day plan figured out... what are the plans on Christmas Eve? We will be taking a break for a couple of weeks, but we'll be back in January! In the meantime, here are a few options for those spending Christmas in Cusco....remember that Peruvians have Christmas dinner on the 24th and very few places serve Christmas lunch on the 25th. All these places take reservations with a 50% deposit. Be sure to check out our calendar of events for details on New Year Eve and other festivities taking place in Cusco throughout the holidays!  

INCANTO RESTAURANT

Appetizers
‘Loche’ pumpkin and carrot soup with ginger aromas and sliced smoked trout
Eggplant, zucchini and artichoke carpaccio with capers and confit tomatoes and aglio sauce
Warm Brie cheese on arugula, fresh greens, asparragus and artichoke salad

Main courses
Stuffed turkey with rice and pear puree
Pork tenderloin with mashed sweet potato and passion fruit honey
Tagliatelli nero di sepia with a soft yellow chili sauce and white wine flambée scallops 

Desserts
Apple carpaccio and ‘chicha’ corn syrup
Chocolate and coffee pyramid
Pineapple napoleon and sorbet

PRICE US$50 per person, includes:
2 glasses of Prosecco Mistrosanti or
2 glasses of Rosso di Mistrosanti or
2 glasses of Bianco di Mistrosanti
One beverage (water or soda) and one hot beverage (coffee or tea).

GREENS ORGANIC RESTAURANT

Appetizers
Baby veggies salad with lettuce, green mustard leves, carrot, tomato, endive with a strawberry dressing
Wood oven baked beets, palm, lettuce, parmesan cheese and balsamic dressing
Magic table: variety of vegetarian appetizers

Main courses
Stuffed turkey with fruits and nuts served with sauteed veggies and confit tomatoes
Trout in a butter bechamel sauce, garnished with white rice and vegetables
Vegetable canelloni with artichokes, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms 

Desserts
Dried fruit pie with morello cherries, figs and apricot
Tulipa basket with dried fruits and buttermilk topping
Ice cream of the day

PRICE  US$35.00 per person, includes:
2 glasses of Navarro Correas Extra Brut
One cold beverage (juice, water or soda)
A cup of tea 

INKA GRILL RESTAURANT 
Appetizers
Waldorf Salad
Vichyssoise with smoked Andean trout 

Main Courses
Stuffed turkey
Suckling pig tenderloins in a fruit sauce

Garnishes
Pilaf Rice
Mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallows
Oven roasted pears 

Desserts
Strawberry crunch, stuffed with pastry cream and chantilly with delicious strawberry coulis
Chocolate soufflé with oven roasted fruits 

PRICE  US$50.00 per person, includes:
One pisco sour
One glass of Tacama wine (red or white)
One cold beverage (water or soda)
One hot beverage (tea, coffee or hot chocolate) 

MAP CAFE RESTAURANT 

Appetizers
Fresh trout tartare in phyillo cones, mint aromas and salmon caviar
Crispy chicken fingers salad served with pickled vegetables and elderberry sauce
Northern Peru pumpkin soup with truffle oil and ginger aromas

Main Courses
Sword fish medallion over sautéed corn and sliced onions in ”anticuchera” sauce
Traditional stuffed turkey served with baby veggies and oven juices
Caramelized pork with crunchy carrot puree and banana chips 

Desserts
Strawberry and cream tart with caramel crust and ginger sorbet
Chocolate soufflé with Chilca fig sauce and praline ice cream
Layered phyllo pasta filled with Quillabamba raspberry’s cream and wild berries’ sorbet

PRICE  US$60.00 per person; Includes:
One pisco sour
2 glasses of Finca La Linda Extra-Brut
One cold beverage (soda or water)
One hot beverage (american coffee or tea)

PACHAPAPA RESTAURANTAppetizers
Waldorf Salad (apple, celery, pineapple, raisins, pecans and mayonnaise)
Mushrooms creamy soup 

Main Courses
Stuffed turkey with fruits and elderberry sauce
Roasted suckling pig 

Desserts
Fresh pears cooked slowly in a red wine, port and spice syrup served with ice cream
Cookies filled with caramelized milk – “dulce de leche” – and cinnamon ice cream
Chocolate served with a delicious milk and yolks sauce. 

Garnishes
Potato and onion salad
Mashed sweet potatoes
Mashed potatoes
Apple Sauce
Arab style rice
Typical local tamales

PRICE  US$35.00 per person, includes:
A glass of Tabernero wine (red or white)
A cold beverage (water or soda)
A hot beverage (coffee, tea or hot chocolate)

This article was posted by Andrea Tello, our editor in Peru

Saints for Sales in Cusco, Peru

Every year on the 24th of December, Cusqueños wake up find to their main square packed with hundreds of artisans from Cusco and the surrounding areas, all displaying their creations on rented stalls or even on blankets on the sidewalk – an Andean fair custom.

The celebration of Santuranticuy (‘saints for sales’) - considered the oldest, grandest Folk art fair in Peru - gathers all sorts of carved Christmas handcrafts, from images of a newborn Jesus - known as ‘niño Manuelito’ in the Andes – to the Retablos (small altarpieces in the shape of a box that represent different scenes: in this season, the most common ones represent the birth of Jesus).

Even though the Santuranticuy fair was originally dedicated to Christmas, it now offers other kinds of artwork including antiques, jewellery, ceramics, paintings and creative clothing, all produced by Peruvian artisans.

It is a unique opportunity to appreciate Andean handcraft all in one place. Prices are fair and you can always get a good deal if you bargain a little.  We recommend you get there early in the morning and don’t forget to bring a ‘poncho’, as it traditionally rains and hails this day!

Santurantikuy

Cusco’s Main Square

Every December 24th from 9am to 9pm

This article was posted by Andrea Tello, our editor in Peru

Photo by Bev Rosser

1000 Places I'll See Before I Die

It's finally here!!  Adding to the ranks of the 321 other travel applications on Facebook, we have finally completed our own: 1000 Places I'll See Before I Die. If you're a Facebook user, add the application and let others know where you've been and where you dream of going! You can also track down others who share your travel dreams and plans.

The Latest news:

1000 Places I'll See Before I die was recently selected as a Hot New Facebook App by TopNetPix!

Travel Advice & Recommendations From Local Experts

Peru to Host World Tourism Day 2008

Peru has been elected to host World Tourism Day in September 2008, an event that will address climate change and its effects. Mercedes Araoz, Minister of Tourism, said this event will be an opportunity to, once again, bring the attention of the world to Peru and its several tourist destinations.

The secretary of the World Tourism Organization, Francesco Frangialli, said he was very pleased to have this event take place in Peru and has highlighted its enormous tourist potential together with the various archeological sites and vivid culture.

In addition, Peru will host the 3rd International Conference on Tourism and Handcrafts, which will take place next March.

This article was posted by Andrea Tello, our editor in Peru

Christmas in Peru

Unlike many countries where families gather to celebrate on the 25^th, Peru’s tradition sees families gathering the night of December 24th to wait for midnight, have a nice dinner, exchange hugs, good wishes, and of course, presents.  Christmas dinner in Peru usually consists of baked turkey or pork, apple sauce, two or three varieties of salads, Arabic rice (rice cooked with noodles and coca-cola), a couple of light desserts and the traditional hot chocolate and panetón (a big, licorice-flavored muffin with raisins and candied fruit). And of course, lots of champagne and wine!

Christmas also brings original, unique celebrations to the Andes. In the community of San Pablo, located in the high Andes between Cusco and Puno, the ‘Carrera de Reyes’ (Race of the Magic Kings: Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar) is celebrated. The names of these kings have been localized and changed to Inkarri, Mistirri and Negrorri (Inca king, creole king and black king) and the three compete in a horse race. The future of the region is decided based on the outcome of the race:

If Inkarri (representing the valleys in Cusco) wins, it will be a great year for the harvest.

If Mistirr (representing the ‘altiplano’ above 4000 meters above sea level) wins, this cattle raising region will have a good year.

If Negrorri wins, neither the altiplano nor the valleys will have a good year.

However, nobody loses in this tradition: if Negrorri wins, they say it may be a bad year for harvests and cattle raising, but money will be around anyway!

This article was posted by Andrea Tello, our editor in Peru

The Hulk Invades Rio de Janeiro

Bob Nadkarni, owner of The Maze Inn had been awaiting the arrival of a special guest...a green guest: the Hulk! For a few weeks in November, the narrow alleys of the hillside shantytown community Tavares Bastos were invaded by Edward Norton, William Hurt and the rest of the cast and crew making the new version of the film The Incredible Hulk. Parts of the movie, which is to be released in the U.S. in June 2008, were filmed in the B&B, including a dramatic jump (by a stuntman for Norton) out of The Maze’s panoramic picture window. Members of the cast also stayed in Bob’s art-filled pousada.

Around 100 residents of the Tavares Bastos community were also part of the action, working as crew and extras, or renting out their terraces for filming. The producers have promised to contribute R$10,000 towards the construction of a health clinic in the neighborhood, and to donate computer to the local school.

Scenes of The Hulk were going to be filmed around the Arches of Lapa and the beaches in Ipanema and Copacabana too, so look out for the famous landmarks when you see the movie.

This article was posted by Lee Weingast, our editor in Rio de Janeiro

Patagonia's Seven Lakes Route

CNN recently featured an article chronicling one man's trip along the Seven Lakes Route to San Martin de Los Andes with his brother and their wives. This stunning town, set off the banks of Lago Lacar, the last of the lakes on the 7 lakes route, makes an excellent day or weekend trip from Bariloche. A smaller, less populated version of Bariloche, San Martin de Los Andes is the gateway to the Chapelco Ski Resort. Since the opening of the ski hill, San Martin de Los Andes has become a booming tourist town year round and is a favorite destination of the Patagonian Lake District. A ruling against high rises has helped the town to maintain its charm despite expansive growth. The streets are lined with restaurants, artisan shops and chocolate shops, similar to those found in Bariloche.

The Seven Lakes Route is a stunning drive and should be on every itinerary to Patagonia. Although the first 50km of the route is paved, the second 50km is a dirt road which can make driving difficult, but definitely not out of the question. There are several viewpoints where you can stop off along the way. This makes it an ideal route for cycling or renting a car so that you are not at the mercy of other tourists on a bus when you want to stop and enjoy the view.

Check out our recommendations for traveling to Bariloche, Argentina.

Tango Queer

In the past thirty years the Tango has made a resurgence and is once again popular with young people in the bars and cafes of Buenos Aires. A new genre of Tango music has arisen which mixes traditional themes with electronica, and groups like The Gotan Project are now world renown. 

Also evolving is the idea and popularity of same-sex Tango, known as Tango Queer. This is partly a result of Buenos Aires’s reputation as the Gay Tourist capital of the World  - a title which it has won two years in a row at the international Gay Tourism Awards.

Just last November, Buenos Aires was host to the First International Queer Tango Festival and with it came record crowds of spectators who took classes, watched the competitions and listened to the music of Tango. Supporters say that Tango Queer isn’t just a form of Tango between two people of the same sex; it is about power issues and traditional roles within the dance. Having to learn both roles and dancing with the same sex changes the dance and the gender-issues related to it. 

There are now gay-friendly tango schools and milongas (dancehalls) emerging throughout the city, and the success of the festival ensures another one next November. To experience same-sex Tango visit one of the schools below – but remember if you are at a milonga (same-sex or traditional) and you make eye-contact with a dancer you will be required to dance. Whether you know how or not!

For more information:
A New Direction in Tango
The Kiss and Tango Guide to Buenos Aires
The History of Tango
Calendar of Events for Buenos Aires

Article and photo by Lucy Cousins, our editor in Buenos Aires

'IT' Destinations for 2008

I was a bit saddened to see Laos as the #1 choice of The New York Times' 53 Places to Go in 2008 list. It was ten years ago that I visited this beautiful, undeveloped country, arriving by long tail to the village of Xieng Kok. We spoke not a word in common with any of the residents, but managed to sign our way into a floor to sleep on and a hearty meal - no thanks to Lonely Planet's completely useless first guide to Laos.

The next day, after a complimentary snack of barbecued bat, we drew a picture of a truck and found ourselves on a 6 hour, 4-wheel-drive adventure to Muang Sing, which was known for its incredible marketplace that brought villagers from miles around, eager to sell their goods. We encountered a handful of travelers, but mostly we had the town to ourselves. We felt like we had discovered a new planet. Children would poke and prod, giggle and cry, but everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming. I'd show off some photos, but this was pre-digital-camera era. I shudder to think what this quaint little town looks like today. Are there hostels, pizza joints and internet cafes?

I've since heard stories of Luang Prabang, the beautiful  European city where we made friends with a young monk who hoped we would sponsor some school books for him. I also had a run in with a baby monkey that got a little to exited by my earring and nearly pulled my ear off. Apparently it is now home to boutique hotels and gourmet restaurants.

Our flight from Luang Prabang to Vientiene, which was an old army airplane we took to avoid bandits on the road, was memorable not only for the crazy turbulence, but also for the fact that we first encountered our pilot while he was peeing in the bushes lining the tarmac.

Although I hope that New York Times - style recognition won't ruin what is left of this amazing culture. I was happy to see that I've experienced a good portion of these destinations already (and even live in one of them... San Francisco!) and that my next destination, Panama, is represented. Hopefully it won't be overrun in the next two weeks before I arrive!

Travel Advice & Recommendations from Local Experts

Argentina Revisited

If last week's post, about how Argentina is currently one of the best values for your dollar, wasn't enough to convince you, this weekend's New York Times Travel section featured Argentina with much of the same message: The US dollar has remained steadily strong against the Peso at over 3:1, making it a travel bargain. 

Be sure to check out our recommendations and advice for traveling to Argentina before you go.

OTR’s Argentina Photos