Monthly Archives: June 2018

Events, Experiences, Our Peru

The ancient rituals of Inti Raymi

Quechuan for ‘Festival of the Sun’, the ancient celebration of Inti Raymi dates back to Pachacutec – a leader of the Incan Dynasty who lived from 1,438 to 1,471. The ceremony originally spanned nine days during the winter solstice and venerated the most important god, Inti. Today, celebrations are predominantly held in one day on 24th June and performances aim to re-enact the original ceremony, pulling together some of the most incredible talents in Peru, with 500 actors, dancers and musicians.

In times when the Incan Dynasty existed, Inti Raymi was the most important of four ceremonies celebrated in the main square of the city of Cusco, the Haukaypata. The ancient rituals included three days of purification and fasting by the Sapa Inca and the Kuracas – the ruler and the principal governors of Cusco. Only water, uncooked corn and chucam were eaten.
Come dawn on June solstice and the crowds of Cusco would gather at the Haukaypata, take off their shoes and face towards the rising sun. As the sun rose higher in the sky, they would crouch and blow kisses in a sign of respect and raise two golden cups filled with offerings. The left cup was given to the sun and the right cup was given to the Sapa Inca and his company.

The finale of the ceremony was synonymously the most grave, seeing sacrifices of llamas, and sometimes children, at the Coricancha temple. Pachamama, the earth mother, was also thanked with sacrifices to ensure good harvest as the empire looked toward a new season.
The last ancient Inti Raymi took place in 1535, after which the Spanish colonised Cusco and banned it. Since 1944 re-enactments have taken place in nearby Sacsayhuaman – a couple of kilometres away from Cusco city centre. Many indigenous peoples celebrate the ancient rites of Inti Raymi (minus the human sacrifice) in the Andes and still regard Inti as an important figure when it comes to the prosperity of their land.
This modern recognition of the ancient celebration is very important to us at Inkaterra as it is a key part of the effort to preserve, share and cherish foundations of Peruvian culture. We hope that you will be able to experience it one day to see the way we pay respect to our ancestors and to our land.

Experiences, Hotels, Nature & Wildlife, Our Peru

Inkaterra: Guests’ Perspectives – Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción

Travel deep into the heart of the Amazon to discover the incredible Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción – where the story of Inkaterra first began. A truly magical setting for our first Inkaterra property, twenty four private cabanas sit majestically on stilts and a six-room casa grande with high ceilings and rustic thatched roofs are peppered around the property.
Take an epic guided tour of the nearby Tambopata National Reserve or a half day excursion to Lake Sandoval, a vast water basin inhabited by Howler monkeys, caimans and giant river otters. Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción also offers a multitude of quarter day excursions, from trails through primary and secondary rainforest discovering its botanical garden, its private natural pond on a rowing boat, crops of cacao, bread fruit trees and rubber trees and more, to the most ethereal twilight canoe trips on the Madre de Dios river and walking tours of the Amazon rainforest. Where will your visit take you? Attracting adventurous guests from all over the world, read some of the most recent guest perspectives below.
Inkaterra-Wildlife
“Lovely atmosphere, friendly and helpful staff, everything was perfect making it a relaxing and memorable stay. Congratulations to everyone. Please don’t change!” Roger & Christine, UK
Inkaterra-Lake-Sandoval
“A fabulous end to a fantastic Peru trip. Would love to take our cabin/ lodge back to the UK!! Our stay here has been amazing.” Carolyn & Kenny, Scotland
Inkaterra-Canoe-Excursions
“What a wonderful time in a beautiful place! You can be proud of the experiences that you offer and of your service. Just as much to see and enjoy.” Brian, U.S.A
Inkaterra-Walking-Excursion
“Loved our time in the Rainforest! Just like camping in Alaska…just a bit warmer :)” Ronnie & Lise, AK
Inkaterra-Crops-Cacao

Conservation and Sustainability, Events, Experiences, Nature & Wildlife

Renowned filmmaker and screenwriter, Werner Herzog, returns to Peru to share his filmmaking expertise

We sat down with key coordinator, Gabriel Meseth, to discuss the recent event hosted by Inkaterra alongside the world renowned German filmmaker and screenwriter, Werner Herzog, who returned to Peru to share his expertise in Lima.
Partnering with Black Factory Cinema, the Werner Herzog Master Class event was an opportunity for young filmmakers and enthusiasts to venture through Peru as they learned from the acclaimed Werner Herzog himself. Spanning nearly two weeks, the 48 participants staying at Inkaterra Guides Field Station were proactive in using the natural surroundings to conceive and create their footage, in hopes of ultimately submitting their films to international competitions, once being personally chosen by Herzog.
From marshy walks through Palma Real from Lake Sandoval to wading across tropical glades to Gamitana Farm, participants experienced the atmosphere of Herzog’s basecamp and spirit of his advice, amid the wonders of the exuberant surroundings unique to Peru. In our interview with Meseth, he explains how the event unfolded:

What was typical day like for the participants of this event?
“Werner joined the students when filming, visiting one location per day. He would designate a given place as his basecamp, and anyone could reach him there when seeking advice. He would also move around to several locations.”

Did the group face any challenges in the Amazon?
“The biggest challenge was to find a story in a new, unexplored place with a different culture and language. Though the Amazon is not a particularly easy place for film production, the Inkaterra team achieved clockwork logistics – from housing and guest services to river transportation.”

Herzog has worked in the Amazon before. Why do you think it’s a significant place for him?
“Herzog stated in a recent interview with El Comercio that his soul belongs to Peru. It is the place where he filmed two of his masterpieces – Aguirre, the Wrath of God and Fitzcarraldo. Films that are listed in Roger Ebert’s Great Movies List, and that were named by Martin Scorsese among his personal favourites.
These films were almost impossible to make, in extreme conditions. In some extent due to the geography. In Peru, Herzog probably built the willpower that has pushed his body of work. Surely one of the most original, boundary-defying careers in film history with about 70 features. I believe that returning to the Amazon was for him a very emotional experience, going back to a landscape where he spent four years trying to make Fitzcarraldo might have brought back many fond memories for him.”

What were the highlights or memorable moments for the team?
“Highlights were seeing the students relate with people in Madre de Dios. Coming from such different cultural backgrounds, it was great to see them trying to communicate despite language barriers. And finally they were able to portray the region through many different perspectives. It was like a huge portrait of what Puerto Maldonado is nowadays, especially the encounter of Amazonian nature and cultural traditions with the growing modernity.”
Providing a collective opportunity to learn from one of the most experienced filmmakers of all time, the event was instrumental in bringing a variety of individuals together holding a common interest and love of nature. We are very pleased to have had the opportunity to partner with Black Factory Cinema for this event and, through expression of film, celebrate the natural beauty of Peru in its full glory.

Our Peru

Uncovering the Past of Machupicchu

Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel can be found nestled in the town of Machu Picchu Pueblo, also known as Aguas Calientes. 83 whitewashed casitas stand in the cloud forest, welcoming adventurous Inkaterra guests. The hotel is an ideal spot to host those looking to explore the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu, but the site of Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel also has a few historical secrets of its own. Scientists have been decoding these secrets, and we want to share some of these discoveries.

Grupo IBeA-Química Analítica and the Ministry of Culture are carrying out scientific research on site. The group are analysing geometric shapes and colours of rock art found at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. For years scientists have used discoveries such as this to learn more about the people who lived in the area and to uncover history of place. The drawings found depict quotidian life of Machu Picchu Pueblo natives. It is thought that the rock, adorned with geometric pictograms, is itself of religious and sacred meaning. This implies that people visited the area at certain times of the year in celebration and perhaps was a place of offerings.

In order to analyse these paintings, sketched by the natives of Machu Picchu, the team used Raman spectroscopy and a scanning electron microscope coupled with an energy dispersive spectrometer. This allowed the scientists to explore the molecular and elementary aspects of the rock. In fact they determined that the orange colour was not at all orange to begin with. The colour appeared thanks to the colonisation of microorganisms favoured by the climate conditions in the area. The black colors were obtained due to the vegetal coal and the red, hematite pigments that could have come from red ocher extracted from soils that were used. Guests themselves can marvel at the Sacred Rock as part of some of the hotel’s in-house included and programmed guided excursions.
Scientists continue to explore the secrets of Peru and Machu Picchu, and you can to at Inkaterra. To find out how to go on a journey of history and culture with our hotels click here. To read more about the discoveries at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo hotel click here.