Happy Holidays and a Prosperous New Year to all.

In an attempt to spread some festive goodwill in Cusco Anna and Malka wandered the streets handing out a special type of bread to kids and old people. These "bizcochos" are large, flat pieces of bread with fruit inside and are very popular at this time of year, well certainly very popular with children as you can see.

Hundreds of people flood into the city of Cusco from rural countryside areas at this time of year in order to sell their wares. These people often sleep rough in the streets and many companies like ours, and NGOs, try to do a little to help.

Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year to all.

Some of our office staff had a Christmas meal at a nice restaurant in Cusco, a great time was had by all and a mental note taken to keep Gary away from pianos! The rest of the crew had already traveled to be with their families over the festive period and we were left with a skeleton crew who could still put away plenty of food and wine.

Our Latest Charity Project

We often feel a little overwhelmed by the scale of poverty in Peru, and particularly in Cusco where we live, along with a high concentration of indigenous people. We see problems and issues every day and it seems almost impossible that anything can be done to improve the lives of many of the poorest members of this society.

It may not seem like much in the overall scheme of things but we are trying to make a difference with projects that have a direct effect, however small, on the poorest residents of this city.
Our latest initiative, being put into action 2 Saturdays a month, is to give out food bags to wandering elderly people, street children and beggars - those we feel most need the help. Saturday is a good day for this scheme as this is the day where many older people wander out from various institutions and homes looking for charitable donations of bread, assorted knick knacks, fruit, etc, from local buisnesses.

One or two members of our office will put the bags together, good quality bread being an obvious choice, and then spend a couple of hours looking for deserving recipients. This is a pilot scheme so we don't really know yet how it will work. We will keep you posted and place some photos on our website and blog.

New Website Editor at Escaped to Latin America

The tour company Escaped to Latin America is actively expanding their range of products and vacations and have taken on a new member of staff to help with website development, content and editing.

Stacey Shapiro is from South Africa, is a trained journalist and will be responsible for adding new products and programs to the company websites over a six month project. She explained that “I am excited to be involved in a writing project which is different to what I am used to, it is a new challenge and I will be learning a lot about tourism in Latin America as I go along”.

“After the visits made to Travel Mart Latin America this year and last there are so many new products, programs and options that I would like to offer to our clients” explains Gary Sargent, Managing Director of the Cusco based company. “It is a substantial task, taking information from our suppliers CDs and brochures, writing new destination descriptions, editing photographs etc, but when it is done there will be a wide array of extra tours and vacations on show so our clients can visit Latin America with us over several years and do something completely different every time”.

Gary is particularly keen to promote Chile and Colombia from his Peruvian office as they are two lesser visited neighbouring countries with lots to offer travelers and tourists. Anyone interested in traveling to Latin America should visit the company website and take their expert advice on visiting this amazing continent.

Walking the streets of Cusco in October, you could be forgiven for thinking that the city’s sole reason for existing is to allow large numbers of people to gather, march, proceed and otherwise celebrate the enormous number of saints whose images inhabit the various churches. As you turn a corner, you realize where the deep bass beat of drums is coming from as an orgy of color and sound greets your senses.

The marching band, whose dress varies from brightly colored traditional costumes, through plain black to the sand camouflage of the police units, proceed gravely over the cobbles, ahead of and often also behind an ornately dressed statue, carried at shoulder height by four or more sturdy cusqueños, natives of the city of Cusco.

Escaped to Latin America at the 33rd Travel Mart Latin America

Escaped to Peru, part of Escaped to Latin America, were one of the 1000 or so attendees at this year´s Travel Mart Latin America held at the end of September in Puerto Varas and Frutillar in Chile. Managing Director Gary Sargent represented his company at this important travel industry annual event where suppliers and buyers meet over 3 days of meetings and events.

Chile was represented by several members of central and local government at the opening ceremony, including the Vice President of Chile, in an attempt to promote tourism in North Patagonia focused around Puerto Varas. Delegates braved the near freezing temperatures to enjoy this beautiful place surrounded by active volcanoes, lakes and forests. Those delegates who participated in pre or post event visits were impressed by the landscapes and warmth of the local people.

“2009 has been a difficult year for the tourism industry with the global economic crisis and swine flu worries, but we are seeing some confidence returning to the market over the last few weeks. Many delegates at the travel fair were being positive about the year to come, of which I am one” explained Gary Sargent. “This event is an excellent way to meet suppliers of new and improved travel products and maintain personal relationships with the people with work with across South and Central America”.

The next Travel Mart in 2010 is to be held in Peru, the country where Escaped to Peru is based and Gary is sure that the event will be a great success and very well organized.

We finally managed to get everyone in the office at the same time, sales, operations and accounting. It is easier to run tours than it was to do this!

Lan Peru No Longer Allow Non-Residents to Obtain Lowest Airfares Within Peru

LAN Peru announced on the 1st September that, as of that date, their lowest base rate for flight tickets booked in Peru can no longer be bought for use by non-residents. Any non-resident who tries to board a plane with a base rate ticket will now be charged an additional US$ 178.50 by the airline. Any agency who issues a base rate flight ticket for a non-resident will also be fined, as non-residents will now only be allowed access to higher fares on routes within Peru.

The complete lack of notice has caused serious problems for agencies who had already supplied quotations for clients based on the previously accessible fares. The additional costs involved causes particular concern for agencies who have published literature with fixed prices.

Managing Director of Escaped to Peru, Gary Sargent commented “This has certainly been problematic for us. We always try to offer excellent value for money and this price hike without any notice period has meant that we have had to both pass on extra costs to our clients and absorb price increases where possible. We always obtain the best value fares for our clients but the difference is significant”.

Both airfares and taxes are subject to change without notice until flight tickets are issued. However the difference in cost from the base rate to the next level of fares is often double or even higher. Lan Peru is the largest airline in Peru with the greatest number of routes which has left agencies with little choice but to accept the new higher fares.


Escaped to Peru is a Peruvian based, but English owned and managed Tour Operator who offer vacations to Peru, the Galapagos as well as a number of other destinations in Latin America.

If you are interested in taking a vacation to Peru or Latin America in general you may contact the company via the website, email and toll free numbers shown below:

Escaped to Peru – Escaped to Latin America

www.escapedtoperu.com
admin@escapedtoperu.com

Av. Garcilaso 411-A, Wanchaq, Cusco, Peru.
Toll Free USA / Canada 1-800-305-6543
Free Phone UK 0-800-680-0617
Cusco Office 0051 84 242703 - 242814

New staff at Escaped to Peru, new 3 World Wonders tour.

The tour company Escaped to Peru welcomes two new members of staff to its dedicated team of travel professionals. Georgina and Norka have joined the company this week in advance of the projected upturn in bookings as we see the global economy slowly start to recover.

This week the company has introduced a new itinerary to its range of Latin American tours visiting three Wonders of the World in one compact yet comfortable tour. Machu Picchu in Peru and the Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil are two of the 7 New World Wonders and along with Iguazu Falls, a Natural World Wonder, are the highlights of this spectacular 14 day vacation.

Machu Picchu is the “Lost city of the Incas” perched high in the Andes Mountains close to Cusco, Peru. This ancient citadel is truly beautiful and the journey to visit is also a fantastic journey. You can trek the Inca Trail or take the train to get to the site.

Iguazu Falls with its incredible “Devil´s Throat” are difficult to describe without using superlatives! At one point on the tour you are surrounded by 260 degrees of raging waterfalls, making for superb photos. The highest part of the falls measures 269 feet but the average height is around 210 feet. The sheer length of the falls can be witnessed up close and personal by taking a speed boat ride under the falls.

The last World Wonder visited on this tour is the Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The city itself is spectacular enough but the views from the White Christ statue over Rio are incredible. Combine this with the Sugar Loaf mountain and the famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema and you have the vacation of a lifetime.

Anyone interested in this tour or any other Escaped to Peru products should visit the website and view the tour shown below.

http://www.escapedtoperu.com/english/argentina-3worldwonders.html

Peru Support Group visit - by John

An old friend, Gaby, recently visited us in Cusco. Gaby works for the NGO Peru Support Group (PSG) and she has written our blog this week to tell you all about what she was up to whilst here in Peru.

I spent five years working for a British travel company as a tour leader. As most of my time was spent in South America, I became increasingly interested in regional politics. This spurred me to go back to Uni and get a Master’s in Globalisation and Latin American Development.

I now work as coordinator of the PSG, a small UK-based non-governmental organisation. I visit Peru every year to maintain face-to-face contact with local organisations who work tirelessly to improve the human rights situation and development prospects of Peruvians.

As many visitors to the country know, Peru lived through a 20-year internal armed conflict (1980-2000) fuelled by the terrorist activities of the Shining Path. However, the various governments that tried to fight this extremist element often did so with equally violent results. One of those governments was led by a young Alan García, also Peru’s current President. Another former president, Alberto Fujimori, was sentenced to 25 years in prison earlier this year for human rights violations that occurred during his presidency.

During my visit this summer, I met with many human rights organisations concerned about the recent violence that broke out in the Peruvian Amazon. The reasons for the conflict centre around the government’s policy of basing the development of the country on foreign investment, companies interested in taking advantage of Peru’s natural resources such as gold, copper, oil and gas. Many indigenous groups are also angry at controversial government legislation introduced last year which they feel give preference to the foreign companies whilst ignoring their rights to be consulted on issues affecting the land they are living on.

Steve Mellor, General Manager of http://www.escapedtoperu.com/ explained “This sort of violence can and does occur sporadically in certain areas of the country. We do of course keep an eye on these issues to make sure that our clients are kept safe. The areas of the Amazon where we send clients for a Rainforest experience are a long way from Bagua where this occurred, and so has not affected tourists or tourism in any way. Thankfully tourism is seen as having a positive effect, by feeding money into local economies”.

The Peru Support Group was established in 1983 as an independent membership organisation without any party or political affiliation to campaign for and strengthen the rights of Peruvian people - particularly those from the poorest sectors - to become effective actors in the development of their country. The PSG raises awareness in the UK through research and policy analysis, public education and advocacy. http://www.perusupportgroup.org.uk/

Amazing deals on Galapagos Cruises and Tours

For Galapagos Island tours taken with us before the end of 2009 there are some amazing deals and up to 40% off on offer at Escaped to Peru. http://www.escapedtoperu.com/english/galapagos-specialoffers1.html

6, 7 or 10 Day Guayaquil & Galapagos itineraries.
6 days for US$1,995, 7 days for US$2,195 and 10 days for an amazing US$2,995 per person.


Day 1 – Arrive Guayaquil.
On arrival in Guayaquil you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Here we recommend the Hampton Inn Guayaquil a convenient, modern downtown hotel.

Part of the Hilton family of hotels, this modern hotel has all the amenities you may need.

Day 2 – Fly to the Galapagos for your cruise aboard the luxury Catamaran Athala II (B, L, D).
Cruise options are for 4, 5 or 8 days subject to availability.


The new luxury Catamaran Athala II was specifically designed and built to cruise the Galapagos Islands in style. The elegant design provides comfort, superior speed, excellent stability and meets all the latest safety standards.The Athala II is unrivalled in offering the generous comfortable accommodation and amenities of a larger boat while still preserving the relaxed exclusivity of a smaller vessel. You are sure to find the layout, furnishings, food and crew to be at an excellent standard.

All cabins on board are deluxe, with well-appointed private bathroom, water, air conditioning, wall to wall carpeting. All have ocean views with large portrait windows (not portholes). All cabins are a minimum 175 square feet and the main deck rooms have the additional luxury of a private balcony.The main deck also boasts the dining area and a separate comfortable lounge area complete with plasma TVs, lap tops, DVD player, stereo and library.

The upper deck has a well-stocked bar, Jacuzzi and a beautiful open teak deck area for relaxation, alfresco dining and barbeques. The huge sundeck is great for whale and dolphin watching or to simply relax and soak up the sun between island excursions. In the evenings there is no better place for star gazing.


You have a crew of 10 + 1 naturalist guide. The crew is friendly, full time, experienced and highly professional. Your guide is guaranteed to be bilingual (minimum fluent English and Spanish) and of the highest standard.

Office Party for Independence Day in Peru (any excuse really!) - by Gary

To celebrate the Peru´s Independence Day on the 28th of July we had a party at the office in Cusco inviting our small band of staff and alot of friends to have a few drinks, a BBQ and a few games of darts. I hasten to add that the dart board is a temporary fixture as we would never get any work done and probably ruin all the computers.

With desks and computers cleared away and copìous amounts of food and drink consumed fun was had by all and we raised a few glasses to the libertador San Martin who suceeded in freeing Peru from the clutches of the Spanish Empire in 1821. This liberation didnt do much for improving timekeeping but we all need to hold on to some traditions don´t we! Speaking seriously though the 28th of July is very important for Peruvians (as are independence days in all the other Latin American countries) and by law you must fly the Peruvian flag from your window.

If future passengers are planning to come to Cusco around this time, plan ahead, as many Peruvians come up from Lima for nice change in environment.

Paucartambo Festival Fun - By Steve

Last week here in the Cusco region was the festival at Paucartambo about four hours from Cusco, with the principal day on July 16th. A couple of us managed to make it out of the office to join in with some of the festivities. Paucartambo is a picturesque but quiet place situated in a valley above the eastern jungles 115km from Cusco.

The annual Fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen is a colorful mix of Andean pre-Columbian ceremonies and Catholic religion in which masked, costumed dancers relive ancient gods and rites. The festivities include a procession of the Virgin carried through the streets of the town while dancers advance and retreat in the never ending battle between the forces of good and evil.

The drama and costumes make for a fantastic festival with general good humor all round. Lack of accommodation however means that any space on the floor of a house or building crammed in with other revelers is most welcome. With such basic facilities we felt one night was enough.
The Virgen del Carmen is the patron saint of Paucartambo, where streets of white colonial buildings topped with red roofs are the setting for the dancing and merriment. Regional dance groups, each with their own musical accompaniment, perform during the procession, re-enacting historical events and folktales.

One of the traditional activities of the Paucartambo festival is a pre-dawn visit to the heights of Tres Cruces, some 3 hours by car from the town. At this unique spot we looked down from the final peaks of the Andes onto the vast expanse of the Amazon basin. The view is unforgettable.

The Incas held this place sacred for the uncanny optical effects that appear during sunrise at certain times of the year (notably May, June & July). Owing to atmospheric distortion observers can sometimes see multiple suns, haloes, or a brilliant rosy glow covering land and sky. Unfortunately this year cloud cover made the sunrise less than impressive!

Recovering after Inti Raymi - by Ann Marie

Looking around the Peruvian city of Cusco today (where we have our office) you wouldn’t know that if you had been on tour here less than a month ago you could barely move through the central streets. For days on end the main square, the Plaza de Armas, was crowded out, and I mean solid, with locals and tourists from around the world, drawn to the centre of town to join in the celebrations. What was once banned by the Catholic Church as a pagan ritual is now one of the largest festival in South America – Inti Raymi, the celebration of the winter solstice and the beginning of a new year.

The actual day of Inti Raymi falls on 24th June. Since the festival celebrates the winter solstice it should vary by a day or two, but it doesn´t and the centre of Cusco is packed out for days before and after anyway. Huge models of the various saints are carried round and round the Plaza de Armas from morning til night, preceded and followed by marching bands, groups of folk dancers who never seem to run out of energy, and vast numbers of spectators, both local and foreign.You can tell who has never been on holiday here before and who makes a point of going every year.

The locals watch the proceedings with eagle-eyed concentration – you just know they are marking everyone out of ten on their performance. The newbies have their cameras glued to their faces, or have forgotten them entirely and are watching the whole thing with the same look of wonder as a five year old might regard the unopened presents on Christmas morning.The week culminates in a lavish performance at Sacsayhuaman, the Inca-built fortress which broods on the hill above its protégé, the city of Cusco, Peru.

The original ceremony involved the sacrifice of a white llama, but this is now rather frowned upon, so they act it out instead. From a distance you probably wouldn’t know the difference, apart from the lack of blood spatter blown on the wind. In Inca times the pattern of the aforementioned blood spatter was closely scrutinized by the priests in order to foretell what lay in the Inca’s future over the coming year. Sadly you can’t do this with fake blood, so everyone just hopes for the best.

Get out here for next year maybe and experince it for yourself, but if you do decide to come to Cusco at Inti Raymi make your arrangements with us a while in advance, it will be packed.

New Blog and Office

This blogging is all new to us, and so we launch ourselves into the 21st century and via this blog we will be telling you what we are up to, something on news and current affairs regarding Peru and anything else we hear about in Latin America that might be of interest to our current and future tourists, and anyone else who might be interested.

We have moved offices to a better location in Cusco recently. The new place is much brighter, more modern and has a much better location near to the banks and supermarkets. It is also only 10 minutes walk from the central, historic center of Cusco where all of the hotels and restaurants are to be found. The photo shows me (Gary), Steve, Steph and Anna slaving over hot computers and phones, designing your tours in the travel sales department. The operations people are stuck down in the dungeon making sure everything works while you are here (we let them out occasionally when they have been good!).

You can see more of our photos on our facebook page by visiting http://www.escapedtoperu.com/

Talking about things working, random strikes are continuing here in Peru but the effects are limited on the majority of tourists as most fly between major cities. The strike today is a national transport strike which is having a very limited effect judging by the fact that an increasing number of taxis that are circulating within the city of Cusco and in other cities we can see on the TV. Localized and regional strikes are ebbing and flowing, with people protesting over water privatization, mining revenues, education issues etc. some of the protests are warranted (in my opinion) on issues such as the level of traffic fines which are ridiculous for example. Most are unwaranted I feel because people in the countryside are poorly educated and do not understand the issues and are missled by local and regional leaders who are paid off by destabalizing influences ! Again this is just my opinion.

This striking unfortunately is a yearly occurance and to be honest we get used to it and plan tours to avoid problems where we can or fly people around blockades. We will keep you updated with strike info......