Peru: Facts & Stats

CULTURE

Traditions:

Since pre-Columbian times Peruvians have been divided by nature. From the arid deserts of the coast, the Andean Sierra rises up to 19,700 feet. The highlands comprise about a quarter of Peru's territory, but are home to about half of Peru's population. This mountain mass poses major problems for development and integration into a single society.

The result is dramatic regional diversity, and considerable inequalities in services and living standards. Health, education and law enforcement programs are unevenly distributed across Peru.

At first sight, Peruvian culture may seem brutally divided between indigenous and colonial societies - the mountains and the city. Elite white creoles trace their bloodlines back to the Spanish Conquest in 1536. Like generations before them, most live in Lima, where a European visitor will feel a comfortable familiarity in the cafes and supermarkets.

On the other side, rural communities now also aspire to ownership of televisions and blue jeans but this comes into conflict with their traditional cultural values. The people of the Andes are maintaining the traditional practices of their ancestors in a rapidly changing world. Their livelihood continues to be based on family-owned fields or charkas which are farmed by hand or with the assistance of draft animals.

Celebrations:

In Peru about 3000 typical fiestas are celebrated every year. The majority of those are organized to celebrate the day of a santo patron (a saint). Those saints originally formed part of the Christian calender in the Colonial Period but they were always mixed with the magical religion of the Andean regions. A good example of this “cultural syncretism” is the Festivity of Corpus Christi in Cusco. This religious day, originally introduced by the Spaniards, was accepted by the Peruvian inhabitants as for them it had little to do with Catholicism, so much more with an old Inca ritual. Especially in the traditional village high up in the mountains or in the jungle, there are several traditional celebrations, that related to ancient myths and/or important agricultural dates.

Inti Raymi: Inti Raymi is a festival that reverts back to the Inca's. It is a celebration and a sacrifice to the sun of God.

Corpus Christi: The celebration of Corpus Christi used to be celebrated in the whole country, but the Fiesta is most impressive in Cusco.

Fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen: Four hours from Cuzco, in the town of Paucartambo, thousands of devotees hold festivals in honor of the Virgen del Carmen, known locally as "Mamacha Carmen".

Fiesta de la Virgen de la Candelaria: Lasts 8 days, in the highland town of Puno, nestled on the shores of Lake Titicaca at an altitude of 3,870 meters above sea level. This colorful fiesta is one of the most beautiful and important celebrations in south of Peru.

Fiesta de Todos los Santos: Día de Todos Santos is also known as Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. On November 1st, in Peru as in other Latin american countries, this day is dedicated to the memory of the dead.

Señor de los Temblores: In 1,650, when a devastating earthquake was rattling the city of Cuzco, the people claimed that an oil painting of Christ on the Cross held off the earthquake. Since then, the locals have been rendering homage to the image of Taitacha Temblores, the Lord of the Earthquakes.

Alcohol:

Most Peruvian beer - except for cerveza malta (black malt beer) - is bottled lager almost exclusively brewed to five percent, and extremely good. In Lima the two main beers are Cristal and Pilsen. Cuzqueña (from Cusco) is one of the best and by far the most popular at the moment, but not universally available; you won't find it on the coast in Trujillo, for example, where they drink Trujillana, nor are you likely to encounter it in every bar in Arequipa where, not surprisingly perhaps, they prefer to drink Arequipeña beer. You can usually buy Cuzqueña in Lima though.

Peru has been producing wine ( vino) for over four hundred years, but with one or two exceptions it is not that good. Among the better ones are Vista Alegre ( tipo familiar) - not entirely reliable but only around $1 a bottle - and Tacama Gran Vino Blanco Reserva Especial, about $7 or $8 a bottle. A good Argentinian or Chilean wine will cost from $10 upwards.

As for spirits , Peru's main claim to fame is Pisco. This is a white grape brandy with a unique, powerful and very palatable flavour - the closest equivalent elsewhere is probably tequila. Almost anything else is available as an import - Scotch whisky is cheaper here than in the UK - but beware of the really cheap imitations which can remove the roof of your mouth with ease. The jungle regions produce cashassa, a sugar-cane rum also called aguardiente, which has a distinctive taste and is occasionally mixed with different herbs, some medicinal. Whilst it goes down easily, it's incredibly strong stuff and leaves you with a very sore head the next morning.

The legal drinking age is 18.

Sports and Hobbies:

The lively and colorful people of Peru are known for their love for sports. Football is the national game and most popular sport in Peru, and the national football team of Peru is one of the finest in South America.

Peruvian are passionate about sports and paint their faces in the red and white of the flag to show their love and support for national sport teams. Peru qualified in the FIFA World Cup in 1970, 1978 and 1982, reaching up to quarterfinals in 1970. Since 1982 the country couldn't qualify for FIFA, as it had to compete with top-ranking football teams such as Brazil and Argentina in World Cupqualifying rounds.

Bullfighting is second major sport in Peru after football. Lima, the capital of Peru, boasts the world-famous Plaza de Acho, the oldest bullring in the Americas, with a capacity to accommodate up to 14,000 spectators at a time. Usually held on Sunday or holidays, Bullfighting is truly an unforgettable spectacle in Lima. If you love horse racing, then El Clasico in Lima is a place to be in.

Other popular sports in Peru include volleyball, basketball, tennis and golf. Among traditional sports bullfighting, horse racing and cockfighting are widely enjoyed in Lima and other major cities of Peru. Among adventure sports hiking, mountain biking and surfing are most popular in Peru.

Lima also offers world-class facilities for Tennis and Golf, especially in luxury resorts of Miraflores and Barranco. For adventure sports lovers, there are excellent beaches in and around Lima, offering perfect conditions for sailing, surfing and yachting. And if you're a true adventure lover, then how can you forget hiking the Inca Trail in Machu Picchu, Peru.

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