I’m sure by now you have all heard about the tragic earthquake that struck Peru on Wednesday evening. There has been a heartbreaking loss of life; many more people are injured; and thousands of homes have been destroyed. This is a devastating time for Peru, especially in the cities most affected- Ica, Paracas, and Chincha. The Peruvian people, however, are strong and are pulling together in this difficult time to start the healing and rebuilding process. Fortunately everyone on the Peru for Less team and their families are safe and sound. Thank you to everyone who called or emailed worried about our wellbeing- we really do appreciate your concern at this difficult time. Please keep those who did suffer the effects of the earthquake in your thoughts.

For those traveling to Peru in the near future:

Lima and the rest of Peru are fine. There are no problems for those traveling to Cuzco, Lima, Puno/ Lake Titicaca, Arequipa, or the Jungle. For those that were planning to travel to the Pisco/ Paracas area, we still don’t have the necessary information to decide whether it’s safe to travel to that area or not. PFL will contact those who are planning to visit the affected area. Rest assured that the PFL team is working hard to accommodate your itineraries and to make sure that you will not be anywhere that is unsafe. Please be assured that Peru For Less will never send you to places that are unsafe.

Despite the sadness we all feel for those affected by the earthquake, this month we also have some positive and entertaining articles on Peru! This month we offer you smuggled monkeys, fountains filled with Pisco (Peru’s national alcoholic beverage), Guinness Book World Records, ancient archaeological artifacts, and non-traditional trans-oceanic boat trips.

I would also like to take a moment to let you know that this will be the last newsletter coming from me at Peru For Less. I am leaving the newsletter in the able hands of Dave Murphy (dave@peruforless.com) who will continue to bring you the latest news on Peru! As always, please feel free to contact Dave and PFL about any ideas, suggestions, or requests that you may have regarding the newsletter. It’s been a pleasure writing you all every month, and I wish you all very happy travels!

Lola Whitmer
Online Development Manager
Peru For Less
lola@peruforless.com

Breakthrough talks between Yale and Peru about Machu Picchu artifacts Negotiations between Yale and Peru over ownership of over 4,000 ancient artifacts from Machu Picchu recently experienced unprecedented progress. For the first time Yale will allow Peru to see a full inventory of the artifacts brought back by Hiram Bingham. This is probably the most significant concession made to Peru since 1912. Read more on Yale and Peru Machu Picchu artifact negotiations

Monkey flies from Peru to New York A man flying from Peru to New York smuggled a baby marmoset monkey under his hat. Passengers on Spirit Airlines Flight 180 noticed the monkey when it jumped out to play with the man’s pony tail. The passengers said that the monkey, to their amazement, was incredibly well behaved and quiet, calmly spending the rest of the journey on the seat beside the man. Read about a monkey’s secretive trip from New York to Peru

Man is rowing from Peru to Australia Dutch adventurer, Ralph Tuijn, is attempting to row unaided across the widest part of the Pacific Ocean, from Peru to Australia, in his custom made vessel, the Zeeman Challenger. Although he has experienced a few difficulties, he is already past the halfway mark and expects to complete his journey in September or October. Read about man’s rowing adventure from Peru to Australia

New Water Fountains in Lima set Guinness World Record The Magical Water Tour in Lima’s Parque de la Reserva has been recognized by Guinness Records as the public park with the largest fountain complex in the world. On July 28th, in honor of Peru’s 186th Independence Day, 2,000 liters of pisco flowed from the fountain in the Plaza de Armas in historic downtown Lima. Many joined the celebration, which culminated in an awesome display of fireworks, and savored this Peruvian drink. Read how Lima Water Fountains set Guinness World Record