PERU: Interesting Places To Visit In Amazonas Region

Interesting places to visit in the region Amazonas.

To get it clear right from the beginning: The Amazonas region is not close to the Amazonas River, nor is it in the hot and humid jungle. The region of the Amazonas lies mainly in the Andean mountains and most of the tourist sites are between 1,400 and 3,000 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.).

You definitely should come prepared with sun block, a hat, mosquito repellent and good walking shoes, as well as some rain gear and an extra layer. Anything can happen here.

Many of you have likely read about the fortified city of Kuelap, the region’s highlight.

Kuelap was built between 500 and 800 AC by the Chachapoya civilization on the height of a mountaintop at 3,000 m.a.s.l. It even seems that archaeologists have found evidence of people living there as early as 400 AC and the investigations are still going on.

The city is surrounded by up to 20 meter high walls, which is why archaeologists initially thought that it was a fortress.

Today they have shifted their analysis to saying that it was rather a religious and administrative center of the Chachapoya. Chachapoya means Warrior of the clouds.

The chronicler Cieza de Leon said that the Chachapoya people were tall, blonde-haired people of fair skin color and with blue eyes.

Until today, we don’t know where this comes from; one theory is that Celtic people came to Peru, hundreds of year ago. It seems that their women were extremely beautiful considering that after the conquest of the Incas, many of the most beautiful women were sent to Cusco to serve the Incas there.

The city of Kuelap is built on two levels and there are only three entrances. One is to the cliff side and was used as an “emergency exit”; the two other exits are particularly interesting in their form and construction.

From around 3 meters wide at the beginning, the entrance channel becomes more and more narrow, to allow only one person at a time to pass at its end.

Like this, Kuelap was extremely easy to defend, as the Chachapoya warriors could just wait for the enemies to try to come in and throw stones or other projectiles at them.

Currently the main entrance is under renovation and you cannot use it. You will enter the city through the second entrance, which actually was the delivery entrance for fresh produce, corn, potatoes and water.

On the light stone of the stairs, you will even find some llama tracks. Do you know that llamas were the pack animals for the Chachapoya? Not only can a llama carry about 15 kg on its back, it was also a source of meat and wool.

On the first level you will see the ruins of about 500 roundhouses,the form in which the Chachapoya built their houses, all built on a higher base and some of them with beautiful stone decoration.

The gods of the Chachapoya were the condor, the feline and the snake, each representing one of the three “worlds”: the world of the gods, the world you live in, and the world of death. Only the houses of important people would have this kind of decoration.

In each house, you can find the “guinea pig cage”. It is common to this day for Andean families to raise guinea pigs for their meat (which is not much) and the proteins. They are easy to keep and not much work. In addition, the “batan”, a stone to grind seeds and corn, can be seen.

Another curiosity is that each house contains the tomb of an ancestor. This seems strange to us, but not to the Chachapoya culture.

The corpse of the deceased would first be buried in the soil until the flesh deteriorated. Thereafter, the Chachapoya arranged the bones into a fetal position then placed them in a cotton bag. This little bundle would then be kept in a hole in the family’s house.

Like this, the deceased would always remain close to the family.

This and many more interesting stories are part of the guide’s speech when you visit Kuelap. As of the beginning of 2017, the cable car up to Kuelap should be operating which will significantly shorten your travel time.

From Chachapoyas, the capital of the Amazonas, to Kuelap is currently a 2 and ½ hour drive. From the parking station La Malca (where you also pay your entrance fee of S/ 20 per person), you walk an easy hike of about 2 km up to the walls of Kuelap.

The guided visit costs S/ 40 per group and takes around 2 hours. It is absolutely recommend to take a guide.

VENEZUELA: A Country That Offers Paradise For $20 US Dollars

Fears of being kidnapped or not finding toilet paper are not much of an incentive for a holiday in Venezuela.

Yet hardy travelers undeterred by the tales - real and exaggerated - of crime and shortages are finding the South American nation an absurdly cheap destination.

That is thanks to exchange controls skewing the economy in favor of anyone with foreign currency, meaning you can hire a boat to a Caribbean island for $15 a day, or trek through Andean mountains or Amazon jungle for a week, with porters, at $125.

A decent hostel at a popular beach may cost $5 a night, while two people can have a three-course meal with wine for $10.

"It's crazy! This beer is costing me just a few pennies," said a tourist clad in sunglasses and clutching a local Polar beer on a stunning white-sand beach with his girlfriend at Los Roques archipelago in the Caribbean.

Even at a bumped-up 90 bolivars due to the exclusive island location, a beer here costs just $0.22 (or 15 pence for Britons like Napier) at the black market rate most foreigners change on.

Many are wise to the situation so they look for not so surreptitious money-changers as soon as they land in Venezuela, or make arrangements ahead.

Venezuela's largest denomination note is 100 bolivars - about 25 U.S. cents. Amazed at the sheer quantity of notes they receive, visitors find where to keep them the biggest problem.

"You simply can't carry enough cash with you, that's the main restriction to spending!" added Napier, saying he "felt like a drug-dealer" after wiring money in advance to Panama in order to be given bolivars by a contact in Venezuela.

Despite the currency bonanza, tourists are hardly flocking to Venezuela. There were just under 1 million arrivals last year, four times fewer than neighboring Colombia which is successfully marketing itself despite decades of drug wars and a Marxist insurgency.

In Venezuela, it's the frightening level of crime that mainly puts people off, plus acute shortages of basic products from milk to diapers.

"You're bombarded with this idea you can't go out on the street," said Argentine Juan Suso, 31, who ignored advice at home and in Venezuela to enjoy a few days walking round Caracas before going to Los Roques with a guitar on his back.

"People should come. It's so cheap, it's ridiculous. Even with our devalued currency in Argentina, it still works out such good value," he added, saying meals out in Caracas were a quarter of the cost in Buenos Aires.

The giveaway prices in Venezuela for foreigners are a recent phenomenon: the black market price of a U.S. dollar has shot up nearly six-fold from 70 bolivars to over 400 in the last year.

The government is unable to meet demand at official exchange rates, which range from 6.3 to 200 bolivars per dollar, so the black market satisfies those prepared to pay a hefty premium.

In contrast with tourists, Venezuelans' purchasing power has fallen as wage rises cannot match inflation of 68 percent in 2014 and widely forecast to hit triple digits this year.

Shopping for basic food and goods has become a daily struggle for many locals - let alone the sort of exotic holidays foreigners are enjoying in their country.

"There is no other country in the world in this situation. It's very sad," lamented Napier's Venezuelan girlfriend Aiskel Rendon, 31, a tax analyst who also lives in England.

Not surprisingly, there is a buzz about Venezuela on the backpackers' circuit. Young budget travelers recommend it as one of the world's cheapest spots - and post photos of themselves with huge wads of cash to prove it.

Will Hatton, 26, who runs a blog called "The Broke Backpacker", criss-crossed Venezuela for a month earlier this year, spending about $300 in total as he visited some of its most exotic places like the table-topped Roraima mountain.

Changing money on dodgy corners, and once counting hundreds of bills in a bathroom, Hatton's spending included three internal flights and two guided trekking tours for his $300.

"You pay $1 and you get a really nice meal. If you shell out $20, you're paragliding in the morning and kayaking in the afternoon!" said Hatton, who recounted his Venezuela experiences at thebrokebackpacker.com.

Another recent visitor, travel broadcaster Simon Parker, showed himself in a mini-documentary at a souvenir market marveling at the prices. A traditional small guitar? Less than $2. Straw hat? $2.50. Terra-cotta football? $1.

"At first I was unsure if this is the 'done thing' and the ethical issues surrounding buying currency in this way, but it turned out that everyone was at it; both locals and foreigners," he said of Venezuela's currency black market.

Back at Los Roques, a group of Argentine pensioners were off to snorkel in the shallows with a local guide, after a boat-ride across azure waters from the island where they were staying. Including breakfast and some mid-morning drinks in a cooler, their total layout that morning was minimal.

"We're in paradise for $20!" shouted one, before ducking under the water.

Colombia, Iran and N. Korea most 'provocative' destinations 2015

INTREPID travelers looking for their next, offbeat adventure are advised to consider Colombia, Iran and North Korea next year, which made Afar magazine's list of most provocative trips for 2015.

In their selection of where to go in 2015, experts at the travel magazine challenge readers to delve beyond sensationalist headlines and preconceptions and consider the trio of enigmatic countries as future vacation destinations.

Here's why:

Colombia

Unlike its Latin American neighbors Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela, Colombia's tourism industry is still in its infancy, perfect for travelers who seek out unsanitised, authentic travel experiences, experts say.

Recently, Colombia strengthened its reputation in sustainable travel at the Chinese World Travel Fair, where it was named the world's best eco-tourism destination.

Nature lovers will also appreciate Colombia – which has the highest biodiversity on the planet after Brazil – for its Andean mountains, Amazonian rainforests and Caribbean coast.

Popular activities for adventure seekers are diving, paragliding and rafting.

North Korea

In naming North Korea as one of the top destinations to visit in 2015, editors at Afar acknowledge that they're going against the advice of the US State Department, which has issued an advisory against travel to the hermetic kingdom.

At the same time, "curiosity is a powerful motivator," they say. While visits to the country remain highly supervised – the easiest way to enter the country is with a certified tour group – for travelers who've already traipsed the world, North Korea remains one in a handful of final frontiers.

Aside from joining a tour group, another way to gain entry is to join the Pyongyong Marathon, perhaps one of the only times visitors are allowed to be unaccompanied by a designated guide.

Iran

Described as one of the most "misunderstood countries in the world," editors vaunt the merits of Iran as a travel destination for its treasure trove of national heritage sites including the UNESCO-certified ancient Persian ruins of Persepolis, its fine Islamic architecture in Isfahan, and the beaches around the Caspian Sea.

A trip to Iran teleports visitors to a place which, at its height, was the epicenter of the world, boasting the greatest empire on the planet, the Persian empire.

"Foreign tourists are still relatively rare in Iran, and the locals are keen to prove how wrong many of the stereotypes of their country and culture are."