REAL FELIPE FORTRESS IN CALLAO - LIMA

La Fortaleza del Real Felipe is the most prominent landmark in Callao. Built during colonial times, it was used to defend Spain’s most important port in the Americas against pirates and corsairs who would otherwise raid Callao or nearby Lima as they did up and down the Pacific coast. Today it is a tourist attraction and museum run by Peru’s army.

During the early colonial period, the Spanish, having conquered the Inca Empire, were busy shipping off its treasures to Spain. Granted license as the continent’s principle port, El Callao was where most of the seized riches were shipped from. This, combined with the fact that Lima was slowly becoming the wealthiest city in the Empire and hence the world, made it a prime target for pirate raids. To protect their port, Viceroy Pedro Álvarez de Toledo y Leiva ordered the construction of a wall around the city in the 1640s. This served well, but was unfortunately destroyed by a tsunami in 1746.

Viceroy José Antonio Manso de Velasco afterwards ordered the construction of a fortress.
The Real Felipe fortress was one of the largest construction projects the Spanish had every undertaken costing a bank-breaking 3 million pesos. Many blocks were cut from the San Lorenzo island off the coast, while others were removed from the destroyed remains of the old Callao wall.
The fortress was named after Felipe V of Spain of the House of Borbón who had recently died.

Abtao submarine is a worthy visit.Location: The Base Naval del Callao Naval Base, La Punta, Callao.

Navy Museum. or “Capitán de Navío Julio J. Elías Murguía.”
Location: 1243 Avenida Jorge Chávez Avenue.

Guatemala´s "Must Visit" Places

Yes, you know Guatemala is a great place for tourists to go, with rich culture, ancient Mayan ruins, volcanoes, etc., but getting down to business, what places should not be missed from the "been there, done that" list of anyone visiting this small yet amazing country?

We at Humanitravels make this simple for you!  check our list out and please contact us about information on tours, prices, driving times or anything else you need to know about these or other places you feel should be in this list:

In order of the amouns of visitors each place gets year round:

1- Antigua: the Colonial Capital of Central America, with so many titles that would take too long to write, but only 1 hour or less drive from the international airport in Guatemala city, with many hotel options to cover all budgets, restaurants for all tastes, shops with all kinds of handicrafts, cheap internet and international call services and easy to set connections to all mayor tourist destinations in the nation and even to Mexico and Central America.  No wonder it is one of the top destinations in Latin America.

2- Tikal Mayan Ruins: Ancient history, amazing archaeology and engineering, all surrounded by a lush tropical rainforest jungle, and with interesting misteries to be uncovered...  Howler monkeys, tucans, live jungle...  What else do you need to get to visit them?  A bit far for driving, but only a 1hr flight away from Guatemala city.  It surely is worth the hastle!

3- Lake Atitlan: Towering volcanos, mayan villages filled with culture, handicrafts and history, great shopping and good food.  Only 2:30hrs away from Antigua over a scenic ride over the mountains, giving you the chance of getting in touch with the modern Maya people.

4- Chichicastenango: The largest indigenous handicraft market in Mesoamerica, that has been taking place in the same place for centuries.  Mayans go there twice a week to sell their produce and get their weekly needs, and of course, pay their respects and bring offerings to the catholic saints inside the colonial temple but also to the Mayan idol in a nearby hill.  As a visitor, you will be able to see the explosion of colors with the women's clothing, flowers sold in the stairway to the temple and vegetables sold in the market.  If you want to visit a real handicraft market, you can't miss it!  Held every thursday and sunday.

These are the "most see" places if you only have a few days, but there are many more that we will be giving information about in this blog in the following weeks.

Please visit our website to see options to visit Guatemala and work as a volunteer.

Try our culinary hot spot: The Novoandina Cuisine

Traditional Peruvian cooking is a hybrid of Spanish and native Indian foodways. Many ingredients, such as potatoes, corn, peanuts, chiles, and fresh seafood, date back to the Incan empire, which flourished in the Andes for thousands of years. When Spanish conquistadors arrived in the 16th century, they brought European-style desserts and ingredients such as chicken, beef, and citrus fruits. Later, African, Italian, Chinese, and Japanese immigrants added to the mix, forming the spicy cuisine that is still cooked in many homes and restaurants today.

Cutting-edge Peruvian gastronomes, however, are now turning back to their ancient past - and reinventing it, given birth to the Novandina ("New Andean") movement, which draws on pre-Conquest Incan ingredients and fuses them with innovative modern preparations to create dishes like “quinotto”  (quinoa risotto).

Alpaca meat Brocheta in Quinotto

What to do on the weekends in Guatemala

By Gustavo, Humanitravels In-Country Rep - Antigua, Guatemala

As a volunteer in one of the projects Humanitravels offers in Guatemala, you will have direct contact with Guatemalan families, and knowing what they like to do on the weekends or holidays is a good thing to be prepared.

Guatemala’s most valuable resource is it’s people, always with a smile, and despite the hard life a lot have, there is always time and at least a bit or money to enjoy different activities on the weekend.

In practically any town you would find yourself at, you will always find soccer games (called “Football” all over the world except in the USA), vendors in the plazas selling “atoll” (drink based on corn, drank hot in clay bowls, some salty and some sweet), “tostadas” (fried corn tortillas with different stuffing), and many other traditional meals.

People also enjoy a day’s visit to a nearby black sand beach in the Pacific, or a day of “vitrinear” (look at shops without buying), or just hang out in the town’s square to see people and to be seen.

All this is normally carried away by the whole family, from the “Abuelita” (grandmother) to the newborn babies, without forgetting the family dog or even the parrots!

Families that host or receive foreigners, specially volunteers, normally like to take them around in their weekend trips, but also understand they might like some privacy or time away on their own or with other foreigners.

Chan Chan, the largest mud city of the World

CHAN CHAN the largest mud city in the World

Only a ten minute drive from Trujillo lies the mysterious remains of the Chimu city of Chan Chan.   The 28-square-mile (75km2) capital of the Chimu Empire, which dominated the region from about 1000 A.D. until about 1470 A.D is the largest pre-Columbian city in the Americas, and the largest mud city in the world. Built around 1300 A.D., Chan Chan at its height had an estimated population of 60,000 people.  

Chan Chan really needs to be seen in the same context as the great ancient cities in Egypt, Mesopotamia or China.    And it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986, since then it has been adequately protected and much of the ancient city has been restored. 

Whale Watching in Guatemala - a new Option!

If visiting the amazing Mayan ruins of Tikal, spending time in lovely Antigua and shopping in the Chichicastenango indigenous market is not enough, Guatemala now has a new and interesting activity to do: Whale Watching!   Yes, several species, specially hump-back whales come to our shores to feed their newborns, moving away from the cold North Pacific waters.  The best season is from mid December to mid April, and getting to see these whales with the dramatic landscape of our volcanoes is something not to be missed.
Tourists in these trips can also help untangle green sea turtles often found in our coast, and maybe get to see some dolphins.
Humanitravels supports activities like this, that help preserve animal species, and to promote a better way of making a living for poeple rather than just hunting and fishing them for commerce.
If you would like to join a trip like this, please contact us and we will gladly set it up for you.
We also encourage you to check our options to do some volunteer work in the Pacific Coast!!

INCA HOT SPRINGS

Maybe it will be challenging to decide where to go, trek or travel in Peru.  The country is full of amazing places of interest, each with a unique culture, history, stories, climate and microclimates.  This time we are going to visit Cajamarca and its hot springs.

One of the main attractions in Cajamarca is “Los Baños del Inca”, a collection of volcanic hot springs outside the city.  Here is where the Spanish encountered Atahualpa while he was bathing. Locals claim that the waters which are full of minerals have medical and healing powers, such a positive effect on fatigue, rheumatism and respiratory & nervous systems problems. 

The steam rising informed you that the temperature of the water is hot and can reach temperatures of 70 degrees Celsius.  Want to try?  Pretty sure you are going to feel relaxed and refreshed after a dip in the hot spring waters pool.

MACHU PICCHU, ONE OF THE NEW SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD

Since the site was never known to the Spanish during their conquest, it is highly significant as a relatively intact cultural site. Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. In 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide Internet poll.
Machu Picchu is situated above a loop of the Urubamba River. The location of the city was a military secret, and its deep precipices and steep mountains provided excellent natural defenses.
Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls. Its three primary buildings are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows.

As well as the venerable Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley near Cusco City is also recommended to see Inca Ruins.  Many visitors come here every year to hike the Inca Trail... It’s highly recommended.

You can read more about Machu Picchu at Peru Travel Blog.

Guatemala, one of the TOP 10 destinations according to CNN

Coming to Guatemala as a volunteer not only will give you a great opportunity to really help projects that are making a difference in children, women and poor communities, but you will also be in a small country filled with natural wonders, amazing ancient Mayan ruins and a very special and friendly people. Be it in the tropical jungles in the north or in the mountains in the west- central area, you will be amazed with the beauty around you, natural and cultural.
Visit our site and jump into a highly rewarding experience!

CNN recently rated Guatemala as number 8 in the "World's Top Destinations for 2011" check out what they said below:
"More than 10 years after the end of its civil war, Guatemala is coming into its own as a tourist destination, Frommer said.
The country is an appealing alternative for people looking to travel south of the border and trying to branch out beyond popular places like Costa Rica, she added. Once there, you'll be amazed by the sites -- and the low prices.
"Lake Atitlan is one of the most beautiful places in the world. In fact, Aldous Huxley said it was more beautiful than Lake Como. I was there in March, and I would agree," Frommer said.
She called the destination "a bargain wonderland." A round-trip flight from New York cost Frommer $350, "decent hotels" charged as little as $35 a night, and a meal at a sit-down restaurant might set you back just $3, she said."