- Let's take a look at the map
- How Peru celebrates the New Year
- Useful information for the traveler
The standard ideas about South America for most travelers are the Brazilian carnival, Argentine tango and Chilean Tierra del Fuego, which perfectly illustrates human ideas about the end of the world. But on the distant continent, where summer comes in winter, there is another country. In recent years, the coveted glance of an inquisitive tourist has increasingly turned there, for whom a real vacation is not only all inclusive and organized excursions to nearby markets. Such travelers storm the Andes in search of clues to the secrets of ancient civilizations, fight their way through the Amazon jungle and learn to cope with altitude sickness, the best cure for which is the magnificent views of the highest mountain in the world, Lake Titicaca. Do you want to celebrate the New Year in Peru, standing at the foot of the stone to which the Incas tied the sun? Take a chance and you will not regret, because such a scenario will remain the most vivid impression of your tourist biography.
Let's take a look at the map
The most important thing to learn about South America from school geography lessons is its latitude. The continent is almost entirely located below the equator, and therefore the New Year in Peru and most other countries begins in the summer.
The climate of Peru is quite diverse and the weather is significantly influenced by the proximity of the ocean, the height of the area above sea level and other factors:
- In the popular tourist region, where the main attraction of Peru is located, it is usually quite cold in winter and cool in summer. Machu Picchu and the city of Cusco are located at an altitude of 2500 - 3400 meters above sea level, and therefore the air there is rarefied and daily temperature fluctuations can reach 20 degrees or more. In December-January in this area, mercury columns usually rise no higher than + 17 ° С during the day and + 7 ° С at night.
- The Nazca Valley lies in a desert zone and here on New Year's holidays the thermometers may not leave the mark of + 30 ° C and above.
- If you plan to visit the Amazon jungle during the New Year holidays, be prepared for high humidity and intense heat. Thermometers will show at less than + 28 ° С.
Meteorologists distinguish two seasons in Peru: rainy from November to mid-April and dry during the rest of the year. However, on the land of the Incas, not everything is so simple, and the level of precipitation differs significantly at the same time, but in different regions of the country.
How Peru celebrates the New Year
Most Peruvians are Catholics, and Christmas and New Year are celebrated in the country and very much loved. Traditions are kept sacred, and therefore the New Year tree and Santa Claus are present everywhere and in large numbers. The inhabitants of the country do not forget about the old custom brought to the land of the Incas by the Spaniards. When the clock strikes, everyone eats a grape and makes twelve wishes. The Peruvians await their performance all year round. Popular on New Year's Eve and walks with suitcases in hand. This tradition is considered especially useful for those who have long dreamed of moving and traveling.
However, the indigenous people - Indians do not trust Western customs too much and prefer their own rituals that attract good luck. Once in South America on New Year's Eve, you can witness the ancient shamanic custom of worshiping Mother Earth. Its main attribute is a set for the sacrifice "mesada", which includes sugar figurines symbolizing wealth and a sweet life, a pot with a silver lid serving as a full bowl, two swans to strengthen the marriage, coca leaves as a source of cheerfulness and photocopies of banknotes to attract wealth. The shaman sanctifies all this and buries it in the ground exactly at midnight, bringing riches to her as a gift. The next stage is fortune telling on coca leaves, after which the Indian sorcerer announces his verdict, and the New Year in Peru begins.
If you consider yourself an adherent of conservative European traditions, go to celebrate the holiday in Lima. In the capital of the country, during the Christmas holidays, there are merry fairs where you can buy the famous Peruvian alpaca wool products. At midnight on December 31, a grandiose fireworks are organized on the main square of Lima, and a colorful ceremony of worship of the moon is held in Cusco.
Useful information for the traveler
The main disadvantage of traveling to South America is the length and cost of transatlantic flights. In order to save money on the transfer, you can follow the special offers of airlines that often conduct air ticket sales. You will be the first to know all the news and prices if you subscribe to an e-mail newsletter on the websites of the carriers you are interested in. Air France, Lufthansa, KLM and Iberia are most often generous in the South American direction.
You won't be able to fly directly from Moscow to Lima, but with connections you can get to the Peruvian capital in several ways:
- The cheapest tickets are usually on board Delta Air Lines. With connections in Amsterdam and Atlanta, you will be in Lima "in just" 20 hours of clean flight. Delta takes off from Sheremetyevo, the ticket price for New Year's dates starts from 1200 euros. The only condition for buying such a ticket is the presence of a US visa in the passport. There are no transit zones at airports in the United States, and without a visa, you will not be able to board, even if you only plan to dock in the United States. This rule applies to all airports in Canada.
- Prices for flights from the Russian capital to the Peruvian capital on the sides of the Dutch, French and Panamanian airlines start from 1400 euros. Passengers will have to make at least two transfers in each direction, and spend about 19 hours in the sky.
It is important to start planning any flight, especially a transatlantic one, well in advance. The best prices for air tickets can be "caught" 5-7 months before the start of the trip.
Keep in mind that most of the Peruvian attractions are located in the highlands. Unaccustomed to such heights, a European may suffer from altitude sickness, the symptoms of which are dizziness, shortness of breath, breathing problems and severe weakness, even with a simple attempt to climb a few steps. To prevent dangerous symptoms, it is worth taking special medications in advance and adapting to the altitudes gradually, leaving the highest objects at the end of the trip. In high altitude conditions, you should not celebrate the New Year with alcohol on the table. In Peru, this type of celebration can be hazardous to health.
Remember to put sunscreen in your baggage. The thin air in the mountains creates practically no protective barrier against UV radiation and your skin can get burned in a short time.
