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When the Inca conquered surrounding peoples, they brought their deities as well. They usually did not stop the conquered peoples from worshipping their own gods and goddesses, but required that the Inca deities be added to the pantheon and that their position be the supreme one... |
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In nearly every region in the world, stories of a great flood that parallel the flood stories in the Bible exist. In fact, missionaries have been surprised to find these stories already existing among tribes they visited in remote areas of Peru, India, Russia, Scandanavia, Sumatra, and other countries. Common elements in these tales are often amazingly similar to the biblical tale of Noah and the Great Flood... |
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The ancient practice of coca leaf chewing has been a time-honored and traditional one in the Andes of Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile and Ecuador for centuries. Coca (Erythroxylum spp) has been attributed with many medicinal properties in its leaf form, including reduction of hunger, increased stamina and endurance, as an aid to digestion and mild stimulant... |
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Of all the amphibians in the Amazon rainforest, frogs are the most plentiful.There are more than 1000 species of frogs found throughout the countries in this enormous jungle region. Because the rainforest is so moist and humid, frogs there are free to live in trees. Since their skin is in need of almost constant moisture, in drier climates, frogs are limited to living in or near swamps and ponds... |
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The Vicuña is a species of South American camelid that runs along the high plains, or Pampas, of the Andes. It is a relative of the Alpaca and Llama and is one of two wild camelids, the other being the guanaco. Vicuña are small, shy, graceful animals with very soft, warm fur that is considered more valuable than any other wool in the world... |
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The Andean Cock of the Rock, Rupicola peruviana, is a shy, brilliantly-colored scarlet or orange-colored passerine that is found in the cloud forests of Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela and Ecuador. It is approximately 12.5 inches long. The male of the species possesses a large, unusually-shaped crest on the top of its head, and, as in most bird species, is more colorful than the female... |
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Peru boasts 32 species of primates, which are scattered among the three families that comprise New World monkeys. These are: Callithricidae, which includes marmosets and tamarins; Cebidae, the largest group, that includes capuchin monkeys, woolly monkeys, spider monkeys, and others; and Callimiconidae, which only has one species, the Goeldi’s Monkey... |
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Explorers from Europe in the 1600s usually had the dual motive of conversion of native peoples to Christianity and exploring and gaining lands for their flag. When the Conquistadors came to Peru in 1531, they outlawed the religions practiced by the Andean people... |
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In the Andes, Christmas is celebrated with a combination of Native and Christian elements. The most important day of the holiday season is really Christmas Eve, known in the Andes as ¨La Noche Buena,¨or the good night... |
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It is quite likely that you are sitting down to meals that comprise ingredients that originated in Peru every time you eat. With over 84 of the possible 118 microclimates that exist in the world, almost any type of food crop can be grown in Peru... |
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The Andean Condor has come to be known as a symbol of grace and majesty in Peru and other countries of South America. Its feathers, bones and eyes are said to possess magical properties, and it has been used by native peoples for centuries in shamanism and medicine...
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Also known as the Amazon River dolphin, bufeo colorado, and tonina, Botos are the center of many Amazonian myths and legends. They are generally respected and protected, perhaps due to a belief in their supernatural powers...
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Camelids are even-toed ungulates: hoofed mammals, distinguished by their elongated double-toed splayed feet. They are mostly large, plant-eating animals that differ from ruminants, such as cows and sheep, in several important ways: they have a three- chambered stomach...
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Kuelap is an ancient and truly magnificent structure. The only place that can really compare to its size, mystery and grandeur is the Sanctuary of MachuPicchu, but even then, Kuelap is at least twice as old and quite a bit bigger- it is estimated to contain 3 times more material than Egypt’s largest pyramid!...
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Gaucho is a term used to describe men who lived a horse and cattle lifestyle on the South American pampas (or grasslands), and on the chacos, or Patagonian plains. They are roughly the equivalent of the North American cowboy and are found mainly in Argentina...
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Animals are considered endangered when they are at risk of extinction, either because there are only a small number of them left, due to threats from changes to their environment, shifting of predator to prey ratios, and other factors. Nations over the last 50 years have developed laws to protect species form becoming extinct; however few species actually get on these lists...
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Who has not been enchanted by photos or sightings of these iridescent mini-rockets of energy known as hummingbirds? They were described by the Aztec as tiny suns, and have been accorded their place in legend, story and song throughout the centuries...
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Chan Chan (meaning "Sun Sun"), the archaeological site located near Trujillo in Peru, is the largest Pre-Columbian city in South America. It was the imperial capital of the Chimu Empire, Chimor, until it was conquered by the Inka in the 15th century...
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Throughout the Amazon jungle it is possible to find quite a few different native tribes, such as the Machiguengas, the Huarayos, the Mashcos, the Huachiparis, the Shirenis, the aguarunas, the Amahuaca, and the Iñaparis, all of which have completely distinct cultures and traditions...
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There are many different types and breeds of horses that specialize in many different areas; some are best for racing, some for jumping and others for parades. However, it has been agreed that the qualities that make the best all around horse are temperament, beauty, versatility, low maintenance, and being all around pleasurable. The Peruvian Paso is the one horse that meets all of these criteria...
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Few travelers get the chance to see stealthy jaguars, solitary anteaters, rare red uakari monkeys and over 42 species of butterfly in the jungle, but at the Amazon Animal Orphanage and Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm, you can visit and interact with the wildlife and see the fragile insects in all stages of life...
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A Shaman is a person who travels to other dimensions and brings back information to help his fellow men, and one who uses the virtues of power plants and other spiritual forces to benefit and heal others...
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A hot spring is formed when water that is heated underground returns to the surface of the earth. In some areas, magma or lava has worked its way up through Earth's crust. These hot rocks sit at shallow depths beneath Earth's surface...
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For a few days out of each year the quiet, colonial backwater town of Paucartambo comes to life. It is suddenly overfilled with thousands of visitors, spectators who come to see and be a part of one of South America’s most vibrant and fascinating fiestas...
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Ours has always been a fun-loving family. My partner and I wanted to raise our two children in ways that some might find a bit quirky, to say the least. Since we each have children from previous relationships, we also had ideas about raising children that were based on; let’s face it- previous mistakes...
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In Sept 2005 my daughter Alice and I took a long overdue mother-daughter trip, to Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Inkas. My daughter had reached the age where what I said no longer struck her as the most profound wisdom in the world...
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