Ubinas volcano: the home of the creatures of fire

By the Colca Specialist

Ubinas volcano is one of the active volcanoes located in the southpart of Peru.

Ubinas volcano presented a strong volcanic activity in 2010 and the inhabitants of the local communas moved to Arequipa and after the volcanic activity decreased locals started to come back home.

Some weeks ago I was invited by the owner of Naturaleza Activa Eduardo Sánchez to join his team of mountainclimbers whose main goal was to reach the top of Ubinas volcano. (I load up a video in youtube so you can check it.The link is the following :http://youtu.be/vihQbTAXtPk.)

According to the inca traditions mountains and volcanoes were considered sacred. The mountains and the volcanoes were the home of the Apus, spirits of the mountain with the shape of a totem bird,condor,hawk,eagle. They are the equivalent of the catholic angels.

The destruction provoked by a volcano was considered as something terrible in those times and the inca used to perform animal or human sacrifices in order to keep the gods calm.The incas had several types of ceremonial dedicated to the spirits of the mountains and the most special ceremonial they had was the ritual of Karpay in which the spirits of the mountain spoke directly with the participants.

These rituals are considered obscure in these days, but they are still practiced by the altomesayoqs or keepers of heaven rituals in the south part of Peruvian andes.
As a specialist in aboriginal and indigenous cults,the trip to Ubinas was going to be for me a special experience.

The first time I visited Ubinas was in the eighties when I had the opportunity to visit the volcano with an English family who were on a photo safari.
All the time I visited Salinas lake I could see Ubinas impressive image so I was eager to climb it.Then the phone call arrived. It was Eduardo who needed a guide specialized in Andean cults. I was ready for Ubinas.

The next day I met the tour leader of the group . Her name was Gundula and she is a professional mountainclimber. The group she was guiding came from Austria and Ubinas was one of the volcanoes they wanted to climb in Arequipa.

We departed early in the morning and on the way we visited Chiguata, a settlement next to Misti volcano, then we visited Salinas lake and from there we had a wonderful view of Pichu-Pichu volcano and a little far away we could see Ubinas .The flamingoes are one of the different types of birds available in the area. Don José de San Martín, a general who fought for freedom he inspired himself in the flamingoes he saw in a dream in order to create the national flag of Peru: Red and white.

This trip was definitively something different. It was not just another mountainclimbing tour with the classical non English speaking guide with a poor knowledge about the indigenous cultures. As a specialized guide in Andean cults it was very special for me to share the knowledge I inherited from my ancestors with the group of visitors. When you learn about the Andean ancient ways the trip it doesn’t become just another description but it turns into an unforgettable experience with the Inca culture.

The beautiful landscapes and all its components: alpacas,lamas,etc gave a special touch to this special Andean landscapes where the wind and the silence are the keepers of this land considered sacred by our ancestors.

We camped in Piscococha area. There is a small lake in the surroundings with the same name. The altitude of the area was 4,300 meters and it was very windy outside.
At night we had a special ceremonial in order to ask the apus or spirits of the mountain for permission to trespass. Apu Ubinas accepted the offering. We were ready to climb Ubinas volcano the next day.

The next day we woke up very early in the morning. It was freezing cold but with the help of some hot coca tea we could resist the low temperatures.

After some hours all the group was on the top of Ubinas. On the way important lessons were learned on the way. After the exchange of hugs all the differences were left aside.

We were all just walkers walking through the ancient paths of the Incas. When I was at the top alone I could saw the beauty of the land where I was born and I thanked the Creator for allowing me to walk once more again through the path of my ancestors in order to learn more about the kawsay or the way of living well.

At the end I couldn´t avoid laughing about the empty way of living of certain peoples in the cities who are struggling against their Tv sets all time.I wish I had my beloved ones with me in that moment but it was not necessary. Wherever they were they felt my happiness inside their hearts in that important moment.I was on the top of a mountain not just a common mountain: it was Ubinas.

Kodak Time my friends! Enjoy the pictures!

This is a view of Salinas and Aguada Blanca Lake which is located behind Pichu-Pichu volcano.In the picture we can see a couple of wild vicuñas roaming freely on the Salinas.The view of Misti volcano in the background is impressive too!

The vicuña is one of the southamerican cameloids that is adapted to the extreme weather conditions of this area.

This is the prize for being the first on the top.In this picture we can see the smoke coming out from the carter of Ubinas.The sulphur smell is very strong in the crater area.

A frontal view of the crater of Ubinas.

Eduardo Sánchez Bendezú and Jose Arias from Naturaleza Activa.A travel agency which is specialized in adventure and specially exclusive tours and explorations.

The crater is deep so I don´t plan to get closer!

Once more again the smoke starts to come out.

The trip was awesome and I would like to thank my friends from Naturaleza Activa once more again for this wonderfull trip to Ubinas: the home of the creatures of fire and to you my readers for your time!See you soon!

Ubinas volcano: the home of the creatures of fire

By the Colca Specialist

Ubinas volcano is one of the active volcanoes located in the southpart of Peru.

Ubinas volcano presented a strong volcanic activity in 2010 and the inhabitants of the local communas moved to Arequipa and after the volcanic activity decreased locals started to come back home.

Some weeks ago I was invited by the owner of Naturaleza Activa Eduardo Sánchez to join his team of mountainclimbers whose main goal was to reach the top of Ubinas volcano. (I load up a video in youtube so you can check it.The link is the following :http://youtu.be/vihQbTAXtPk.)

According to the inca traditions mountains and volcanoes were considered sacred. The mountains and the volcanoes were the home of the Apus, spirits of the mountain with the shape of a totem bird,condor,hawk,eagle. They are the equivalent of the catholic angels.

The destruction provoked by a volcano was considered as something terrible in those times and the inca used to perform animal or human sacrifices in order to keep the gods calm.The incas had several types of ceremonial dedicated to the spirits of the mountains and the most special ceremonial they had was the ritual of Karpay in which the spirits of the mountain spoke directly with the participants.

These rituals are considered obscure in these days, but they are still practiced by the altomesayoqs or keepers of heaven rituals in the south part of Peruvian andes.
As a specialist in aboriginal and indigenous cults,the trip to Ubinas was going to be for me a special experience.

The first time I visited Ubinas was in the eighties when I had the opportunity to visit the volcano with an English family who were on a photo safari.
All the time I visited Salinas lake I could see Ubinas impressive image so I was eager to climb it.Then the phone call arrived. It was Eduardo who needed a guide specialized in Andean cults. I was ready for Ubinas.

The next day I met the tour leader of the group . Her name was Gundula and she is a professional mountainclimber. The group she was guiding came from Austria and Ubinas was one of the volcanoes they wanted to climb in Arequipa.

We departed early in the morning and on the way we visited Chiguata, a settlement next to Misti volcano, then we visited Salinas lake and from there we had a wonderful view of Pichu-Pichu volcano and a little far away we could see Ubinas .The flamingoes are one of the different types of birds available in the area. Don José de San Martín, a general who fought for freedom he inspired himself in the flamingoes he saw in a dream in order to create the national flag of Peru: Red and white.

This trip was definitively something different. It was not just another mountainclimbing tour with the classical non English speaking guide with a poor knowledge about the indigenous cultures. As a specialized guide in Andean cults it was very special for me to share the knowledge I inherited from my ancestors with the group of visitors. When you learn about the Andean ancient ways the trip it doesn’t become just another description but it turns into an unforgettable experience with the Inca culture.

The beautiful landscapes and all its components: alpacas,lamas,etc gave a special touch to this special Andean landscapes where the wind and the silence are the keepers of this land considered sacred by our ancestors.

We camped in Piscococha area. There is a small lake in the surroundings with the same name. The altitude of the area was 4,300 meters and it was very windy outside.
At night we had a special ceremonial in order to ask the apus or spirits of the mountain for permission to trespass. Apu Ubinas accepted the offering. We were ready to climb Ubinas volcano the next day.

The next day we woke up very early in the morning. It was freezing cold but with the help of some hot coca tea we could resist the low temperatures.

After some hours all the group was on the top of Ubinas. On the way important lessons were learned on the way. After the exchange of hugs all the differences were left aside.

We were all just walkers walking through the ancient paths of the Incas. When I was at the top alone I could saw the beauty of the land where I was born and I thanked the Creator for allowing me to walk once more again through the path of my ancestors in order to learn more about the kawsay or the way of living well.

At the end I couldn´t avoid laughing about the empty way of living of certain peoples in the cities who are struggling against their Tv sets all time.I wish I had my beloved ones with me in that moment but it was not necessary. Wherever they were they felt my happiness inside their hearts in that important moment.I was on the top of a mountain not just a common mountain: it was Ubinas.

Kodak Time my friends! Enjoy the pictures!

This is a view of Salinas and Aguada Blanca Lake which is located behind Pichu-Pichu volcano.In the picture we can see a couple of wild vicuñas roaming freely on the Salinas.The view of Misti volcano in the background is impressive too!

The vicuña is one of the southamerican cameloids that is adapted to the extreme weather conditions of this area.

This is the prize for being the first on the top.In this picture we can see the smoke coming out from the carter of Ubinas.The sulphur smell is very strong in the crater area.

A frontal view of the crater of Ubinas.

Eduardo Sánchez Bendezú and Jose Arias from Naturaleza Activa.A travel agency which is specialized in adventure and specially exclusive tours and explorations.

The crater is deep so I don´t plan to get closer!

Once more again the smoke starts to come out.

The trip was awesome and I would like to thank my friends from Naturaleza Activa once more again for this wonderfull trip to Ubinas: the home of the creatures of fire and to you my readers for your time!See you soon!

The Development Impact of Rural Tourism in Peru´s Colca Valley

by Simon Bidwell

Introduction

This thesis aimed to evaluate claims that alternative forms of tourism can help reduce poverty and promote more inclusive development in Latin America by creating alternative economic opportunities in historically marginalised areas while supporting and revalorizing traditional cultures and livelihoods. The focus of field research was the Colca Valley in southern Peru, which has become an increasingly popular tourist destination since the mid 1990s. A broad political economy approach was taken, combining detailed case studies of the experience of tourism in contrasting

localities in the Colca Valley with an analysis of Peru's wider economic and social context. The research thus framed the empirical question of “impacts” with historical-structural analysis while also acknowledging the potential diversity of perspectives on tourism and development.

The key questions were as follows:

•What economic, political, social, cultural or other factors have structured the development of tourism in the case study areas?
•What have been the impacts of tourism to date in the case study areas and to what extent has it contributed to poverty reduction and more inclusive development?
•What are the expectations do different stakeholders have of tourism and what is their vision of its potential contribution to development?

Theoretical Background

Two streams of theoretical literature formed the background to the thesis. The first related to the Latin American structuralist and dependency theories which emerged during the 1950—80 period to challenge modernisationist accounts of development. These theories argued that the position of Latin American and other developing countries as “resource peripheries” in the global economy constrained their development and perpetuated social inequalities.

Since the late 1980s, these theories have been superceded by a broad set of approaches which may be grouped under the heading of “neostructuralism”. Neostructuralism retains many of the insights of structuralism but is more optimistic about interaction with the international economy, in part based on the development success of previously peripheral countries in East Asia.

It emphasises the need for resource peripheries to diversify and develop “non-traditional” exports that have a greater value-added component and greater links with local economies. Alternative forms of tourism have many of the characteristics of the non-traditional activities promoted by neostructuralist approaches.

The second stream of literature related to theories and case studies of alternative tourism,including ecotourism and “sustainable”, “responsible” or “pro-poor” tourism. Seen since the late 1980s as compatible with grassroots or sustainable development, alternative forms of tourism are claimed to help preserve natural environments, provide development benefits to local communities,and revalorize traditional livelihoods.

Among the criticisms, alternative forms of tourism have been argued to be no different from traditional tourism, to privilege Western views of sustainability and crowd out local use of resources, and to appropriate and commodify indigenous cultures or livelihoods for external profit. The model of “rural community tourism”, which has developed over the past decade in Latin America in particular, places more specific emphasis on local control and economic benefits but there is continued debate about its potential contribution to development.

Methodology

A broad political economy approach was taken to the research. This called for a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods, combining ethnographic approaches in local communities,structured interviews with formal institutions, and analysis of data.

I undertook four months of field work in Peru between March and July 2010, dividing my time between the regional capital of Arequipa, the provincial capital of Chivay, and the case study districts of Cabanaconde, Tapay (lower Colca Valley) and Sibayo (upper Colca Valley).

The perspectives of approximately 75 participants were recorded in field notes, including representatives of institutions, local authorities,small business proprietors and community members. I also conducted a quantitative survey of 41 tour operators in the city of Arequipa.

I participated in two meetings of the Tourism Technical Committee, which is comprised of 10 State, non-governmental and international institutions working to link tourism and development in the Colca Valley, and I attended a two-day conference on the “Municipal Management of Tourism”. I also obtained CDs of detailed data from the Peruvian National Statistics Institute on population, poverty and development indicators down to district level and undertook extensive review of Census data.

Discussion of Research Findings

The research found that a broad political economy approach was useful for understanding the evolution and impact of tourism in the Colca Valley. Unlike Peru's most popular tourist destination of Machu Picchu, which is controlled by the State and monopolistic capital, in the Colca Valley tourism had developed in a spontaneous, informal way.

Outside investment had played a role in the provincial capital of Chivay, which is the centre of “conventional” minibus-based tourism, but in the more peripheral case study areas (where adventure and cultural tourism is predominant) almost all tourism services had been initiated by people with local origins, most frequently by return migrants who had accumulated capital in the cities.

However, thanks to their control of transport and information, tour operators based in the city of Arequipa had come to dominate the tourism market, with nearly 80 percent of tourists travelling to the Colca Valley doing so through an agency.

Increasing competition among these mostly small-scale urban tour operators had driven down prices and led to pressure being placed on local providers to also reduce prices. Pre-existing social differences and mistrust within the Colca Valley communities prevented a common front being presented to the tour operators.

A cycle of conflict and destructive competition at a number of levels had thus restricted the overall value obtained, disincentivised innovation and led to what many participants described as the “disorderly” development of tourism. Although lack of cohesion in civil society was a proximate cause of this disorder, the thesis argues that the underlying reasons related to the wider Peruvian context of narrow economic development, underemployment, and wages that have stagnated at early 1990s levels.

In the case study areas of Cabanaconde and Tapay, economic benefits had largely accrued to a few families who had established accommodation and restaurant services. These were mainly people with existing skills and resources who often maintained footholds both in the city of Arequipa and the local village.

Tourism did not necessarily produce large earnings, but assisted the long-term accumulation of assets and promoted economic resilience. Some other community members had obtained additional income through guiding, selling crafts or opening small stores.

However, growing urban dominance of tourism had reduced the space for local participation,particularly of guides.

The majority of community members dedicated to agriculture or herding had little contact with tourism and received few benefits: Little employment had been generated by tourism: jobs consisted of a few formal positions in larger accommdation services, mainly occupied by temporary migrants from the city, and informal work in family-run businesses, usually undertaken by migrants from poorer communities and paid below minimum wage.

In the case study area of Sibayo in the upper valley, a rural community tourism project had been developed over the past five years. In contrast with the lower valley districts, this emphasized equity, broad community participation and linking traditional livelhoods with tourism.

A more homogenous and cohesive social context, unusually proactive municipal leadership, and intensive assistance from outside institutions had permitted significant progress with community organization and development of infrastructure for tourism.

However, low volumes of tourists constrained the further development of the project and raised questions about its long-term viability or replicability.
The research also considered social, cultural and environmental impacts of tourism. While studies of tourism in developing countries often paint it as socially and culturally destabilising, the preliminary conclusion of this thesis was that tourism had had only a minor effect on rapid social change largely due to decades of migration, expansion of secondary education, and the influence of electronic media.

The cultural influence of tourism had on balance been positive, contributing to an increasing recognition and pride in traditional culture and livelihoods, which in Peru have historically suffered from marginalisation and discrimination. Environmental impacts were an increasing concern, notably the influx of non-biodegradable items into fragile natural environments.

Nevertheless, the increase in tourist numbers counterbalanced population decline in the case study districts, and their impact could potentially be mitigated. Greater environmental impacts in the canyon area were threatened by the building of new roads, mining, and a proposed hydroelectric project.

Overall, the research concluded that alternative forms of tourism can have a decentralizing impetus by creating new economic opportunities in historically marginalised areas of Latin America,although these are most accessible to those with existing skills and resources.

Tourism can also be culturally decentralising by bolstering challenges to cultural categories that have historically perpetuated marginalisation, and by offering a useful platform for local self-assertion. However, like other “non-traditional” industries it does little to directly promote equity or address the structural features of underdevelopment, which require wider social and political action to bring about change.

Implications for Development Practice and Policy

An increasing number of institutions were working to link tourism and development in the Colca Valley. Ten State, non-governmental and international institutions had formed a Tourism Technical Committee which met monthly in the provincial capital of Chivay.

These institutions deployed a discourse which combined elements of grassroots development, emphasising sustainability and participatory approaches, with aspects of neostructuralism, emphasising competitiveness and links to markets. The most controversial role was that of the Autocolca authority, a parastatal entity
theoretically responsible for both promotion and regulation of tourism in the Colca Valley and which obtained revenue by charging foreign and national tourists for the right to enter the valley.

In 2005, concerted protest action by Colca residents saw the administration of Autocolca devolved from regional to provincial level. However, despite more localised governance and an increased budget for investment, most research participants were critical of some aspect of Autocolca.

The thesis made the following specific recommendations for institutions working to link tourism and development in the Colca Valley:

•Explicitly aim to decentralise tourism in the Colca Valley by presenting it as a place to explore rather than visit in a tour from Arequipa. Reorient publicity towards extending the stay of visitors rather than simply attracting more tourists.
•Tailor interventions based on the specific needs and potential of each district rather than applying general solutions across the region.
•Consider using regulatory tools to promote local participation and control, given the limited potential to address urban bias of existing efforts to provide skills training and strengthen civil society.
•Improve the transparency of the Autocolca authority by publishing easily understandable summaries of expenditure in local media.
•Place more emphasis on preserving the Quechua language in the Colca Valley.
Some general lessons for development policy and practice emerged from the research. The most salient of these are listed below.

In a market paradigm, demand matters

Where institutions promote grassroots initiatives that remain within a market-based paradigm, they should take account of the nature of the relevant market, and pay particular attention to the demand side. The institutions working in the Colca Valley were doing a lot of work to upskill local people to deliver tourism services and develop new products.

However there was relatively little investigation into the nature or determinants of tourist demand, and few ideas about how to overcome problems with transport and information that prevented local people from gaining access to tourism markets, let alone participating in them on an equal footing. This risks of this approach included wasted investment, disillusionment, and new sources of conflict.

“Local” is a relative concept, and not all “local people” are the same.

An important finding of the research was how much social and cultural context varied within relatively small geographical spaces: despite being separated by little more than 50 km, the respective case study districts in the upper and lower Colca Valley differed in ethnicity, culture, language, livelihoods and migratory patterns. This was not often acknowledged by the various institutions.

People in the lower valley districts were said to be uninterested in projects or difficult to work with. However, all staff from NGOs and other institutions were based in the capital of Chivay (pop. 6,500) and usually only made brief visits to other parts of the valley.

Lower valley residents saw this as a lack of commitment to learning about their distinct reality and (reasonably) wondered why no institution bothered to post a staff member in the village of Cabanaconde (pop.3,000).

In theory, the devolution of control of Autocolca to provincial level was a progressive step, putting the governance of the tourism authority in “local” hands. However, people in the lower valley districts felt little had improved: there were constant complaints about dominance of Autocolca by Chivay-based “interests”.

At the same time, people from all parts of the valley were united in complaining about the influence of Arequipa-based tour operators and guides. It isimportant for development agencies to be aware of the differences and commonalities that exist at different geographical levels and to understand how conflicts based on ethnic or territorial identity overlap with those based on class.

Grassroots interventions may be constrained by structural factors at the national level

A key argument of the thesis is that the evolution and impact of tourism in the case study areas were constrained and partly determined by structural factors at the national level. These factors included ongoing narrow economic development based on mineral extraction, widespread urban underemployment and stagnant wages.

Together they incentivised the development of a crowded sector of micro-enterprises with little capital and low risk tolerance, generating little formal employment and tending to compete on price rather than quality. Another specific factor was the deregulation of the travel agency industry in 2005, which contributed to the proliferation of smallscale urban tour operators.

While development institutions working at the grassroots often will not be able to influence these wider structural factors, they should at least recognise them and understand the constraints they place on otherwise worthy interventions. In some cases an understanding of the wider political and economic environment may help institutions develop more appropriate interventions .

The Development Impact of Rural Tourism in Peru´s Colca Valley

by Simon Bidwell

Introduction

This thesis aimed to evaluate claims that alternative forms of tourism can help reduce poverty and promote more inclusive development in Latin America by creating alternative economic opportunities in historically marginalised areas while supporting and revalorizing traditional cultures and livelihoods. The focus of field research was the Colca Valley in southern Peru, which has become an increasingly popular tourist destination since the mid 1990s. A broad political economy approach was taken, combining detailed case studies of the experience of tourism in contrasting

localities in the Colca Valley with an analysis of Peru's wider economic and social context. The research thus framed the empirical question of “impacts” with historical-structural analysis while also acknowledging the potential diversity of perspectives on tourism and development.

The key questions were as follows:

•What economic, political, social, cultural or other factors have structured the development of tourism in the case study areas?
•What have been the impacts of tourism to date in the case study areas and to what extent has it contributed to poverty reduction and more inclusive development?
•What are the expectations do different stakeholders have of tourism and what is their vision of its potential contribution to development?

Theoretical Background

Two streams of theoretical literature formed the background to the thesis. The first related to the Latin American structuralist and dependency theories which emerged during the 1950—80 period to challenge modernisationist accounts of development. These theories argued that the position of Latin American and other developing countries as “resource peripheries” in the global economy constrained their development and perpetuated social inequalities.

Since the late 1980s, these theories have been superceded by a broad set of approaches which may be grouped under the heading of “neostructuralism”. Neostructuralism retains many of the insights of structuralism but is more optimistic about interaction with the international economy, in part based on the development success of previously peripheral countries in East Asia.

It emphasises the need for resource peripheries to diversify and develop “non-traditional” exports that have a greater value-added component and greater links with local economies. Alternative forms of tourism have many of the characteristics of the non-traditional activities promoted by neostructuralist approaches.

The second stream of literature related to theories and case studies of alternative tourism,including ecotourism and “sustainable”, “responsible” or “pro-poor” tourism. Seen since the late 1980s as compatible with grassroots or sustainable development, alternative forms of tourism are claimed to help preserve natural environments, provide development benefits to local communities,and revalorize traditional livelihoods.

Among the criticisms, alternative forms of tourism have been argued to be no different from traditional tourism, to privilege Western views of sustainability and crowd out local use of resources, and to appropriate and commodify indigenous cultures or livelihoods for external profit. The model of “rural community tourism”, which has developed over the past decade in Latin America in particular, places more specific emphasis on local control and economic benefits but there is continued debate about its potential contribution to development.

Methodology

A broad political economy approach was taken to the research. This called for a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods, combining ethnographic approaches in local communities,structured interviews with formal institutions, and analysis of data.

I undertook four months of field work in Peru between March and July 2010, dividing my time between the regional capital of Arequipa, the provincial capital of Chivay, and the case study districts of Cabanaconde, Tapay (lower Colca Valley) and Sibayo (upper Colca Valley).

The perspectives of approximately 75 participants were recorded in field notes, including representatives of institutions, local authorities,small business proprietors and community members. I also conducted a quantitative survey of 41 tour operators in the city of Arequipa.

I participated in two meetings of the Tourism Technical Committee, which is comprised of 10 State, non-governmental and international institutions working to link tourism and development in the Colca Valley, and I attended a two-day conference on the “Municipal Management of Tourism”. I also obtained CDs of detailed data from the Peruvian National Statistics Institute on population, poverty and development indicators down to district level and undertook extensive review of Census data.

Discussion of Research Findings

The research found that a broad political economy approach was useful for understanding the evolution and impact of tourism in the Colca Valley. Unlike Peru's most popular tourist destination of Machu Picchu, which is controlled by the State and monopolistic capital, in the Colca Valley tourism had developed in a spontaneous, informal way.

Outside investment had played a role in the provincial capital of Chivay, which is the centre of “conventional” minibus-based tourism, but in the more peripheral case study areas (where adventure and cultural tourism is predominant) almost all tourism services had been initiated by people with local origins, most frequently by return migrants who had accumulated capital in the cities.

However, thanks to their control of transport and information, tour operators based in the city of Arequipa had come to dominate the tourism market, with nearly 80 percent of tourists travelling to the Colca Valley doing so through an agency.

Increasing competition among these mostly small-scale urban tour operators had driven down prices and led to pressure being placed on local providers to also reduce prices. Pre-existing social differences and mistrust within the Colca Valley communities prevented a common front being presented to the tour operators.

A cycle of conflict and destructive competition at a number of levels had thus restricted the overall value obtained, disincentivised innovation and led to what many participants described as the “disorderly” development of tourism. Although lack of cohesion in civil society was a proximate cause of this disorder, the thesis argues that the underlying reasons related to the wider Peruvian context of narrow economic development, underemployment, and wages that have stagnated at early 1990s levels.

In the case study areas of Cabanaconde and Tapay, economic benefits had largely accrued to a few families who had established accommodation and restaurant services. These were mainly people with existing skills and resources who often maintained footholds both in the city of Arequipa and the local village.

Tourism did not necessarily produce large earnings, but assisted the long-term accumulation of assets and promoted economic resilience. Some other community members had obtained additional income through guiding, selling crafts or opening small stores.

However, growing urban dominance of tourism had reduced the space for local participation,particularly of guides.

The majority of community members dedicated to agriculture or herding had little contact with tourism and received few benefits: Little employment had been generated by tourism: jobs consisted of a few formal positions in larger accommdation services, mainly occupied by temporary migrants from the city, and informal work in family-run businesses, usually undertaken by migrants from poorer communities and paid below minimum wage.

In the case study area of Sibayo in the upper valley, a rural community tourism project had been developed over the past five years. In contrast with the lower valley districts, this emphasized equity, broad community participation and linking traditional livelhoods with tourism.

A more homogenous and cohesive social context, unusually proactive municipal leadership, and intensive assistance from outside institutions had permitted significant progress with community organization and development of infrastructure for tourism.

However, low volumes of tourists constrained the further development of the project and raised questions about its long-term viability or replicability.
The research also considered social, cultural and environmental impacts of tourism. While studies of tourism in developing countries often paint it as socially and culturally destabilising, the preliminary conclusion of this thesis was that tourism had had only a minor effect on rapid social change largely due to decades of migration, expansion of secondary education, and the influence of electronic media.

The cultural influence of tourism had on balance been positive, contributing to an increasing recognition and pride in traditional culture and livelihoods, which in Peru have historically suffered from marginalisation and discrimination. Environmental impacts were an increasing concern, notably the influx of non-biodegradable items into fragile natural environments.

Nevertheless, the increase in tourist numbers counterbalanced population decline in the case study districts, and their impact could potentially be mitigated. Greater environmental impacts in the canyon area were threatened by the building of new roads, mining, and a proposed hydroelectric project.

Overall, the research concluded that alternative forms of tourism can have a decentralizing impetus by creating new economic opportunities in historically marginalised areas of Latin America,although these are most accessible to those with existing skills and resources.

Tourism can also be culturally decentralising by bolstering challenges to cultural categories that have historically perpetuated marginalisation, and by offering a useful platform for local self-assertion. However, like other “non-traditional” industries it does little to directly promote equity or address the structural features of underdevelopment, which require wider social and political action to bring about change.

Implications for Development Practice and Policy

An increasing number of institutions were working to link tourism and development in the Colca Valley. Ten State, non-governmental and international institutions had formed a Tourism Technical Committee which met monthly in the provincial capital of Chivay.

These institutions deployed a discourse which combined elements of grassroots development, emphasising sustainability and participatory approaches, with aspects of neostructuralism, emphasising competitiveness and links to markets. The most controversial role was that of the Autocolca authority, a parastatal entity
theoretically responsible for both promotion and regulation of tourism in the Colca Valley and which obtained revenue by charging foreign and national tourists for the right to enter the valley.

In 2005, concerted protest action by Colca residents saw the administration of Autocolca devolved from regional to provincial level. However, despite more localised governance and an increased budget for investment, most research participants were critical of some aspect of Autocolca.

The thesis made the following specific recommendations for institutions working to link tourism and development in the Colca Valley:

•Explicitly aim to decentralise tourism in the Colca Valley by presenting it as a place to explore rather than visit in a tour from Arequipa. Reorient publicity towards extending the stay of visitors rather than simply attracting more tourists.
•Tailor interventions based on the specific needs and potential of each district rather than applying general solutions across the region.
•Consider using regulatory tools to promote local participation and control, given the limited potential to address urban bias of existing efforts to provide skills training and strengthen civil society.
•Improve the transparency of the Autocolca authority by publishing easily understandable summaries of expenditure in local media.
•Place more emphasis on preserving the Quechua language in the Colca Valley.
Some general lessons for development policy and practice emerged from the research. The most salient of these are listed below.

In a market paradigm, demand matters

Where institutions promote grassroots initiatives that remain within a market-based paradigm, they should take account of the nature of the relevant market, and pay particular attention to the demand side. The institutions working in the Colca Valley were doing a lot of work to upskill local people to deliver tourism services and develop new products.

However there was relatively little investigation into the nature or determinants of tourist demand, and few ideas about how to overcome problems with transport and information that prevented local people from gaining access to tourism markets, let alone participating in them on an equal footing. This risks of this approach included wasted investment, disillusionment, and new sources of conflict.

“Local” is a relative concept, and not all “local people” are the same.

An important finding of the research was how much social and cultural context varied within relatively small geographical spaces: despite being separated by little more than 50 km, the respective case study districts in the upper and lower Colca Valley differed in ethnicity, culture, language, livelihoods and migratory patterns. This was not often acknowledged by the various institutions.

People in the lower valley districts were said to be uninterested in projects or difficult to work with. However, all staff from NGOs and other institutions were based in the capital of Chivay (pop. 6,500) and usually only made brief visits to other parts of the valley.

Lower valley residents saw this as a lack of commitment to learning about their distinct reality and (reasonably) wondered why no institution bothered to post a staff member in the village of Cabanaconde (pop.3,000).

In theory, the devolution of control of Autocolca to provincial level was a progressive step, putting the governance of the tourism authority in “local” hands. However, people in the lower valley districts felt little had improved: there were constant complaints about dominance of Autocolca by Chivay-based “interests”.

At the same time, people from all parts of the valley were united in complaining about the influence of Arequipa-based tour operators and guides. It isimportant for development agencies to be aware of the differences and commonalities that exist at different geographical levels and to understand how conflicts based on ethnic or territorial identity overlap with those based on class.

Grassroots interventions may be constrained by structural factors at the national level

A key argument of the thesis is that the evolution and impact of tourism in the case study areas were constrained and partly determined by structural factors at the national level. These factors included ongoing narrow economic development based on mineral extraction, widespread urban underemployment and stagnant wages.

Together they incentivised the development of a crowded sector of micro-enterprises with little capital and low risk tolerance, generating little formal employment and tending to compete on price rather than quality. Another specific factor was the deregulation of the travel agency industry in 2005, which contributed to the proliferation of smallscale urban tour operators.

While development institutions working at the grassroots often will not be able to influence these wider structural factors, they should at least recognise them and understand the constraints they place on otherwise worthy interventions. In some cases an understanding of the wider political and economic environment may help institutions develop more appropriate interventions .

Chief Seattle Letter to ALL THE PEOPLE

by the Chief Seattle

Chief Seattle, Chief of the Suquamish Indians allegedly wrote to the American Government in the 1800's - In this letter he gave the most profound understanding of God in all Things. Here is his letter, which should be instilled in the hearts and minds of every parent and child in all the Nations of the World:

CHIEF SEATTLE'S LETTER

"The President in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. But how can you buy or sell the sky? the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?

Every part of the earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every meadow, every humming insect. All are holy in the memory and experience of my people.

We know the sap which courses through the trees as we know the blood that courses through our veins. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters. The bear, the deer, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the dew in the meadow, the body heat of the pony, and man all belong to the same family.

The shining water that moves in the streams and rivers is not just water, but the blood of our ancestors. If we sell you our land, you must remember that it is sacred. Each glossy reflection in the clear waters of the lakes tells of events and memories in the life of my people. The water's murmur is the voice of my father's father.

The rivers are our brothers. They quench our thirst. They carry our canoes and feed our children. So you must give the rivers the kindness that you would give any brother.

If we sell you our land, remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life that it supports. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also received his last sigh. The wind also gives our children the spirit of life. So if we sell our land, you must keep it apart and sacred, as a place where man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow flowers.

Will you teach your children what we have taught our children? That the earth is our mother? What befalls the earth befalls all the sons of the earth.

This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.

One thing we know: our God is also your God. The earth is precious to him and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its Creator.

Your destiny is a mystery to us. What will happen when the buffalo are all slaughtered? The wild horses tamed? What will happen when the secret corners of the forest are heavy with the scent of many men and the view of the ripe hills is blotted with talking wires? Where will the thicket be? Gone! Where will the eagle be? Gone! And what is to say goodbye to the swift pony and then hunt? The end of living and the beginning of survival.

When the last red man has vanished with this wilderness, and his memory is only the shadow of a cloud moving across the prairie, will these shores and forests still be here? Will there be any of the spirit of my people left?

We love this earth as a newborn loves its mother's heartbeat. So, if we sell you our land, love it as we have loved it. Care for it, as we have cared for it. Hold in your mind the memory of the land as it is when you receive it. Preserve the land for all children, and love it, as God loves us.
As we are part of the land, you too are part of the land. This earth is precious to us. It is also precious to you.

One thing we know - there is only one God. No man, be he Red man or White man, can be apart. We ARE all brothers after all."

Chief Seattle Letter to ALL THE PEOPLE

by the Chief Seattle

Chief Seattle, Chief of the Suquamish Indians allegedly wrote to the American Government in the 1800's - In this letter he gave the most profound understanding of God in all Things. Here is his letter, which should be instilled in the hearts and minds of every parent and child in all the Nations of the World:

CHIEF SEATTLE'S LETTER

"The President in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. But how can you buy or sell the sky? the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?

Every part of the earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every meadow, every humming insect. All are holy in the memory and experience of my people.

We know the sap which courses through the trees as we know the blood that courses through our veins. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters. The bear, the deer, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the dew in the meadow, the body heat of the pony, and man all belong to the same family.

The shining water that moves in the streams and rivers is not just water, but the blood of our ancestors. If we sell you our land, you must remember that it is sacred. Each glossy reflection in the clear waters of the lakes tells of events and memories in the life of my people. The water's murmur is the voice of my father's father.

The rivers are our brothers. They quench our thirst. They carry our canoes and feed our children. So you must give the rivers the kindness that you would give any brother.

If we sell you our land, remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life that it supports. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also received his last sigh. The wind also gives our children the spirit of life. So if we sell our land, you must keep it apart and sacred, as a place where man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow flowers.

Will you teach your children what we have taught our children? That the earth is our mother? What befalls the earth befalls all the sons of the earth.

This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.

One thing we know: our God is also your God. The earth is precious to him and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its Creator.

Your destiny is a mystery to us. What will happen when the buffalo are all slaughtered? The wild horses tamed? What will happen when the secret corners of the forest are heavy with the scent of many men and the view of the ripe hills is blotted with talking wires? Where will the thicket be? Gone! Where will the eagle be? Gone! And what is to say goodbye to the swift pony and then hunt? The end of living and the beginning of survival.

When the last red man has vanished with this wilderness, and his memory is only the shadow of a cloud moving across the prairie, will these shores and forests still be here? Will there be any of the spirit of my people left?

We love this earth as a newborn loves its mother's heartbeat. So, if we sell you our land, love it as we have loved it. Care for it, as we have cared for it. Hold in your mind the memory of the land as it is when you receive it. Preserve the land for all children, and love it, as God loves us.
As we are part of the land, you too are part of the land. This earth is precious to us. It is also precious to you.

One thing we know - there is only one God. No man, be he Red man or White man, can be apart. We ARE all brothers after all."

A quite good place to seat and write in Chivay

by the Colca Specialist

One of my favorite places to drink coffee is a place called Innkas which is located in the main square of Chivay.The service is quite good and you are far away from the noisy groups of tourists.

Once there, one of the things the Colca Specialist loves to do is to sit and to enjoy a cup of coffee good for the cold weather of Chivay.The inspiration comes and I take advantage to write the articles my readers like.

The restaurant is one of the old houses of Chivay who was restored by the owners of Innkas and it is a nice place to visit.

Marco and Ximena are very helpful specially if you need information about the area and they are very kind persons.

They prepare different kind of dishes and snacks too and the service is very good!

Thank you very much Marco and Ximena for your kind attention! Be sure that the Colca Specialist is coming back soon to enjoy the taste of a good Pisco Sour!

Your friend the Colca Specialist.

This is a picture of Innkas which is located in the main square of Chivay.


If you like to play pool the best pool table is awaiting for you!


The Innkas is a good place for having dinner and some drinks too!



Ximena the owner of Innkas showing the Colca Specialist her skills in the art of playing pool!



If you like to seat outside this is the right place for you!

A quite good place to seat and write in Chivay

by the Colca Specialist

One of my favorite places to drink coffee is a place called Innkas which is located in the main square of Chivay.The service is quite good and you are far away from the noisy groups of tourists.

Once there, one of the things the Colca Specialist loves to do is to sit and to enjoy a cup of coffee good for the cold weather of Chivay.The inspiration comes and I take advantage to write the articles my readers like.

The restaurant is one of the old houses of Chivay who was restored by the owners of Innkas and it is a nice place to visit.

Marco and Ximena are very helpful specially if you need information about the area and they are very kind persons.

They prepare different kind of dishes and snacks too and the service is very good!

Thank you very much Marco and Ximena for your kind attention! Be sure that the Colca Specialist is coming back soon to enjoy the taste of a good Pisco Sour!

Your friend the Colca Specialist.

This is a picture of Innkas which is located in the main square of Chivay.


If you like to play pool the best pool table is awaiting for you!


The Innkas is a good place for having dinner and some drinks too!



Ximena the owner of Innkas showing the Colca Specialist her skills in the art of playing pool!



If you like to seat outside this is the right place for you!

Commissions and more commissions in Colca Canyon tours

by the Colca Specialist

Who is who in this business of tourism in Arequipa

With lots of travel agencies in Arequipa is confusing to know which one has a real good service and which not.
Another situation that provokes more confusion to the foreign visitors is the abysmal difference of prices. Some agencies offers tours that cost 600 soles and others offer the same tour at 50 soles. Why?

First of all it is important to know that there is INFORMALITY in Arequipa. Some travel agencies are legal others not. This situation was provoked by Alberto Fujimori, the Japanese Peruvian president involved in a terrible scandal of corruption. In order to decrease the unemployment rate in Peru, Fujimori change the requirements for opening travel agencies.

In the past travel agencies had to have a guarantee deposit in a bank (40,000 soles). The deposit was a guarantee in case of accidents or any kind of problem that could happen to the clients of that travel agency.
If the client was nor provided the service promised,the client was refunded with the guarantee deposit.

There were less travel agencies and the service was better. When the laws were changed,anybody could open a travel agency in Arequipa . The guarantee deposit was cancelled and now we can see the results: clients less satisfied with the services provided and lots of complaints in I Peru,an organization that receives all the complaints done by the clients, organization that until the moment is unable to solve the problems of the clients.The problem is that if you want to be refunded by the travel agency because of a bad service it takes several days because the authorities have to investigate the situation.Because nobody stays in Arequipa more than two days,the complaint won´t be effective.

The other problem tourism in Arequipa has is the INTERMEDIARIES. If you are looking for a mountainbiking tour you will find that all the travel agencies in Arequipa offer you tour to Chachani volcano. Why?

It is because the little travel agencies specially those located inside handicrafts shops pool their clients and they are sent to one tour operator.You buy the tour in one place and you end traveling with other company with a big group and the quality of the service is POOR!

Nothing is more sad than traveling with a guide who is not specialized .
Let´suposse you pay 30 dollars for the mountainbiking tour in Chachani volcano.The owner of the travel agency will endorse the client to a tour operator and it is going to pay 15 Dollars for your tour. The travel agency obtains without doing much a 15 dollar commission.Now it is clear.

If you want a mountainbiking tour,it is better to buy the tour in Naturaleza Activa which is recommended by Lonely Planet among other guidebooks. The tours they offer are private with UNIQUE circuits. If you are looking for mountainclimbing tours you can book it with Carlos Zarate,Arcadio Mamani Viza or with Naturaleza Activa.

If you are looking for a river rafting tour you can book it with Cusipata which is the only rafting operator in Arequipa and in that way you will avoid the commissions problem.

If you buy a mountainclimbing tour in Colonial tours for example you will end traveling with Ivan Jimenez which is the tour operator of mountainclimbing in Arequipa. Ivan Jimenez pays a commission of 100 soles per passenger to all the travel agencies that endorse clients to his company.Ivan receives only half part of the price you payed. It is incredible.

Many travel agencies are awarded by different international guidebooks,but not even one of them was awarded by the local authorities. Why? It is because they are not good enough.Most of them don´t practice what we call sustainable tourism.In other words,their presence doesn´t give any kind of benefits to the locals of the area visited.

The other problem Arequipa has are the FOREIGN TOUR OPERATORS. There are lots of them from different countries: French,dutch.german,from new Zeland,etc.
They offer tours through internet . The reputation of many travel agencies in Peru is not so good and this situation is the key of success of many foreign operators who take advantage of this situation in order to make money betraying the trust of their country fellows.

These guys are even worst than the others. If a mountainclimbing tour to Chachani volcano costs let´suppose 200 US, the foreign operator will charge 400 US. Besides these guys don´t pay any kind of taxes,etc.Now you understand how is the situation here in Arequipa.Some of them have web sites that function like Spanish schools and they offer tours too.

In order to survive in this jungle of commissionists it is good to be SMART. First is it important to decide what kind of tour you would like to have. If you are in a foreign country you can check through the different blogs,forums and guidebooks about the travel agencies that are recommended.Don´t trust much on web pages because ALL OF THEM SAY THEY ARE GOOD AND THAT THEY ARE THE BEST. NOBODY IS PERFECT! Keep that in mind.

If the tour is too cheap there is problem. All hotels have beds,but not all of them are in the same condition.All the travel agencies have tour guides but not all of them speak English fluently and not all of them are professional.All the travel agencies in Arequipa go to Colca Canyon but just a few of them do different circuits. Travel with those that do different circuits the others are just pooling clients.

If you would like to spend your holidays in Arequipa, don´t be a sheep following others. Your holidays are important and in order to enjoy a visit it is better not to take conventional tours where you spend much time inside a bus with a guide that doesn’t care about you because you are inside a big group.

Check the circuits in detail with your tour operator and find out about the places you will visit during the tour.

Adventure tour operators have their equipment inside the travel agency.Read the references of the tour guide you are traveling with.The tour guide is the key of the tour. If several travel agencies give you the same name it is simple. They are not the tour operators.

Thank you very much for your reading and good luck.

The Colca Specialist.

Commissions and more commissions in Colca Canyon tours

by the Colca Specialist

Who is who in this business of tourism in Arequipa

With lots of travel agencies in Arequipa is confusing to know which one has a real good service and which not.
Another situation that provokes more confusion to the foreign visitors is the abysmal difference of prices. Some agencies offers tours that cost 600 soles and others offer the same tour at 50 soles. Why?

First of all it is important to know that there is INFORMALITY in Arequipa. Some travel agencies are legal others not. This situation was provoked by Alberto Fujimori, the Japanese Peruvian president involved in a terrible scandal of corruption. In order to decrease the unemployment rate in Peru, Fujimori change the requirements for opening travel agencies.

In the past travel agencies had to have a guarantee deposit in a bank (40,000 soles). The deposit was a guarantee in case of accidents or any kind of problem that could happen to the clients of that travel agency.
If the client was nor provided the service promised,the client was refunded with the guarantee deposit.

There were less travel agencies and the service was better. When the laws were changed,anybody could open a travel agency in Arequipa . The guarantee deposit was cancelled and now we can see the results: clients less satisfied with the services provided and lots of complaints in I Peru,an organization that receives all the complaints done by the clients, organization that until the moment is unable to solve the problems of the clients.The problem is that if you want to be refunded by the travel agency because of a bad service it takes several days because the authorities have to investigate the situation.Because nobody stays in Arequipa more than two days,the complaint won´t be effective.

The other problem tourism in Arequipa has is the INTERMEDIARIES. If you are looking for a mountainbiking tour you will find that all the travel agencies in Arequipa offer you tour to Chachani volcano. Why?

It is because the little travel agencies specially those located inside handicrafts shops pool their clients and they are sent to one tour operator.You buy the tour in one place and you end traveling with other company with a big group and the quality of the service is POOR!

Nothing is more sad than traveling with a guide who is not specialized .
Let´suposse you pay 30 dollars for the mountainbiking tour in Chachani volcano.The owner of the travel agency will endorse the client to a tour operator and it is going to pay 15 Dollars for your tour. The travel agency obtains without doing much a 15 dollar commission.Now it is clear.

If you want a mountainbiking tour,it is better to buy the tour in Naturaleza Activa which is recommended by Lonely Planet among other guidebooks. The tours they offer are private with UNIQUE circuits. If you are looking for mountainclimbing tours you can book it with Carlos Zarate,Arcadio Mamani Viza or with Naturaleza Activa.

If you are looking for a river rafting tour you can book it with Cusipata which is the only rafting operator in Arequipa and in that way you will avoid the commissions problem.

If you buy a mountainclimbing tour in Colonial tours for example you will end traveling with Ivan Jimenez which is the tour operator of mountainclimbing in Arequipa. Ivan Jimenez pays a commission of 100 soles per passenger to all the travel agencies that endorse clients to his company.Ivan receives only half part of the price you payed. It is incredible.

Many travel agencies are awarded by different international guidebooks,but not even one of them was awarded by the local authorities. Why? It is because they are not good enough.Most of them don´t practice what we call sustainable tourism.In other words,their presence doesn´t give any kind of benefits to the locals of the area visited.

The other problem Arequipa has are the FOREIGN TOUR OPERATORS. There are lots of them from different countries: French,dutch.german,from new Zeland,etc.
They offer tours through internet . The reputation of many travel agencies in Peru is not so good and this situation is the key of success of many foreign operators who take advantage of this situation in order to make money betraying the trust of their country fellows.

These guys are even worst than the others. If a mountainclimbing tour to Chachani volcano costs let´suppose 200 US, the foreign operator will charge 400 US. Besides these guys don´t pay any kind of taxes,etc.Now you understand how is the situation here in Arequipa.Some of them have web sites that function like Spanish schools and they offer tours too.

In order to survive in this jungle of commissionists it is good to be SMART. First is it important to decide what kind of tour you would like to have. If you are in a foreign country you can check through the different blogs,forums and guidebooks about the travel agencies that are recommended.Don´t trust much on web pages because ALL OF THEM SAY THEY ARE GOOD AND THAT THEY ARE THE BEST. NOBODY IS PERFECT! Keep that in mind.

If the tour is too cheap there is problem. All hotels have beds,but not all of them are in the same condition.All the travel agencies have tour guides but not all of them speak English fluently and not all of them are professional.All the travel agencies in Arequipa go to Colca Canyon but just a few of them do different circuits. Travel with those that do different circuits the others are just pooling clients.

If you would like to spend your holidays in Arequipa, don´t be a sheep following others. Your holidays are important and in order to enjoy a visit it is better not to take conventional tours where you spend much time inside a bus with a guide that doesn’t care about you because you are inside a big group.

Check the circuits in detail with your tour operator and find out about the places you will visit during the tour.

Adventure tour operators have their equipment inside the travel agency.Read the references of the tour guide you are traveling with.The tour guide is the key of the tour. If several travel agencies give you the same name it is simple. They are not the tour operators.

Thank you very much for your reading and good luck.

The Colca Specialist.

Bicisport magazine sponsors mountainbiking events in Colca Canyon

By the Colca Specialist

Bicisport is a peruvian magazine which covers all the cycling and mountainbiking events in Arequipa and in all the country.
Directed by Barlow Paz Bustamante,one of the old glories of cycling in Arequipa is at the moment the only magazine in Arequipa and in Peru that covers this sport.

Colca Canyon is the place where the most important mountainbiking events took place specially in the last years and Bicisport was all the time there to support this wonderful sport in all its different specialties and its followers.

Barlow Paz Bustamante was part of the group of brave cyclists who departed from the source of Amazon River ,located next to Mismi volcano (5,597 mts) and traveled towards Cotahuasi Canyon , a group headed by the major of Caylloma province Dr. Jorge Cueva Tejada whose main effort was to promote Colca Canyon and its natural attractions in a corridor that joins the deepest canyons of the world.

Bicisport is also promoting all the different mountainbiking circuits available in Colca valley and Colca canyon ,specially the downhill circuits in Colca canyon, which are, according to the mountainbiking specialists, the best circuits in all the south of Peru.

Downhill Colca Canyon is a circuit that promises a lot and in a near future Cabanaconde village will turn into the Meca of Downhill mountainbiking thanks to the efforts of all the promoters of this circuit specially those of Guillermo Rendón Cuadros the promoter of this circuit.

Bicisport magazine is going to have in these days an official blogsite where all the cyclists can read about the last news and events in this sport of the two wheels.The blogsite will have plenty of information about cycling and mountainbiking circuits in Arequipa among other articles of interest.

Everybody is awaiting for the downhill mountainbiking exhibitions to be done in Cabanaconde district in Colca canyon,exhibitions that will be in charge of the Kamikaze Nitro Guillermo Rendón and sponsored by the major of Cabanaconde Jorge Guerra Bernedo, Bicisport magazine and Pureq Runa TV program.Thank you very much Barlow and let´s keep the wheels moving!