Just outside Trujillo, a city some 350 miles north of Lima, lies the ruins of Galindo. At first glance it’s little more than a mound of earth, but it used to house a central structure to the Moche, one of the most complex and mysterious civilizations to have risen in Peru.

True, the site has since been extensively studied. Researchers have dug into its grounds and chipped at its walls, revealing tough adobe cores. A deep crater lies where the central structure, a tall, tapered tower, once stood, having crumbled to the ground years before.

Other areas have been explored to no avail—one can tell by the holes, some more than four meters deep, that the researchers had abandoned them for more promising spots. But this doesn’t mean we’ve learned all we can about the Moche culture—far from it.

Huaqueros, or local looters, have run off with many of the artifacts, spurred on by a largely unconcerned government. Because of this, little is left for researchers to draw on about the Moche’s 650-year rule over Northern Peru, until its decline in 700 A.D.

Some 250 historic sites in the country’s northern half have suffered the same fate. Only five sites in the region have been given protected status, which keeps out the looters and ensures the sites’ maintenance.

Looters aren’t the only threat to these cultural treasures. Locals rebuilt their homes using bricks from the ruins when an earthquake struck in 1970, and many are still able to sneak in and take the occasional artifact to sell or display.

Local police are doing what they can to protect the sites. Montes de Oca of the Department of Environmental Protection in La Libertad, is one of three men who have taken up the task, armed with just one truck to patrol the area of about 1 million people.

Professor Ricardo Gamarra is heading the restoration of the Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna sites, where the 1970 earthquake hit. They were the Moche administrative centers and once the largest structures in pre-Columbian America.

The offer new clues into how the Moche lived. Gamarra and his team have uncovered friezes of the Moche’s mythical characters, including a Beheading Spider, the God of the Mountains and the Mythical Being, suggesting that human sacrifice played a central role.

Another stylized frieze showed a line of marching warriors with their prisoners, depicting the culture’s triumph against rival civilizations. These clues strengthen theories that the Moche had complex spiritualism and practiced elaborate if brutal ceremonies.

Gamarra is against current plans to develop an access road to the site, which would encourage tourism. He said the Machu Picchu has already been eroded from constant traffic, and the ruins of northern Peru aren’t ready for that kind of commercialism yet.

Tourism accounts for 6% to 7% of Peru’s gross domestic product (GDP) today, up from just over 3% in 2007, according to the country’s Central Reserve Bank. The industry generates some 30 billion soles (US$10.6 billion) a year, according to National Tourism Chamber director Carlos Canales.

This doesn’t include informal tourism by unregistered companies, outside heavily advertised activities such as sports, dining, and sight-seeing, according to Canales. When taken into account, these would increase the numbers by a further 50%.

Internal tourism has also gone up significantly from 2007, as locals opted for domestic travel rather than jetting off to pricey overseas destinations. Some 12 million Peruvians visit popular sites every year, with activity spiking during holidays, and spend between 350 and 370 soles ($124 to $131) per trip. Foreign tourists spend an average of $1,100 each in the country.

Canales says he expects the trend to continue in 2011, rising by at least 15% in the domestic sector. Sites like Machu Picchu, the Cordilleras, the Nazca Lines, and Lake Titicaca continue to be popular, although up-and-coming destinations are also set to welcome more visitors this year.

For instance, Ayacucho, a town in the southern stretch of the Peruvian Andes, is expecting some 17,000 visitors over the Easter weekend—7% more than last year. Ayacucho trade and tourism head Juan Carlos Arango says it is especially popular among religious travelers, who visit its 33 churches (each representing a year in Jesus’ life) as part of Easter practice. The town’s name is Quechua for “death corner.”

Rooms are already fully booked until Easter Sunday, according to Ayacucho’s hotel sector representatives. Over the weekend, daily processions depicting Christ’s life take place on the streets followed by thousands of spectators.

Peru Travel Mart, a yearly convention of business and government executives in the tourism industry, is set to take place from May 15 to 16 in Lima. Canales expects to close as much as $54 million worth deals at the event, three times last year’s total. Delegates include buyers, sellers, and businesses from all over South America, as well as Poland, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, and the United States.

It is very typical and common to bargain in Peru. Thus, if your negotiation skills are good, try to use them as much as possible. Considering that being a foreigner means being, most of the time, slightly overcharged, you can easily push price down with confidence. There are many good food deals offered at local places that are of good quality and value for money. Expect to spend no more than USD 10 per several course meals.

If you are going to Cusco, expect to pay slightly higher as this is a popular tourist destination. There are good deals on multiple ticket offers that specifically target tourists. For instance, there is Boleto Turistico General (BTG) which you should buy in advance and it allows you to travel to tourist sites over ten days. BTG for ten days cost you roughly 150 soles or USD 60. If you decide to take a tour of the valley, then expect to pay around USD 30 per person per day for the tours. If you prefer travelling individually, then use minibuses and shared taxes called combis and colectivos that go daily to the Sacred Valley. Prices range for minibuses from four to ten soles which is roughly up to four dollars and for taxis for day tours of roughly USD 60.

Whichever way you prefer to save or expand costs, it is better to do planning in advance which you build your expectations on prices and locations in Peru.

Worldtravel guide also has some useful information on all types of visas to Peru (www.worldtravelguide.net/country/224/…visa/…/Peru.html). This website gives a good summary of all requirements for getting visa for Peru. Business visas cost a marginal fee and usually do not take too long to process. Thus, overall it is relatively easy compared to other countries to come to Peru.

You need to make sure that you have a proper and valid passport which does not expire in within the three months of your travel. However, if you would like to be on the safe side, the best way would be to have your passport valid for next six months to avoid any trouble. Additionally, it is advisable to check if you have blank pages in your passport as Peruvian authorities require putting a stamp in your passport upon entry and departure from Peru. If you are planning to travel to other countries after Peru different from your home country, then you will be required to provide return tickets and information on the next travel destination. Peruvian authorities may also check for transit visas in this case of countries that you are transiting.

Another mandatory precaution is to protect yourself from diphtheria as it is quite widespread in Peru as well as typhoid, tetanus and hepatitis A and B. There were several cases of polio spotted so tourists should be aware of their risks towards this decease if they are not properly vaccinated beforehand. Another on the list of mandatory precautions is to get vaccinated against Tuberculosis. Even though the chances are very low, it is better not to take those chances and to enjoy your holidays in Peru in full.

Some areas of Peru had the outbreak of malaria. These areas are mostly very rural and, thus, if you have them on your destination list while in Peru, make sure you use good prophylaxis. Most of local health centres in your country will be able to provide you with all necessary information on how to do this, such as covering your arms and legs, and using insect repellent.

An additional health safety point is to make sure you drink only bottled water and not water from taps. This precaution will allow you not to become infected with gastro and other nasty decease with very unpleasant consequences. Though it is worth to mention that overall, if you are eating in relatively decent restaurants and eateries, there is very little chance to get poisoned or catch any unpleasant infection. This is great news considering that food in Peru is fantastic and you in no way should avoid the pleasure of eating and drinking out.

If you ask any traveler who has already been to Peru, they will confirm that the food in Peru is amazing and they will be totally right. Traditional dishes include anticuchos, pan con chicharon, ceviche, jalea, chicha morada and many others. For the drink options it is the national soda and something more local such as Inca Cola that many foreigners fancy. However, it is very probable that any of the names mentioned above sound strange to you, so in this article we briefly describe what each tradition Peru dish is and how it is made.

Let’s start with Anticuchos. Anticuchos is a traditional meat dish of Peru originally made from beef hearts, however, the main ingredient can be easily replaced by beef cubes. The dish is made on skewers and grilled over barbecue or any other grill. Prior to cooking the meat is marinated in the mix of garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, chili and cumin. This gives a very specific flavor to the meat and together with smoke from the grill makes it indeed amazing. The meat should not be marinated for too long as marinade can overkill the natural flavor of the meat, thus two or three hours is more than enough. This makes the meat tender and succulent. The side dish consists typically of steamed corn and potatoes.

The next traditional dish is pan con chicharon which is also present in other countries as well as Peru. The dish is made from pork and pork skin and is widespread all over Latin America. The main ingredient is fresh pork belly with spare stripes of meat. As you can imagine, the fat plays the main role here as the dish is all about the fat! This may sound not that attractive, however, Peruvians make it extremely delicious. The dish does not come in big quantities and is more about the flavor rather than large serving sizes.

Another dish that is one of the favorites in Peru is ceviche, which is also widespread all over South America. The dish is made from raw fish cut in small cubes. It is marinated in citrus fruit, either lemon or lime and extra chill is added. This dish has a long standing history dating back to the first inhabitants of Peru including the Incas, who first discovered the healthy attributes of raw fish mixed with lemon juice and chillies. Lime adds fresh touch to the flavor, yet retaining the fish flavor as well. There are many more dishes that would thrill your tastes, but the best way to try them is to visit Peru!

The Huarango tree has existed in this area of south America since before the Hispanic civilisations.  Later explorers from Spain noted down these vast areas of Huarango forests in notes that were taken during the voyages.  Today Environmentalists have expressed great concern over what is left of this fragile yet important tree.  There are only remnants of these ancient trees left and they are being threatened by local villagers who cut down the trees use as charcoal when cooking.

Even with the authorities enforcing the bans on cutting down the trees in this area many villagers ignore the bans and continue to cut down the Huarango trees.  Villagers work at night using handsaws to avoid detection and move the wood using donkeys to be sold at various market places.

These trees have been in the firing line for centuries with a long history of deforestation of the Huarango to the point where there is only about i percent of the original remaining.  This species of tree is important to the region as it is one of the only species of tree that has adapted well to the desert ecosystem in this area.  The Huarango tree has adapted to the desert conditions by its ability to capture moisture from the sea to the west and also access subterranean water using a very long tap root.

The remaining tracts of Huarango trees and there preservation has become part of a British study that has investigated the effects of ancient civilizations that cleared large areas of the Huarango tree to create the Nazca lines and areas for cropping.  The study was able to show that clearing of these large areas of trees had cause significant environmental problems in the areas such as high winds, erosion and also flooding.

Saving the Huarango tree is going to be an uphill battle with many impoverished villages taking their chances cutting down these trees so that they can earn a living.

The World Bank has money set aside each year to fund environmental projects all over the world.  This year there were 26 winners including Gold and his team each receiving money to fund projects that it is hoped will benefit the environment.

The extinct glacial area that has been chosen as the site for the project is the Chalon Sombrero which in its day provided water for the valley below and several rivers in the area.  The theory of the project is that the white surface on the top of the mountain will reflect the sun’s rays which should in theory cool the area around the mountain top.  The simple science behind the idea is that a change in the albedo (or reflectivity of a surface) means that the surface doesn’t absorb as much heat and doesn’t emit as much infra red radiation which is a problem when it heats greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Many of the people who live near the glacier and have watched it slowly melt away are optimistic that the white paint may cause a return for the glacier.  The villages in this area rely on water from melting glaciers as well as melting snow so any idea that can return some of the extinct glaciers will also potentially return life to some of the villages that rely on this water.

Although there are some people who feel that this project is not the best way to spend the grant money, we will all have to wait and see whether the white paint is enough to change the microclimate on the mountain and promote new glacial ice forming.

President Obama congratulated the Peru President for his countries handling of the economic crisis on a local level.  The US President was especially impressed by Peru’s successful economic gains in what has been a difficult 12 months for world economies.

Although the meeting was only a short one, going for just over half an hour both Presidents where able to discuss the important issues of the financial crisis and the cooperation between these two countries.  Peru has had a bilateral free trade deal with America since January 2009 and this is set to continue into 2011.

Peru’s President is keen for countries in Latin America, including Peru to become stronger in terms of their democracy.  Talks between Peru and America will continue into the future as Peru looks set to move forward as a vibrant economy that embraces technology and investment.

Not everyone was pleased with Peru’s President visiting the United States.  Protestors supporting the rights of Indigenous Peruvians and also a ban on the extraction of oil from the Amazon region were vocal outside the white house during the talks.

Clinton has a very full schedule during this trip which included meetings in many of the larger south American countries including Peru, Ecuador and Colombia.  America’s support of these countries and financial aid are related to much of the discussions with these countries.

One issue that has been ever present during this trip is the issue of allowing Honduras to rejoin the regional block after their recent coup.  The US is arguing that Honduras be allowed back into the organisation with the current president coming to power after the latest elections.  Many countries including Brazil and Nicaragua oppose this move by the US and support a reinstatement of the oust president who is now in exile from the country.

There are many other items on the agenda which involve the US and countries in Latin America which include the new immigration laws in Arizona, the US gaining support for new UN penalties on Iran over its nuclear program, the ever present drug trade that comes from countries in this area of the world and discussion over growing issues of endemic crime and violence.

Although not an official agenda item the new immigration laws in Arizona have caused some concerns to the countries of people who move to the US for work.  Latin America sees these new laws as racial profiling and the laws also make it illegal for immigrants that are not in citizens of the US to solicit work.  There is some support for this new law even though the US President conceded that the law is “poorly conceived” and “not the right way to go”.

One of the main agenda items is for the US to gain support from these countries over the UN penalties for Iran over there nuclear program.  Backing by countries in Latin America would be a boost for the US and the UN as Brazil and Turkey had just recently worked together with Iran the put in place agreements to avoid new penalties.