Founded by four friends from Lima, Peru who share a passion for both traditional Afro-Peruvian music and modern DJ culture, Novalima searches for the common ground between past and future, between tradition and innovation. They formed during 2001 and they have been breaking down boundaries, uniting seemingly irreconcilable genres, communities and generations to create an inspiring movement that has revolutionized the music scene in their native Peru. I discovered Novalima via WOMAD.
Located between Peru and Bolivia, Lake Titicaca is one of the most fascinating lakes in the world. It is situated at a very high altitude (some 3800 meters above sea level) in the Andes Mountains making it one of the highest navigable lake in the world and the largest (by volume) in South America. The lake is largely fed by rainfall and melting snow from both the glaciers and mountains.
The Floating Islands
Copacabana is the main Bolivian town and travel destination on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Copacana is the most important religious sanctuary of Bolivia and attracts numerous pilgrims throughout the year. Its dominated by the impressive moorish style cathedral dating back to 1605. From here you can catch a boat tour to Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) which is the birthplace of the sun in Inca mythology.
A cluster of smaller islands known as the ‘Floating Islands’ can be visited from Peru’s Puno. These islands are made from layers of the buoyant ‘totora reeds’. Today several hundred people still populate the islands.
One great reason to visit Lake Titicaca is for the abundance of cultural experiences between both Bolivia and Peru. It offers spectacular lake scenery flanked by the Andes Mountains.
Machu Picchu is situated high in the Andes Mountains and 2,000 feet above the Urubamba River in Peru, South America and is not far from the former capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco. Machu Picchu was only re-discovered during 1911 by an American archaeologist and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Since then, tourists flock to Machu Picchu and the area receives more than 400,000 visitors annually.
There are a number of options in getting to Machu Picchu – train, bus, or the more strenuous option of hiking the Inca trail. There are varying trails that allow a one day or four day hike, depending how much time you have to spare.
Titbit: in researching this destination, I was surprised to find how often Machu Picchu was spelt incorrectly: Macchu Picchu, Matchu Pitchu, Macchu Pichu, Machu Pichu!
One great reason to visit Machu Picchu is for the outstanding location of the Inca ruins. No trip to Peru would be complete with out a visit to Machu Picchu.
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Founded by four friends from Lima, Peru who share a passion for both traditional Afro-Peruvian music and modern DJ culture, Novalima searches for the common ground between past and future, between tradition and innovation. They formed during 2001 and they have been breaking down boundaries, uniting seemingly irreconcilable genres, communities and generations to create an inspiring movement that has revolutionized the music scene in their native Peru. I discovered Novalima via WOMAD.
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