IMAGE: GETTY. ILLUSTRATION: TANYA COOPER


PERU


Ollantaytambo, an Inca town in the Sacred Valley


Q&A Pía León, owner of Mauka restaurant, Cusco


DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE DISH THAT YOU THINK CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF PERUVIAN CUISINE? Ceviche. It’s a good representation of Peruvian food, which mixes local cultures, immigrant cuisines and an immensely diverse pantry. It’s fresh, light and delicate, but it can also be intense — I like the contrast of chilli pepper, onions and lime juice, with nuances of herbs and ginger. It’s also super versatile: it can be made from local fish or many other ingredients.


brooding Huayna Picchu mountain. perurail. com inkaterra.com machupicchu.gob.pe


LAKE TITICACA


The ticket back from Aguas Calientes to Cusco with PeruRail covers both the train to Ollantaytambo and the onward bus trip. From Cusco, settle into the observation car to watch the grassy plains of the Altiplano whip past during the 10-hour train ride to Puno, the gateway town to Lake Titicaca. Floating on its waters are the 120-or-so Uros Islands, feats of engineering fi rst constructed from totora reeds by the Indigenous Uros over 500 years ago to escape Inca invasion. Uros people still live here and visitors can now overnight in their reed guesthouses. Book with All Ways Travel, whose profi ts go to local communities. titicacaperu.com


AREQUIPA A six-hour bus journey from Lake Titicaca, Arequipa is nicknamed White City for the


volcanic sillar used to construct its baroque architecture. Arequipeño gastronomy is a source of pride, so head to a traditional picantería restaurant to sample rocoto relleno, a spicy stuff ed pepper dish fi lled with meat, cheese and eggs, cooked over a wood fi re. peruhop.com


NASCA LINES A fi nal eight-hour bus journey takes you down from the mountains and along the coast to reach the town of Nasca. Here, a tour by light aircraft gives you the best views of the Nasca Lines, giant geoglyphs showing hummingbirds, monkeys and other shapes etched into the desert over 2,000 years ago — although how, or why, remains a mystery. aeronasca.com


HOW TO DO IT: Explore’s 14-day Simple Peru itinerary takes in all highlights listed above and costs from £1,390 per person, excluding flights. explore.co.uk


YOU CHOSE CUSCO AS THE LOCATION FOR YOUR NEWEST RESTAURANT, MAUKA. WHY HERE? Cusco is at the centre of Peru’s historical legacy and in very close proximity to Andean and Amazonian ingredients. Locals are proud to show what they produce, from potatoes (of which there are thousands) to legumes and Andean grains. When I’m here, I choose simple food, such as corn and cheese, locally made tamales and chicharron (crunchy, fried pork). Cusqueñisima Picantería is a nice place to try traditional dishes, including chicha de jora (a fermented corn drink). instagram. com/cusquenisima.picanteria


WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT FROM MAUKA? Through my work, I aim to preserve and showcase my country’s megadiversity. Each region has its own ingredients, with different tones and nuances, and a clear identity and history. Mauka continues in the same vein, right at the meeting of Peruvian biodiversity, cuisine and art. belmond.com


JUL/AUG 2024 127


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