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Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Woman travels 30 hours to visit Machu Picchu and view leaves her horrified
Set high in the Andes Mountains in Peru, you'll find the majestic Machu Picchu. Built in the fifteenth century, it was abandoned when the Incan Empire was conquered by the Spaniards in the sixteenth century. It wasn't until 1911 that the archaeological complex was made known to the outside world. As well as being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it was selected as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World in 2007. This ramped up the number of tourists who visit – and the Incan citadel attracts around 1.6 million visitors a year. One of the many tourists who has visited the historic site is globe-trotter Leonie, who took to her TikTok page to share a video of herself after reaching Machu Picchu. She travelled for around 30 hours to get there, so was expecting big things. However, she seemed pretty underwhelmed when she saw the view. In an online post, she said: "Seeing one of Seven Wonders of the World: Machu Picchu. Did 8 hours plane, 17 hours of bus, biking and rafting, 5 hours of hiking for this view." Leonie posed with her hands over her mouth in dismay, before turning the camera to show how cloudy it was on site. Instead of seeing the historic houses and buildings, the view was concealed by a thick, grey fog that made the whole mountain look eerily creepy. According to Exploor Peru, Machu Picchu is often covered in fog, especially in the early mornings, due to its high altitude and proximity to the Amazon rainforest. The fog can be quite dense, particularly during the rainy season (November to March), and can obscure views of the ruins and surrounding peaks. However, the fog often clears out as the day progresses, and sunny periods can follow, revealing the stunning landscape. Several people soon took to the comment section of Leonie's video, which has been viewed more than 8.8 million times. It turns out, Leonie wasn't the only one who had been left underwhelmed by her visit. "Machu Picchu was so disappointing when I went in January," one person commented. Meanwhile, a second viewer wrote: "I'd stay there for days waiting to clear out – no way." Another person said: "Bruh this is why I'm avoiding planning a trip to see Machu Picchu or the Northern Lights – I couldn't deal with the disappointment." However, on the bright side, another viewer wrote: "You know it's about the journey, not always the destination."
National Geographic
13-06-2025
- General
- National Geographic
How the potato went from banned to beloved
Potatoes were once so despised they were linked to leprosy. What changed? It's a tale of propaganda, survival, and ordinary people's resilience. The potato's journey from despised and feared to dinner-table staple reveals how this simple root reshaped economies and cultures. This history of the potato, like the spud itself, has been baked into folklore, mashed into politics, and fried into a thousand origin myths. However, the tuber's rise to global stardom wasn't a simple matter of hunger meets harvest—it was a slow-cooked saga of stigma, spin, and sheer necessity. What started as sacred Indigenous knowledge of the potato was swiftly rebranded as salvation. Monarchs, scientists, and opportunistic propagandists all took turns serving the spud as miracle, menace, or national mascot. Still, the potato's real ascent sprouted far from palace gates. While elites thought they were handing down deliverance, it was the people on the ground—farmers, foragers, and famine survivors—who really made the potato take root. This is the story of how this unlikely outsider made it to the center of the plate, and how optics, politics, and the people who had no choice but to eat it transformed the potato from a rejected root to a revolutionary staple. A ceremony performed after harvest to bring the spirit of the potato. In Incan civilization, the potato was considered sacred. Photograph by Jim Richardson, Nat Geo Image Collection Before it became comfort food, the potato was considered sacrosanct. High in the Andes, some 8,000 years ago, the Incas and their ancestors cultivated the crop not just as food, but as fortune. Nutrient-dense, cold-resistant, and capable of growing in thin, rocky soil, the potato thrived where little else could and sustained sprawling pre-Columbian civilizations for centuries. The Spanish conquistadors introduced the potato to Europe in the 1500s, smuggling it among the spoils of colonization alongside maize, cacao, and tobacco. But while the stolen gold and chocolate dazzled, the potato did not. It was fast-growing but unfamiliar, ugly, and covered in dirt like something best left unearthed. Though it had divine roots in South America, the strange tuber had to dig its way to respectability in the West. Potato propaganda By the 18th century, most French recipes were rooted in religion, so while orchard fruits and game birds were celebrated, anything dug from the 'devil's dirt'—like onions, carrots, and especially potatoes—was deemed fit only for peasants and swine. People believed the potato was akinto the deadly nightshade and linked to leprosy due to its spotted skin; it was deemed un-Christian, and its cultivation for human use was banned. Bulgaria's cultural capital France was facing a famine by the late 1700s and starving—literally and figuratively—for a solution. Due to dreadful weather and poor farming techniques, wheat fields lay fallow, bread was scarce, and bellies were empty. Portrait of Antoine Augustin Parmentier (1737-1813), French military pharmacist and agronomist. Photograph by Stefano Bianchetti/Bridgeman Images But Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, a French pharmacist who survived on potatoes as a prisoner in Prussia, rose to become a staunch spokesperson for the spud. To sway the scientific community, he penned pro-potato pamphlets, won scientific accolades for using potatoes to treat dysentery and replace flour, and hosted glamorous, starch-studded soirées for Parisians and international elites. He also gave the tuber the royal treatment by gifting potato blossoms for Marie Antoinette's wigs and the king's lapels to debut exotic potato couture at court. Still, convincing the aristocracy to enjoy and advertise the potato wasn't enough. Parmentier had to win over the working class,who had long been taught to despise the spuds. Proving potatoes were edible meant staging the oldest marketing trick in the book: exclusivity. When Louis XVI granted Parmentier 54 acres of land near Paris, he had his potato plants guarded by day and left unprotected at night, tempting locals to 'steal' the coveted crop and plant it themselves. The stunt turned curiosity into cultivation. The redemption of the potato gave working-class families not just energy but also agency, and perhaps a little dignity on their dinner plates. Photograph by Bridgeman Images In 1772, the Paris Faculty of Medicine finally stamped the spud 'food safe,' sowing seeds of survival that France would soon be forced to reap when its wheat failed. Later in 1789, just as the French Revolution boiled over, Parmentier published a royal-backed murphy manifesto. By the century's end, potatoes had gone mainstream:Madame Mérigot's La Cuisinière Républicaine became the first potato cookbook, pitching the tuber as 'the petrol of the poor,' according to Rebecca Earle, food historian and professor at the University of Warwick. The potato's rise beyond Western Europe While Parmentier was staging tuber tactics in France, potato propaganda was planting roots across the globe. In Prussia, Frederick the Great saw political promise in the crop and ordered peasants to grow it. When they resisted, he threatened to cut off their ears and tongues, then used Parmentier-esque reverse psychology, declaring the potato a 'dish fit for a king,' essentially transforming it from pig food to royal fare. By the 19th century, the potato had evolved into palatable patriotism, driven by rulers, reformers, andscientists who knew that controlling food was a form of power. Peasants come to steal the potatoes grown by Antoine Augustin Parmentier, French agronomist (1737-1813). Photograph by Bridgeman Images Outside of Western Europe, Irish fleeing famine brought tubers into the Americas. In Russia, it became the backbone of everyday diets. Once promoted as a strategic food security crop in China, it's now the most widely grown staple and a street food favorite in the country. In Peru, the potato's birthplace, it remains a symbol of cultural pride and biodiversity, with thousands of native varieties still cultivated in the Andes. From Indian aloo gobi to Korean gamja jorim, the potato has managed to slip effortlessly into any cuisine, reinventing itself wherever it takes root and feeding millions along the way. The potato's impact today In modern Western food culture, the potato has faced a new kind of public relations problem. Once celebrated as a symbol of resilience, today it's often cast as a dietary delinquent: too processed and too passé. Much of the demonization of the potato is tied to how it's prepared. 'Most potatoes in the U.S. are eaten as highly processed snack food,' says Earle. 'We've forgotten that a simple boiled potato is a joy.' While it may have fallen out of favor in the U.S., the potato's role on a larger scale is far from fried. In kitchens around the globe, it's still prominent, feeding billions, and in food policy circles, it's gaining new attention as a climate-resilient, nutrient-dense staple. Earle puts it best: 'A potato cooked slowly from cold water, gently boiled and simmered until perfect, is nothing short of revolutionary.' In that humble preparation, class lines fade: anyone can afford it, and anyone can master it. A humble boiled potato becomes a taste of equality, with the power to nourish, unite, and upend the status quo.
Miami Herald
11-06-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Nearly foot-long ‘water mouse' with big feet found in Andes is a new species
During a three-month research expedition in the southern Peruvian Andes, researchers encountered an unusual rodent with physical traits that suggested it was well-adapted to life in the water. The team collected three specimens, all found near the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu, and determined it was a new species, according to a June 9 study published in the journal Diversity. Incanomys mayopuma, or the Incan water mouse, is about 10 inches long and has traits such as a long flattened tail and large hindfeet with fringe hairs, which indicate it is strongly adapted to fast-flowing streams, according to researchers. Researchers said the name mayopuma 'derives from Quechua, combining mayu (river) and puma (mountain lion). This name reflects the species' semi-aquatic habits and carnivorous nature, akin to the neotropical otter.' While it can survive in water, it was found inland as well. Researchers trapped one specimen in a stream, another near a waterfall and the third nearly 1,000 feet away from the closest stream, according to the researchers. The Andean highland habitat of the Incan water mouse is described as having mountain forests, steep sloped streams, abundant vegetation and abundant puddles during the rainy season, according to the study. Researchers said the discovery is 'particularly striking given the remarkable' physical similarities between the Incan water mouse and other related species from which it is geographically isolated. This is likely evidence of a process called allopatric distribution, when one species is split by a geographic barrier and evolves into a distinct species. 'Such exceptional diversity, driven by the complex topography of the Andes, highlights critical gaps in our understanding of the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms underlying these extraordinary adaptive radiations,' researchers said. 'Mounting threats to aquatic ecosystems—such as pollution, habitat degradation, and alterations to riparian zones—emphasize the urgent need to study and conserve these species, their ecological roles, and their fragile habitats.' The research team included Horacio Zeballos, Alexánder Pari, César E. Medina, Kateryn Pino, Sandra Arias, Alayda L. Arce and Fiorella N. Gonzales.
Metro
07-06-2025
- Metro
Peru should be your next travel destination – and not for Machu Picchu
While most of us are familiar with Machu Picchu, the country that lays claim to this wonder of the world has only recently come to the fore of global travel consciousness. Drawn by the ancient Incan citadel, a growing number of travellers are waking up to the wealth of attractions that Peru has to offer. Blending indigenous, Spanish, and international influences, the rich cultural fabric of this South American destination rewards visitors with breathtaking landscapes, wondrous wildlife and fascinating history — plus top-tier hotels and some of the finest cuisine in the region. Here, Metro makes the case for Peru, with six reasons it should be next on your holiday hit list. Kicking off with the obvious big ticket item, this stone fortress is perched some 2,500 metres above sea level, shrouded in clouds, and ringed by a crown of mountain peaks. Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. Regarded as one of the world's most important archaeological sites, Machu Picchu is UNESCO-protected and was chosen as one of the 'New Seven Wonders of the World' in a worldwide internet poll in 2007. Cut through the queues and get to the heart of it by joining a Mountain Lodges of Peru walking journey to this historic icon. The prestigious locally owned and operated Andean Lodge travel organisation offers a unique route paired with expert guides to facilitate the best possible experience, traversing uncrowded trails and traditional communities before reaching the jaw-dropping ruins themselves. For proximity to these ruins, the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo is your check-in of choice. Sitting in the shadows of the Lost City, the luxury lodge resembles a quaint Andean village with terraced hills, waterfalls, stone pathways and only 83 whitewashed suites tucked into the lush cloud forest. The idyllic eco-resort also offers the perfect pre or post-Machu Picchu experience: a traditional Andean sauna. Constructed from bamboo and fresh eucalyptus leaves, hot stones are heated in a fireplace at its centre, over which more eucalyptus leaves are placed. Guests sit in candlelight, inhaling the vapours. Post-sweat, you can jump into the natural spring water pond outside for a refreshing dip. Winning the 'world's leading culinary destination' title for six years running, Peru and its food – a fusion of tradition and exciting ingredients – has exploded onto the world stage. And at the centre of this explosion is the country's capital, Lima. Legitimately a global gourmet hotspot, the 'World's 50 Best Restaurants' guide puts Lima in the same league as New York and London after featuring it more times than any other city. To experience the lauded fare firsthand, book a table at Kjolle. The first solo restaurant from celebrity chef, Pia Leon, who rose to fame as the head chef of Central (named the 'World's Best Restaurant' in 2023) a tasting menu here is truly money well spent if you want a celebration of Peruvian produce and its culinary history. For a double whammy of haute hotel and haute cuisine, base yourself at the prestigious Hotel B. Easily the coolest check-in in town — and Lima's only Relais & Chateaux property — this restored colonial mansion turned 20-suite, boutique hotel is set in the bohemian, artsy district of Barranco. True to its location, the hotel houses a unique art collection with over 300 original installations. Food-wise, the in-house restaurant focuses on native ingredients and local delicacies (including crispy guinea pig). After dinner, head upstairs to the rooftop terrace bar and sink a few pisco sours while the sun sets over the Pacific Ocean. For a grassroots look at the culinary aspect of the capital, book a spot on Viator's Food & Art: Lima Colours and Flavours Walking Tour. A half-day walking tour through the city's Chorillos and Barranco neighbourhoods takes in top sights and local markets, with pit stops to sample delicious, authentic Peruvian snacks and staple dishes. Situated in southeastern Peru among dramatic Andean panoramas, the culturally rich city of Cusco is one of Peru's most popular destinations. Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the mountain town is a medley of ancient Inca temples and monuments, colonial architecture and modern buildings. A destination in itself, it's also a great base for exploring nearby Inca sites such as the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Base yourself at Inkaterra La Casona, a 16th-century, former colonial manor (one of the first Spanish buildings in Cusco) that is now a 5-star hotel located steps from the main square. The 11 suites are set around a Spanish courtyard, replete with antique furniture, pre-Columbian textiles and original murals. Each room features plush touches such as freestanding tubs and heated floors to soothe tired feet after a day of trekking. A small yet perfectly formed spa offers bespoke treatments. Top tip: the 'De-Stress' treatment comes highly recommended. A small dining room and terrace serves a delectable menu showcasing local ingredients, including slow-roasted merlot lamb shanks and Andean trout. For an immersion into Cusco's best street grub, snack and sightsee on a Curious Monkey Food Tour. Locally owned and operated, this small group tour offers a tasty lesson in the culture and traditions of Peru. Over half a day, expert guides connect you with food vendors, from the oldest empanada stand in the city, to a lauded, local Peruvian coffee and chocolate emporium. Come evening, meat-lovers should beeline to Cusco's best steakhouse, Uchu Peruvian Steakhouse where a selection of meats — including 20 hour slow-cooked pork ribs and delicious alpaca — are presented on volcanic hot stone platters and marinated in drool-worthy sauces. While Machu Picchu gets all the hype (and the tourist traffic), there are ways to get off the tourist trail to visit small, relatively unknown Incan temples, that you'll likely have to yourself. Peru is set for a record-breaking tourist year in 2025, and it pays to plan ahead. Viator offers a horseback tour that takes in four temples in the nearby Sacsayhuaman Archeological Park. The half-day guided adventure follows a portion of the Inca Trail and traverses spectacular Andean countryside and temples. You'll learn about religious sites and Andean culture from your guide, and even join in an ancient ritual to experience the mysticism of the Andes yourself. History lessons and cultural encounters aside, exploring near-deserted temples on the back of a horse will make anyone feel like Indian Jones. Machu Picchu is the most visited site in South America and the iconic Inca Trail to its boundaries is, by proxy, heaving with tourists. Annually, millions upon millions flock to the mysterious citadel via the well-worn hiking trail. It's crowded, pricey and hectic. For those who want to experience the dramatic and unspoiled Peruvian Andes without jostling for elbow space, look no further than the Lares trail. Mountain Lodges of Peru offers the ultimate crowd-free multi-day alternative to reaching Machu Picchu on their Sacred Valley and Lares Adventure to Machu Picchu experience — a journey that takes guests through the ancient history, living culture, and magnificent landscapes of Cusco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Expert guides tailor your experience from a daily list of activities and cultural exploration options as you wind through remote communities, farms and friendly faces. Next, as the afternoon hits, you will settle into one of the eco-lodges that sit along the route. Here, your luggage awaits you, along with a specially prepared dinner made using fresh ingredients, alongside spacious beds and personal hot tubs with views overlooking the landscape. It's post-hike pampering at its absolute best. For nature lovers, a journey to Peru is not complete without exploring the Amazon. Winding through countless jungles, it is the world's largest rainforest. No river is bigger in volume than the mighty Amazon; its banks are home to some 40,000 plant species (with 16,000 types of trees alone) and over 5,000 animal species. It's this immense biodiversity that makes the Peruvian Amazon an absolute must-visit for wildlife enthusiasts. And you don't need to have the prowess of Bear Grylls to do it. Delfin Amazon Cruises offers visitors the chance to sail the waters of the Amazon on three and four-night cruises on its 42-passenger ship, the Delfin III. More Trending If you've always wanted to see this storied jungle, this is the way to do it — with great food, expert naturalist guides, activities such as piranha fishing, and a private cabin where you can rest and refuel. Skiffs carry passengers out on jungle hikes, bird-watching expeditions and even river swimming and kayaking. All the while, guides will help you spot everything from endemic pink river dolphins and piranhas, to sloths and jaguars. No machete or mosquito netting required. MORE: Europe's 'nowhere place' is a quiet Italian gem with flights from £17 MORE: TUI relaunches UK flights to forgotten year-round sunshine destination after 3 years MORE: I tried to do Cannes on £30 a day – a champagne town on a Fanta budget
The Herald Scotland
27-05-2025
- Science
- The Herald Scotland
Scots academic sheds new light on secrets of Inca empire
Sabine Hyland, Professor of World Religions at the University of St Andrews, has been studying this form of writing throughout her career. However, her recent discoveries have shed new light on how Khipus were used, and challenged existing theories about Incan culture. Professor Hyland was invited to the remote, Peruvian indigenous community of Santa Leonor de Jucul to study their collection of ancient khipus, which had never before been shown to outsiders. It contains 97 khipus, including the world's longest at over 68 metres long. Jucul khipu (Image: Prof Sabine Hyland) It was discovered that these khipus were kept and consulted as a record of past environmental conditions. These are the first khipus ever proven to have been used for this purpose; they demonstrate how carefully ancient Andean people observed and recorded climatic conditions and change. Each khipu recorded how villagers in the past responded to climate change. If there was a drought, for example, the villagers would give offerings for rain at a sacred place in the mountains and then record on the khipu the site of the offering and what was given. It was also discovered that makers of the khipus 'signed' the khipus with locks of their hair. It's been thought, based on descriptions by Spanish chroniclers, that very few people in the Inca empire knew how to make khipus. Only a few very high-ranking Inca bureaucrats supposedly knew how to make these knots. READ MORE: Inka khipu with human hair was carbon dated to the Inca Empire, around 1480AD. Isotopic sampling of the human hair on the Inca khipu shows that the diet of the person who made the khipu was that of a commoner. Professor Hyland said 'Diet varied by status in the Inca Empire. Commoners ate a diet of potatoes, legumes, and quinoa grasses. Elites ate meat and drank large quantities of maize beer. "Results intimate that who made these Inca khipu had little meat or maize in their diet – the evidence indicate that they were a commoner. "This suggests that khipu literacy was more widespread and inclusive in the Inka Empire. In turn, this means that there was probably greater continuity between Inca khipus and modern ethnographic khipus, like the ones in Jucul, than previously thought.'
