Willka Tika, a Vegetarian Eden in the Andes of Peru

Embedded in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, between Cusco and Machu Picchu and along the Sacred Urubamba River, lies a real Vegetarian Eden, ready to welcome vegetarian and vegan travelers from all over the world.

Willka Tika means Sacred Flower in Quechua, the original language of the Incas. This name represents everything that Carol, the founder of this inspiring place wished to impress upon, a retreat of love, beauty and spiritual development, an authentic living dedication to the heritage and spirit of the people of the Andes.

The gardens are laid out as Seven Sacred Gardens. Each is dedicated to a different energy center, to provide a perfect setting for personal meditation, healing and rejuvenation. The accommodation, merged into the gardens was built in a beautiful colonial style using all local materials.

Most Vegetarian or Vegan travelers visiting Willka Tika feel immediately at home, when the staff, entirely Quechua neighbors welcome them with a local herb tea. Meals at Willka T'ika are something out of this world. The vegetarian ingredients are filled with the living energy of freshly harvested vegetables and salads grown in their own organic gardens; however, the common and main ingredient in every plate is love. Vegetarian guests always speak of the affection with which every recipe is prepared and offered to them; no wonder why one of the most often used words in the vegetarian visitor’s testimonials is “home”.

For additional information about vegetarian and vegan travel in Cusco and the Sacred Valley, please contact us:

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The Tuber that Saved Mankind from Famine.

The potato (Solanum tuberosum), a tuber that originated in the upper part of the Andes in Peru, has served as a foodstuff for humans in the last 8,000 years. However, it was not until the Spanish took samples of the potato to Europe in the sixteenth century that it became a universal food. In fact, less than a century after the potato was brought to the Old World, it turned for mass consumption, and during the industrial revolution proved to be a key energy source for the working class. Today, the potato is a very important source of protein and starch for vegetarians and vegans.

According to ancient legend, when the mythical founders of the Inca Empire, in old Peru, Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo, emerged from the cold waters of Lake Titicaca, the first thing that God taught them was to plant potatoes. Possibly due to this ancient origin, farmers in the Andes have developed a number of varieties that have adapted to all climates. Today, scientists have identified more than 4,000 potato varieties, many of which, as the yellow potato (papa or pope huayra yellow) are found only in Peru. In fact, Peruvian potatoes are considered unmatched in flavor and texture. The mighty Inca culture revered the potato not only as a staple food but as an icon. Vegetarians and vegans who travel to Peru delight themselves in many delicious dishes based on several varieties of potatoes, including the famous “yellow potato” or “papa amarilla”.

The annual diet of an average global citizen in the first decade of the twenty-first century include about 33 kg of potatoes. However, the local importance of the potato is rapidly increasing. It remains an essential crop in Europe (especially in Central and Eastern Europe), where output per capita is still the highest in the world. However, a faster expansion in recent decades has occurred in South and East Asia. China is now the world's largest potato producing country, and nearly a third of the world's potatoes are harvested in China and India. In general, the potato production has shifted away from richer countries to low-income areas of the world.

In the famous tourist destinations of Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, La Paz and Quito many restaurants offer wonderful recipes of potatoes and corn to vegetarian and vegan visitors who travel to Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia.

For additional information, please contact:
mail: info@veggietours.com
site: http:///www.veggietours.com

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Quinoa; The King of Cereals in the Andes

Vegans and Vegetarians who travel to Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador have great alternatives of vegetarian meals with high nutritional value, including fantastic fruit, nuts many varieties of potatoes, and wonderful cereals.

Among the Andean cereals we find kiwicha (amaranth), kañiwa and quinoa which was the staple food of the Inca, (the king of the Inca culture) and considered a sacred and principal crop in the Andes.

Quinoa is produced mainly in the altitude of the Andes starting at 8,000 feet. The main producers are Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador.

The nutritional value of quinoa is comparable to breast milk. It is a complete food, balanced and far superior to animal foods like meat, milk, eggs, fish. Quinoa is easily digested, a natural source of vegetable protein, and of high nutritional value. Quinoa with a protein content of 16 to 20% contains 20 amino acids, including the 10 essential that the body can not synthesize and must be obtained in the diet with an exceptional balance of protein, fat, oil and starch, and a high degree of amino acids.

If you are a vegetarian or vegan and are planning to travel to Peru, Ecuador or Bolivia, make sure to try these amazing cereals in any of their delicious and nutritious recipes. If you need any assistance or require additional information, please contact us: info@veggietours.com
The following is a traditional recipe, of a vegan, delicious and highly nutritious quinoa and vegetable soup.


QUINOA VEGETABLE SOUP ( Vegan Recipe)
Ingredients

½ pound of Quinoa
1 pound potatoes
Salt, cumin to taste
½ white onion
2 cloves garlic (or to taste)
1 medium carrot
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro
2 liters of water
1 cup soy milk
100 grams of cabbage


Preparation

Soak quinoa for ½ hour, then wash well, and liquefy the quinoa with a little water to break the peel, throw water and strain it.
Peel, wash and chop the onion finely.
Grind or finely chop the garlic
Wash, peel and grate the carrot
Wash, chop the cabbage finely
In a saucepan fry ingredients with the vegetable oil, onion and turmeric until onion is tender. Add water and boil, then add the quinoa and allow to cook until smooth, then add the peeled potato cut into large squares, along with the cabbage. Add salt, cumin, turmeric and let it all cook until everything is soft, add the parsley , and soy milk. Serve.

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Vegetarian Tour: The Inca Trail between Cusco and Machu Picchu in Peru.

During Inca times, all roads led to the capital of the Empire, Cusco (which in Quechua means "navel of the world ').

Most roads were inherited from pre-Inca cultures of Peru, Ecuador, Chile and parts of Bolivia. Inca roads were used most frequently by messengers, "chasquis”. Some are still in use and others have been replaced or abandoned.

Cusco is one of the greatest archaeological cities in the world, and even their simple ways are majestic. It has been appointed as the Archaeological Capital of South America. In Cusco, Inca walls have been top by Spanish architecture (from the colony), and put together it adds up to centuries of civilization. The City of Cusco in Peru has excellent vegetarian restaurants offering typical vegetarian and vegan meals, delicious fruits and vegetables.

The most important road was the Capac Ñan with a length of 5,200 kilometers, which opened in Quito (Ecuador), passed through Cusco, and ended in what is now Tucuman, Argentina, across mountains and hills, with peaks over 5,000 meters.

The Inca Trail between Cusco and Machu Picchu has become one of the best recognized treks worldwide and is now a unique tourist attraction of Peru. Thousands of travelers, including many vegetarian groups from all over the world undertake the journey to the Inca Trail from Cusco to access the jungle mountains of Peru, and the ancient mysteries that are still inherent in the stones of the awe inspiring Machu Picchu. Inca Trail between Cusco and Machu Picchu can be done with vegetarian or vegan meals including fresh fruits and vegetables.

Along the way there are several ruins of various forts in relatively good condition, visually dominating the amazing Sacred Valley.

The trail starts at kilometer 88 of the Cusco-Quillabamba railway and takes four days of trekking in order to arrive to Machu Picchu.

The Inca Trail is an ideal tour for vegetarian tourists, they will find exuberant nature, hundreds of species of orchids and colorful birds.

The trail runs through an impressive altitudinal slope, with varied climates and ecosystems such as the high Andean plateau and the cloud forests ending at the entrance to Machu Picchu through the Inti Puncu or "Puerta del Sol".

The weather in the area of the Inca Trail is generally mild throughout the year. The best time for trekking is during the dry season (April-October). June is the coldest month and August offers a more temperate climate and stable. During November, December, January and March the rains are frequent and the road can become muddy. During February the trail is closed for maintenance.

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Ecuadorian Whales

HUMPBACK WHALES

The humpback whale was given its common name because of the shape of its dorsal fin and the way it looks when its diving. Each whale has its own pattern on the underside of its tail flukes, which can be used like "fingerprints" to identify a particular whale.
Unique patterns on the underside of its tail flukes Humpbacks are found in all oceans from polar to tropical seas and follow fixed migration paths from their summer feeding grounds to warmer waters in the winter. Acrobatic humpbacks usually jump out of the water, stroke each other, and slap the water with their flippers and flukes. In feeding, they use baleen plates to strain small fish such as krill or herring, and plankton out of the water. Humpbacks are best known for their haunting vocalizations or "singing." They have a rich repertoire including frequencies beyond the threshold of human hearing with two basic functions, stunning or panicking fish shoals and communicating information to other herd members. Northern Hemisphere humpbacks have an average length (head to tail) of 49 to 52 feet, and southern humpbacks reach 60 feet. The average weight for a mature adult is between 35 to 65 tons. Their skin is black above, grooves white flukes with variable pattern below.
Even though the longevity of the humpbacks is around 95 years, they are now an endangered species, mainly due to toxic contamination, intensive oil and gas development in feeding grounds, habitat degradation, ship collisions and the still existing whaling industry.
Ecuadorian Whales.
Female humpbacks give birth every two or more years. Pregnancies last for 12 months. The calves nurse for eight to eleven months. Every year between June and September the coast of Ecuador witnesses a magical show, the mating of the Humpback whales. These giant mammals start in the Antartica their long journey to the mild waters of the Ecuadorian ocean. When they reach their destination, these 50 feet long mammals jump in and out of the water trying to call their mates attention. This ritual may last for several weeks, and one year later their offsprings are born in Ecuadorian waters.
Whale watching has become an interesting activity along the entire coast of Ecuador, especially in Puerto Lopez, a small fishing village which has still kept its charm. After an hours´s boat ride, whales are seen exhaling large streams of water and graciously showing their fins. Whale watchers can even name the whale by taking a picture of its tail and sending it to the Ecuadorian Government (if it hasn’t been registered previously). Tourists complete their whale experience when they visit the information center in Puerto Lopez, where interesting data about these humpback whales is available. This visit and many others programs in the Andean Region are now organized for 100% vegetarian tourists, who enjoy the pristine nature and its exquisite vegetarian cuisine.

Get involved, travel veggie.

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