This film prepared by Sumaq covers the different angles of the history and importance of Machu Picchu, as well as research conducted on its construction, events related to its discovery and the architectural site with its biological wealth today.

Starting today, “100th Anniversary of the Discovery of Machu Picchu” will be shown at the hotel twice a day, seven days a week. Reservations for screenings of this report, which will be shown through the end of 2012, may be made free of charge at the hotel.   

SustainableTrip.org is an on-line guide that includes hotels, tour operators and other sustainable tourism businesses in Latin America and the Caribbean that are verified by Rainforest Alliance, certified by an independent certification program or recommended by a prestigious organization. The purpose of this website is to help tourists and tour operators to choose destinations responsibly, for the benefit of local communities and natural resources.

 “Making a difference” is the special mention made by SustainableTrip.org to highlight companies’ work and efforts in favor of environmental conservation and the welfare of their employees and local communities.

As part of this recognition, SustainableTrip.org promotes the winner on its website throughout the month. In addition, it promotes the winner on Facebook and Twitter, in the blog on the website, and in its monthly newsletter sent to hundreds of subscribers.

New Sustainable Tourism section

Green Sumaq is the sustainable tourism section of Sumac’s website, www.sumaqhotelperu.com, developed to share its policies, activities, publications and news related to its responsible practices in the Machu Picchu area with all of its contacts.

Since the construction of its architectural design faults situated in the foothills of Machu Picchu, the structures of Sumaq take full advantage of natural light, thus avoiding the excessive use of energy.

The external colors of Sumaq blend beautifully with the cloud forests environment and its bluish sky. The earthy colors of the balconies, walls and ceiling are in harmony with the habitat of more than 300 endemic bird species of the area.

Saving and conservation of natural resources is another initiative taken by the hotel involving their guests and staff.  The staff of Sumaq is ready to separate, recycle and use properly selected materials and which protect the environment.

This is further demonstrated by obtaining more than 70% of approval in their sustainable operations granted by the conservation organization Rainforest Alliance. Their actions on solid waste left by their activities are the most outstanding among all their sustainable practices.

For its location and responsibility, the hotel has developed for their environment a collection, selection and monitoring plan of the final destination of waste. The rooms as well as the public areas of the hotel have organic and inorganic garbage cans.

Products that produce waste and avoid the use of non-reusable packaging are preferred in order to minimize the volume of waste within the purchasing policies of the hotel. Also, amenities packaging are recycled and reused saving up to $ 1000 annually.

Furthermore, the guests also become agents of Sumaq ecology when they decide to reuse their towels, separate the waste, use water and energy responsibly, as well as when they visit the sanctuary responsibly, caring for nature and wildlife while visiting the attractions in Machu Picchu.

Reference Webs

www.rainforest-alliance.org
www.sustainabletrip.org

Sumaq at the foot of the imposing mountains surrounding Machu Picchu

Since January, the operations of this luxurious hotel have had Rainforest Alliance Verified TM status.

Throughout the year 2011, Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel, the only five-star hotel in the town of Machu Picchu Pueblo, also known as Aguas Calientes, will continue offering its outdoor Pachamanca and Andean Wedding activities for the purpose of enabling its guests to experience the traditions of the neighboring communities.

A Pachamanca, or literally “Earth Pot”, is a culinary activity and one of the best preserved traditions of the culture of Peru’s southern Andes.
In an interesting alternative for lovers of ancestral cuisine, participants are able to see how this Andean meal is prepared. A hole in the ground that will serve as an oven is lined with hot stones, and regional ingredients from the highlands, such as potatoes, oca, fava beans, aromatic herbs and lamb meat are placed on top of them, then covered with large leaves before the “oven” is sealed with earth.
Once the food is cooked and its aromas seep from the earth, participants prepare to enjoy this culinary activity with a toast made with glasses of frutillada, a fermented beverage prepared with corn and red fruit.
Another tradition that the hotel carries on as part of the mystical legacy of the Inca culture is the Arac Masin or Andean Wedding, a symbolic Andean ceremony of love in which couples take or renew vows in a unique, five-star style.

In an Arac Masin, a couple is joined in complicity with nature and the spirituality of Machu Picchu. Ordinarily, the ceremony is held near the Puente Ruinas bridge, from where some of the Inca construction of Machu Picchu can be seen.

The romanticism of the occasion is enhanced by the presence of an Andean priest and the Aqlla, or Vigin of the Sun, who with prayer and song, pray that the bride and groom’s relationship will prosper.

In addition to these two activities, Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel offers a wide range of cultural activities and excursions that have been planned with respect for the environment and surrounding communities.

Sumaq’s sustainable practices have recently earned it Rainforest Alliance Verified TM status, an important achievement made possible by the dedicated participation of its staff and guests.

Pay To The Earth – Pachamama

Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel, the only five stars hotel in Machu Picchu Pueblo, also known as Aguas Calientes, continues to offer outdoor activities in this 2011 such as the Pachamanca and the Andean Wedding Ceremonies, so their travelers can live closely the traditions of the Andean community.
Pachamanca or “Earth Pot” is a representative activity of one of the best preserved culinary customs of the southern Andean culture of Peru nowadays.

It is an interesting alternative for ancient-cooking lovers. In the Pachamanca the participants will attend the preparations of this Andean meal placing the stones that serve as an underground kitchen, as well as regional supplies of the mountains like potato, oca, broad beans, aromatic herbs and lamb meat, which at the end are covered with large leaves and layers of earth until it is totally closed.

Once the ground begins to expand the flavors of all cooked food, the participants of this culinary activity will enjoy the Pachamanca and toast with frutillada – fermented drink made from corn and berries.

Another tradition that the hotel preserves as part of the mystical heritage of the Inca culture is the “Arac Masin” or Andean Marriage, which is a symbolic ceremony of love where couples get married or renew their vows faithful to the Andean culture and the unique style of a five star.
In the Arac Masin, lovers join themselves in the complicity of nature and spirituality of Machu Picchu. The ceremony is preceded by an Andean priest in a special place set at the foot of the archaeological site close to Puente Ruinas. Songs and prayers are performed to invoke the prosperity of the relationship.  
Besides these two activities, Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel has a wide choice of excursions and cultural activities which were created respecting the environment and surrounding communities.
All Sumaq sustainable practices have made worthy, the recent Verification of the Rainforest Alliance Conservation Institution. Achievement reached with the full participation of its staff and guests.

These regional products are being used as the main ingredients in gourmet baking at a five-star hotel in Machu Picchu.  This is a new concept in our country.

The preparation of artisan bread with natural products and our own yeast is called gourmet baking.  As no chemicals are used in the process, the final product is both healthier and tastier.  

In France and Italy, gourmet baked products are very well known.  However, in Peru they are found only at the Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel located in the town of Aguas Calientes.  There, one can find up to 30 varieties of bread, including creative varieties of potato bread with Andean herbs and Campesino bread with thyme and almonds.

These original varieties of bread are prepared according to an artisan method created exclusively by the hotel.  Prepared dough is placed in an earthen oven, which is heated by firewood that is fed, in turn, by hot air blowers.

 Here we share the recipe for Andean whole-grain bread.

ANDEAN WHOLE-GRAIN BREAD  (Sumaq)

.1 kg flour

.20 gr salt

.15 gr instant yeast

.500 ml water

.100 gr boiled quinoa

.100 gr boiled cañihua

.100 gr boiled wheat

PREPARATION

Combine the dry ingredients.  Add yeast.  Incorporate the boiled quinoa, cañihua and wheat, followed by the water.  When the dough becomes elastic, allow to set for 1 hour.  Form 400 gr loaves and allow them to ferment for 1 hour.  Bake at 180 C for 25 -30 minutes.

Peruvian chefs are now ranking among the international superstars on the culinary playing field. Among them is Rafael Piqueras, who has created an ingenious menu for the new five-star Sumaq Hotel Machu Picchu. At Sumaq, Piqueras scores big as he introduces guests to the cuisine of his native country, putting new twists on the playbook of traditional Peruvian techniques as he combines food from all three of Peru’s regions: the succulent fruits of the jungle, astonishing seafood from the coast, and the potatoes, grains and spicy peppers of the highlands.

Served in a contemporary dining room overlooking the Urubamba River, surrounded by the mystical Andean cloud forest, dinner at Sumaq is a gustatory complement to a Machu Picchu visit. Try the duck magret in prickly pear sauce, and you’ll remember it as an essential part of your pilgrimage to Peru’s new Wonder of the World. And that is as it should be, because to understand and embrace Peruvian food is to understand and embrace the many layers of Peruvian culture. Sumaq lends fresh interpretations to long-established Peruvian favorites such as causa, a dish of mashed yellow potatoes, chilled and stuffed with chicken or seafood. Ceviche, Peru’s famous preparation of spicy marinated fish, is prepared as trout with a three pepper sauce and two types of sweet potatoes.

Guests rave about alpaca carpaccio and vegetarian carpaccio, and the quinoa trilogy with Andean flavors. All in all, Sumaq gastronomy creates an unfolding drama of flavors and aromas, beginning with creative appetizers such as cream of Andean pumpkin soup topped with a porcini mushroom foam, moving to a main course like slow cooked ossobuco with sweet potato gnocchi and Brazil nuts from Puerto Maldonado, finishing with a “suspiro de lucuma,” a classic crillio dessert said to be as soft and sweet as a woman’s sigh, fl Plan to linger long over dinner, as the Peruvians always do. If eating is the favorite sport, conversation is the preferred pastime, and the two activities pair perfectly. No Peruvian would ever rush a meal. Savor your meal at Sumaq, and you’ll be talking about it for years to come.

Spending a night in the rustic village requires no sacrifice of luxury now that the five-star Sumaq Hotel has opened in Machu Picchu Village. The décor was created by contemporary artists who interpreted traditional Inca motifs in completely original ways, making a perfect setting for experiencing Peru’s Wonder of the World.

 Best of all, staying for a night or two at Sumaq Hotel means you can witness Machu Picchu at sunrise, before throngs of tourists arrive on the train from Cusco. Machu Picchu is loveliest then, when ethereal morning mists are dancing in and out of the cloud forest canyon below. Hop on the first bus of the morning; the departure point is only steps away from Sumaq’s front door. Zigzag your way to the top of the mountains that conceal the enigmatic Inca citadel, and you’ll begin to understand how it was hidden for centuries. The staff at Sumaq can help you plan the best way to explore; choose a guided walk that explains the geology, history and archeology, or a challenging yet rewarding climb up Wayna Picchu, where ancient science joins astonishing scenery at the site of an Inca observatory.

 Return from your day at Machu Picchu, and immerse yourself in one of Sumaq’s signature spa treatments, intended to connect body and soul in perfect harmony. The Andean Stone Massage is particularly pleasurable —following a soothing massage with essential oils, hot or cold stones are applied to the body, evoking sensations that are alternately calming and energizing. After a few hours of such blissful renewal, set out to explore the surrounding village, and enjoy the pleasant cacophony of international languages all around. Located just at the edge of Aguas Calientes, Sumaq offers a haven from the high energy tourist bustle, yet is it close enough to for easy access to all the town’s vibrancy.

This ancient ritual consists of a spiritual affirmation that harmonizes a couple’s union with elements of nature

 

Machu Picchu Sanctuary are not only about excursions around the ancient empire. Today’s visitors seek an experience beyond contact with the culture; they need to feel it. For this purpose, in search of new alternatives for an unforgettable stay, the services offered at Sumaq have a mystical and spiritual orientation.

A new service has been added to the incredible experience of spending the night next to one of the new wonders of the world at Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel, the only five-star hotel in Machu Picchu Pueblo (formerly known as Aguas Calientes). A unique ceremony called “Arac masin”, which is an Andean wedding or renewal of vows, can now be held here.  

This ancient ritual consists of a spiritual affirmation that harmonizes a couple’s union with elements of nature, invoking the Apus, or spirits of the mountains; Pachamama, or Mother Earth; Mama Koka, or Mother Coca; the chaskas, or stars; the Aukis and Achachilas, or light; and Willka Nina, or sacred fire.

Eternal love

For such a special occasion, a setting very near the Puente Ruinas bridge is decorated with colorful blankets, cushions, floral arrangements, a flower-covered arch made of palo santo wood and a circular carpet of flowers divided in four equal parts representing the horizons of the earth: east, west, north and south.

 Once all of the details are ready to begin the ritual, the bride and groom begin walking toward the site where the ceremony is to be held. They are welcomed by Shaman Willco who, saying a prayer, places his hands over their heads and guides them down a narrow trail accompanied by others dressed as typical Andean personalities.

 Along the way, one of the persons wearing Andean attire blankets their path with white petals as a sign of union and happiness. With the songs of birds and the sound of river flowing by in the background, Willco starts the “Arac masin” by lighting a fire in a hand-crafted vessel.

 Barefoot on the lovely carpet of flowers, the couple enters a state of meditation at the invitation of the shaman. Songs and prayers are an indispensable aspect of this event. Subsequently, the couple washes their feet in the river, exchanges rings and closes this symbolic ceremony with a kiss harmonized with the sounds of an Andean wind instrument known as pututu.

For more information about Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel visit www.sumaqhotelperu.com