Flavours Of Peru

1  The Altiplano

In this the first episode we take you to the roof of the world where presenter Charlie Ottley experiences life on the wild and windy Altiplano. We visit an Alpaca ranch, go riding in the mountains and witness a bizarre vampiric marriage rite involving two members of the camel family. Next it's off to Lake Titicaca and the bizarre floating islands then a scenic train journey takes us to colonial Cusco, where Charlie explores the sacred valley by paraglider, raft and mountain bike and attends a local banquet where, as guest of honour, he's obliged to eat the pig's head.

 

2  The Rainforest

Charlie heads across the Andes to San Ramone for the start of our jungle episode, exploring the cultures and landscapes of the Amazon. First he follows two national Television stars as they travel deep into the cloud forest on their quest to bring herbal healing to the masses. Next we journey to the banks of the great river itself where Charlie takes a unique boat ride up into the rainforest and then swims down the Amazon to a luxury lodge for a tropical barbecue and some close encounters with the local wildlife.

 

3  The Capital City-Lima

Lima is a capital full of secrets. Charlie uncovers its pre-Columbian and colonial history and goes underground to visit the labyrinthine catacombs that lie beneath the city. As a contrast, we explore the more modern side of Lima and infiltrate high society for an exclusive party with some rather unusual dishes. Finally Charlie joins forces with Peru's top celebrity chefs and embarks on a gastronomic tour of town.

 

4  The Desert Coast

We head south along the desert coastline where Charlie spends a weekend at the chic beachside resort of Pucusana and learns how to make Ceviche. Further inland we visit a family owned distillery and help crush the grapes that go into creating Pisco, Peru's national drink. Lastly Charlie checks into the last grand hacienda hotel and takes a look at how black culture has found its place in modern Peru

 

5  The Northern Coast

Peru's north coast boasts more pyramids than Egypt and the richest waters in the world. Charlie follows in the wake of Hemingway and goes deep sea angling with the help of a few hundred dolphins. He also hangs out in the tropical resort of Mancora, the top surf spot in Peru and tours the ancient tombs of the King of Sipan, known as the Tutankhamen of Latin America. Next we visit the pyramids of El Brujo, conveniently situated next to the Cartavio rum distillery, which Charlie discovers is also open to the public. Travelling south we reach the legendary Temples of the Sun and Moon and tries out two local methods of transport -the paso horse and the ancient reed boat.

 

6  The South

We travel to the Colca Canyon, over twice as deep as the Grand Canyon and peppered with thermal hot springs. Charlie visits the local villages where it's fiesta time and goes in search of the elusive condor. Moving south we sample a strange local river shrimp and trek to the mystical valley of Toro Muerto, famed for its ancient rock paintings. From here we descend towards the Amazon for a visit to Tambopata and the Lake Sandoval nature reserve where Charlie climbs into the rainforest canopy and eats the local speciality - live worms. Finally it's back to the coast where and a chance to cool off in the Humboldt current and go swimming with sea lions.