Here are some interesting facts I saw about Peru on Huffpost: 50 Fun Facts You Probably Never Knew About Peru
“ There are over 3,000 different varieties of Potato grown in Peru
The potato is originally from Peru, and there are over 3,000 different varieties. Proud Peruvians use the phrase “Soy mas Peruano que la papa” (I am more Peruvian than the potato).”
“Spanish is not the only language spoken in Peru
There are 3 official languages in Peru: Spanish, Quechua and Aymara, but east of the Andes in Amazon jungle regions it is thought that natives speak 13 different indigenous languages.”
“The Largest Flying Bird on Earth can be found in Peru, The Giant Andean Condor
Colca Canyon is home to the largest bird in the world, standing up to 4 feet high with a wingspan of up to 14 feet! Despite weighing up to 27 pounds, the bird can fly for hours without using its wings. Native to the Andes, it was considered a sacred bird by the Incas, but is now listed as “vulnerable” by the World Conservation Union.”
“The Pisco Sour is Peru’s national drink
Pisco is made from Peruvian grape brandy and is mixed with lemons, sugar water, egg whites, ice and finished with bitters to make a Pisco Sour. This cocktail is said to have been invented by an American bartender, Victor Vaughn Morris, in the early 1920s in Lima, and now a “lighter, healthier” version can be ordered without the egg whites and with a little bit of soda water called a Chilcano.”
“The Ancient Incas created the first census
The Incas had no formal system of writing. Instead, they developed a system of record-keeping using a complicated system of knots called quipus. Made out of wool or cotton strings fastened at one end to a cross cord, each quipu was different from the other in size or color. Each simple or compound knot and its size and color represented details of crop measures, thefts, debt, and even events.”
“Guinea Pigs are a delicacy to Eat in Peru
The Cuy, or Guinea Pig, is a traditional dish eaten in Peru during important festivals, and is served crispy complete with head, legs and eyes.”
“You can hike up a Rainbow Mountain in Peru
Vinicunca Mountain (Rainbow Mountain) in Peru is one of these places where travelers have yet to discover. It is a secret that has been kept so well there is no information about it. The journey to get there will take you a minimum of 6 days to complete.”
“The Amazon River is the longest river in the world and it starts in Peru!
The Amazon river starts up high in the Peruvian Andes near Machu Picchu and ends in the Atlantic Ocean over 3,278 miles from its source.”
“Peru grows more than 55 varieties of corn
When you go to a market in Peru, you can just about find corn in any color including yellow, purple, white and black.”
“Peru has the second largest amount of Shamans in the world, second only to India.
Shamanism has been popular in Peru for over 3,000 years.”
“Cotahuasi Canyon in Peru is actually the deepest canyon in the world.
Near the city of Arequipa, Cotahuasi Canyon has a depth of nearly 10,605 feet, which is twice the depth of the Grand Canyon!”
“Peruvian Coati Dung Coffee is the most expensive in the world
Peru is now making one of the most expensive coffees in the world by picking arabica beans out of the dung of a long-nosed jungle critter called the coati, a tropical cousin of the raccoon.”
“There are 10 million alpacas in the world, and three-quarters of them live in Peru.”
“Peru has the ugliest dog in the World
The Peruvian Inca Orchid is one of those dogs that is so ugly, it’s cute. It’s got a hairless, often spotted body then a tuft of white or grey hair on top of its head, making it look like a funny old man.”
“You can stay in a Treehouse Hotel in the Peruvian Amazon”
“Alien Mummy Skulls have been discovered off the coast of Paracas, Peru
The reason why the TV Show Ancient Aliens thinks these mummy skulls are alien, is because they are abnormally long and deformed compared to human skulls. An entire mass grave of over 400 skulls was found buried near an ancient symbol of a candelabra craved into the Cliffside in Paracas and no one knows who they were, why they are there, and what the candelabra symbol means. Some historians say that it was the practice of some Inca people to press their newborn’s heads in between wooden boards to create this long skull shape. They believe they did it for aesthetic reasons and that it symbolized that they were nobility.”
source: 50 Fun Facts You Probably Never Knew About Peru
“Peru’s name may come from the Spanish misapplication of the Quechua word pelu, meaning a river.
La Festival del Gastronómico del Gato (Gastronomic Festival of the Cat) is an annual tradition in the Peruvian town of La Quebrada to commemorate the arrival of Spanish settlers who were forced to eat cats when they first arrived. Each year, at least 100 cats are barbecued and consumed, although a judge recently banned the festival
Camu-camu fruit (Myrciaria dubia) grows in the Amazon rainforest in Peru and Brazil and has the highest vitamin C concentration of any food, about 60 times that of an orange.”