Waterloo company organizes group tours tailored to Mennonites

Sometimes, folks wander into TourMagination on Willow Street thinking it's a regular travel agency with deals on Vegas junkets and Caribbean cruises.
It doesn't take them very long to learn better. "They soon know what we're offering doesn't really fit with what they want," says Wilmer Martin, president of the company, which specializes in organized tours for Mennonites.
There are no pictures of golf courses and sunny beaches on the walls of the little house that serves as TourMagination's office. If you're looking for that kind of vacation, Martin and his colleagues are happy to point you to another travel agency.
But if Paraguay, Romania or Kyrgyzstan is more to your liking, you're in luck.
TourMagination takes its clients to the world's most obscure places -- and to some that are less obscure -- to "build bridges among Christians and other faiths around the world and try to get people out of their normal box of thinking," in Martin's words.
TourMagination tours take in all of the tourist sights, but also fit in visits to sites of Mennonite historical interest and current Mennonite aid projects.
For example, a recent voyage tocinclu South America ded not only cand Iguazu Falls but visits to a leprosy ministry and a school for deaf children.
Tours to Europe make sure to stop at sites from the era of the Anabaptists, the precursors of the Mennonites.
Other tours, such as a recent trip to Antarctica, have less of a religious focus but still give travellers a chance to meet, talk and pray with fellow Mennonites and people of Mennonite background in their tour group.
Over a couple of weeks, travellers often form tight bonds. One group that visited Germany and Israel in 1990 still keeps touch, Martin says. Back then, TourMagination was a less formal organization operated part-time by people in the North American Mennonite community. The business was founded in 1970 by two employees of the Mennonite Publishing House in Scottdale, Pa.
Martin, an American who moved to Canada for Bible school in the 1960s, became more involved with TourMagination in the 1980s and 1990s.
He eventually purchased the company with his wife Janet and had to choose between the travel agency and his day job heading Habitat for Humanity Canada.
He left Habitat in 2000 and turned TourMagination into a full-time business. He says he made the choice after realizing how group travel can change people's lives and perceptions.
"I saw my calling is to build peace and bridges among humanity," he says.
Martin says travelling the world has helped him to understand that behind the machinations of international politics, people around the world share many similarities. He was surprised at how much the mealtime rituals he shared with Muslim villagers in Tajikistan reminded him of his own upbringing in Pennsylvania.
On the same trip, following the route of a 19th century Mennonite migration, an American traveller was disabused of his fears of Muslims by interacting with them in the mosques and markets of Central Asia.
"He came out of there a changed person," says TourMagination tour leader Ed Epp, formerly a vice-president at Mennonite Economic Development Associates. "He came out of there and said, 'Those are people.' "

Cusco Legacy

In Peru, we all know that pictures of the Cusco School deserve a very important place in the discussion, research and trade of local art. But little is known of its history, importance and contributions to universal art.
Even though pre Hispanic American cultures developed a rich tradition in the handling of form and color, they did not use the form of canvas or picture as a way of expression. Although ceramics, goldsmith’s or silversmith’s trade, architecture, wall paintings and pre Columbian textiles, contain a wide variety of colors and forms, abstract as well as representative, it was only with the arrival of Spaniards, that the European concepts of “canvas”, “picture”, “artist”, painter”, technique” or “school” were imposed, as well as the relations among them.More than one hundred years had to pass in order that the difficult interaction of both worlds – native and European – would give birth to the Cusco School, which is considered by many, as the first expression of American cultural syncretism.Although the pre Columbian American culture was a mix of various and heterogeneous cultures, at the arrival of the Spaniards, the Inca consolidation process had succeeded centralizing in Cusco the best artists of the region, those who provided the royal coffers with the objects that – with art, light and color- enhanced their magic, political and religious power.It is not surprising that it was precisely there, in Cusco, where the fusion of the native and European cultural traditions, had its origin. But the process took more than one hundred years until the beginning of the 17th century. In comparison with the speed of current technology, in the past everything went in a slower pace.The so called Cusco School, was completely established by the 18th Century, as an original and firm American culture, expressed in wall paintings as well as in partitions and particularly, in canvas. Even though the artists who developed this culture did not come only from Cusco, that city was its cultural center par excellence, as Vienna was so for the classic music. They took from here to America and Europe, these canvas which, in spite of keeping the undeniable European baroque influence, they exhibited important local innovations in the materials, techniques, icons and subjects, to a limit that many times it defied in a tacit but firm manner, the Spanish power of those times.

Peru's Chess Federation changes rules - Top players may not see Olympics

If the Peruvian Chess Federation does not put its initial regulations back into effect, the country's top female chess players will not be able to take part in the 2008 World Chess Olympics to be held in Germany.Complications began when the Peruvian Chess Federation announced that regulations had been changed and that female chess players could not automatically qualify to play in Germany but would have to take part in a qualifying match in La Oroya, a town outside of Lima in the Andes.Despite the fact the Federation had officially announced last year that International Masters Luciana Morales (ELO 2189) and Deysi Cori (ELO 2280) would represent the country at the World Chess Tournament, it has stated that rules had been changed and they would have to attend the qualifying match in La Oroya.According to Milton Iturry, the head of the Andean country's Chess Federation, female players can no longer automatically qualify for the World Tournament.In an ambiguous explanation to El Comercio daily, Iturry stated that only Emilio Córdova and Julio Granda could automatically qualify because there was "a much bigger difference"."In the case of the women, the level is much more even," said the head of the Federation.Because Luciana Morales lives in Beijing with her mother, she has affirmed that she will not be able to attend the event in La Oroya, which Iturry has stated "is nearby, just three hours outside of Lima".Morales has affirmed that changing regulations is a lack of respect on behalf of the Federation, stating she was the captain of the female team at the last Olympics and is one of Peru's three female International Masters.

Gaston residents travels to Peru

The Gaston College Study Tours Program recently visited Peru.
During the one-week tour, participants traveled to attractions and cultural centers in a variety of cities and sampled a diverse array of Peruvian food.
One of the most educational and breathtaking places on the trip was the city of Cusco, the ancient Inca capital in the Andes which is located around 10,000 feet above sea level. The unique characteristic of this city's millennial Peruvian past is displayed in its architecture, history, and art.
The next Gaston College Study Tour will be headed to Buenos Aires, Argentina, along with a visit to South America's most beautiful waterfall - Iguazu Falls, in the jungle on the Brazilian border

Peru’s minister of tourism asks to speed up China free trade deal

Peru's minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism Mercedes Aráoz reported today that a few days ago she sent a letter to her Chinese counterpart, Chen Deming, so that Chinese businessmen can determine their proposals and speed up Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.In this letter, we have reiterated to minister Chen Deming our request to clarify positions because they can not consider for the immediate tariff exemption those products that Peru proposed to be exempted in the long term.Araoz indicated that Peru is ready to continue negotiating the trade agreement but as long as there is a suitable openness by the Chinese counterpart.However, she ruled out that in the negotiation process there are struggles between both negotiating teams but every country gives priority to its own interests.With respect to the possibilty of signing the bilateral FTA in November - seizing the opportunity that Chinese president Hu Jintao will visit Lima for the Summit of Leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) - Aráoz confirmed this is the date proposed by both countries.

Trio finish epic 10,000km bike rid

Two brothers from Northern Ireland and an English friend have completed a muscle-tearing 10,000km cycle from the southern tip of South America to the Caribbean coast of Venezuela.
Alastair and Colin Montgomery from Limavady and David Middlemass set off from the world’s most southerly city — Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego in December.
And after seven months in the saddle — which took them up the spine of the Andes in Argentina and Chile — they continued through Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Brazil, ending their charity marathon in Caracas, Venezuela.
All three gave up well-paid jobs, Alastair with the Bank of Ireland, Colin as an IT consultant in London, and David as a teacher of English in Spain.
And this week, they basked in the sunshine of the idyllic Caribbean island Isla de Margarita before heading back to Northern Ireland.
Of course, it had to happen — within a few kilometres of their destination, one of the bikes developed a major crack — but they managed to have it welded at a local technical college and went on their way.
Alastair said in his blog: “The class of apprentices were mad keen to do the job and we soon were on our way.”
A couple of days earlier, they were cycling through the jungle, “where we saw wild monkeys, otters, toucans, macaws, a lovely old tortoise and nearly cycled into the backside of a jaguar”.
It was a happy ending to an adventure of a lifetime which — after a flight via London and Buenos Aires — saw them start off in the summer of the far south, ride up the east coast of Tierra del Fuego and take the ferry to the mainland and the city of Punta Arenas in Argentina.
The mammoth cycle then continued along the Argentina-Chile border, which took in the famous Torres del Paine National Park and the Perito Glacier.
After a week’s stay in Mondoza, the most mountainous part was the crossing of the Bolivian border, through the salt flats there and on to the city of Potosi, which — at 4060 metres — is the highest in the world. And between Bolivia and Peru, they stopped to view Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake on the planet.
On then to Peru and a trip to Machu Picchu, the world heritage Inca site, and up the desert coast to the capital city of Lima.
In his blog, Alastair said: “We had planned to cycle through Columbia, but that proved rather dangerous, so we headed east and through Brazil and the Amazon basin.”
When they entered Venezuela, they were able to watch Spain beat Germany in Euro 2008, and go on their way rejoicing. And so to the Caribbean coast — having crossed the Equator after starting off near Cape Horn in the deep south.
In the final blog entry, Alastair writes: “We have just cycled from the extreme south to the extreme north of the continent — what a strange thing to do.”
The cycling trio say they did it for themselves and for charity — and the charity is UNICEF, for which they have set up a donation site through JustGiving.com.
Full details of their adventure canbe found on their website

Colca Valley and Condors

AREQUIPA / COLCA
After your breakfast, you will be picked up at your hotel in Arequipa, to start the wonderful journey through Pampa Cañahuas, a Natural Reserve that protects the most appreciated South American Camelids, the vicuña, which has the finest and most highly regarded fiber in the textile international market.
The road will lead us to the Colca Valley, where upon arrival, we will transfer you to the Libertador Colca Lodge. Let us suggest that during the night, accompanied by a bottle of wine, you bathe in the exquisitely warm thermal water pools, that exist in the lodge. This is a moment when you will have the feeling that you are able to touch the stars and the night sky. Luckily you will enjoy the splendid moonlight.
Overnight