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Latin America, Luxury Journeys

Inside the home and studio of Peru’s most famous sculptor, Victor Delfin

November 13, 2022 by Katie Johnson No Comments
Victor Delfin

Esteemed Peruvian artist Victor Delfin has been inspired by the unique heritage and people of his native Peru. From large scale sculptures to graphic, vibrant paintings, Delfin captures the events and emotions of Peruvians. We are fortunate that he opens his home and workshop to Luxury Gold guests as one of our VIP Experiences on our Grand South America and Treasures of the Incas tours.  

Delfin's painting

@victordelfin92

Victor Delfin’s house 

You’ll find Delfin’s Tudor-style home perched on a cliff above the Pacific Ocean. Here, giant waves add a dramatic background to the setting. While Delfin maintains residency, his home is also a contemporary art museum, artist studio and bed and breakfast called Second Home Peru. 

House exterior

@victordelfin92

Inside Delfin’s home

Approaching the home, gardens dotted with sculptures of angels, a bull, a horse tossing its mane and a lion creating a sense of wild movement and energy will impress you. Inside, Delfin’s home welcomes with warm wood trim, colorful stained glass and curio cabinets filled with sculptures. The second floor was once family rooms and galleries. Up one more level, a hidden spiral staircase leads to a tower studio overlooking the ocean where Delfin used to work. 

Cabinet of pottery

@victordelfin92

Delfin’s presence 

Delfin’s touch is everywhere. For example, you can view the wrought-iron wood burning stove, hand-shaped light fixtures, leather chairs and even chess pieces he designed as well as the numerus boldly colored paintings that adorn the walls. 

Fireplace

@victordelfin92

Over the years Delfin has expanded his property to include a new studio, cave gallery and a large swimming pool with a fountain shaped like a puma head. Before Delfin’s daughter converted the family rooms, gallery space, dark room and her father’s former studio into guest rooms in 2004, it was once a meeting place for Lima’s artists and activists.  

Swimming pool and terraces

@victordelfin92

Community and legacy 

Victor Delfin’s house is in the Barranco neighborhood known for its cafes and murals. The neighborhood is also a hub of creativity among the local writers, poets, musicians, photographers and other artists. In addition, politically, Delfin’s house was also a gathering space for dissidents from “La Resistencia Democrática,” a group who opposed then-president Alberto Fujimori in the late 1990s. Delfin played a role in organizing the marches and protests. As a result, his involvement in political causes is just as strong a contribution to Peru as his art.  

Victor Delfin’s art 

However, Victor Delfin’s art is his legacy. The pre-Inca Paracas culture inspired Delfin. Thus, his art has a boldly colorful yet mysterious and magical quality reminiscent of this disappeared nation. He works with a range of materials including wood, metal, canvas, polychrome acrylics and aluminum. But, many know Delfin for his large metal sculptures of birds, horses and other animals. For example, Delfin’s famed “El Beso” (The Kiss) sculpture sits in Lima’s Parque del Amor (Love Park). It has become a popular spot for couples to pose with the sculpture on romantic occasions.  

We connected with Delfin to learn more about his artwork and influences in his own words.  

Delfin in his studio

@victordelfin92

In Delfin’s words

Peru has certainly influenced my artwork. With roots as old as the Greek, Egyptian and African cultures, Peru has an exciting amount of history to discover and display. 

From its unique, pre-Columbian architecture to its music and folk crafts, it is full of surprises. Its natural beauty and heritage is inspirational, with the splendor of the Amazon, the powerful snow-capped mountains and, of course, the welcoming nature of its people. 

All my work is somehow based on my country, and I like to show this to Luxury Gold guests when they visit my workshop. My passion for creativity is kindled by my love for home. There’s little surprise that the place I feel most comfortable is right here (in a studio I designed, “my way,” to quote Sinatra). 

When Luxury Gold guests visit, they ask me about my favorite piece of artwork, and are surprised when I explain there is no favorite. As artists, everything we make, we make with a lot of enthusiasm and passion. We give the best of ourselves in the art that we create. 

Delfin’s passion

For artists, our creations are like our children, and we care for them with the same passion, whether one makes a painting, a sculpture or a jewel. 

I hope to pass along this passion for creativity, which nature gave me as a child and which was guided by the immense love of my parents, friends and mentors, and inspires me to take care of others. I feel obligated to be an activist for human rights, for the struggles of citizens to improve their quality of life. 

It’s my way of giving back to the people. After all, my inspiration is in the streets, in the towns, in the customs of the people and their ways of expressing themselves. 

What will you be inspired by in Peru?

Explore dining in Peru and our tours: Treasures of the Incas and Grand South America. 

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Cuisine, Latin America, Luxury Journeys

Mayta in Lima, Peru named one of the world’s top 50 restaurants

October 21, 2022 by Luxury Gold No Comments

Restaurant Mayta in Lima has been named one of world’s top 50 restaurants. Showcasing contemporary Peruvian cuisine inspired by the country’s heritage and traditional flavors, Mayta is also the location of a grand welcome dinner on the first night of our Treasures of the Incas tour.  

We couldn’t be more delighted to celebrate Mayta. 

Dishes at Matya

@matyalima

About the honor 

The list of the world’s top 50 restaurants is developed from the votes of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy which is made up of 1,080 international restaurant industry experts. The experts are spread across 27 regions around the world. Some regions contain more than one country and are designed to represent the global restaurant scene at the time. Each region has its own voting panel of 40 members. Members of the panel include food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and gourmets and each member is allotted 10 votes. Now that we’ve seen how his esteemed honor is granted, let’s take a look at this top restaurant in Lima. 

Related content: What to expect when dining at a Michelin starred restaurant 

Mayta Restaurant

@matyalima 

Mayta Restaurante 

Meaning ‘Noble Land’ in the native Andean Aymara language, Mayta earned a spot on Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019 list for its unique use of local ingredients and flavors. In 2020 it won the Highest Climber Award. Now one of the best restaurants in Lima, Mayta offers a 12-course Yachay tasting menu focusing on Peruvian ingredients plated and presented as their own distinct, colorful works of art. Mayta also offers a sophisticated à la carte menu with choices from Amazonian ceviche to matcha tart with passionfruit ice cream. In short, Mayta’s chef Jaime Pesaque describes it as “a personal and contemporary expression of the Peruvian cuisine and territory.”  

Duck dish at Matya

@maytalima

The man behind Mayta 

Pesaque is the founder of Jaime Pesaque Restaurants and has had a rich culinary career. Pesaque was born and raised in Peru. He then trained in Europe, graduating from Cordon Bleu with a Master in Cooking from the Italian Culinary Institute (ICIF). He apprenticed in Michelin-starred Restaurants in Italy and Spain, including El Celler de Can Roca, twice The World’s Best Restaurant and now in the Best of the Best hall of fame.  

When he returned to Peru, Pesaque directed his first kitchen and honed his style at Al Grano. Pesaque opened Mayta in 2008 with the aim to celebrate traceable native products combined with contemporary culinary techniques. In addition to his restaurant family, Pesaque also exports Peruvian cuisine abroad.  

Jamie Pesaque

@maytalima

The main dishes   

Within the warm interior of Mayta, you can expect to be delighted by any number of dishes. Pesaque is famous for his smoked duck breast with fried duck egg and foie gras but your options are plenty. Enjoy his Amazonian ceviche with ginger, cilantro, charapita chile, and sweet plantains. Or, be impressed by the stunning presentation and flavors of thinly sliced ‘ham’ from the paiche fish shaped into an intricate rose. Pesaque use of this Amazonian fish that needs to be eaten to prevent the destruction of other species also supports his close ties to sustainability. Pesaque’s innovative twists on classics including osso buco, scallops and quinoa will also tempt your palate. 

Peach cobbler, jerky, banana, aji charapita

@maytalima

The Yachay tasting menu 

Pesaque launched his Yachay tasting menu in 2020 to focus on local vegetables and seafood. This menu offers both alcoholic and non-alcoholic pairings. Yachay is not only the name of this menu but Pesaque’s space for culinary learning, “that awakens the spirit of curiosity and exploration for the land and sea of Peru.” In Yachay’s site in the “fertile desert” region of Ica two hours south of Lima, Pesaque capitalizes on biodiversity and takes advantage of the bounty from the land and sea.  

Yachay’s philosophy of exploration, learning and fresh products translates to the tasting menu’s grilled eggplant dish with eggplant and onion jus and a smoked eggplant shake. In short, Yachay is both an experimental space as well as a tasting menu that encapsulates Pesaque’s culinary identity. 

Green garlic prawns and Palta vegetables

@maytalima

The drinks  

Pair your inventive dishes with a glass from the diverse wine list or lemonade. Matya also includes a notable pisco bar serving inventive takes on the national drink offering more than 120 seasonal piscos macerated with a rotating list of fruits, herbs, vegetables, dried fruits and nuts. Or, try their chilcano, a Peruvian cocktail made of pisco, ginger ale and lemon.  

Paracas cocktail

@maytalima

The desserts  

On the sweeter side, Pasque works with Pastry Chef Jeisson Felipe Garzon to create innovative desserts. Finish your meal with a chocolate mousse with cocoa powder and coca nibs or white chocolate torte covered with powdered muña, a local mint-like herb. Or, embrace local fruits sampling the crispy pineapple and tumbo passion fruit dessert.    

Pineapple dessert

@maytalima

Beyond Mayta 

In addition to Mayta in Lima Pesaque has several other restaurants including Mad Burger, 500 Grados and Sapiens, showcasing open-flame techniques with vegetables, seafood, meat and grains. He has also expanded his passion for Peruvian cuisine abroad with SuViche in the U.S. in Miami, Pacifico in Italy and Callao in The Hague, Netherlands. Pesaque’s mission to connect diners with Peruvian territory, tradition and culture seems to know no bounds. We hope you’ll join us at Mayta in Lima. 

Explore more of Peru with us:  Victor Delfin on painting Peru

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Latin America, Luxury Journeys

Step inside Peru’s blissful Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel

October 5, 2022 by Luxury Gold No Comments

When it comes to exquisite hotels, you’ll be talking about the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel in Peru for a lifetime. Much more than culture and fabulous Inca ruins, Peru is a land of legends, wildlife and ancient vows. And at this Machu Picchu Hotel, you’re invited into a storybook world. Set high in the Cloud Forest, in its own intimate Andean village, with terraced hills and waterfalls, be prepared for the most incredible stay.

Discover this on: Treasures of the Incas

The mystical Cloud Forest

@inkaterrahotels

The Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel is set in 12 acres of natural Cloud Forest beauty.  With their own unique ecosystems, Cloud Forests are both beautiful and bountiful. These tropical forests prominently feature a layer of dense fog at the canopy level. The result is a heavy mist around the treetops at all times, hence the name Cloud Forest.

@inkaterrahotels

Ethereal and mystical, the heavy fog both filters the sunlight and provides the underlying foliage with a source of moisture. This in turn creates an environment attractive to mosses and ferns and tends to be humid and boggy. In Peru especially, a staggering number of species thrive in cloud forests. This includes thousands of orchids, hummingbirds and a wealth of flora and fauna that has yet to be discovered.

@inkaterrahotels

The grounds of the Inkaterra Hotel Machu Picchu are home to 214 bird species, including the golden-headed quetzal and the iconic Andean cock-of-the-rock. The forest is also home to the world’s largest native orchid collection, with 372 registered species.

Related content: How your travels with Luxury Gold help conserve nature for future generations

An exceptional hotel

 

Perfectly located for those heading to the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu, the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel is an exquisite retreat. Step into another world in this rainforest, bursting with terraced hills, waterfalls and stone pathways. The complex features 83 whitewashed “adobe casitas” tucked away in the cloud forest, for an unreal setting you’ve likely never experienced before.

Related content: Why New Orleans’ Ritz Carlton is a cut above the rest

Feel the outside inside

@inkaterrahotels

Beautiful rooms and suites offer the perfect sanctuary for simple relaxation and here at the hotel, personalized comfort is assured. Decorated with local crafts and eucalyptus beams and a colonial style wardrobe, you will feel at one with your surroundings. Enjoy robes, Andean slippers crafted from recycled materials, plus environmentally friendly toiletries. If treating yourself to a suite you can also enjoy an outdoor shower, plunge pool, day bed and luxurious marble bathrooms.

Related content: In 2022, why do we crave the golden era of travel more than ever before

The incredible Unu Spa

@inkaterrahotel

The Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel’s sumptuous spa combines classic nurturing with a mystical Andean approach. Treatments use 100% natural products derived from local botanical extracts, such as mint, eucalyptus and of course the famous orchids. Providing a spiritual, sensual and soothing experience, Unu Spa means water in Quechua. Treat yourselves to a deep tissue exfoliation with sacred coca leaves or rejuvenate with facial hydration, hot stones and foot therapy. Guests can also relax and steam away any cares in the Andean sauna.

Related content: 6 of the best spas you can visit with Luxury Gold

Exceptional dining

@inkaterrahotels

Situated between the Machu Picchu train tracks, the hotel’s acclaimed restaurant Café Inkaterra serves delicious fare under a traditional Amazonian palm-thatched roof, surrounded by regional crafts. The restaurant and adjacent terraces were built as a large glass house with an exceptional view of the Vilcanota River and the surrounding green mountains. A creative menu blends Andean cuisine with a contemporary approach, creating innovative fusion-style fare. The perfect place to unwind, far from the crowds, and share the secrets of Peruvian cuisine with a contemporary twist.

The delights of Peruvian cuisine

A magnificent melody of flavors, Peruvian food is often referred to as Criolla or Creole food because of the blend of Spanish, Asian, Incan and other European cuisine influences which are integrated into the recipes. Ingredients are based heavily on potatoes, beans, rice, beef, eggs, lamb, fish, corn, chicken and especially the Aji, or chili. Perhaps most famous (and exquisite) is Peru’s national dish Ceviche. When in Peru we also recommend trying the Lomo Saltado (stir fried beef) and Papas a la Huancaina (potatoes in spicy cheese sauce).

Related content: Mind the culture gap: The chefs who make worlds collide through food

The perfect base from which to explore Machu Picchu

One of the most sought-after destinations on earth and one of the most mystical, Machu Picchu stands proudly at 2,430 m above sea-level, in the middle of a lush tropical mountain forest. The Lost City of the Incas was rediscovered by American historian Hiram Bingham in 1911 after being forgotten for centuries. Now a famous UNESCO World Heritage Site, much of its history and purpose remains a mystery even to historians.

Within this sprawling ancient citadel are famous sites including the Temple of the Sun and Temple of the Three Windows. Here you’ll also find the Temple of the Condor, the Sun Gate and the Intihuatana rock, believed to be an ancient sun clock. Easily accessed by train, your first-class seats and panoramic windows make for sublime views en route to Machu Picchu village. Arrive before the day trippers and join your expert guide for an exclusive and fascinating journey back in time.

Discover this on: Treasures of the Incas

 Read more: 7 experiences to stir your soul in Latin America

 To enjoy the delights of the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel for yourself, take a look at our Treasures of the Incas luxury guided tour.

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