Authentic Andean Immersion
Forman School
www.peruculturaljourneys.com
Authentic cultural travel broadens horizons and enriches the spirit, affording a deeper understanding of the world in which we live.
sunday, February 25
Depart United States
Day One
Arrival Sacred Valley
Be welcomed to Cusco – navel of the world – by Roman Vizcarra, who will accompany you for your Peruvian Winterim. Enjoy the one-hour drive as you descend to the spectacular Sacred Valley of the Incas of lower altitude and Andean small town charm. Revel in the striking beauty of the snow topped peaks, mountainsides delineated by Inca terraces and fields that cover the valley floor. Settle into your room at Pisac Inn and enjoy a cup of coca tea to help you acclimate. After your first in a series of delicious meals specially spun in a set menu to explore Peruvian Cuisine, rest, acclimate or explore the cobblestone streets of Pisac on your own before a brief orientation followed by a welcoming dinner.
Hotel: Pisac Inn Meals: L, D
Day Two
Cusco Sites & City
After breakfast enjoy a leisurely 30-minute scenic drive to explore pre-Columbian sites outside of Cusco, including the sacred spring of Tambomachay, the lunar and solar observatories of Kenko, and megalithic Sacsayhuaman. You will be captivated by the introduction to Andean astronomy and sacred geometry, the foundation of Andean culture that will be expanded on each day. Enjoy lunch in Cusco. Visit the Plaza de Armas and admire the Inca walls. Return to Pisac for your introductory language class followed by dinner.
Hotel: Pisac Inn Meals: B, D (lunch not included)
Recommended: Wear comfortable cloths for high altitude walking in the countryside and in the city. Bring a daypack with layers for temperature changes; be prepared for sun, cold and possible rain. Comfortable walking shoes are suggested; hiking boots are not necessary. Bring camera, sunblock and sunhat, and plenty of drinking water. You can leave any personal belongings in the car. Bring money for lunch, photos and souvenirs.
Day Three
Pisac Site
Hike to the spectacular archeological site above Pisac. Admire the staggering agricultural terrace work among the most extensive in the area following the shape of the mountainsides in entrancing concave and convex forms. The central astronomic and ceremonial area is widely acclaimed as some of the finest stonework, comparable to that of Machu Picchu. This expansive site provides an ideal setting for a picnic lunch surrounded by natural beauty and ancient ruins with magnificent vistas up and down the valley. Walk back down to the town of Pisac for your Spanish class. Enjoy dinner followed by festive traditional music and dance with Wiñay Taki Ayllu, a local group of musicians, artists and visionaries who have dedicated their lives to preserving their Andean culture.
Hotel: Pisac Inn Meals: B, Picnic, D
Recommended: Wear comfortable clothes for high altitude, hiking, and a picnic in the countryside. Bring a daypack with layers for drastic temperature changes; be prepared for extreme sun, cold and possible rain. Comfortable walking shoes or hiking boots suggested. Bring walking sticks if you need them as this is one of the big hikes of the trip. Bring camera, sunblock and sunhat, and plenty of drinking water. Consider bringing chocolate or nuts for energy. This day you must carry everything you need in your daypack, including the provided picnic bag lunch. Bring small change for photos and souvenirs.
Day four
Community of Amaru
Delight in a 45-minute drive into the majestic high Andes and walk through the patchwork fields replete with potatoes, fava beans and corn to the traditional highland community of Amaru, where a genuinely authentic way of life is still practiced to this day. You will be welcomed with an endearing sweetness rarely felt in this day and age by this community that is consciously preserving and practicing their ancestral heritage. Through participation in a communal workday a beautiful cultural exchange unravels as you experience this incredible opportunity to step back in time and appreciate a quality of life with an admirable simplicity that is strikingly moving and profound. Enjoy a traditional lunch prepared with their prized agrarian products as the women begin to spin their naturally dyed wool. Others meditatively set up their back strap looms to share their ancestral weaving skills with us. This wonderful opportunity to purchase textiles directly from the weavers is not to be missed. Return to Pisac for your language class before dinner.
Hotel: Pisac Inn Meals: B, L, D
Recommended: : Wear comfortable clothes for very high altitude, walking, and working in the fields. Wear clothes and shoes you don’t mind getting dirty! Bring your hand wipes and Purell this day, and be prepared for rustic conditions. Bring a daypack with layers for drastic temperature changes; be prepared for extreme sun, extreme cold and possible rain.
Comfortable walking shoes are suggested; hiking boots are not necessary. Bring camera, sunblock and sunhat, and plenty of drinking water. You can leave any personal belongings in the car, but the car will drop you off and you will walk up, so the car will not be nearby. You do not need your passport. Bring cash to purchase textiles; they are hand made and one of kind pieces. You can take as many photos as you would like; please do not give change for photos in Amaru. They always appreciate prints of photos, which you can send later. Be prepared for authentic cultural immersion at its height, and come with respect, honor and open mindedness as guests invited into a sacred ancestral culture.
Day five
Ollantaytambo
Breakfast followed by a breathtaking one-hour drive through the heart of the Sacred Valley to the Inca town Ollantaytambo. Visit Ollantaytambo’s magnificent archeological site with an impressive astronomical observatory, irrigation waterways and ceremonial site. Learn about the Llama constellation and explore the quaint town that was built in the shape of a corncob. After lunch enjoy a spectacular train ride to Aguas Calientes, where you will have a nice dinner out and spend the night in preparation for an early start to Machu Picchu the following morning.
Hotel: La Cabaña Hotel Meals: B, L, (dinner not included)
Considerations: You must bring your passport!!! You cannot ride the train or enter Machu Picchu without!
For Ollantaytambo outing: Wear comfortable clothes for high altitude hiking and a picnic in the countryside. Bring a daypack with layers for temperature changes; be prepared for sun, cold and possible rain. Comfortable walking shoes or hiking boots are suggested. Bring
camera, sunblock and sunhat, and plenty of drinking water. You can leave any personal belongings in the car. Bring small change for photos and souvenirs.
For the overnight in Aguas Calientes: You can leave all your belongings in your room at Pisac Inn, and bring an overnight bag for Aguas Calientes, with a separate daypack. Bring your bathing suit if you may want to go to the hot springs, not included. Don’t forget insect repellent. Bring money for dinner in Aguas Calientes and lunch out the following day at Machu Picchu.
Day Six
Machu Picchu
Get an early start to take the 20-minute bus ride up steep slopes to magnificent Machu Picchu, renown as a wonder of the world. Isolated among mountain peaks, this awe- inspiring site carries sacred mathematical and scientific wisdom yet to be fully discovered. Explore the important sectors full of astronomic explanations, and revel in the beautiful natural setting and ancient ruins. Take the bus down to Aguas Calientes to catch the train to Ollantaytambo and drive back to Pisac for dinner at the Pisac Inn.
Hotel: Pisac Inn Meals: B, D (Lunch not included)Considerations: Wear comfortable clothes for hiking and train ride. You can leave your overnight bag at the hotel in Aguas Calientes, and we will make arrangements for the hotel to take luggage to the train station in the afternoon. Bring a daypack with layers for temperature changes; be prepared for sun, cold and very possible rain. Comfortable walking shoes or hiking boots are suggested. Bring camera, sunblock, sunhat, repellent, and plenty of drinking water. You will have to carry your daypack at all times, unless you check it in a day locker up at Machu Picchu at your own expense. You must have your passport. Bring money for lunch and souvenirs. If you use walking poles, you may need them today.
Day seven
Pisac Market
Spend the morning exploring Pisac’s colorful Traditional Indian Market. Visit the traditional food section where locals buy and trade their produce and admire the beautiful faces and calm excitement that transforms Pisac on Sunday. This is a wonderful opportunity to buy woven goods, sweaters and jewelry. Particpate in an afternoon cooking class and after dinner learn about the unique vision of Kusi Kawsay School that combines Waldorf Pedagogy with Andean tradition. Talk about your next few days of volunteering at Kusi Kawsay School.
Hotel: Pisac Inn Meals: B, L, D
Day eight
Kusi Kawsay School & Kusi Ñan Farm
After breakfast, walk up to the Kusi Kawsay School & Kusi Ñan Farm. Particpate in designated volunteer projects, breaking for lunch. Participate in your language class before dinner, followed by an evening of stargazing in the southern hemisphere.
Hotel: Pisac Inn Meals: B, L, D
Day nine
Kusi Kawsay School & Kusi Ñan Farm
After breakfast, walk up to the Kusi Kawsay School & Kusi Ñan Farm. Particpate in designated volunteer projects, breaking for lunch. Participate in your language class, followed by dinner out in Pisac at a local pizza place.
Hotel: Pisac Inn Meals: B, L, (dinner not included)
Day ten
Trek or Kusi Ñan Farm
After breakfast, begin your trek! Enjoy the challenge, with amazing views as a reward once at the top. Return in time for your farewell dinner, and a refelction circle before saying goodbye.
Hotel: Pisac Inn Meals: B, Picnic, D
Day eleven
Departure
Urpillay Sonqollay
¡Hasta Luego!
After breakfast depart for Cusco airport and flight to Lima.
Meals: B
Friday, march 9
Arrival to United States
