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(For High School Graduates And College Students)
Aventura de los Incas
5-Week Language Immersion, Cultural Exchange & Service Program
Session One: June 21st thru July 25th (35 days)
Ages: 18 to 19
Session Two: June 21st thru July 25th (35 days)
Ages: 15 to 17
Size of group: 16-18 students
Tuition: $5,695 (plus RT airfare for group flights from Houston to Lima, Lima to Cusco, Cusco to Quito, and Galapagos)
Service Projects*
- Earn 50-70 community service hours
- Help construct community facilities in a Peruvian and Ecuadorian village
- Construct a home for rural villagers
- Present English language lessons to local community members
- Work on reforestation projects
Language Immersion*
- Practice your Spanish with Peruvian students
- Take two days of formal language classes
- Experience a homestay in small Ecuadorian villages
- Engage in numerous leader-led language exercises and activities
Adventure and Cultural Activities*
- White-water raft the Rio Urubamba
- Hike the Inca Trial to the Lost City of Machu Picchu
- Barter for artisan goods in the indigenous markets of Cusco and Otavalo
- Mountain Bike down Cotopaxi Volcano in Ecuador
- Visit artisans’ homes and lively market towns such as Otavalo
- Explore by boat and snorkel throughout the Galapagos Archipelago
*Please note that some of the projects and activities will change from year to year. A final itinerary will be printed prior to each trip.
SAMPLE ITINERARY
Lima and Orientation (2 days) - The group flies together into Lima, Peru, where we settle into our B & B for introductory activities and an opportunity to explore the sites and sounds of Lima. A team scavenger hunt gets the group speaking Spanish and working together.
Urubamba Valley and Community Days (7 days) - After a short flight to Cusco, a bus ride brings us to our community stay in the Sacred Valley. The group will stay together at a centrally located lodge while we get to know the locals through service projects and adventure activities. An exciting day of rafting on the Urubamba River will provide further opportunity for team building with the group. The remaining days will be spent collaborating with our host community and local schools on projects that they deem necessary. Previous projects have included constructing homes, building a community center, painting a school classroom, and working with local youth on educational activities. On the last day, we throw a final fiesta to celebrate our hard work and thank our new friends and families.
Machu Picchu (4 days) - Time to hit the trail for trekking and camping through the fantastically beautiful land of the Incas. We travel by bus or train to our starting point for a trek to Machu Picchu with licensed and knowledgeable guides. The trek is challenging but rewarding, and offers a less traveled and regulated alternative route than the traditional Inca Trail. The arrival into Machu Picchu is phenomenal and a dramatic way to finish this adventure of a lifetime!
Cusco and Ecuador (2 days) - In the morning we travel via train back to Cusco and spend the day souvenir shopping and exploring important cultural sites. We fly from Cusco to our second destination, Ecuador!
Quito (3 days) - We settle into a new country capital, Quito Ecuador (at 9,500 feet) for a few of days of language study. We visit Mitad del Mundo (literally, the middle of the world!), explore Inca Empire ruins, and continue our language immersion with two days of a Spanish study with language tutors.
Cotopaxi Adventure and Mountain Bike (1 Day) - Our Quito stay features a day of adventure in Cotopaxi National Park, home of the highest active volcano on the planet. Here we will ascend to over 14,000 feet in elevation for a spectacular downhill mountain bike ride. This three hour tour takes us on an exhilarating ride through the high plains of Ecuador surrounded by ten different mountains and spectacular views.
Homestay Community (8 days) - Our small homestay villages are located in the high valleys northwest of Quito. For the next week, our friendly and hospitable host families will open their hearts and homes to us; you will quickly feel a part of the family! As most of the families do not speak English, your Spanish language skills will improve daily. While meals, evenings, and weekends are reserved for homestay family time, our group gathers daily to work on projects. In the past, we have constructed community gardens, built bridges, and worked alongside the mujeres in their cooperative markets.
Otavalo (1 day) - A trip to Ecuador would be incomplete without a visit to the bustling community of Otavalo, host to the largest indigenous artisan marketplace in the world! Otavalo’s colorful artisan market is a shopper’s paradise and a wonderful opportunity to practice your Spanish and hone those bargaining skills.
Galapagos Archipelago (6 days) - We take a short flight from Quito to Guayaquil and directly on to the ‘Capital of Paradise,’ the Island of San Cristobal. After settling into our cozy hotel, we’ll visit the Galapagos Interpretation Center to get orientated on the geography, social and natural history, and wildlife of the archipelago. Our guides accompany us on boat rides each day where we’ll encounter an amazing diversity of marine and land species. Later, we travel to Santa Fe where we will enjoy snorkeling in the radiant green waters where sea turtles gracefully swim by and sea lions frolic around us. White sand beaches, sunbathing seals and panoramas of lava rocks await you!
Quito and Travel Home (1 day) - Our final night is spent back at our Bed & Breakfast where the group will enjoy a celebratory final dinner. The next day, we fly home to the United States. Our friends and family greet us when we arrive to share our new experiences. It is the end of a trip, but a beginning to a new awareness about yourself and new cultures. Few countries are able to boast of the geographic and cultural diversity that Peru and Ecuador hold. Join us for ultimate South American adventure!
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 "Click to enlarge Peru/Ecuador map.")