sacred valley servce program highlights · 2020-01-06 · machu picchu • build a greenhouse and...
TRANSCRIPT
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
• DiscovertheWonderandBreathtakingVistasof
MachuPicchu
• BuildaGreenhouseandIncreaseFoodSustainabilityina
RemoteQuechuavillage
• TutorStudentsataLocalPrimarySchool
• WhitewaterRafttheExhilaratingUrubambaRiver
• WalkintheFootstepsofIncasintheFamedSacredValley
• ExperienceAge-OldTraditionsofPeruvianCulture
• WandertheCobblestoneStreetsofCusco
• 30HoursofCommunityService
Spotlight Project: Greenhouse Construction Project
Food sovereignty is the right to have access to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologi-
cally sound methods. This year, we have been given a unique opportunity to learn about sustainable agriculture by
building a greenhouse that will expand the local community’s access to diverse, nutritional food sources. The foods
grown in the greenhouse will be shared by local families and supplement school lunches, which currently include
little fresh fruits or vegetables. By providing nutritious meal options, students are more likely to attend their classes
and live healthier lives. Due to the high altitude of the Sacred Valley, citrus and strawberries can’t be grown without
a greenhouse, which will add additional sources of nutrition to the families’ diets. This project allows us unique ac-
cess to work alongside a rural Peruvian community very different from ours at home.
ARCCPrograms|Peru:SacredValleyService
Days 1 - 2: Travel to Cusco
ParticipantsmeetattheMiamiInternationalAirport(MIA)inMiami,Florida.Afterabrieforientation,weboard
ourovernightgroupflighttoCusco,Peru,ahigh-altitudecitynestledatover11,000feetintheAndesmountain
range.Accommodations: Overnight Flight
SACRED VALLEY SERVCE
Day 3: Cusco Exploration
AfterabrieflayoverinLima,welandinCuscoandsettleintoouraccom-
modation.Soonafter,wetakethedaytoexplorethishistoriccapitalofthe
IncaEmpire.Wewanderaroundthetraditionalartisanmarkets,experience
ourfirsttasteofPeruvianfood:delicioussoups,potatoes,yucca,andspicy
peppers,anddiscoverthemanyhiddenplazasandsidestreetswithcolorful
balconiesoverhead.Wegettoknoweachotherthroughgames,activities,
andicebreakersandintroducetheroleof“LeaderoftheDay,”anessential
componentofeveryARCCprogram.Accommodations: Hostel
Day 4: Travel to Patabamba
Today,webeginour journey into theheartof theSacredValleyandget
acquaintedwiththelocalcultureinPisac,hometothelargestfortress-city
complexoftheIncas.WetakeinthefascinatingruinsincludingtheTemple
of the Sun and other religious, agricultural andmilitary structures. Later
weventureintothecenturies-oldPisacmarketfullofcolorfultextilesand
vibrantpeople.Thiseveningwesettle into thesmallcommunityofPata-
bambawhereourGreenhouseConstructionProjectbeginstomorrow.Ac-
commodations: Guesthouse
ARCCPrograms|Peru:SacredValleyService
Day 8: Urubamba River Whitewater Rafting
OurraftingadventuredowntheUrubambaRiver isanexcitingdayof
playintheSacredValleyoftheIncas.Westartthedaygettingoutfitted
withallofthenecessarysafetygearandcompleteoursafetybriefings
from the river guides.We then jump in our rafts and experience the
thrillofconqueringClass IIIandIVrapids! Wehavelunchatascenic
spot along the river and explore the surrounding land. Accommoda-
tions: Hostel
Days 5 – 7: Spotlight Project: Greenhouse Construction Project
Thismorningweawakeinasmall,ruralcommunitylocatedontheplains
ofthePampadeAntaregion.Surroundedbyawe-inspiring,glacier-
cappedmountains,thisvillageishometoaboutfiftyQuechuafamilies.
TheQuechualiveofftheland,dedicatingthemselvestofarming,sheep
andcattle-herding,andcultivatingnativecrops.Werelishtheopportunity
toexperiencetheeverydaylifeoftruedescendantsoftheIncasandwe
arewelcomedintothecommunitywithopenarms.Werollupoursleeves
tohelpcommunitymembersbuildagreenhousethatwillgreatlyexpand
theirfoodoptions.Alloureffortswillsupplementschoollunchesandcom-
munitymealswithfreshfruitandvegetablesotherwiseunavailabledueto
thehighaltitudeandremotelocationofthevillage.Duringdowntime,we
mayhikeouttothelakeorteachinformalEnglishlessons.
Aftersuccessfullycompletingourproject,wesaygoodbyetothisincred-
iblywarmandwelcomingcommunity.Wearesadtogobutthankfulfor
thepositiveandlastingimpactweleavebehindonthevillage.Accommo-
dations: Guesthouse
Day 9: Zig-Zag Train to Aguas Calientes
TodaywedescendintotheSacredValleytoOllantaytambo,oncetheroyal
estateoftheninthInca,Pachacuti,whoexpandedtheIncaEmpirethrough-
outSouthAmerica.Ollantaytambostillretainstheoriginalstreetplanand
foundationsdesignedbytheIncas.Weexplorethecobblestonestreetsand
observe theFortressand remainsof thesun temple, taking time tosoak
inthelocalculture.Intheafternoon,weboardourtrainheadedforAguas
Calientes,asmallvillageandentrypointtoMachuPicchu.Wetakeinthe
beautyofthefamouszig-zagtrainroute,gazingthroughtheexpansivewin-
dowsthatextendoverhead.UponourarrivalinAguasCalientes,weenjoy
dinnerandrestbeforeourfulldayinMachuPicchutomorrow.Accommoda-
tions:Hostel
ARCCPrograms|Peru:SacredValleyService
Day 10: Machu Picchu
Our day begins aswewatch the sunrise overMachu Picchu; one of the
mostbreathtakingscenesintheworld!Afterlotsofphotographs,webegin
ourguidedtourofMachuPicchutogetaninsider’slookatthisremarkable
UNESCOWorldHeritagesite.Welearnabouttheancientcivilizationofthe
Incasandrevelinthestructuresmadefrompreciselyplacedstones.Asone
oftheNewSevenWondersoftheWorld,MachuPicchu’smajestytakesus
backintimeaswestepintotheTempleoftheSunandcrawlthroughend-
lessstonepassageways.Thisonce-in-a-lifetimeexperienceprovidesuswith
anewfoundbaseofIncaculture,knowledgeandtraditions.Afterafullday,
weboardourtrainbackintotheSacredValleyandenjoybeautifulviewsof
theAndes.Accommodations: Hostel
Day 11: Sacred Valley
Weexploremoreof theSacredValleyand itswonderful treasuresaswe
makeourway toour final serviceproject. Our first stop is at the Inca’s
mysteriouscroplaboratory,Moray.Possiblybuilttostudydifferentclimate
conditions’effectoncrops,theMorayarethreemassiveamphitheatersof
incredibleengineeringprecisionandstern,magnificentbeauty.
After lunch,aneasystroll throughrollingfarmlandandviewsofthehigh
Andesbringsustooneofthebest-keptsecretsintheregion,Salineras,a
still-functioningIncasaltmine.Thissurrealandbeautifulpatchworkofpools
andpathscarvedoutofthesideofanAndeanmountain isan incredible
sightyouwon’tsoonforget.LaterintheafternoonweheadtoChinchero,a
quietlittletownknownforitsoutdoorweavingstudios,terracedIncaruin,
andintricately-frescoedcolonialchurch.Wegetagoodnight’srestbefore
divingintoservicetomorrow.Accommodations: Hostel
Want to Learn More? Contact the Regional Director:
Eben Coenen | Regional Director: [email protected]
www.adventurescrosscountry.com
Days 12 – 13: Urubamba Service Project
Forthenexttwodays,wejoininonacommunityefforttotutorelemen-
taryschoolchildreninUrubamba.Justlikethecommunitywiththegreen-
houseconstructionproject,thisareaisonewithwhichwehaveanongoing
relationship.Wespendourdaysworkingatanelementaryschoolwhere
wearewelcomedbylotsofexcitedchildren.Theschoolprovidesahaven
ofsupportiveteachersandresourcesforthestudents.Webecomemen-
torstothechildrenasweengageindifferentactivitieslikeEnglishlessons
andfacilitatinggamesandactivities.
WesaygoodbyetoourfriendsinUrubambaandmakeourwaybackto
Cusco,takinginthescenicvistasthroughtheSacredValleyalongtheway.
Werelishintheexperienceswe’vesharedtogetherthusfarasweenjoya
festivefinalfeastoftraditionalPeruviandinnerbeforewebeginourspecial
closingceremonies.Accommodations: Chinchero – Hostel / Cusco - Hostel
ARCCPrograms|Peru:SacredValleyServicewww.adventurescrosscountry.com|415.332.5075
Day 14: Departure Day
Eventuallyallgoodthingsmustcometoanend.WewavegoodbyetoCuscoandbeginourjourneybacktoMi-
ami.OncewearriveinMiami,wegeteveryonetotheirconnectingflightshome.Thememoriesoftheexperience
andthegroupwillcarryusthroughtonextsummer!