Volunteering in the Sacred Valley

Volunteering in Peru is a unique experience and an interchange between the volunteer and members of Peruvian society which is greatly advantageous to both. There are many direct and indirect advantages of volunteering in Peru, or anywhere else in Latin America for that matter. Peruvian people are generally friendly and open people and the country is relatively cheap to live and travel in plus it is also very safe compared to many other developing countries, much safer than most in Africa it is said.

Not only do volunteers have the opportunity to practice their language skills during the day in a practical manner without studying (which is often the best and fastest way to learn), but volunteering is an exchange where volunteers learn from the Peruvians and Peruvians in need get the help they need an gather information about the countries of the volunteers.

Volunteers can gain very helpful life and work experiences that they probably would not find in their own country, bolster their CVs and get to discover more about the rich Peruvian culture in a way that is very different than that learned in a classroom. There is no real age limit for people wanting to involve themselves in volunteer programs, only a requirement that they should be willing and able to help people less fortunate than themselves. No previous experience is necessary but a level of Spanish that enables holding a basic conversation would be very useful. Typically, volunteers would take classes in Spanish while volunteering to help them communicate, probably at a local school which may also arrange the volunteering program.

There are many volunteering programs in Peru. A program typically consists of a four-week long study and working period, the study period being one that assists the volunteers in the projects on which they will be working, as we have mentioned. A work permit is not needed to volunteer or study in Peru as technically visitors will be tourists and be given between 60 and 90 days free stay upon entering the country.

There are some medical volunteering opportunities in hospitals but these are only for qualified nurses or medical students undergoing training in their home countries. There are many volunteering projects in centers for children whose goal is to improve nutrition as well as the education level of mainly rural children on a daily basis. There are many projects of this type in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, just a short drive from Cusco. Children will attend community centers during the morning and have a good meal, which may be the only one they have all day. Volunteers then play with the children, teach them English, organize outdoor activities and help with other projects organized by the center that facilitate the local community, such as building clay ovens, walls, drainage ditches etc.

Sometimes social projects aim to teach children specific life or technical skills so they have a better start when they look for work. Craft workshops are set up for sewing, knitting, weaving, ceramics and other craftwork and children learn these skills and then are able to sell their work to tourists. Children in this type of program go to school in the morning and then work on crafts in the afternoons.

Teaching English in a primary school is another popular volunteering project involving children. Volunteers normally create their own lesson plans for the classes that are 45 minutes long and typically have about 40 students per class. Volunteers have always said that this type of work is extremely stimulating and rewarding as the students are usually fairly well behaved and eager to learn, maybe even more so that western children of the same age!

There are many other social projects aimed at helping older people who are forced to live in poorly funded care homes in Cusco. In one such project there are about 250 people living in the center which is divided into two parts, one for men and the other for women. Many of these old age pensioners may have been left without any family to look after them, or have medical problems that restrict them. Activities that the volunteer may be involved in include helping elderly people at meal times, organizing amusements and helping with government funded health initiatives.

Whatever kind of volunteering you decide to do you will be helping the less fortunate, you will advance your Spanish and learn more about other people and yourself, and carry away experiences and skills that will stay with you the rest of your life.

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Things to Do in Chiclayo Peru

There are a variety of things to do in Chiclayo Peru. Chiclayo, also known as "The City of Friendship," was founded in the 1560s by Spanish priests. Chiclayo was inhabited by a largely indigenous population rather than Spanish colonizers. It is a center for witchcraft, has some of the best cuisine in Peru, and is well known for its archaeological sites.

The Top 5 Things to Do In Chiclayo Peru Are:

1) The Lord of Sipan (El Señor de Sipan) - La Huaca Rajada

The Lord of Sipan is a mummy found in the Huaca Rajada tomb. Built by the Moche culture around 1 AD to 700 AD, the Huaca Rajada is considered by some to be the most important archaeological discovery in the region in the last 30 years; because the tomb of Sipan was untouched by thieves. A total of four tombs have been found in the Huaca Rajada.

2) The Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum (Museo de las Tumbas Reales de Sipan)

This museum is built in the pyramidal form of ancient Moche tombs and displays the most important findings of the Huaca Rajada. On display are tiny gold figurines, gold and turquoise jewelry, pottery, ornaments and much more. It is one of the most impressive museums anywhere.

3) Batan Grande - Señor de Sican (Lord of Sican)

Batan Grande is an important archaeological location of the Sican, Moche and Chimu cultures. In the Huaca El Loro the tomb of the Señor de Sican was discovered. There are 30 monumental adobe platforms in the area and huge amounts of valuable jewelry and gold, much like the Sipan area, have been extracted.

4) Tucume

Tucume encompasses 26 major adobe pyramids and mounds that were developed by the Lambayeque people in AD 1000 and 1375. It was a major regional center, and the Huaca Larga is the longest adobe structure in the world. There is also an onsite museum.

5) Pimentel

This is a unique beach resort popular with surfers. Sea-going reed boats, known as the Caballitos de Totora, have been used since ancient times and locals use them to go fishing. There are several seafood restaurants in the area.

Chiclayo Peru is an interesting city. Its plethora of intriguing ruins, scenic countryside and vibrant culture, makes traveling in the area a rich and exciting experience.

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Volcano Climbing in Arequipa

Arequipa, the attractive "White City" in Southern Peru, is surrounded by three volcanic mountain ranges: the Cordillera Volcanica, the Cordillera de Ampato and the Cordillera de Chila. The volcanoes have provided interesting findings for archeologists as it has been discovered that the Incas used to climb some of these volcanoes and use them to perform rituals in various sanctuaries, leaving human sacrifices near the summits. Some of the special Inca offerings that have been discovered include Juanita, the Ice Maiden, who in 1995 was discovered on top of Ampato. The geography of the area lends itself to volcano climbing with summits of between 5000 and over 6000 meters.

There are various organizations that provide guided volcano climbing in Arequipa. For example some tours climb to the summit of Picchu Picchu (plus many others) in two days. The first day involves reaching the base camp, firstly driving in a four-wheel drive vehicle and then climbing to 4700 meters to camp. The second day involves a four to five hour climb to 5664 meters at which point, El Misti, Chachani, Ubinas volcanoes and the lovely colors of Picchu Picchu itself can be admired.

Another popular tour climbs the famous El Misti cone in two days. A Quechua name, El Misti means the gentleman. This volcano is 5825 meters high and sits between the Chachani mountain and the Picchu Picchu volcano. There have been some random eruptions of the volcano since written historic records began and between 1438 and 1471 the last really strong eruption is thought to have occurred.

Inca inhabitants living near the volcano reported other smaller eruptions dating from the mid-fifteenth century but the year 1870 saw the last major eruption of this volcano. A large quantity of white volcanic stone from El Misti (sillar) has been used as construction material for most of Arequipa's colonial buildings and gives the historic center of the city a lovely appearance.

In common with climbing of Picchu Picchu the first day of the El Misti climb is taken up with hiking for five hours to the base camp at 4500 meters and then the second day requires hiking for another five or six hours to reach the summit. At the top the crater can be seen which is still active pumping out sulfur as well as affording great views of the beautiful surroundings.

At a height of 6075 meters, Chachani is another popular volcano to climb. The altitude is the biggest concern to climbers, who really need to spend time to acclimatize, but no special equipment is needed to climb the mountain as it has no remaining glaciers. It was first ascended by Biggar in 1889 but it was also climbed in pre-Columbian times shown by the existence of archeological remains near the summit. Although it is not climbed as often as El Misti, many people still attempt it.

The first day of the ascent of Chachani involves a 4x4 excursion through the National Reserve of Aguada Blanca to see wildlife such as vicuñas, guanacoes, eagles, viscachas, deer and sometimes condors. Following this is a hike to the base camp at 5200 meters with its sandy slope, reddish colorations and volcanic ash. The next day is a two step approach to the summit with a stop at 5800 meters to view the other nearby peaks of Coropuna, Ampato, Hualca Hualca, Sabancaya, El Misti, and Ubinas. Then it is a push onwards to the summit to enjoy the superb views and spectacular scenery. Then climbers descend to the base camp and take road transport back to the city of Arequipa.

For those interested in volcano climbing Arequipa in Peru is really an excellent place to indulge your passion, and somewhere that has a lot more to offer too!

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Machu Picchu Mystery

One of the greatest unsolved mysteries of South American civilization is Machu Picchu. The ancient Inca city looks like a dream and reality surpasses the imagination. Situated between the crest of two mountains along the Peruvian Andes at more than 2,400 meters above sea level, the almost intact remains of an ancient culture consisting of alcoves, terraces, plazas, and temples make this ancient city the premiere archaeological site of South America. Once you get there, it is not difficult to imagine the inhabitants of the place and the priests and Inca royalty that made the existence of the city possible in the 1400s.

Machu Picchu was said to be a citadel whose impregnable position is made possible by the steep canyon walls that lies beyond the edge of the city. The only access to the city is by way of narrow ridges that have to pass over the mountains before getting into the ancient site. Another access point is by way of bridges made from felled logs. The logs cross a narrow chasm and could be withdrawn anytime if security of the citadel warrants it.

While the normal tourist route is just within the confines of the city, it is possible to revisit these choke points in order to appreciate how invulnerable Machu Picchu was to the standards of warfare that existed then. Tourists who posses the requisite Type T personality can take a 20 minute long trail that is officially off-limits to most visitors. In fact a sign that says prohibido el paso marks the end of the normal tourist trail. Past this sign, the trail snakes all the way down and become insanely narrow. Midway along this trail, those who have made it this far will come across the narrow chasm that was once bridged by tree trunks and could be withdrawn anytime by the Inca guards who were assigned there.

Like the ancient pyramids of Egypt, the stone blocks that are used to construct the buildings of Machu Picchu are surely to create statements of incredulity. The Inca at the 1400s did not possess iron tools although they had knowledge of making bronze implements. Large teams of laborers dragged these blocks from adjacent quarries. They used the ridges and ramps to position them on their present locations. Archaeological finds give us a clue on how the Inca must have reduced the rocks to manageable sizes. Quarrymen inserted bronze chisels into cracks and fissures that occur naturally in the stone. Heat was applied to the metal and this helped split the boulders into workable sizes. Each rock was painstakingly chosen so that when these are finally put in place, the gap between rocks is so narrow that even a razor blade wouldn't fit between them.

The location of Machu Picchu gives us hints into its creation. The mountains where the ancient city is located were considered sacred by the Inca. The position of the sun during equinox could be estimated using the natural landmarks present in the vicinity. At the center of the city is a pyramidal mount called the Intihuatna and on top of it stands an obelisk. Inca priest believed that the sun has to be lassoed and hitched to the obelisk after each winter solstice so that it wouldn't continue on its present course and leave the city in darkness. Intihuatna in the dialect of the Inca means "hitching post of the sun". The sun is sacred to the Inca and is one of their deities. The view east and west of the city presents a vista that gives Inca priests wide opportunities to observe the sun.

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Sicko

Whew! Well, I must have ate something bad, becuase I was pretty sick for a little while...Luckily, thanks to the F word and Mr L, I was put up in the Lima Sheraton for a few days, which allowed me to get better in style.

Then I met up with Chris and we headed up to Trujillo, which is the jumping off point for the ruins of Chan Chan. Chan Chan is an all adobe city, which is reputed to be the biggest adobe pre-Columbian city in the Americas. It was partly pile of dirt, partly cool old fortress.

Next we headed to Ecuador, where we are now. First stop, the city of Cuenca, where they make Panama Hats (go figure, Panama Hats are NOT from Panama). We went to a National Park and did some hiking, it rained on us a bit, and we sampled the local fare (really good buns!!) Then we took the bus to Baños, where we are now. Baños is the city of hot springs and massages, so we went to the hot springs (it was closed) and then got a massage (only 17 dollars - Ecuador uses dollars so it really seems like my money is going faster...is that weird).

Next is the city of Quito, where we will visit the ecuator and then head north to Columbia. Our trip (feels like it) is nearing the end....we only have a little over a month left!!! It will be strange to be back in the States, doing NORMAL stuff again...will I be able to handle it!!?? We shall see.....

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5 Days of Fun!

Machu Picchu! We did it! We did a 5 day trek over the Salkanty mountain, which took us to a height of 4600 meters (15,180 ft) into the cold and then down to 1500 meters into the jungle, finally ending at Machu Picchu. It was a hard hike, but very rewarding at the end.


Before going to Machu Picchu we went to the Sacred Valley and to the very important ruins of Sacsayhuaman (pronounced Sexy Woman), which was a fortress made from 8 (or more) sided rocks used to build the zig zag shaped walls (also used to represent the teeth of a puma, where Cuzco represents the rest of the head).

Now we are in Lima, where I will meet back up with Chris, who has been volunteering for the last month in Bolivia while I have been cavorting in Peru (he already came here with his parents, hiked Macchu Picchu, got e-coli and then came back and met up with me in Brazil).

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Titty Caca

Haha, I can actually say that without feeling like I am disrespectful! We are near Lake Titicaca, in Puno, Peru. According to the Peruvians, they got the Titi and Bolivia got the Caca. The funny thing is that Bolivia actually has the more beautiful side of the lake. There are a bunch of mountains surrounding it which are more than 6000 meters high (19000 Feet) and are covered in snow. It is a very nice place to be.

First we went to the WORLDS MOST DANGEROUS ROAD, which is near La Paz, in Bolivia. We survived! We mountain biked down from about 4000 meters to about 1000 meters in about 4 or 5 hours. Half of it was paved and half dirt, but the whole thing was a lot of fun! Next we went to Copacabana and the Isla de Sol, which is supposed to be where the Inca civilization began.

Next we headed to Peru, where we visited Arequipa, which was built in the 1500s and is quite beautiful with a huge church on the main square which occupies the whole block. We also visited the Convent of Santa Catalina which occupies a whole city block and is where the rich Spanish families would send their daughters (for a hefty fee of course). The picture above is one of Santa Catarina. It was beautiful!

From Arequipa, we came to Puno, where we are now. Yesterday we went on a tour of the floating islands and got to spend the night in the house of an indigenous person as well as dressing up in local dress and going to a local fiesta (pictures to come later - it was great!).

Tomorrow we head to Cuzco and then we will tackle Machu Pichu!! I am very excited about this although the altitude has been a little rough at times!

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Hiram Bingham 1875 - 1956 : PERU, Machu Picchu ve Vilcabamba

Hiram Bingham , Peru 'da

Amerikalı arkeolog, Yale'de profesör, senatör. Peru Andlarında ulaşılması neredeyse olanaksız olan Machu Picchu 'da İnka başkenti Vilcabamba 'yı 1911'de bulmuştur.Çocukken babasından öğrendiği dağcılık bilgisi ile, kararlılık ve cesareti birleşince bulduğu kent; İspanyol istilacıların
yüzyıllarca bulamadığı, efsanelere konu olan kenttir.

İnternetten Alıntıdır.

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