Subject related visits
Yagua Medical Clinic
Nearby to Yagua village, in the Amazon, students will visit a clinic run by a North American doctor who found her calling working with the people from the villages and settlements of this remote region.
Yagua Library and Women’s Centre
This centre is also run by a female foreigner (or Gringa) and students will find local women learning how to sew, read and practice a whole host of other family oriented activities as well as learning techniques to become more financially independent.
Evening Discussions
Following on from the daily field visits there will be an evening discussion about healthcare issues for people living along the Amazon River. There will also be a chance for students to learn about the levels of care provided by the nearby clinic, founded by Dr. Linnea Smith, and further discussions on cultural survival of indigenous peoples.
Ribereño village
Your group will visit our new friends in the village and help with a community project. This will involve working in a local village school and will include one of the following activities:
1) A painting project such as the front of the school or interior.
2) A planting project for instance planting fruit trees around the football field, garden in front of the school or the raised vegetable garden.
3) A construction project involving: latrines, benches, perimeter fence for the school property, fence for gardens and or ecological signs for the school grounds and gardens.
Further highlights
- Physical Education
Bushmaster Trail
One of the more extensive and spectacular rainforest trails is the Bushmaster Trail. Botanically speaking, this area has been designated the richest place on Earth by researchers from the Missouri Botanical Garden. They have identified more than 300 species of trees in a single hectare (2.5 acres). During your walk, you will see many interesting species of plants, including many medicinal herbs, as well as leaf-cutter ants and dart-poison frogs. The electric-blue flash of the incredible morpho butterfly seems to illuminate the shade of the forest, which is intensified by the luxuriant tangle of lianas.
Primary Forest - Hike
As students make their way along the rainforest trail they will pass through primary forest and rolling terrain. Away from the main river, this forest is never flooded and contains wildlife not found close to the riverbanks. The rare black-necked red cotinga, giant jacamar and Cuvier's toucan are sometimes seen here. The understory swarms with butterflies typical of undisturbed forest, such as satyrs and morphos. Colourful poison-dart frogs hide in the leaf-litter of the forest floor, and the air vibrates with the sound of the jungle's teeming wildlife. Suddenly, the dense trees give way to a boardwalk that leads to the research facility, which lies along the Quebrada Grande and the boundary of the Amazon Biosphere Reserve.
Canopy Walkway
A short walk through the giant trees brings you to the initial stage of your climb. Wooden steps take you from the forest floor to the beginning of the multilevel system of aerial pathways and platforms that are securely suspended by ropes and cables. As students ascend the walkway, to a height of over ten stories, they will eventually emerge above the top of the seemingly endless canopy and experience a sight few people have ever witnessed. Here is an unexplored world where over 2,000 plants cling to the branches of a single tree. In the forest canopy it is estimated that 20 million insect species may exist, 80 percent as yet unknown to science!
- Geography & Sustainability
Lake Titicaca
Situated at over 12,000 feet above sea level, and bordering Peru and Bolivia, Lake Titicaca is one of the largest lakes in South America. The lake itself is fed by glacial melt waters and five major river systems and is home to a series of islands. There are also about 42 artificial floating islands that are made out of reeds by Uro Indians and can be visited from the lakeside city of Puno.
Puno
Puno relies heavily upon agricultural systems for its economy and llamas and alpacas can be seen grazing throughout the surrounding plateaus. Many of the houses remain unfinished to avoid paying taxes and people have started to build homes in the foothills of the bordering mountains. Some of the streets and homes set within the mountain range provide breathtaking views of Lake Titicaca.
Altiplano
This stretch of plateau, where the Andes are at their widest, is the largest of its kind outside of Tibet. La Raya Pass was once the highest railway point in the world prior to the Asian Qinghai-Tibet line being built and as such it offers geography groups an incredible opportunity to study the surrounding environment.
Cusco
Cusco was the historic capital of the Inca Empire and the first city that the Spaniards invaded in 1533. This invasion is reflected in the city's architecture and also, sadly, through the desecration of many Inca buildings and monuments. However, the remains of some ancient structures still stand including the ruins of Sacsayh¬uaman which are thought to date back to the Killke culture which occupied the region some 300 years prior to the Incas.
Machu Picchu
Left relatively untouched by the Spanish invasion the iconic Inca site of Machu Picchu has become a Mecca to travellers and all those interested in civilisation, preservation and geography. Terraced fields, the ruins themselves and the consequences of tourism are instant case studies for school groups undertaking this fantastic adventure.
Project Peru in Lima
Project Peru focuses on the shanty towns surrounding the centre of Lima. Food, shelter and support for children and families is provided by volunteers and a visit to one of the local orphanages will bring great joy and fulfilling rewards to groups and locals alike.
