Andean Adventure - Install Healthy Cookstoves and Machu Picchu

Quechua women of Huilloc | Mark Tipple

Code: WSAA

Overview

Highlights

Working alongside the people of Huilloc to install healthy cookstoves in kitchens in the community
Returning home with an intimate insight into the fascinating Andean culture
Your first glimpse of the incredible ancient ruins of Machu Picchu
Time spent exploring the beautiful city of Cusco
Ollantaytambo, the Sacred Valley and Chinchero Markets

During this trip, we will give a helping hand to the village of Huilloc, located in a remote corner of the Sacred Valley. The homes are primitive and food is usually prepared over open fire stoves. The fuel used is wood, coal, and dung which produce high levels of toxic air pollution. It's mostly the women and children who inhale the smoke during meal preparation and they can spend up to eight hours a day in the kitchen. Illnesses caused by household air pollution include low birth weight, pneumonia, and other pulmonary diseases like bronchitis. To prevent this and to have better indoor air we will install healthy cookstoves. A cookstove with a flue or a chimney carrying the smoke outside the house will make the inside air less polluted.

Beyond the important work, the trip also includes cultural and historical activities like a guided tour in the vibrant city of Cusco and visiting a traditional Inca village. Our adventure culminates at the enigmatic Inca ruins of Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a place world-famous for its architecture.

Countries:

Start and Finishing Point:

Cusco

Activities:

Grading:Adventure touring

Itinerary

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Day 1
Welcome to Cusco!

A World Expeditions Schools representative will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the selected hotel in Cusco. We have a lot to explore and in the afternoon we will visit the Coricancha, also known as the Temple of the Sun. The construction of which was ordered by Inca Pachacútec (1438-1471) and was used as base for the construction of the Santo Domingo Convent upon the arrival of the Spaniards. We will learn about the culture as we stroll in the historical quarters of Cusco. Overnight Cusco hotel

Meals: Nil

Day 2
Cusco to Huilloc

After breakfast, we will be picked up from the hotel and transfered to the Huilloc community were we'll receive a warm welcome. This community is known for being hospitable and sharing its impressive cultural legacy with visitors. This experience allows us to participate in the daily activities of the inhabitants of the town such as agriculture, weaving and cooking, among others. Enjoy a delicious home-cooked Andean lunch prepared with local products harvested in traditional and sustainable ways. Lunch will take place at a local villagers home. Overnight Huilloc guesthouse

Meals: B,L,D

Day 3
Community work - Install healthy cookstoves

Today we get up early to have breakfast. Over the next two days, we will be installing healthy cookstoves. Our work will make a difference and improve the health of women and children in the village. Thanks to its construction, there will be less pollution while they are preparing food. The old cook stoves have been removed before arrival and the new stove materials will be on site. An expert cookstove installer will be in the community to oversee the installations and guide us through the building process. We will be divided into groups of 2-3 people and rotate various workstations. After lunch, we will work for a couple of hours before the afternoon tea break. After a full day of work, we are heading back to our accommodation the freshen up before it's time for dinner. It's been a long day and the lights go out at 9:30 pm. Overnight Huilloc guesthouse

Meals: B,L,D

Day 4
Community work - Install healthy cookstoves

Today we have breakfast early, it's more work to do! We will continue to work with the cookstoves in our project groups. We take breaks for lunch and snacks and rotate the various work stations. Back at the guest house after a full day of work, we freshen up and have dinner. After our meal, we reflect on what we have accomplished and what needs to be done tomorrow before we leave the community. Overnight Huilloc guesthouse

Meals: B,L,D

Day 5
Depart Huilloc to Sacred Valley

After breakfast, we finish our work and bid farewell to our new friends. Following lunch, we drive 30 minutes to Ollantaytambo. The remainder of the afternoon is free to explore the village's old town, cobblestoned streets, and adobe buildings. Ollantaytambo has a rich history and is famous for its Inca archeological artifacts. The village is small, and we will stroll around to explore its ruins, houses, and small souvenir shops. We check into our hotel and head out for dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Sacred Valley hotel

Meals: B,L,D

Day 6
Urubamba – Machu Picchu

We have breakfast and then we get ready for one of the highlights of the trip, Machu Picchu! Our journey to Machu Picchu begins with a train ride to the town of Aguas Calientes. Here we will find a handicraft market and restaurants. After a short bus ride, we will arrive at Machu Picchu. This masterpiece of engineering and architecture has served as a sanctuary and resting residence for the Inca Pachacútec. The explorer Hiram Bingham encountered the ruins in 1911 and since then people from all over the world have been raptured by the amazing cultural history site. According to UNESCO, Machu Picchu, which means 'Old Mountain', is considered a World Heritage Site and is one of the New Seven Wonders of the modern world. At the end of the tour, we return by bus to Aguas Calientes and have a little free time before dinner. Overnight Aguas Calientes hotel

Meals: B,L,D

Day 7
Machu Picchu, return to Cusco

In early morning, we return to Machu Picchu as the sun rises. This is a peaceful and quiet time to visit the ruins and explore the surroundings. We walk to the Sun Gate ‘Inti Punku’, which used to be the main entrance to Machu Picchu and today is a beautiful viewpoint. After lunch, we depart from Machu Picchu for a stuning train ride back to Ollantaytambo. From the train station we jump into minivans for the drive back to Cusco. Tonight, we have a farewell dinner and share our highlights of this intensive week of activities. Overnight Cusco hotel

Meals: B,L,D

Day 8
Depart Cusco

Following breakfast, we transfer to Cusco Airport for the flight home.

Meals: B

Learning outcomes for students

World Expeditions Schools journeys are designed to encourage positive personal development and the learning of life skills, while leaving the communities and environments we travel to, in a better condition than when we arrived.
The programs are designed to:
• build strong friendships and bonds with their peers, their teachers, and the local people they meet.
• increase the confidence to engage with new people, and collaboratively make informed decisions.
• discover the benefits of working cooperatively together as a cohesive team, to achieve a common objective.
• Increase the ability to face, and cope with, mental and physical challenges and therefore increase resilience.
• give students a chance to appreciate and care for the natural world. The environments we travel through are beautiful and often pristine, invariably the students will gain a deeper appreciation and understanding about how their individual actions impact on the environment.
• Learn personal skills i.e., time management, personal hygiene, responsibility for personal gear, patience, tolerance, and public speaking.
We help encourage students to learn what it means to be a true global citizen.

Inclusions

What's included

All meals as in itinerary
Airport transfer in Peru
Bilingual expert guide
Comfortable and central hotels
Guest house accommodation at Huilloc
Private vehicle transportation

What's not included

International airfare
Travel Insurance
Visa costs if applicable
Items of a personal nature ie laundry, phone calls
Project costs

Grading

Adventure touring

These are our least demanding trips. These journeys of discovery involve little extended activity and are suitable for people with a basic level of fitness and good health. The itinerary may take place in remote areas (with basic facilities) and may involve long travel days on various types of transport. Sightseeing may be conducted on foot and all participants should be capable of carrying their own luggage from vehicle to hotel rooms. Extended walking is available for those wanting something more demanding. * Suggested preparation: Once or twice a week, we recommend you walk on undulating terrain for an hour, for at least 2 -3 months prior to departure.

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