Tour itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Lima
Arrive in Lima at any time. There are no planned activities so check into our hotel and enjoy the city.Known as the City of Kings, Peru?s capital city Lima was founded by Francisco Pizarro on the Day of the Three Kings (Epiphany) in 1535. The Plaza de Armas is the heart of old Lima, and it is here you find the Cathedral, Government Palace and Archbishop?s Palace. The Cathedral dates back to the 1700s and houses the remains of the conquistador Pizarro. To get a feel for colonial Lima, take a cab to the Plaza de Armas and watch the changing of the Palace Guard in the afternoon. Walk the streets surrounding the Jirón de la Unión for great examples of Spanish-colonial architecture and to get a taste for life in a large South American city. An optional city tour visits many of the city?s highlights.There are many fine museums in and around the city, including the Museo Rafael Larco Herrera, which houses an impressive collection of pottery, mummies and textiles from the Paracas and Nazca cultures. The more affluent coastal districts of Miraflores, Barranco and San Isidro offer good nightlife and cafés all within walking distance. Limeños (Lima?s residents) are friendly, and the city is filled with excellent restaurants; seafood lovers in particular should be sure to try a ceviche, for which Lima is well known.
Day 2 Cajamarca / Cadmalca Community (L, D)
An early morning flight takes us to the colonial city of Cajamarca famous for its clay pottery and colourful history where we will be met by our local guide. A day journey through the altiplano by local bus to the town of Chota where we will pile into a 4x4 for a short drive through the hills to reach our home for the next few days, the Cadmalca community.Cajamarca is a traditional colonial city, surrounded by rolling green countryside. Once a major Inca city, Cajamarca is known primarily for its role in the Spanish conquest. It was here that Pizarro tricked, captured, imprisoned and finally assassinated the Inca Atahualpa. The city today is one of Peru?s most important cities in the Northern Andes, known for its remarkable colonial architecture, outstanding Andean food, friendly people and interesting customs.
Day 3-5 Cadmalca Community Volunteer Project (3B,3L,3D)
On Day 3 we begin with an optional hike through remnant cloud forest to the look out will give us a good appreciation of our new surroundings. In the afternoon we will commence the construction of the stove pipe at the lodgeThe next 2 days are spent hiking to the home of our local host family and helping to build a Peruvian cooking stove. During our stay we will make a permanent improvement in the health, comfort and standard of living of our family while experiencing the daily life, culture and lifestyle of people in rural Peru. Afternoons are free to relax and explore.Peruvian women in the Cadmalca community spend hours every day cooking over open fires inside smoke-filled cooking huts. Constantly exposed to smoke, many suffer from chronic eye and lung infections and other serious health problems. Our hands-on stove-building project will help isolated mountain communities improve their basic living conditions. Our local guide will show us how to build a specialized cooking stove ideally suited for mountain conditions. The new cooking stove is smoke-free and uses approximately 50% less wood than conventional methods. Cooking time is greatly reduced and the stove can handle four or five pots at the same time?just a few of the many benefits from the cooking stove.The typical kitchen ?cooking stove? in rural Peru consists of three stones on the dirt floor. An open fire cooks the food placed in a large pot on the stones, there is no chimney. The smoke from the fire fills the room and finds its way outside via the many openings under the eves and between the tiles of the roof. The whole room is blackened by smoke and soot, and the house wife spends much of her time breathing the smoke-filled air.A recent report states that such air pollution is the fourth greatest killer in developing countries. Those who participate on this tour will work alongside the family to build a simple, but very efficient kitchen stove to replace the open fire on the floor. The stove has a metal cooking surface and stove pipe to carry the smoke outside.You will have the rewarding experience of improving the health and comfort of your host family forever.Two enjoyable days will be spent in helping the family build their cooking stove (about 4 hours per day). A local skilled craftsman will work alongside us to assure that a good stove is produced every time. We will participate in pairs and duties will be assigned according to our individual strength and ability. No building experience is required. The other days are spent relaxing and enjoying the spectacular scenery of the Andes Mountains and enjoying the company of friendly locals who welcome us into their hearts and homes.The host family who is normally very poor and unable to purchase expensive items contributes their time and opens their home to their guests. Each family takes about three days to collect, transport and prepare the building materials for when you arrive. The price of the tour includes the cost of the cast-iron stove plate, one bag of cement, baked bricks and stove pipe.
Day 6 Cajamarca (B, L)
After completing the stove and teaching the family how to use it we return to Cajamarca where we may have the opportunity to swim in the hot thermal mineral waters of the Inca baths or visit the local museums.
Day 7 Lima
Flight to Lima with free time to relax and explore the city.
Day 8 Depart Lima