TENTATIVE ITINERARY

SKILL ACQUISITION

Feb 10-14:  Orientation - Arrive in El Alto and travel to Cochabamba. We’ll have workshops on group dynamics, our goals and expectations for the semester, and tips for navigating the culture and places we visit, in addition to day hikes and a market visit.

Feb 14-18: Toro Toro and first trek - Travel from Cochabamba to Toro Toro, a charming colonial town in the department of Potosí.  Here we will participate in our first trek through Toro Toro National Park, hiking through dramatic canyons, underground caves, pristine waterfalls and dinosaur footprints.

Feb 19 – March 3:  Cochabamba homestays 1 - Begin Cochabamba homestays and language study, development work and ISP work just outside the bustling city.  Here we will have opportunities to begin building foundational skills and also beginning to learn about potential ISP themes -weaving, Andean music, dance, politics, and cooking, among others. Our time here will be defined by the 16-20 hours of Spanish study per week, as well as the time with our homestay families.  In our first two weeks here we will really become a part of this community and immerse ourselves in this magical and challenging mountain lifestyle.

PRACTICING

March 3-11:  Sucre and Cordillera de los Frailes - Travel overnight from Cochabamba to the “white city” of Sucre, arriving to this historic colonial capital and one of Bolivia’s most important cities.  After a couple of days exploring the city we will head to the Cordillera de los Frailes outside of Sucre, backpacking through the arid tectonic wonderland that is this range.  Our trek will traverse more dinosaur footprints, hot springs, oddly shaped craters, and several Quechua communities known for their brilliantly imaginative weavings. 

March 12-15: Potosí - Travel from Sucre to Potosi, site of the infamous Cerro Rico, which single-handedly financed the Spanish Empire for centuries and contains one of the most tragic stories of abuse of indigenous cultures in the Americas. Today it is Bolivia’s poorest region and the still active mines give insight into resource extraction and environmental issues. Here we will partner with Connatsop, a collective of children workers.

March 16-23:  La Paz and Lake Titicaca – Head to the bustling city of La Paz for a couple of days to explore this dramatic city and meet with guest speakers.  From there we will head to the dazzling shores of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world and the mythical birthplace of the sun.  We will participate in a short homestays with Aymara families in Santiago de Okola, learning about Andean cosmo-vision and highland agriculture before heading to the Island of the Sun.  Alternately we will participate in a service project with an Andean priest in a nearby community.

March 24 – April 12: Peru, trek to Machu Picchu and Peruvian Amazon – travel overland to the magnificent colonial city of Cusco and the renowned Incan capital.  After exploring the city for a couple of days we will embark upon a spectacular trek to Machu Picchu.  From Machu Picchu we will stop briefly back in Cusco before an extended journey into the Peruvian Amazon, doing homestays with Huachipaere and Macheguenga families.  From there we will travel down the Madre de Dios River to Puerto Maldonado for another community visit and possibly a service project. 

April 13 – 27: Cochabamba homestays 2 – From Peru we will head back to Cochabamba for a final 2 weeks of homestays, Spanish lessons and ISP projects.  Much of this time will be determined by students as you take increased ownership over the schedule and begin to plan for the expedition phase. 

EXPEDITION AND TRANSFERENCE

April 27 – May 7:  Expedition - To be largely determined by the students expedition options include extended treks in the Cordillera Real; a journey through the mystic Apolobamba mountain range, including homestays with rural families in the village of Kaata; collaboration with Teatro Trono in El Alto; a bike trip through the Jesuit missions of the Chiquitanía; hiking through the semi-tropical Parque Amboró, etc.  The expedition phase will be a time for the students to utilize all their newly honed skills as they organize and plan meaningful activities for the group.  

May 8 – 11:  Transference – Head to a retreat center in Santa Cruz or La Paz for course-end and transference.  Closing student-led activities.