Alyra’s team is developing an amazing expedition for a  high school that will discover the northwestern coastline and the southwest of Peru. The most important objective is to accomplish a cultural exchange lifetime experience and a positive impact project with another high school of the Andes in Peru .

PART 1 – Days 1-2: The capital of Lima

• Explore “The Costa Verde”. It is walkside next to a circuit of beaches with a great vegetation.This circuit is located just below the cliffs that shape the city. Our walk will take through the districts of Chorrillos, Miraflores and Barranco
• Surf lesson in one of the beaches of “The Costa Verde”
• Enjoy the most famous dish of South American’s most exciting culinary destination, The Ceviche Peruano, that it is a citrus-infused raw seafood dish. The appetizer or main course consists of super fresh fish marinated in fresh lime juice and served with thinly sliced red onion and sweet potato.
Day 1: international flight to Lima and arrival in the night 2 nights in a hostel in Lima

PART 2 - Days 3-4: Ica and Huacachina desert oasis

Huacachina is known as the “Oasis of America”.This oasis was formed due to an underground current of water, which generated the growth of plants and trees in the middle of the ica desert. Currently, there are efforts underway in order to preserve the oasis, and to help to preserve the vegetation which is made up of palm trees, eucalyptus and carob trees. Also, It has the largest sand dunes in South America and it is home of the best Dune Buggy and Sandboarding activities in South America
• Experience the buggy, sandboarding and camping in the middle of the desert.
Day 3: Private transport from Lima to Ica (Huacachina) (4h) 1 night of camping in the desert of Huacachina (fully-furnished camping equipment) Day 4: Return in private transport to Lima’s airport (4h) and domestic flight from from Lima to Cusco (1h20) Day 4: 1 night in a hostel in Cusco

PART 3 - Days 5-7: Cusco, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu

• Discover the magical city of Cusco
• Small hike to the Mirador San Cristobal to have the view from the top and be able to see the entire city of Cusco in a glance
• Explore the Sacred Valley, one of the Incan empire's most important centers: Pisac market and Ollantaytambo
• Visit the Machu Picchu archeological site.
Day 5 : 1 night in a hostel in Cusco Day 6: train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (2h) Day 6: 1 night in a hostel in Aguas Calientes Day 7: Train from Aguas Calientes to Cusco (4h) Day 7: 1 night in a hostel in Cusco  

PART 4 - Day 8-14: Project with a positive impact in Zurite

1. Development work project  

• Organic production initiative with the Children's Earth Initiative from ANIA The Alyra production team has developed a relationship with the Zurite secondary school, the Cusco’s regional office of Peru’s National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA) and la Asociación para la Niñez y su Ambiente (ANIA). Our main objective is to improve the quality of life in the communities we visit and to cooperate to find the paths to make projects happen. Given the importance of the history, and agricultural potential, of the area, the local government facilitates an initiative for the villagers who work in unison with a local company to work with organic crops of roots and vegetables from the Andean region. In this context, this is the perfect opportunity for building a culture of sustainability in the occupation of the territory and organic production among the youth of the village, and as an opportunity for the development of the territory and its inhabitants. With this in mind, a proposal for the installation of a Children's Earth Initiative from ANIA in the district of Zurite has been made. Children's Earth Initiative from ANIA is a methodology that connects children and youth with Mother Earth and empowers them as agents of change for sustainable development. It consists of giving them a parcel of land where they can nurture life and biodiversity with appreciation and generate a sense of well-being for themselves, for other people and for nature, strengthening in the process their self-esteem and their identity with their environment. This initiative develops knowledge, skills and values in children, which will allow them to confront the environmental challenges in which we live and, in the process, build a culture of unity and appreciation for the natural world. It can be implemented in the home, in the school, in the neighbourhood and community, in urban and rural areas, and in diverse ecosystems. It It helps to develop active empathy for life and serves as an indicator of the contribution of the NNJ to the sustainable development of their locality. West Island students will be working with the students of Zurite secondary school in this agricultural land of Zurite applying the ANIA’s methodology. The local school of Zurite that it is composed o140 students–77 boys and 63 girls–with 17 teachers in 8 sections.

• The district of Zurite is one of the nine districts of the province of Anta, which is located in the department of Cusco, Peru.It has an area of 52.33 km², an average altitude of 3,405 meters above sea level and 3,705 inhabitants (INEI 2007).

• The majority of the population is Catholic – though some are practicing Protestants – who speak Quechua as their native language. A centre of worship is located in the town square.

• The primary trade of the people of Zurite is the cultivation of corn and dairy farming. Officially, the district was created on January 2, 1857, but Zurite, where the largest farming terraces in the world can be found, is much older. Zurite is the site of Cusco’s regional office of Peru’s National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA), where work on the conservation, enhancement and development of Cusco's crop heritage, such as the various native potatoes, Andean grains such as quinoa, kiwicha and cañihua, as well as other staples, are carried out.

• The agricultural season in Zurite begins in July and August when the land is prepared for cultivation and ends with the harvests in May and June.

• The town's police station and medical centre are located near the town square.

2. Participative Workshops

On some days students will be divided into groups that will follow an itinerary of coordinated rotation between work and leisure time, with the goal of creating a balance between productivity and fun workshops. The objective is to give the opportunity to the students to discover the cultural life of Zurite while participating in activities with local villagers.

• Local dance Workshop
• Hike and visit a local archaeological site in Zurite
• Participation in the preparation of a traditional local foods and learning to prepare Pachamanca, A pachamanca experience is the Inca tradition of burying and baking foods found in the fields surrounding a community. Taken from the Quechua words ‘pacha‘ meaning earth and ‘manka‘ meaning pot, it is essentially a Peruvian-style barbecue which takes hours to prepare. It consists of corn and native potatoes, cooked directly on the ground with hot stones placed on top.

Day 8: private transport from Cusco to Zurite (2h)
5 nights in a lodge in the community of Zurite
Day 13: private transport from the community to Cusco’s airport (2h) and domestic flight from from Cusco to Lima (1h20)
Day 13: 1 night in a hostel in Lima
Day 14: international flight to Montreal and arrival in the night.

• Preps

  Payments terms

  Payment	Due date	Total
  1	September 20,2022	300,00$ (amount including FICAV)
  2	November 16, 2022	1500,00$
  3	December 15,2022	1500,00 $
  4	February 13, 2023	To be determined (based on # of travelers)  as per price table

   

   Payments methods
  1. INTERAC EMAIL TRANSFERS – Proceed to do the interact email transfer after signing up online. Please write in the wire message the name of the student and the code of the trip PRO 2104 PER WIC
  Email to send the transfer: finance@alyraexpeditions.com
  Question: which destination?
  Answer: peru2023

  2. CREDIT CARD – Please note that an additional 3% fee will be charged to the trip price for credit card payments. If you choose this option, we will send you a link by e-mail to pay online.

  Cancellation / Modifications By The Traveler
  In case of cancellation, the Traveller, even in cases of events outside of their control. The minimum cancellation fees are as follows:
  a)121 days or more prior to departture: 1st deposit
  b)91 to 120 days prior to departure: 50% of trip package                                                                  c) 46 to 90 days prior to departure:  75% of trip package                                                                  d)45 days or fewer prior to departure:  100% of package

  Travel documents
  A valid passport that expires at least 6 months after the date of your return flight back home.

  Luggage
  The least amount of luggage possible. We recommend bags that are practical and easy to carry. One large bag and a small day back-pack is ideal.

  Health
  We recommend you consult your local medical travel clinic (or doctor) a few months before leaving in order to ensure you have the necessary vaccines. Your medical insurance card might not cover costs incurred due to injuries or health costs when you are abroad. If you need to travel with medication of some kind, please bring a doctor’s prescription.

  Safety
  We recommend you bring a concealed belt that can hold your important documents, credit cards and currencies. It is illegal to take any objects found in archeological sites or any natural resources from any of the national parks, ecological reserves, protectorates or any other sites visited.

• These prices include

  • International flights from Montreal and back;
  • Alyra’s CO (Creative Organizer) accompanying the group 24/7;
  • Local transportation;
  • Lodging: multiple occupancy for students;
  • Food: 3 meals a day (local authentic food will be served);
  • Snacks and potable water at all times;
  • Organization of the community projects and coordination with the local community leader and members;
  • Activities/visits mentioned with local guides (when mentioned);
  • Entrance tickets for museums, parks, sites, etc mentioned in the itinerary;
  • Tips to local guides, drivers, restaurants, etc.;                                                                  •  Insurance Youth All Inclusive plan (medical, interruption and cancellation coverage) https://www.alyraexpeditions.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/All-inclusive-policy.pdf
  • 0.35% for the OPC (Consumer Protection Office).

• These prices do not include

  • Visa expenses (for non-canadian passports)
  • Souvenirs/gifts you decide to buy;
  • Transportation from the school to the airport and back;
  • Laundry and any other personal expenses.