As you’re getting reading for your trip to Peru, it might be time to pack your suitcase, which always causes headaches. When you are preparing for an adventurous trip, you mostly think about clothing or gear. Then other problems arise: “This is waaaay too much!”, “Is this even enough?”, “What do I wear if I go hiking?“. This is why Proyecto Peru shares this checklist: what to bring to Peru with you to avoid transforming in either one of these two types:
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Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
It’s Luca’s last week volunteering at our offices and we’re sad, but very happy for all his adventures in this foreign land. He wrote this account of his final adventure: hiking to Machu Picchu on the Salkantay Trek.
Visiting the Machu Picchu is definitely a must-do if you travel to Peru. I have been in Peru since September doing volunteer work, and it was finally time to go there and explore the lost city of the Incas. There are several ways to get to the famous ruin: By train, by bus – or with your own feet. A trek seemed to be the best option for me because I could experience the beautiful mountains of the Andes and the wilderness of Peru. In a group of 10 people and our tour guide, we started the Salkantay trek on the January 18th 2020.
Peruvian Culture: Discover Cusco Carnival
Have you already been to the Inca Empire’s former capital, Cusco? If you haven’t, Cusco Carnival is yet another reason why you should visit it and discover the Peruvian culture!
Cusco’s Carnivals
Cusco catches the eye of all world travellers and is one the first options when planning a trip to Peru. The US website News & World Report ranked Cusco first among the best places to visit in Latin America.
Learn Spanish in Peru: Clare’s Adventures in Cusco
This is Clare’s story living and learning Spanish in Cusco.
I started my year abroad in Peru knowing three spanish phrases, “El baño?” “no habla espanol” and “gracias”. In hindsight, I now know why nobody understood me- I was saying the first two wrong! Thanks to Google Translate and lots of guessing, I made my way through my first few days in Lima. The next three days were spent taking Peru Hop buses from Lima along the coast, finally arriving in Cusco.
5 Peruvian Christmas Traditions
Family gatherings around the Christmas tree, celebrations, recipes for delicious meals and, of course, Christmas lights. Every year, many families around the world do all this before the arrival of Christmas. This is the season to have your tummies and hearts full, and share memories and stories with your loved ones.
Peru, thanks to its diversity, is a country that carries different traditions in every region, even for Christmas. In this country you can see how people pass on their Christmas traditions from generation to generation.
In this post, you will be able to explore Peru’s great Christmas traditions in different regions. And, if you’re in Peru, you will be able to choose what tradition to experience!
Qoyllur Riti, a religious festival like no other
Peru is still a very religious country, especially in the highlands. In Cusco, the heart of the Inca Empire, Qoyllur Riti has a special place in the locals’ hearts. A mix of Andean mysticism and Western religion. This festival attracts more than 10,000 people every year.
It is celebrate in May or June. So if you are here in those months discover all the wonders the Qoyllur Riti has to offer!
The Cusco Flag
One of the first things visitors to Cusco comment on is the flags. From the giant flag in the city centre to those on buidlings all over the city. Maybe the first thought you had when seeing this was Wow, Cusco is very LGTB friendly! I’m afraid the Cusco flag is not the same as the LGTB one. It has a different meaning . If you want to know more, then keep reading!
Tahuantinsuyo, the Inca Empire
As a responsible volunteer looking for opportunities in Peru, it is important to know some of the country’s history. So, when you look up information about Peruvian history on the internet, you might have seen the word Tahuantinsuyo or Tawantinsuyo. Likely a term you might have never heard before. What exactly is Tahuantinsuyo? How did it start? How big was it?
The first thing you need to know is that Tahuantinsuyo is another term for the Inca Empire. If you want to know more about this vast empire, keep reading!
Learning Spanish in Peru: My experience
In this article, Laura Graichen shares her experience learning Spanish with Proyecto Peru.
Five years ago, I came to South America with zero knowledge of the Spanish language. I thought that I would be able to get by with just some hand signals and a few rords, but nothing could have been further from the truth. Some basic knowledge of Spanish is actually indispensable as it makes traveling a lot easier. In addition, it is a much nicer travelling experience if you can chat a little with the locals. You immediately get a lot of respect if they only see that you are trying!
8 free things to do in Cusco
This article was published in October 2019. Some information may be out of date
Chances are that the Inca capital, Cusco, is on the programme during your tour through Peru. From here you can make trips to the famous surrounding Inca ruins in the Sacred Valley and of course the once in a lifetime excursion to the not-so-hidden Inca city of Machu Picchu.
Cusco is a lively, welcoming and friendly city where you will find many remnants of the resourceful Inca. For this reason many travellers choose to stay in the city for a little longer. And even if you’ve just booked an expensive excursion to Machu Picchu or are travelling on a limited budget, these eight tips for free activities in Cusco prove that a few extra days don’t have to cost much at all and are also great for those volunteering or interning for a few weeks.