Careerbreaker Destinations - Peru
Peru lies on the Pacific Coast on the west of South America, bordering Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil to the east and Bolivia and Chile to the south. From the magnificent snow capped Andes and sites of Inca civilisation, to the tropical rainforest of the Amazon Basin and the desert coastline with its huge rolling dunes, Peru’s scenery is simply awe-inspiring in its beauty and variety.
Hundreds of years of ethnic and cultural integration has created a cultural landscape as diverse, exciting and enchanting as its scenery. Once known as the land of gold, home to the sun-worshipping Inca people and later as a golden treasure trove to the sixteenth century European Conquistadors; Peru has an intriguing blend of indigenous Spanish, Asian, African people and distinctive Andean Quechua speaking descendants of the Inca Empire.
Friendly and welcoming wherever you go, you can experience the pulsating hustle and bustle of the city to the laid back pace of rural life. It is certainly worth trying out a couple of the country’s culinary delicacies: Cerviche, a cool spicy fish dish with chillies, limes, peppers and onions; or if fish isn’t your style you can always impress (or horrify!) your family and friends with your tales of eating ‘Cuy’ or Guinea Pig!
Recovered from the political upheaval of the 1980’s but with a legacy of conquest and underdevelopment, a huge dichotomy remains between the wealth of the Spanish descendant elite and the poverty of other indigenous groups, particularly those from more rural areas.
Our Careerbreaker projects in 2006 are based in and around the Inca capital of Cusco, in the Andes. It is the oldest inhabited city on the continent, once the hub of the Inca Empire it has some wonderful colonial buildings and is surrounded by fantastic mountain scenery.
Whilst Cusco is a growing tourist hotspot, with some cosmopolitan amenities, it is still a city where many are impoverished. An influx of poor from rural areas, including children, who have come to seek their fortune, are trapped by the abject poverty of their often hopeless situation.
Our Community Development Projects in and around Cusco, will concentrate on the most pressing needs of the area, including the need for rural development around the city and the lack of support to the huge amount of orphaned and abandoned children in the area. Through our Sport and Work Placements, in Cusco itself, we can share valuable skills that will help the local community to develop and prosper.
On our Community Development Projects Spanish speaking crew will tutor you in some basic phrases and will be available ‘on site’. You will need to speak Spanish to fully enjoy our Sports and Work Placements in Peru. For those with little or no knowledge of the language, we can arrange a week’s intensive tuition prior to your placement, in Cusco. click here for further details
Whatever project programme you become part of you are guaranteed a warm welcome from the people of this vibrant country. Weekends and project breaks can provide opportunity for sight-seeing and there is the option to do some adventurous travel after your volunteer placement with our in house travel agent Gap Club. Why not finish your time as a volunteer by trekking the nearby spectacular Inca Ruins of Machu Picchu!
What can I do in Peru?
Volunteer on a Community Development
Project
Work Placements - Teach/TEFL | Orphanage and Carework
Sports Placements - Football
Adventurous Travel Learn More about Spanish Courses
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Destinations Homepage
About Peru
Capital City
Lima.
Population
27.8 million.
Language
Spanish, Q’echua, Aymara.
Greeting
¡Hola!
Religion
Predominantly Catholic
Currency
Peruvian Nuevo Sol (roughly 6 soles to £1)
Price of a Peru Cusqueña
4 soles (70p)
Climate
Varied, 4 main diverse geographical areas; Mountains, Desert, Coast and Jungle all bringing their own climate
Famous for
Machu Picchu – the lost city of the Incas. Ceviche – fish has never tasted this good!
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