Itinerary

So here is the itinerary, as promised. It's a little long and detailed, so I have made a brief "overview" of it and posted it below, before the detailed version:

February 10-15: Land in La Paz. Rest in Cochabamba, do orientation, etc. Trek to the summit Cerro Tunari (16,000 feet).
February 16-21: Travel to Sucre, then start our first long trek in the Cordillera del Fraile.
February 22-28: Travel from Sucre to Postosi while investigating salt, lithium, and other resource deposits, and how they relate to Bolivia’s future and green energy.
March 1-9: Urban homestays in El Alto, while participating in service learning. Head to Oruco for carnaval on March 6.
March 10-28: Homestays, language study, and independent study project in Sorata.
March 28-April 8: Trek though the Cordillera Real to the Amazon. Finish with a 2 day trip on the river.
April 8-17: Stay in the Amazon town of Asuncion, learning about Amazonian life, doing service learning, and exploring the ecology.
April 18-19: Rest days in Rurre.
April 19-May 5: TBD! The weeks are to planned by the students. Some options are: homestay in the Bolivian coca growing community, trekking in Peru, visiting Machu Picchu, and/or homestay in Cuzco.
May 6-12: Back to Bolivia. Maybe a trip to Lake Titicaca, a lodge in Sorata, or back to La Paz. THEN COME HOME!

OKAY. So here is the longer version:

February 10-15: The morning of the 10th We’ll find ourselves huddled outside in the dawn air of La Paz saying “Hola” to one another formally. After a brief breath of high Andean air we’ll take a bus to the more temperate city of Cochabamba in the middle of the country. We’ll head directly to Quillacollo, on the outskirts of town, a tranquil neighborhood at the foothills of the Andes. Also near the entrance to Tunari National Park where we will begin our in-country orientation with a welcome ceremony, workshops on group dynamics, culture and norms of the Andes and Amazon. We will also have the chance to meet with important organizations in town. Finishing our time here we will do a short trek and attempt to summit Cerro Tunari nearby, at over 16,000 feet.

February 16-17: Travel from Cochabamba overnight to Sucre across the vast Torotoro National Park, through the arid folds of the high Andes, arriving the historic colonial capital of what was Alto Peru and one of Bolivia’s most important cities.

February 18-21: Participate in our first extended trek in the Cordillera del Fraile outside of Sucre, backpacking through the arid tectonic wonderland that is this range, filled with dinosaur footprints, hot springs and oddly shaped craters and inhabited by the Jal’qa people, known for their brilliantly imaginative weavings.

Feb 22-28: Resources Expedition: 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. From Potosi we will head west to the salt flats where we will explore the vast expanse of the world’s largest salt lake as well as conduct an investigation into the recent find of the world’s largest lithium deposit, visiting the processing plant and speaking with local experts about what this means for Bolivia’s future and the future of green energy.

Mar 1-9: From the altiplano we will return to the city of El Alto for our first urban homestays. Here we will partner with Teatro Trono for homestays and creative projects, as well as a possible service learning opportunity either with Trono or with Maria from Desarrollo de la Mujer. We will finish our time here with a short trek in the nearby mountains and then an observation of the build up to carnaval in the streets of La Paz. We may also include a visit to Oruro for carnaval celebrations on Mar 6th.

Mar 10-28: SORATA. Arriving after carnaval, we will begin homestays, language study and Independent Study Project work in the stunning village of Sorata. Here we work with local mentors and possibly a non-profit that provides medical care to remote villagers here. We will also have opportunities to study weaving, Andean music, dance and politics. Our time here will be defined by the 20 hours of Spanish study per week, as well as the grassroots development projects, with opportunities for student led hikes and trips to La Paz on weekends. In our three weeks here we will really become a part of this community and immerse ourselves in this magical and challenging mountain lifestyle.

Possible Weekend Excursion: During this time we may have a hike from Sorata to high lakes, farming communities and right to the toe of a magnificent glacier below two 21,000 foot peaks and directly above town.


Mar 28-April 8th: Begin our extended trek through the Cordillera Real to the Amazon, either via the Illampu Circuit and down to the Camino de Oro or traversing the Cordillera Real and descending the Choro Trail to the tropical yungas. Either trek will take us through majestic Andean landscapes rich with high altitude culture, and then take us plummeting through the various ecological tiers into the Amazon rainforest. With either option we will ultimately make our way to Guanay where we begin a river trip for 2 days into the Bolivian Amazon.

April 8-17: travel down the Beni river from Guanay to the Tsimane-Moseten town of Asuncion in the Bolivian Amazon, where we will stay for a full week, learning about Amazonian life, participating in a service learning opportunity and exploring the rainforest ecology. From here we will continue down river to Rurrenebaque, a bustling tourist hub for the Bolivian Amazon.

April 18-19: Spend a couple of rest days in Rurre, visiting with Daniel Robison, a local expert in development and conservation as well as a possible visit to an animal rehabilitation center.

Apr 19-May 5: Our final weeks involve the expedition phase and will be determined as we go, based on the group’s abilities and interests. This may include a stay in the afro-Bolivian coca growing community on the way back up from the Amazon or possibilities in southern Peru such as: spectacular hikes such as the Choquequirao trek, visiting the magical communities of Q’eros, visiting the famous ruins of Machu Picchu and/or participate in one more independent and engaging homestays in the Cuzco area.

May 6-12: We will finish our course where it began, in Bolivia, possibly ending our time in Lake Titicaca at the Isla del Sol, the mythical birthplace of Incan and many pre-Incan civilizations. Other options may include the city of La Paz, an Andean lodge high in the mountains or Sorata, or “home” for this course.