Cross Cultural Solutions - Peru Video

I found a link to a CCS video about Peru. Watch it here- CCS Peru

Volunteer Placement in Lima, Peru

We just found out a few details about our volunteer placement in Peru. Here's a link: CCS - Lima Peru INABIF Placement


Our first 2 nights in Peru will be at a hotel, as the CCS Home Base will be full until Sunday. Here's the hotel: Hotel Senorial

And finally, here's the contact info while we are in Peru: Peru Travel Contact Info

!Hola Amigos!

Solamente cinco dias para vamos a Peru. Espero practicar espanol un poquito mientras ahi. Muchas personas en Peru hablan ingles sin embargo. Hacemos mucho diversion como turistas de Peru.



Adios!

2 weeks and counting....

I am getting really excited about our upcoming trip to Peru! We hope to bring a computer with us and upload pictures while we are there. And, since I am now addicted to blogging you can expect some postings as well.

The first part of our trip will be a Cross Cultural Solutions Insight Abroad program. This is really what inspired it all. Well, here's the LONG version. After doing the JustFaith program at church, several of us participants decided we wanted to go to Africa someday, maybe through CRS (Catholic Relief Services). Then along came an opportunity to REALLY go to Africa, this year, with a local group that is digging wells. We decided that this trip might be a little too dangerous to bring the whole family, but I did not want to give up my new found interest in going to do an international community service trip. So, of course I started reading. The most helpful book was called "Volunteer Vacations - Short-term Adventures That will Benefit You and Others". One of the few groups listed in that book that will accept children is Cross-Cultural Solutions. I checked the CCS website, liked their programs and booked one! Since booking, I have seen CCS positively written up in the Wall Street Journal and Frommer's Budget Travel. I also had the opportunity to talk to a local author (Joyce Major - "Smiling at the World - A Woman's Passionate Yearlong Quest for Adventure and Love") - She was at our local library and was positive about CCS as well. So far for us, CCS has been pretty good to work with. Not quite as detail oriented as I would have liked at the beginning, but I'll reserve my judgement until after the trip. I do have high hopes for CCS, though. I would like to be able to do several more of their trips, and if they really check out in my book even send the kids off to volunteer through CCS during a "Gap" year between high school and college. (Do you feel another blog coming on?)

The second part of our trip will be a tour headed up by (drum-roll...) Disney! I am loathe to admit it, but I booked us on an Adventures by Disney Tour. I do think the tour thing is the way to go, in South America, for safety and logistical reasons. I just really prefer figuring things out ourselves, being on our own schedule and such. I also have a tiny contempt for the whole Disney thing. But, I am sure it will be a great experience and I know Disney won't mess anything up. The itinerary includes river rafting, llama petting, a weaving demo, cooking classes, and the best part - Machu Picchu.

2 weeks..........