Alternative Spring Break Peru

How long is Alternative Spring Break PERU?

The program runs from Saturday, March 12 until Sunday, March 20. To give you the most time in Peru it is suggested you leave Saturday morning and book a return flight for either the night of the 19th or the morning of the 20th to arrive back in Providence in time for classes.

How much is this trip?

Approximately $1450-$1800 for all expenses. Approximately half of this estimated cost is the airline ticket. It is possible to save considerable money by reserving a seat early, using miles, and/or buying as a group.

Included in the costs there is the  site fee of $ 500 that pays for:

1. Centrally located hostel-style lodgings that include a semi-private room (double or triple) and bathrooms and regular maid service. The lodgings are run by a lady entrepreneur that specializes in “at home experiences” for college students staying in Peru, meaning that the atmosphere is very relaxed and informal. A lifelong resident of Lima, she is also an excellent guide to the city and its attractions.
2. A basic breakfast every morning of your stay.
3. A common room with a television.
4. One (1) cooking class in traditional Peruvian Cuisine that includes 4 dishes.
5. 10% discount at the nearby ”Infusion Cafe Cultural”, where you can find an assortment of locally grown and organic coffee, baked goods, and prepared dishes.
6. Group transportation to and from the airport. Whenever possible, the hostess will come to meet you at the airport.
7. Use of the house telephone with a calling card.
8. Kitchen access.
9. A city tour of Lima Centro at night.
10. Peruvian Taxes (22%).
11. Five (5) days of community work at a local non-for-profit working with women, children, and the elderly in an impoverished community. This will occupy your mornings, leaving you free in the afternoons and evenings to do your own thing.

What is not included in the site fee:

1. Airport departure tax: $ 31.00 - Required.
2. Travel Insurance: $ 25.00 - Suggested.
3. Tourist attractions - Highly recommended, this is your Spring Break after all and there is a lot to do and see in Lima.
4. Entertainment expenses.
5. Local public transportation.
6. Meals (lunch and dinner).
7. Gifts for family and friends.
8. Any other miscellaneous expenses.

How do I finance this trip?

Students who have participated in previous years had their trips paid-for or have had to pay a minimal amount depending on how much money they were able to collect. With a few months to prepare there are some options. Some of the common ways people pay for the trip are:

1. Fundraising: Bake Sales, BBQs, church events, fairs.
2. Christmas present - coordinate with your friends and family. As an incentive remind them that donations are tax-deductible.
3. Part-time Job.
4. Savings.

How many people can come to this trip?

Minimum 5, maximum 15. Openings will be filled on a first come, first served basis.

Can I use my travel miles?

Although everyone should travel as a group you can use your travel miles if they apply to that flight. The major U.S. airlines serving Lima are American, Continental, and Delta.

Do I need any vaccines?

There are none required to visit Lima, but some basic vaccines are recommended by travel clinics. For these to be effective be sure to make an appointment more than a month in advance of your trip.  

Do I need a passport?

Yes

As an American, do I need a visa?

No visa is required for U.S. citizens staying fewer than 90 days, however there is an airport immigration receipt that you receive upon landing that you must have to leave the country.

This is spring break, what things can I do on my free time?

There are a variety of things you can do on your spare time which are highly recommended and inexpensive. For tour excursions, going as a group will bring the price down. Some examples are:

1. Cultural activities/sightseeing:

1. Visit the Huaca Pucllana in Miraflores.
2. Pre-Inca ruins at Pachacamac.
3. Travel to Ica to see traditional wine making and do wine-tastings.
4. Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco - tour the catacombs.
5. Take a stroll in La Punta, Callao’s idyllic port.
6. Take a night tour of Miraflores.
7. Visit the hyper-modern Larcomar shopping mall.
8. Cross Barranco’s famous “Bridge of Sighs” to visit a peña and enjoy traditional cuisine.

1. Sports activities:

1. Rafting (kayak) in Canete river
2. Mountain biking and trekking in Lunahuana
3. “Puenting”: bungee-jumping from a bridge
4. Surfing
5. Parasailing

2. Entertainment: Miraflores is at the center of night life in Lima, with many establishments to choose from and most within a short walk from your rooms.
3. Food: If you are on a budget and can only afford one indulgence spend it on food. Peru has a distinctive regional cuisine highlighting local ingredients. Make sure you try Chifa, Anticuchos, Picarones, Lomo Saltado, Para Rellena, Suspiritos, Papa a la Huancaina, Pollo a la Brasa, and many more.

Is Lima safe?

You will be staying with your hostess in a prosperous residential area in a part of the city that caters to tourists. The house is part of a gated complex with a doorman monitoring all visitors. However, you will be working in impoverished areas of the city. For that reason caution is advised. Expensive jewelry, electronics, or clothes will make you a target. Also carrying a lot of money or important documents is not recommended.

You should have no problems so long as you keep with your group and avoid dangerous situations.

Any house rules?

As a guest in a family house there are some rules:

1. Do not bring strangers in the house without asking the hostess.
2. Avoid being loud or disturbing the other guests.
3. Clean after yourself.
4. No smoking is allowed inside the house.
5. It is polite to bring a small gift to the hostess as a courtesy and to tip the maid at the end of the stay.

How is the weather like?

Lima has a climate much like San Francisco, California so expect fogs and cool mornings. March is the end of the Peruvian summer, and it is warm but not hot.  Light summer clothes will get you through the days, and a light jacket keeps off the cool breeze in the mornings and at night.

What kind of service work will I be doing?

You will be working with a not-for profit organization in Pachacutec, a large pueblo joven (shanty town) of about 300,000 residents along the coast north of Lima with limited access to clean water and electricity.The not-for-profit you will be working with specializes in serving women, infants and the elderly. Their topic for the year is “Salud Mental y Promoción de Estilos de Vida Saludables” (Promoting Mental Health and Healthy Lifestyles) which covers a range of projects encouraging healthy living and education.

Who should come on this trip?

The ideal candidate is someone who can look poverty in the eye and recognize the strength of the people that live with it. Your work in this trip will not be to “help” them but to work with them for a common goal.

Disparities in access and resources that are minimized in the United States are much more obvious in Peru. You will be working with the urban poor of Lima who live in conditions shared by an estimated one-sixth of the world’s population. In the context of this trip we are not trying to shock you into pity; instead we want you to be aware that differences exist and are part of every society while helping these people help themselves.

Finally, the ideal candidate is respectful of cultural differences. You are there to learn and experience and this can be an experience that change your view on the world.

What more can I do?

The non-for-profit requests that volunteers donate gently used clothes, particularly infant clothes. Over-the-counter vitamins for the elderly are also needed as they are hard to find and relatively expensive in Lima.  For this reason the ASB Peru team is encouraged to organize a clothing drive before they leave for Lima.

Do I need to speak Spanish?

It is helpful but not mandatory. You must be willing to learn a few phrases that will enable you to communicate with people.