About Peru

Global Volunteer Network currently has opportunities to work on a range of projects in Peru. Volunteers can become involved in childcare, teaching, construction, healthcare, cultural, and conservation/wildlife projects.

Peru boasts some of the most spectacular scenery in South America and volunteers will primarily be based in the city of Cusco, the historical capital of the Inca Empire. In contrast to its stunning geography, which attracts growing numbers of international visitors to Peru, poverty and unemployment remain high throughout rural regions and more than half of the population live below the poverty line.

Please visit the Global Volunteer Network website for more information about the Peru Volunteer Program.

Recent Peru Journals:

5th and final week.

Posted by Wehrle Heidi at 8:39 am Peru No Responses »

Oct 222011

It is 1.00PM Friday 21st October and in an hour I will have my final spanish class here in Cusco. Am I fluent…hell no…am I fluid…hell no… can I speak spanish…yes but in a catantonic dyslexic form…need to work on it when I get back.????
this week has been slower…ditched the tandems to concentrate on the all important grammar and one to one conversational with Ana Marie – an exuberante, lithe ?divorced mother of one .Ana Marie speaks 3 languages and presently is studying German. When her brows, during conversational class, take on a contorted look I know I am being far from fluid- eyestrain is a constant for me in class as my eyes have a tendency to look up to the left hand corner of the classroom in the vain hope that the words will be revealed on the wall!! It is not for the lack of trying…I am the only one in our house, in 5 weeks, to have attended every voluntar duty, every spanish class…felt like the nerdy geek everytime i left the house…am I proud of that…goddam right I am!!! Tenacity, endurance and plain stubborness helped me to see and experience many different things in Cusco.
Am sharing a room with Cargill from Sydney..works well…I go to my top bunk at 8.00Pm …she arrives at 2-3 am to her bottom bunk …I let her have it, after all she could fall from the top after a night out on the town…and I get up at 6.00am …so we are ships in the night.
I have enjoyed here the weather, the crisp dry air and the people who come and go at our San Pedro family house and the local people as well…the beggars who lined the street and became a familiar part of my landscape…final day gave them each a donation .

San Pedro house has been a fantastic place to stay.The staff friendly, food fantastic, cleanliness excellent…it was a haven to return to after a day´s volunteering and spanish classes…always someone home to share your day with…the ones volunteering in the medic division have amazing stories of poverty, malnutrition and general hygiene…dentist tools never cleaned between patients, no administrations of painkillers for dentistry work…just drill and fill…still using mercury filling, babies are covered in their own film of protective dirt and have occasional head injuries when their mothers put them on their backs and forget to watch the head as they depart through the doors. Long wide colourful cloths service as baby carriers, food carriers, grass transporters (for guinea pigs) I have only seen 2 pushchairs in time here. Generally the babies/toddlers are hauled to the front for breastfeeding and then returned to the back to sleep.
The construction volunteers come home and tell their stories of never enough materials, even though part of their fee goes towards materials. They find this frustrating as they would love to work for the full 3-4 hours. Cusco time I suppose??? Construction volunteers were also frustrated when some wanted to work both morning and afternoon but were not permitted to do so unless they paid for the privilege…curious use of volunteers???? would have thought project completion would be first priority…then what would I know!!!

I have always felt safe here, but am aware that the locked shop doors, that i pass on my way home after 5.oopm and that are covered in security bars and huge locks send a message that not all is well at night???

Well had final spanish lesson..aussies brought the beer, Canadian brought the cake and I contributed the chips…we happily drank and ate our way through class with teacher Kris joining in… the party was for her as she was leaving to go on holiday and all us 5 had been her students for the last 5 weeks… just co–incidental that it was my last day too!!! Other people filed past with eyebrows raised as they viewed the empty bottles and snack packs…yes we still learnt about Group 5 preterite indefindo irregular verbos….uhm now what were they???

As i add to this final journal entry Iam into my last16 hours in Cusco and the sky is looking very grey!!! Tonight is Halloween at Maximo Nivel…the Aussies in spanish class have gone all out to make costumes…but I am reluctant to go…would rather see the WRC final at 3.00am.

This morning took a final 3 hour walk around the streets of Cusco, purchased a few things and met up with Maryline teacher from my first placement to say goodbye etc.

These 5 weeks have been an amazing experience, different to what i had expected . The sights sounds and smells that assailed my eyes on first arriving became as natural as breathing (except this morning when came across a meat market down a back alley where cows entrails …tripe etc sat in the warm weather waiting for customers…did turn my stomach and remind me that it was truly time to leave.Would I ever come back..who knows have met some lovely people both local and overseas and I wish Cusco and it´s inhabitants well. Being here reminds me that people all over the world are the same, all like to laugh have fun and earn enough money to have a reasonable lifestyle…and like all cities it ha a dark underside and <i suspect corruption is rive…but that is Cusco…chao , buen suerte Cusco.

One bus, two bus, three bus, four.

Posted by Sarah & Brian at 10:12 am Peru No Responses »

Oct 152011

From Lima north along the coast it has taken 3 days of bus rides to get into Ecuador. It is one long desert, with sandy mountains and barren vistas all the way, with a few settlements straggling in the dust and then two oasis towns to stop over in, Trullijo and Piura, They both had simple charms and the usual Peruvian passion for outdoor strolls, plazas to sit in and huge cathedrals in the central square. In the Andes the presence of the Catholic church is muted by the clear determination of the indigenous people to mingle it with their own faiths. Nevertheless, in one tiny village we saw a large church full of iconic figures of the saints, sheltered in their gold and silver niches, while the local people were living under corrugated iron in shacks.

The last of the 3 bus rides took us up into the Andes again, but here in Ecuador the hills are green, covered in pastures and trees, and the villages have a pleasant almost Alpine feel, with cows grazing and charming houses perched on rocky ledges. So we liked Loja, a peacful highland town, where to live on the hill above town looks pleasant. Unlike in Peru, where in the places we saw, to be the folks on the hill means you have a tiny patch of land for your mud house and the permanent threat of a mud slide every time it rains. And the only access is up the long flights of concrete steps provided in random locations by the authorities.

Now we are in Cuenca; it is so attractive a place that I have thought of staying. I could teach in the English school and spend my time dancing salsa outside at night, sitting under the trees in any number of lovely plazas, breathing in the scent and colour of the flower market, eating cheap and delicious lunches down by the river – but apparently if I do choose this option Brian is moving onto Quito the capital tomorrow on another lengthy bus ride.

There is one other drawback to staying here. The presence of the church is almost suffocating; there are 2 cathedrals, plus many more grand churches and lots of candles, tributes, rosaries etc etc. Perhaps I would not fit in after all.

4th week.. San Pedro Orfanato.

Posted by Wehrle Heidi at 5:06 am Peru No Responses »

Oct 152011

Last Saturday trotted off to Salsa but had to go home to sleep for 36 hours and commence using the Penicillin that I had taken with me…. my throat was sore, nose running constantly and coughing into my elbow was a constant.But Monday, tucked toliet paper in my pocket and off I went to my tandem, my orientation re teaching english and then spanish lessons.

That evening I joined Kendra ( Canada) and supervisor/teacher, Anna (Cusco) to start my teaching…8 pupils from age of 5-9… we learnt? numbers, colours etc. uhm interesting, as week progressed amount of children would change, sometimes they would come, sometimes they wouldn´t and Kendra and I often went home an hour early as senior students rarely came. Ah well…cruzy…and to top it all off Friday, my final night as volunteer, is DVD night for all the classes so laughed my way through Nemo (it was in english of-course)…way to go…I have regained my energy and health through working here…not only because it is 5 mins walk from San Pedro family house but also because of the place.This girl orphanage has not only orphans but also girls from poor large families….there are less than 30 orphans here, as far as I can gather.

San Pedro square is where there is the oldest fresh produce market as well as 2 huge churches. The San Pedro Chruch dominates the square and is where the orphange is. On entering this orphange the first time ( and everytime after) I was overcome by a tremendous sense of calm and peace…bear with me while I wax lyrically…but it is true.The noise, dirt, grime, poverty, people , constant tooting and chaos of the Cusco city are immediately removed as one enters through the gates and into the thick walled buildings that then reveal green open spaces with small lawns, flowers, roses all dominated by an imposing statue of Jesus., then walk further and another green oasis soothes the eyes and appeases the soul.These quadrangles of pleasure are surrounded by a labyrinthof strong buildings dominated by the church. The orphange also runs a hotel and who knows what else. I cannot begin to tell you howI enjoyed coming here every night between 5-8…oops mean 5-7 (only 1 night that all classes were held). I don´t think this is volunteering …it´s placement…so cruzy.

As for my spanish… it has it´s ups and downs and next week is my final week to get some talking done!!!!!!

I now invite you to walk the kilometre to my Family home: as we leave the orphange noise, fumes, street and car lights and local people assail ones senses as we move across the smooth (from constant foot traffic) cobbled stones. To the left of me is a local woman standing behind a BBQ size of 12″ by18″ upon which she puts kebabs which have potatoes, onion and meat attached, the smell is delicious. She gathers her ingredients from grimy plastic bags that surround her. She is there all day every day. On the right of the 5 metre wide street sits another ?elderly woman in same state of dress and grime as the other but she is surrounded with bags full of sheeps head, from which the brains are removed to show customer origin of her purchase, livers, gut, tripe are in other bags. She sits on the steps of a hairdresser´s shop. None of the shops that I bypass on this kilometre stretch have windows the only light sources are the open door and electricity. Next we pass a cobbler in his 2 metre x 3 metre shop and to me it seems that all the shoes are well beyoond repair…but not to him, next door is a fresh fruit shop whose display is both clean and appealing, then comes and internet shop where customers are so close that they almsot sit oon top of each other…lots of youths in the 5 internets that dot this kilometre of road, next a pharmacy also offers a clean well organised place to purchase your personal needs, then a pizzeria which can seat about 15 peole, all neat and tidy…had my first Pisco Sour here with Kendra and Cargill.Outside this pharmacy sits another woman with a small tarpaulin beside her upon which are piled fruit and vegetables that seem less appealing than the shop just over the road… but locals buy them so what would I know. And so we continue our way home and finally reach San Pedro house where things are constantly cleaned, no grime around here, the food is fantastic as is the staff. All week they (3 men) have been trying to fix the clothes washing machine…they had to remove a foot of concrete first, then remove the machine etc…I´m glad that I am not paying the bill…in meantime we have water less and less ??? maybe because of the repair…never mind in 10 days I will have constant hot water… I am amazed at how quickly I have settled in spite of all that surrounds me and I think being able to return to a clean home and catch up with fellow foreign residents is what has helped me to settle and enjoy this once in a lifetime experience.

Sleep well.

Altitude and Antics

Posted by Sarah & Brian at 8:19 am Peru No Responses »

Oct 092011

It was a 15 hour overnight bus ride to Lima, down from the Andes to a huge city which at this time of year is under a permanently grey sky. But there is one great advantage to being here. It is down. Down from the heights. In Cusco you are at 1100 feet; then on the islands in Lake Ttiticaca it is 12,800 and at Colca Canyon to see the condors do their morning swoop and glide, it is another thousand. I had 2 days being very sick with altitude in Cusco when we were first there. But even once acclimatised, you cannot ignore altitude. The thin air dries out and stings your nose and eyes. You can feel your lungs working as never before and when you walk along any incline, or steps, breathing becomes an effort, and then can be so difficult that you have to rest for a few minutes. Even my hair likes it better down at sea level. But the Canyon was a wonderful day out. It is deeper than the Grand Canyon. The sides are steeply shelved and were terraced in ancient times for farming and still cultivated today. In a high gorge the condors fly at the same time every day in the warmth of rising air. We took masses of photos. Many humans in the Andes and here have their daily outdoor activities. Everyone has something to sell, food of all kinds from juices to hard boiled quail eggs, but perhaps as little as a few match boxes or biros. The ones trying to lure the tourists have woollen goods and paintings. There are lots of enterprising ones who sell their antics too. At the traffic lights on busy crossings, there might be a fire eater; a duo turning handstands, or someone juggling [click here to read more]

3rd week..zoo, Mr Imodium, and more

Posted by Wehrle Heidi at 10:18 am Peru No Responses »

Oct 072011

Presently in San Pedro Family House we are 5 americans, 1 brazilian, 1 canadian, 2 aussies, 1 belgian, and me…we all volunteer in various places such as construction where it appears a school is being built for the children who are presently else where and are about to be kicked out; childcare , teaching english: thats my next placement,should be a hoot!!! have my training Monday am; and finally medical clinics where our in house volunteers come home with such funny stories of unbelievable things that they have experienced.. I am really enjoying their company.. ..last night finally had to meet up with Mr Imodium… had been to a local market with the pre-school teacher, for a HEALTHY mixed fruit juice and a roasted sweet potatoe…both were yummy but 3 hours later the plumbing noises within my body said otherwise…and remember water to loos, basins etc are turned off from as early as 8 pm and loo paper goes in a basket!!!….. things were not looking good… i had a nap before 7pm dinner where i ate very little and hoped to shower at around 7.50pm… but water already turned off…. first runny trip to loo around 8pm but no-one had flushed since water turned off..gods are smiling on me!!!… set up reserve water for flushing and doing a top and bottom shower and cleaning teeth, by going to kitchen raiding pot cupboard ( pot was cleaned after use!!!) and then accumulating hot water from thermoses that are constantly full. I had feared that I would not make it to my final day at the pre-school, but pleased to report that pre-prepared pot was not necessary as I was OK during the night and in the morning…things consolidated quickly after taking 2 Mr Imodiums… …the guy who invented that stuff should get a medal!!! Now that I [click here to read more]

Lake Titicaca

Posted by Sarah & Brian at 1:44 am Peru No Responses »

Oct 072011

Since a school project very many years ago, this name has evoked for me a high deserted place of great beauty and fascination. As soon as we arrived in Puno, the town on the lake, after a long bus ride over the arid plateau from Cusco, we walked down to see it. Along the concrete promenade, the water sparkles blue in the distance. Here at its edge though, you see brackish ponds and scrubby vegetation, both silted with rubbish. The water from the pier is thickly green and murky. I am sure there are places around the huge area of the lake where you can wander along a wild shoreside and cast pebbles into its clear waters, but not here. Puno itself is scruffy and there is little sign that the money streaming in from tourists is benefiting the people here directly. There was obviously a town improvement effort some time ago as there are pedestrian walkways and pieces of brutal public art with some sad trees too, but it all looks neglected now. The buildings are brick and concrete, not adobe, but most are unplastered so everything looks unfinished and ugly. After Cusco’s graceful colonnades and balconies, its lively squares and side streets where every door opens onto a little shop or an interesting courtyard, its churches and palaces built on Inca walls, this place is depressing. There are two central squares which are pleasant but they can’t compete with the Plaza de Armas in Cusco where you can watch the sunlight change on the surrounding hills every evening. One thing I noticed straight away is how many old ladies there are on the streets, running food stalls, selling small parcels of goods, or just sitting on steps with a bundle and a hand stretched out. There are always [click here to read more]

2nd week

Posted by Wehrle Heidi at 10:45 am Peru No Responses »

Sep 302011

Have mastered the “put toilet paper in basket: do not flush it” and mastered the “how to get a warm shower” and am slowly, slowly coming to terms with spanish and it’s grammar. Am fortunate ???? to have a family night club next door to my hostel, it has Peruvian band and music playing until 3.00am twice a week…I am grateful that there is no loud bass “boom boom” in this peruvian music so when tired enough this music lulls me to sleep…bit like falling asleep to my TV at home!!!! I am anxious to take part in these festive evenings, being so handy and all, but have been told that “muchas cervezas” are consumed there. I felt like a photocopy machine this week as we traced pictures of Primavera ( spring) ready for the children ( 30 inthe 2 classes combined) to colour in …as well this week I have been making crafts for the children and , as my friends and family will confirm, I am not a crafty person they always look like a 5 year old made them…so blend in well!!! La profesora left me alone with the 3-5 yr olds; saying she would only be a minute…finally realised she meant spanish time, by the time she arrived back boys had removed some of the art work on the wall, most of the girls were playing all over the place while a few played ringa-ringa-a- rosie with me … by this time I had figured as long as they are alive and unhurt when she returns all will be well… and so it proved to be!!! Had first wet day where i put on my rainproof pants and coat…glad I did as the combis, taxis etc rushed passed and splashed the rushing murky water onto my rain pants. [click here to read more]

And then we went to Machu Picchu

Posted by Sarah & Brian at 2:34 am Peru No Responses »

Sep 282011

So many people have been to Macchu Picchu and there are so many images of it, that I was prepared to be impressed but perhaps not more. But I think the word awe inspiring can be properly used about this place. The setting is so dramatic. High up, encircled by a river far below and surrounded by steep granite peaks covered in dense jungle, are the ruins of a city for 800 people, 300 of them Inka nobles and the rest commoners to serve their needs. The Spanish never came here, but the site was abandoned because of their advance and the blockage of supply lines. We had a marvellous day in the sunshine there. We walked up to the Sun Gate which Brian first came through nearly 30 years ago when he was one of the very few people then doing the Inka trail. Now lots of tourists walk the 4 days over original Inka roads to get to the site. We saw some walkers arrive, amazed and delighted to have achieved that slog and to look down on a wonderfully clear view of their target. We have been to the Inka ruins around Cusco and there are several major ones in the Sacred Valley. But Macchu Picchu is a special site with obvious significiance for the indigenous people and their sense of Quechua pride in their past.

Cusco Dogs

Posted by Sarah & Brian at 2:30 am Peru No Responses »

Sep 282011

It has taken a while to feel relaxed and at home in Cusco, partly because altitude sickness knocked out a couple of days and because we have been very busy since the teaching started. My placement is in a religious institution just behind the Church of San Pedro in the city centre. Here girls whose parents are too poor to care for them are given a home. We have ages from five to teenage over the evening. They are very affectionate and fun to be with, though like most children here, they are not very disciplined. Brian is in a centre that caters for street children, providing support and for many a bed. He is helping with an class that our organisation here, Maximo Nivel, runs every evening there for adults who want to improve their English Now that we only have few days left in Cusco, it seems a shame to be going – there is a lot to see and do. Contrary to some tourist information it is a safe city to walk around and endlessly interesting, both in the picturesque old squares and the steeply stepped back streets. It is a city of frequent processions and street protests, of stalls set up overnight to celebrate an anniversary and every Sunday in the main square at 10 o’clock, goosestepping soldiers and marching groups of all kinds to witness the raising of the Peru flag with the national anthem sung by all and then the Cusco flag and the Cusco song. We had a fun night out in local bars (no gringos) and today one of Brian’s students gave us a personal tour of the Inka Museum where he works. As it is a twenty five minute walk from the volunteer house to the centre and to the Maximo office, and we make the return journey at least twice [click here to read more]

My first week in Cusco..

Posted by Wehrle Heidi at 8:27 am Peru No Responses »

Sep 252011

It has passed in a blur…my nose, eyes and ears have been slapped by a host of new sounds, smells and images. I live in a Hostel which can accommodate approx 15- 20 volunteers.The accommodation is fantastic…much better than i had expected. We are all looked after by a great bunch of cooks and cleaners who can speak “some-to-perfect” english. The fellow volunteers are many, many years younger than me and they come from Canada, Australia, Switzerland, New Zealand, USA.During the week I work in a Pre-school for 3-5 year olds.My day starts at 6.30 with a conversation with the shower so it does not burn or freeze me…better now as plumber had to come when i tore (accidentally) the shower head out of the wall!!! I thought the showerhead was moveable!!! Anyway back to where I work. La profesora there is Marylin, she is 29 years old and her and I take the “Combi” a van that serves as bus to pre-school. I try and walk occasionally and it takes more than an hour to walk. Pre-school is between 8.30am-12.00.Here I help with childrens bookwork; thank god it’s basic maths and play games with them. We are presently preparing for the spring festival on Monday. Here the children dress in their best on the festival day and are given gifts. Then home to lunch and off to spanish from 2-4pm..This has been a bit harder. We are bunch of 5..3 doctors from Australia and a Canada girl. The teacher talks mostly in spanish and battling with altitude, organising myself and learning has been challenging. Then 4-5pm tamden exchange: where a spanish speaker/english learner is matched up with you …mine is Habia a young man who is a motorcycle mechanic but wishes to become a tourist guide. We have had [click here to read more]