Cusco, Peru

Program Outline

All standard programs include four hours of either private or group instruction per day, two hours of grammar and two hours of conversation. The teachers co-ordinate the program to ensure that the grammar themes are further developed in the conversation classes. The conversation teachers are rotated weekly in order to give students the maximum exposure of varieties of spoken Spanish. Each session last 105 minutes and can be in the morning, afternoon or evening between the hours of 8:00 am and 8:30 pm. Students can request a particular time of day and we will do what we can to accommodate them. All teachers are native speakers and receive ongoing teacher training during their employment. The teachers and staff are committed to giving students the best possible experience of Peruvian culture & customs. They also have proficiency in at least one foreign language, among them are: English, German & French.

Lodging

Students can choose between two different types of accommodation, local guest families or in our student house. The Host Family option offers students a high level of comfort, in large houses with a courtyard or garden, a spacious bedroom, and food that can be adapted to the students' special dietary needs. Guest families provide three meals a day. The Student House, which is located in the same building as the school, has rooms with shared toilets, a big terrace and a common kitchen/living room. This option includes breakfast.

Cultural

Included for free or a small additional cost is one of the best cultural programs in Latin America. Free to students are: pick up at the local Cusco airport, a walking tour of the center of the city, a welcome dinner for newly arriving students, Peruvian cooking classes, dance classes, music classes, movie nights, daily lectures on Peruvian culture and farewell parties each Friday afternoon. For an additional cost the school can help set up tours, excursions and trips to many of the nearby attractions, such as Machu Picchu, at reasonable prices. There is also an airport pick up package in Lima that can be added to your program for an additional cost.

Location

Cusco, with a population over 300,000, is located in the Andes mountain range at 11,500 feet above sea level. Students will want to take it easy for the first couple of days after arrival to avoid altitude sickness. It was the capital of the Incan empire before the arrival of the Spanish in the early 1500s. After Francisco Pizarro sacked the city in 1535 the Spanish embarked on a program of creating a colonial city. Temples were replaced by churches and mansions were built on top of royal palaces. Even with a number of powerful earthquakes over the centuries much of colonial Cusco and even Incan Cusco have survived. The school’s campus is located in a colonial building one block from the main the Plaza de las Armas. There are over 20 classrooms of different sizes at the school, the smaller ones being used for individual classes. A popular place during breaks is the spacious and sunny terrace.

Climate

There are generally two seasons in Cusco; the rainy season from November through March and the dry season from April to October. The rainiest months of the year are December through February. While the daytime high year round is around 70° F, the coldest lows occur during the dry season when it can get down as low as 30° F in July.

Local Color

Cusco has a great deal to offer. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and is the jumping off point for the Incan Trail and the famous “Lost City of the Incas’,” Machu Picchu. Cusco is believed to be the “belly button” of the world by the native Quechua people. As with the rest of Peru it is a city that likes its festivals. The most important festival of the year is Samana Santa, or Holy week, the week before Easter Sunday. On Holy Monday and Good Friday there are major processions through the main part of town ending at the Cathedral in the Plaza de las Armas.

Main Points About Cusco

Population: 300,000. Location in the centre of Peru, in a fertile valley of the East Andes. Cusco is the ancient capital of the Inca Empire and the oldest city in the American Continent. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Cusco is an amazing place to study Spanish while discovering another way of life. The famous lost city of the Incas, Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail are both visited from Cusco.

Hot Tips

No visit to Cusco can be considered complete without a visit to Machu Picchu. This is the most famous archeological site in South American and justifiably so. There is train service daily to Aguas Caliente which is at the base of the narrow valley just below the lost city. But for those with an adventurous spirit and having a fairly good physical condition, the only way to see Machu Picchu is by the Inca Trail. There are a number of different amount of days you can hike the trail from as little as one day to a number of weeks. The most popular is the four day trek. Starting out at the trailhead at about 9,000 ft, passing through the highest pass at 17,000 ft and then ending up at the 8,500 ft of Machu Picchu, this is not for the faint of heart. But for those that accomplish it, it becomes of the greatest memories of their life. It is truly that amazing.

Start Dates

Classes take place from Monday to Friday, except for official holidays. Classes missed due to official holidays will not be made up. There will however be special activities that will be offered to students on those days. The dates the school is not open in 2008 are: Jan 1, March 21, May 1, May 22, Jun 24, Jul 28, Nov 1, and Dec 25. There are no classes after noon on Dec 24 & 31.