The summer dates make this trip of interest to teachers, but everyone will enjoy the unusual itinerary that includes an exciting masked festival, donations to help village school kids, dye/spinning/weaving workshops, a visit to fascinating Machu Picchu, and many other textile- and culture-related activities.

Join Andean knitting/textile expert, Cynthia LeCount Samaké, Peruvian weaving expert, Nilda Callañaupa of Cuzco, and Dawn Rose, Montessori teacher, for this fabulous adventure in the Andes! Nilda is founder and director of the Center for Traditional Textiles in Cuzco, which has a wonderful traditional textile museum. Cynthia has taught textile/design classes at the University of California, Davis, and has also taught junior high and high school art classes.

In both Bolivia and Peru, we will meet many gracious people in their workshops and homes who will demonstrate typical weaving, fiber spinning (wool and alpaca), dyeing and knitting techniques for us. Besides learning all about the textiles and other traditional crafts, you will be able to help with a goal of the trip: to establish a “Sister School” with a school in a remote village near Cuzco—and to offer supplies to the school teachers and students in these places. Since we will be completely immersed in the culture and the people during this trip, you will be able to learn some Spanish or brush up on your vocabulary. At the same time, if you are a teacher, you may find new ideas for art projects, or culture and geography lessons for your own students.

Cynthia will meet you in the Miami airport for the flight to Lima. Arrange to leave home on July 8 in the morning, to arrive in time to connect around 5 pm. with the American Airlines flight # 917 to Lima, Peru. We arrive in Lima on July 8 around 9:30 pm. (Visas given free at the Lima airport upon arrival and free at the Bolivian border at Lake Titicaca.) NOTE: Fly home from La Paz, the morning of July 22—or stay longer on your own. Call STA Travel (530) 752-2285, see American Airlines, or your travel agent, for plane reservations.

In Lima, Peru's capital city, we stay in the upscale Miraflores area, in a pretty bed & breakfast overflowing with geraniums, and we will learn about the amazing pre-Columbian textiles, gold and ceramics by visiting two of Lima's excellent museums. After a full day in Lima, we fly to the charming city of Cuzco, to begin our great Andean textile adventure! There we stay in a beautiful hotel built by a Marquis in the 18th century. The city of Cuzco offers stunning architecture, astounding Inka stonework, and wonderful shopping—finely carved gourds, silver and gold jewelry, exquisite traditional woven and knitted textiles, alpaca sweaters and knitting yarn.

Nilda Callañaupa will accompany us as we travel by private van on our day-trip visits to villages around Cuzco. Nilda will also take us "behind the scenes" to meet the superbly talented weavers and knitters in several remote highland communities near Cuzco. These people will be at work so we can see their textile techniques and their colorful, handmade traditional dress. These are the people who have asked for our help in their efforts to educate their children, many of who do not attend school now because it requires a hike of several kilometers. We will have workshops to try hand spinning, dyeing sheep’s wool or alpaca yarn with natural dyes, and perhaps learning to weave a small tapestry.

After our village visits, we drive to Paucartambo for the fabulous festival of the Virgin of Carmen. Dancers wear brightly painted masks and colorful costumes for the celebration. We camp out in tents one night here. Then we take the train to the incredible, mystical site of Machu Picchu (UNESCO World Heritage site) to learn about the Inkas and their amazing culture with a professional park guide. We will spend the night close to Machu Picchu, and there will be the option to re-visit the next morning and perhaps climb Huayna Picchu, the peak behind the ruins. We will also see interesting pre-Hispanic sites near Cuzco, such as Tambomachay, the huge fortress of Sacsahuayman, and K’enko. Then, we travel by bus over the altiplano to Bolivia, photographing herds of llama and alpaca along the way. We spend the night in Puno, on the edge of Lake Titicaca. There we see the reed boat makers on their island, and then continue to the pretty town of Copacabana for a relaxing night by the lake. Then, we cross the altiplano to La Paz and check into our charming hotel.

We will take interesting day trips in and around La Paz, meeting three dynamic women and the Andean knitters and weavers they have organized into profitable textile ventures designed to help the people become self-sufficient. Optional visit to the pre-Inka site of Tiawanaku and its good museum. If there is interest, Cynthia will hold a workshop to teach a couple of interesting Andean knitting techniques. We will learn about Bolivian indigenous textiles by visiting several museums. There will be opportunities to relax, take photos, explore markets, visit art, anthropology & history museums; and see dance and music performances with typical charangos and zampoñas. You can also purchase inexpensive panpipe-style instruments for students to play and CDs of traditional music!

TOUR PRICE: $2495. Includes all meals except two dinners, all accommodations (14 nights hotel; double rooms), the Lima-Cuzco flight, all ground transportation, local English-speaking guides, the Cuzco Cultural Ticket, train to Machu Picchu from Cuzco, and one entrance/bus shuttle to Machu Picchu. Optional Tiawanaku day visit from LaPaz is $20.

Single supplement: $350. Airfare from US and departure taxes not included. Round trip airfare from San Francisco is around $950 through Miami.

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