Depart From: Overnight flight to Bolivia

Volunteers arrive throughout the day and are transported to Vinto. Welcome dinner and orientation.

Arrive To: International flights to Bolivia arrive in La Paz or Santa Cruz. Several domestic flights will connect, arriving in Cochabamba throughout the day. If flying from La Paz, sit on the left side to get a stunning view of Mt. Illimani. If arriving as an independent traveler, please note that there are "official" airport taxis from the airport to downtown Cochabamba. The cost is around $5 - $10 per person.

Afternoon: Volunteers are met at the airport and transported to the Casa de Retiros Conference Center. Volunteers are welcome to relax at the Hostal or explore the city. Volunteers who are interested can walk to the Monday market in downtown Vinto

Dinner: Welcoming family-style dinner at the Casa de Retiros dining room with group introductions.

Evening: Site Director, Jean Carla Costas will give a brief orientation and overview of Bolivia and the Cochambamba and Vinto region, some history and important current events including discussion of Bolivian customs; key spanish words and phrases. Orientation on the Amizade school project and service in Bolivia.

Lodging: Casa de Retiros

Meals Included: Dinner

After Breakfast at the Casa de Retiros transfer to the Mallcorancho work site. Children will have a welcoming celebration. Begin the construction and English teaching projects.

Breakfast: Family-style buffet at the Casa de Retiros dining room.

Morning: Transfer by private minibus to the small rural community of Mallcorancho, the site of the community center construction project. Begin work on the construction project or English teaching project.

Lunch: Family-style lunch at the Casa de Retiros dining room.

Afternoon: Enjoy a short siesta after lunch. Return by private minibus to the Mallcorancho projects.

Dinner: Family-style dinner at the Casa de Retiros dining room

Evening: Enjoy a presentation on the Bolivian education system by Vivian Schwarz, PhD.

Lodging: Casa de Retiros

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

In the morning continue work at the Mallcorancho construction project and English teaching. In the afternoon, visit a nearby Inca archaeological dig site, the remains of Inca grain silos, and the cathedral on the main square in Quillacollo.

Breakfast: Family-style breakfast in the Casa de Retiros dining room

Morning: Travel by minibus to the Mallcorancho service site and spend the morning in various construction tasks. Volunteers who wish to may spend time tutoring English.

Lunch: Family-style lunch in the Casa de Retiros dining room

Afternoon: Travel by private minibus to the nearby city of Quillacollo and visit the main square and the famous cathedral which houses the statue of the Virgin of Urkupina. Visit a newly discovered archaeological dig site of Inca artefacts in Quillacollo. Travel to the hillside outside of Quillacollo and see the remains of thousands of Inca grain silos. David Pereira, a well known professor, archaeologist, anthropologist, and one of the discoverers of this site will give a lecture on Quillacollo.

Dinner: Family-style dinner in the Casa de Retiros dining room.

Evening: The remainder of the evening after dinner is free for volunteers to catch up on email, or to relax and enjoy the free time.

Lodging: Casa de Retiros

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Continue the Mallcorancho construction project in the morning and early afternoon. In the late afternoon, travel back to the city of Cochabamba for the weekend activities.

Breakfast: Family-style breakfast in the Casa de Retiros dining room

Morning: Travel by minibus to the Mallcorancho service site and spend the morning in various construction tasks. Volunteers who wish to may spend time tutoring English.

Lunch: Family-style lunch in the Casa de Retiros dining room

Afternoon: After a short siesta, return to the Viloma school construction project and work during the early afternoon. During the late afternoon, return to the Casa de Retiros and then travel by private minibus to the Hotel Anteus in the city of Cochabamba.

Dinner: Dinner at a restaurant in the city of Cochabamba.

Evening: Participants have the remainder of the evening free to explore more of the city of Cochabamba, or they may rest and relax at the Hotel Anteus.

Lodging: Hotel Anteus

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Visit a center for handicapped children and young adults. Explore a huge open-air market filled with handicrafts, produce, and everything else you could imagine. See Palacio Portales, the home and gardens of 19th century tin baron Simon Patino.

Breakfast: Breakfast in the Hotel Anteus dining room

Morning: Visit a center for handicapped children and young adults. Learn how the center provides various services to handicapped Bolivians, and see the workshop area where they learn vocational skills and make handcrafts. Then visit the beautiful gardens and early 20th century mansion of tin baron Simon Patino - now a Bolivian culture and art center.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant in Cochabamba city.

Afternoon: Visit the open-air market of La Cancha, one of the largest markets in Bolivia, where you will find beautiful handcrafts, as well as just about anything you could imagine shopping for. Participants may spend the entire afternoon at the market, explore other areas of the city on their own, or they may return to the Hotel Anteus to rest and relax for the remainder of the afternoon.

Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant in Cochabamba city.

Evening: Participants are free to explore more of Cochabamba on their own, or to rest and relax at the Hotel Anteus. If a concert is available, participants may choose to attend one.

Lodging: Hotel Anteus

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Travel through the stark, but breathtakingly beautiful highlands of Bolivia to the spectacular Inca ruins at Incallajta. Visit the second largest temple in the known Inca empire.

Breakfast: Breakfast in the Hotel Anteus dining room

Morning: Enjoy the scenery from the window as your private bus travels from the cosmopolitan city of Cochabamba through the rural countryside. Pass through small villages and rural farms. In the fertile valley below the Inca ruins, see peach and apricot orchards. In the late morning, arrive at Incallajta - the largest Inca complex in Bolivia.

Lunch: Enjoy a picnic lunch in the patio area of the Incallajta visitors' center.

Afternoon: View a short video showing the history and highlights of the ruins. Take a small hike to the ruins area, and visit the main building (Kallanka) - the largest of all known roofed Inca buildings. See the remains of various other living quarters, and the waterfall which was their source of fresh water. This settlement was one of the easternmost settlements in the Inca empire. During the late afternoon, begin the return journey to Cochabamba.

Dinner: Stop at a small empanada restaurant just outside of Cochabamba, for a dinner snack of fresh empanadas.

Evening: In the late evening, arrive back at the Hotel Anteus. Participants who wish to explore the city sights and attractions may do so on their own.

Lodging: Hotel Anteus

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Visit the statue of Cristo de la Concordia - taller than the Christ statue in Rio de Janeiro. Enjoy a relaxing Sunday lunch and afternoon Bolivian-style. Evening presentation on Bolivian traditions by Professor Camacho.

Breakfast: Breakfast in the Hotel Anteus dining room

Morning: In the mid-morning ride the cable car up the mountain to visit the Cristo de la Concordia statue - higher than the Christ statue in Rio de Janeiro. Enjoy the views of the city of Cochabamba below.

Lunch: Enjoy Sunday lunch Bolivian style! Spend a few hours at an outdoor restaurant in the suburbs enjoying the fine weather and fine food. Bolivian families spend entire Sunday afternoons relaxing, playing lawn games, watching their children on the playgrounds, and just enjoying being together at these restaurant "resorts".

Afternoon: In the late afternoon enjoy a lecture about Bolivian traditions such as Mastaku (the Day of the Dead celebration in Bolivia), Wallunkas, and how some valleys are recovering ancient foods. The lecture will be by Professor Wilfredo Camacho, a well known anthropologist.

Evening: The remainder of the evening after dinner is free for volunteers to settle back in to the Casa de Retiros, catch up on email, or relax and enjoy some free time.

Lodging: Casa de Retiros

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Travel by minibus to the Mallcorancho service site and spend the morning in various construction tasks. Volunteers who wish to may spend time tutoring English.

Breakfast: Family-style breakfast in the Casa de Retiros dining room

Morning: Travel by minibus to the Mallcorancho service site and spend the morning in various construction tasks. Volunteers who wish to may spend time tutoring English.

Lunch: Family-style lunch in the Casa de Retiros dining room

Afternoon: After lunch, volunteers can opt to visit the local Vinto farmers' market, or they may stay at the Casa de Retiros for a short siesta. In the early afternoon, volunteers will travel back to Mallcorancho school to continue working on the construction and English teaching project.

Dinner: Family-style dinner in the Casa de Retiros dining room

Evening: The remainder of the evening after dinner is free for volunteers to settle back in to the Casa de Retiros, catch up on email, or relax and enjoy some free time.

Lodging: Casa de Retiros

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Travel by minibus to the Mallcorancho service site and spend the morning in various construction tasks. Volunteers who wish to may spend time tutoring English.

Breakfast: Family-style breakfast in the Casa de Retiros dining room

Morning: Travel by minibus to the Mallcorancho service site and spend the morning in various construction tasks. Volunteers who wish to may spend time tutoring English.

Lunch: Family-style lunch in the Casa de Retiros dining room

Afternoon: After a short siesta, travel back Mallcoranchol in the early afternoon and work on the construction project and English teaching. Return to the Casa de Retiros in the late afternoon.

Dinner: Family-style dinner in the Casa de Retiros dining room.

Lodging: Casa de Retiros

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Continue working on the Mallcorancho construction project and teaching English. Experience the Pairumani ecological park and the country home of tin baron Simon Patino.

Breakfast: Family-style breakfast in the Casa de Retiros dining room

Morning: Travel by minibus to the Mallcorancho service site and spend the morning in various construction tasks. Volunteers who wish to may spend time tutoring English.

Lunch: Family-style lunch in the Casa de Retiros dining room

Afternoon: In the late afternoon travel by private minibus to Pairumani, the country home of tin baron Simon Patino. Visit the Villa Albina mansion, and wander the easy the trails in this eco-tourism park.

Dinner: Family-style dinner in the Casa de Retiros dining room

Evening: The remainder of the evening is free to volunteers to catch up on email, prepare to return to Cochabamba the following day, or to relax and enjoy the free time.

Lodging: Casa de Retiros

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Family-style breakfast in the Casa de Retiros dining room.

Morning: Travel by minibus to the Mallcorancho service site and spend the morning in various construction tasks. Volunteers who wish to may spend time tutoring English.

Lunch: Family-style lunch in the Casa de Retiros dining room.

Afternoon: After lunch, volunteers can opt to visit local Vinto farmers' market, or they may stay at the Casa de Retiros for a short siesta. In the early afternoon, volunteers return to Mallcorancho to continue working on the construction project and English teaching.

Dinner: Family-style dinner in the Casa de Retiros dining room.

Evening: The remainder of the evening after dinner is free for volunteers to catch up on email, relax and enjoy the free time.

Lodging: Casa de Retiros

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Finish up the Mallcorancho projects and enjoy a farewell celebration with the school children and school officials; visit a soap factory/day care center project in Cochabamba city; attend a concert if available

Breakfast: Family-style breakfast in the Casa de Retiros dining room

Morning: Travel to the Mallcorancho to finish up projects. Enjoy a farewell celebration with the school children and school officials.

Lunch: Family-style lunch in the Casa de Retiros dining room

Afternoon: Travel by private minibus to Cochabamba city. Visit the Warmi soap factory and daycare center project in the outskirts of the city.

Dinner: Dinner at a local Cochabamba restaurant

Evening: The remainder of the evening is free for participants to explore more of Cochabamba, or to rest and relax at the Hotel Anteus.

Lodging: Hotel Anteus

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lunch at a famous restaurant with panoramic views of Cochabamba. Visit a 17th century church and convent; tour the archaeology museum. Enjoy a farewell dinner with the Bolivian work crew.

Breakfast: Breakfast at the Hotel Anteus.

Morning: travel by minibus through the colonial sections of Cochabamba, arriving in central downtown for a stroll.

Lunch: travel by minibus to a locally famous restaurant, with sweeping views over the city of Cochabamba and its broad valley in the Andes.

Afternoon: Tour the 17th century Santa Teresa church and convent; then tour the Museum of Archaeology.

Dinner: Participants will enjoy a farewell dinner with the Bolivian masons, other construction crew members and their families in a popular buffet-style Cochabamba restaurant.

Evening: The remainder of the evening following the farewell celebration is free for participants to enjoy.

Lodging: Hotel Anteus

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at Hotel Anteus.

Morning: Arrive in Santa Cruz. Travel to hotel to check in and get settled. Walking tour of historic downtown Santa Cruz including visit to the Plaza 24 de Septiembre (Principal Plaza). The city's main plaza, where locals and tourists alike gather to hang out and observe each other. There are benches and small tables to play chess at, there are numerous pidgeons to feed, and several cafes/restaurants surrounding it. The city's main cathedral is here and is quite beautiful. During the day you can pay to enter the cathedral's small museum and climb to the top of the belltower, where you can get a nice view of the plaza from above.

Lunch: lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Take a city tour of Santa Cruz (one of Bolivia's most populous cities) in a traditional open air bus.

Dinner: Farewell dinner at a restaurant in Santa Cruz

Evening: evening is free for participants to explore Santa Cruz, pack, and prepare for an early morning departure.

In Transit: Early morning flight to Santa Cruz

Lodging: Hotel K Missional

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Depart From: Early morning departure from Santa Cruz.