ARGENTINA & PERU

Welcome to Buenos Aires! You will receive a traditional Argentinean welcome on arrival at Ezeiza International Airport by our staff and your English-speaking guide, after which you and your luggage will transfer by air-conditioned deluxe coach to our centrally located hotel.

The city of Buenos Aires was founded in 1580 on the shores of the River Plate, and today, not only is it the continent’s largest city—it is also the most sophisticated. Its people are lively and friendly, and it has something for every visitor, including beautiful parks, football (soccer) stadiums, restaurants of all kinds, horse racing, riding, rose gardens, golf courses, night clubs, theatres, tango, and opera. Shopping is an exciting experience along Florida Street, around San Martin Plaza, or in San Telmo, where antiques are a specialty. The Italian Boca district, Palermo Parks, Recoleta Cemetery, San Telmo, the fashionable northern residential homes, and the waterway of the Parana River are all attractions that give Buenos Aires a character of its own. It’s a city to be enjoyed!

After freshening up at our hotel, we will enjoy a 4-hour sightseeing tour of Buenos Aires with our English-speaking local guide.

Buenos Aires is an exceptional, dynamic, sophisticated, and overwhelming city. It has the exquisite combination of European flair and the charm of Latin American cities. This tour provides an in-depth introduction to its history and architecture, the culture of its people, and anecdotes and secrets. We will take a four-hour ride through the paradigmatic areas of the city: the lively and frenzied downtown area, the ‘aristocratic’ northern neighborhoods, and the working class districts in the south. You will visit the highlights of Buenos Aires, acknowledging the transformation of the village that grew into a mega city.

Journey:
Centre (Plaza de Mayo – 1st Stop);
Montserrat, San Telmo, La Boca (Caminito – 2nd Stop);
Puerto Madero, Palermo Chico, Palermo Gardens and Recoleta (Cemetery – 3rd Stop).

This afternoon we will make arrangements to visit two universities in Buenos Aires for presentations and discussions. We will visit UCEMA (Universidad Del Cema -www.cema.edu.ar) and UCA (Universidad Catolica Argentina - www.uca.edu.ar) OR UADE (Universidad Argentina de la Empresa - www.uade.edu.ar)

This afternoon we will visit the universities with our deluxe private air-conditioned motor coach and our English-speaking guide.

This evening our motor coach will take us to Puerto Madero and El Casino Flotante with our English-speaking guide. The floating Casino is open 24 hours and has a capacity for approximately 3000 people. Its restaurant can accommodate 100 people (by reservation).

After breakfast at our hotel, we will visit two prestigious universities that are located in the suburbs of Buenos Aires: Universidad Torcuato Di Tella (www.utdt.edu) and Universidad de San Andres (www.udesa.edu.ar).

Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, a private university focusing on social science, is one of the best universities in Latin America and was founded by faculty and administrators of the Instituto Di Tella, an internationally known social science research institution. Thanks to its reputation as a small, yet highly selective school, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella (UTDT) draws students from throughout South America. The entire teaching faculty at UTDT is composed of full-time instructors.

Universidad de San Andrés is a small private liberal arts university that operates at a high international academic standard. The university offers several undergraduate programs, including Bachelor of Business Administration, Communication, Economics, Education, International Relations, Political Sciences; Law degrees; and a CPA degree. It also offers a wide range of graduate programs, such as Masters in Business Administration, Economics, Finance, Education, History, Public Policy, International Relations, and several non-degree specializations in Marketing and Finance. The modern campus is beautifully located along the Rio de la Plata in the pleasant Buenos Aires suburb of Victoria.

This is a 5-hour activity, and it includes transportation and guide assistance.

Lunch with soft drinks will be offered at the campus of San Andres University in Victoria.

This afternoon we will visit a company within the Buenos Aires city limits. A deluxe, air-conditioned bus with an English-speaking guide will be provided for this 4-hour activity.

This evening we will enjoy Dinner and a Tango show. A round-trip transfer from our hotel to the club by private motor coach and an English-speaking guide is included.

Option 1: La Esquina de Carlos Gardel

At the end of the 19th century when the town of Buenos Aires was trying to become a city and the tango started to spread among the locals and immigrants, one of the most picturesque quarters was ‘El Abasto.’ Buenos Aires was a working city during the day, but the tango prevailed during the night.

The Abasto neighborhood, the main supply market to the city (hence its name, abastecer, means ‘to supply’ in Spanish) witnessed the rise of a popular idol, Carlos Gardel. He grew up in this area and later became the personification of the tango itself. Today, more than 100 years later, Esquina Carlos Gardel opens its doors at the original site of the restaurant and hotel where Carlos Gardel gathered with his friends to dine and sing.

This tango club and restaurant, which has been decorated in an Art Nouveau style, recreates the sophistication and luxury of the salons of old, combining its up-to-date technology and first class artistic performances together with an excellent cuisine. An evening at Esquina Carlos Gardel promises an unforgettable night of tango.

Option 2: El Querandi

At El Querandi, you will experience an authentic Tango show with skilled musicians playing a well-chosen repertoire and outstanding dancers who portray the evolution of the tango. The restaurant and club is located within the original walls of a house, built in 1860, which became a bar in 1920, and today has been meticulously restored following each original detail. El Querandí’s cuisine offers a varied menu of international foods.

Tango Lessons: The TANGO is the most sensual of all dances, and you can take lessons under the guidance of an expert tango teacher and assistants. You will be taught posture, the language of the hands, the basic steps and figures (the ‘Eight,’ ‘Sandwich with Mirror,’ ‘Sandwich with fence, hook and Mirror,’ and ‘The Walk’). The lesson will take 90 minutes. The time can be adjusted according to desires of the group.

Today we will go by private motor coach to visit Santa Susana Ranch, a traditional Argentine estancia. Our English-speaking guide will accompany us.

By the end of the twentieth century, Mr. Francisco Kelly, an Argentine citizen of Irish descent, named his land Santa Susana in homage to his wife, Susana Caffrey. The ranch is located in the district of Campana, Buenos Aires province, and is near the town of Los Cardales.

Santa Susana actually occupies an area of 2,965 acres that are primarily dedicated to agricultural activities, but for the last ten years or so, it has also become a tourist attraction at both national and international levels.

A ride in a typical one-horse carriage called a ‘sulky,’ or just riding on horseback will help the visitor experience the enchantment of the Argentine land and its beautiful landscape. The field day ends with an exhibition of horse herds (tropillas), and then a typical horseback sport called ‘carreras de sortijas’ (ring-races), all of which emphasize the remarkable power that the gauchos exert over their horses. You will enjoy a typical Argentine barbecue, or ‘Asado,’ with a meal featuring empanadas and a good selection of great Argentine wines.

Today can be spent at leisure or your choice of optional activities.

Option 1: Full-day visit to Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay

The cost of $220.00 per person includes round-trip transfers by private bus from the hotel to the port and back, round-trip ferry tickets, the services of an English-speaking guide, and lunch with soft drinks.

The Rio de la Plata separates Buenos Aires from Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay. The people from Uruguay call Colonia the ‘grandmother of the country,’ as it is one of their oldest cities. Colonia was founded in 1680 by don Manuel Lobo, and it has been carefully reconstructed and preserved. A walk through its historical neighborhood with its painted tiles and the tiled roofs of the Calle de los Suspiros (Sigh Lane), will take you back to the 12th century, and you will be able to see the influence of Portugal and Spain on the local architecture.

Colonia is geographically situated in a strategic spot for the coming and going of Uruguayan and Argentine tourists. The gentle slope of the narrow pathways helps strollers negotiate the irregularity of the ground, and benches that have been placed in the different parks make it easy for visitors to enjoy the sights of low palm trees, fiery-red ceibos, and the romantic pale and bright pink bougainvilleas.

If you choose to walk around Colonia, you should try the coastal route. The boulevard follows the stubborn shape of the land until it reaches the Yacht Port of Riachuelo (Puerto de Yates del Riachuelo), which is neatly packed with boats. From there you can get an excellent view of the west beaches. Five kilometers further on, you will arrive at Real de San Carlos. The old Plaza de Toros, now abandoned yet still a symbol of the city, was used from January 1910 to 1912, when bullfights were officially abolished. Nearby is the racetrack, which was founded in 1942, and where races and betting take place every Sunday.

Departure from the hotel will be at 09:30 a.m., and we will return to the hotel about 6:30 p.m. (Duration: 9 hours.)

Option 2: Visit to the world-famous Club Atlético Boca Juniors

(The price will be advised at a later date, as it has not yet been established for May 2010.)

La Boca is home to the world-famous Club Atlético Boca Juniors, the largest football (soccer) club in Argentina and possibly on the continent. A new, high-tech museum with 72 digital video monitors playing highlights of the best seasons as well as a 360° video show are located beneath the stadium. Being in the museum almost make you feel as if you are playing for the club yourself!

You will take a guided visit to Boca Juniors museum and the interior of the stadium. The Stadium was inaugurated in 1940, and it was popularly renamed as ‘La Bombonera’ (The Chocolate Box).

At the entrance hall, there is a mural painting by Benito Quinquela Martín that depicts the club colors (blue and yellow). Another mural painting, by Pérez Celis, featuring the club and the neighborhood characters, can be seen on the external facade. The Museo de la Pasión Boquense (Boca Juniors Fans Museum) is located on Brandsen Street, which is a short distance from the stadium. This museum exhibits a collection of objects and audiovisual productions about the club history. We can stop for a short visit to the stadium.

Option 3: Attend a Soccer match

This activity is subject to the availability of tickets and the schedule (the soccer match schedule plus ticket prices will be advised at a later date, as they have not yet been established).

Later this evening our guide and our private motor coach will meet us at our hotel, and we will transfer (with our luggage) to Buenos Aires Airport. Tonight we board our flight to Lima, Peru.

Upon arrival at Lima airport tonight, we will be met by our representative who will assist us with all the formalities. Our private deluxe air-conditioned motor coach will be waiting for us at Lima Airport to transfer us and our luggage to our lovely hotel in Miraflores.

After breakfast at our hotel, we will be taken on a half-day city sightseeing tour, including Miraflores and Downtown Lima, with our English-speaking guide. We will travel by our deluxe air-conditioned private bus.

We first visit the historical center of the town and will go through the beautiful Plaza Mayor (Main Square) or Plaza de Armas, where Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish Conqueror, founded the city on the model of Spanish towns. Four important buildings border the square: the Government Palace, built in 1938 on the spot where the conqueror’s palace used to stand, which is now the residence and the offices of the President of the Republic; the Cathedral of Lima, which is next to the Archbishop’s Palace; and the City Hall. We will visit the Cathedral, a symbol of Lima that was built in 1625, and admire the wooden sees, the magnificent gothic altars, and an important collection of paintings from the 17th century.

We will stroll through the streets of the center and see the wooden balconies that are typical of colonial and republican architecture in Lima. We will then reach the convent of San Francisco. One of the main characteristics of the convent’s construction is the use of wooden structures, quincha, and stucco. The convent of San Francisco was built between 1657 and 1674, and it shows the unity of styles in the church, including the main cloister and the porter’s lodge, which is why it is considered one of the most important colonial architectural complexes of the country. It contains treasures of art from the 17th and 18th centuries.

After this visit, we will leave the historic center and drive toward the modern quarters to the south, to the business center and residential neighborhoods, which are somewhat removed from the center. Today, they form an integral part of the city. Near the Pacific Ocean, this section of the city is composed of modern buildings, restaurants, and residences. Here the visitor can experience the serenity of public gardens filled with visitors and locals alike. This is the new center for artistic and cultural life, although it is also a part of the pre-Columbian inheritance, which includes the Huaca Huallamarca. This ceremonial center, which was built in the form of a pyramid, was used from the 3rd century until the coming of the Incas in the 15th century. Apparently, Huallamarca (or Huaca Pucllana) was only for the elite clergy during the 5th – 8th centuries. This monumental ancient building made of adobe is particularly notable because when you climb to the top, you can see the sea. Its architecture and the objects found on the site seem indicate that it was also, at one time, a governmental center for the people of the valley.

Optional lunch: suggested restaurant La Rosa Nautica, located in Pier 4 of the Lima Beach Circuit at Miraflores. La Rosa Nautica is an elegant Victorian-style restaurant that offers the most complete selection of Peruvian and International cuisine and the most sophisticated bar on the Pacific shores. Add its incomparable view, and its patrons can enjoy the peace that can only be found where infinity begins.

Optional lunch: The other option is to have lunch at the Larco Mar shopping center, which faces the Pacific Ocean. Here you will find several good restaurants and can spend the afternoon shopping for the many handicrafts or Peruvian designer boutiques in this lovely mall.

In the afternoon we will visit a company. An air-conditioned deluxe bus and an English-speaking guide will be provided within city limits.

El Circuito Magico del Agua – Paraque de la Reserva (Water Fountains Complex at Parque de la Reserva) is closed on Mondays.

In the morning you will have a bus and guide at your disposal within the city limits to visit a company. The afternoon is free.

In the evening, we will provide round trip transfers between the hotel and restaurant with our private deluxe air-conditioned bus and the guide.

Tonight we will enjoy dinner and a traditional Peruvian dance show at Cafe del Museo Larco or Dama Juana.

In the morning you will have a bus and guide at your disposal within the city limits to visit a company.

This afternoon, our guide and our private deluxe air-conditioned motor coach will meet us at our hotel and transfer us with our luggage to Lima airport for our flight to Cuzco, Peru.

Upon arrival at Cuzco Airport, we will be met by our staff, who will assist us with all the formalities. Our private deluxe air-conditioned motor coach will be waiting for us at Cuzco Airport to transfer us and our luggage to our hotel.

This evening we will invite 5 to 6 local business people who are involved in microcredit programs and their successful clients in the private meeting room at the hotel or at Incanto Restaurant. Our staff will act as interpreters for the panel. Dinner is also included.

After breakfast, we leave our hotel for a tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Our English-speaking guide and our private motor coach will be at our disposal all day.

On the way to the Valley, we will also visit the Potato Park Indigenous Biocultural Heritage Community Project. High in the Peruvian Andes, this unique initiative in indigenously-run conservation aims to preserve the huge variety of domesticated potatoes that are some of the most significant elements of the region's biodiversity. The Parque de la Papa (Potato Park) is the brainchild of an indigenously-run organization called Asociacion Andes (Quechua-Aymara Association for Sustainable Livelihoods—ANDES), and it is being implemented by an association of six Quechua villages in the mountains south of Pisac in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Under this initiative, the 8,000 villagers of the six communities of Amaru, Pampallacta, Quyo Grande, Sacaca, Paruparu, and Chahuaytire have agreed to bring together the 8,661 hectares in their six communal land titles and manage them jointly for their collective benefit. Their aim is to conserve their landscape, livelihoods, and ways of life, and to revitalize their laws and institutions.

We will enjoy lunch at Casa Orihuela, where the Orihuelas, a family of great collectors, will be our hosts.

The house has a varied collection of popular and colonial art ceramics, paintings, weapons, photography, ceremonial vessels, and the ceramic bulls of Pucara. The surrounding area includes a forest of eucalyptus trees and other native species, and here the famous giant white corn is cultivated for export.

After lunch, we visit Cuzco Center for Traditional Textiles in Chahuaytire and learn about the non- governmental organization (NGO) formed to preserve ancient weaving techniques. Nilda Callanaupa is a master Andean weaver and the Director of The Center for Traditional Textiles of Cuzco, which is dedicated to preserving the textile heritage of the region. Nilda grew up in the high valley of Chinchero, an important Inca center not far from Machu Picchu. Her mission is to renew interest in the rich past of textile design and weaving that supports cultural diversity and a connection to the High Andes. Nilda was recognized as a prodigy as a young child, and by the time she was 14 years old, she was giving weaving demonstrations at the Smithsonian and the American Museum of Natural History. From her traditional beginnings in the high Andes, she blazed a non-traditional path, graduating with a university degree in tourism, and starting her own business.

Rather than abandon her roots and flee to Lima, Nilda returned home and started a non-profit organization, The Center for Traditional Textiles of Cuzco, which includes a weaving cooperative, a school for young girls (who must come dressed in traditional costume to be considered), a museum, and a gallery. It also provides shelter for women in distress, ensures that young girls connect with their elders, and helps native weavers control the marketing of their textiles rather than sell them through mestizo middlemen. Nilda is a shining example of how indigenous people can fully engage with world markets and still remain steadfastly true to their roots.

After our visits, we reach Ollantaytambo. On one side is the town of Ollanta, which has Inca- style streets, and on the other is a magnificent construction, which was one of the last refuges of the Incas before they left for Vilcabamba. Part of the construction was never finished; stones were abandoned on the road, which is a witness to the story of the conquest. In Ollanta, the valley narrows, which made control to the entrance of the valley from the jungle very important. Legend tells us that Ollanta was a warrior in the army of the Inca Pachacutec. He fell in love with one of the daughters of the Inca, but the Inca did not consider him acceptable. This site where they resisted the Inca Troup took the name of this legendary hero.

Tonight we will enjoy dinner at our hotel.

After breakfast, we will check out from our hotel.

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