ellenopreis
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Date: 11/12/2006 10:25 am
I want to tell you about a wonderfull experience I had during my tour through Peru. I was in Cusco and looked for a nice way to go to Machu Picchu. I also wanted to spend a few days in the Sacred Valley to visit Ollantaytambo, the market in Pisac en to hike from Moray to Salineras (a beautiful hike!).
Someone told me about a project in Urubamba, in the middle of the Sacred Valley where you sleep in beautifull cottages and from where a train leaves to Agua Caliente (Machu Picchu).
I decided to go there and what I found was the best part of my hollidays. There was a red door, and when they opened it for my husband and me, we saw what was going on there.
A woman, named Helena, lives there with 20 children she adopted. These children where all very very neglected and lived in very poor circomstances. Besides those 20 children, the Helena foods another 80 children each day and has teachers who educate them.
There are some medical specialists and the everybody in the valley can go there for their medical problems.
Women from the valley come there in the evenings and at saturday to make nice stuff to sell at the market, (young) men and women come there too to have education. They learn to get certificates to get a better live.
I was really impressed!
At the project, there are 8 cottages in which you can spend one or more nights. You really feel at home there, they show you the project, Helena talks with her guests and everybody tries to give you the best there.
It is not cheap, 50 dollar for a night for one cottage (2 persons) but it's worth every penny and the best part is: every dollar goes for 100% to this project. You can see your money is spent the best possible way.
I wanted to go there a few days, I staid a week because the surroundings where beautiful. The train to Machu Picchu was near en I felt really really good there. (I bought a train ticket in Cusco before I went to Urubamba)
From Cusco you can take a taxi to Urubamba, you can go with a collectivo that starts near the Urubamba Terminal in the street called Pavitos (at the right hand when you come from the terminal and walk throug the street) in front of a big blue house. This cost you 4 or 5 soles. Go out the collectivo at el ' grifo' (petrol station) or you can take the local bus form the Urubamba Terminal for 3 soles. You go out at the terminal in Urubamba where the taxi's are waiting for you.
you have to tell the taxi that you have to go to the 'project Ninos del Arco Iris' in Querocancha via the little church Torrechayoc. At the end you can see the red door I talked about.
I m sure you will be as surpised as I was!
The number of the project in Peru is:
0051 84 20 14 84 or 0051 84 20 14 75
much greetings and really, this was the best part of my hollidays in Peru~!
Ellen
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sleeping in a beautiful cottage in Urubamba, Sacred Valley Peru