What to do on a typical day at the AMAUTA Sacred Valley Campus?
What to do on a typical day at the AMAUTA Sacred Valley Campus?
Settled just off the road that wanders between Urubamba and Ollantaytambo, AMAUTA’s campus or Spanish School in the Sacred Valley, allows students to spend a week away from the hustle and cool temperatures of Cusco. The climate in the Sacred Valley is generally quite temperate, there are several famous and gorgeous tourist sites quite close, and students get to spend a week getting to know the area, their professors and each other, and practicing Spanish in every-day activities.
A typical group from AMAUTA Spanish School includes students from the US, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, and Canada.. many times there are students as well from Turkey, from France, or Belgium, Japan or Brazil…
Activities of the Spanish in the Sacred Valley Program
The activities they enjoyed included exploring the town and ruins of Ollantaytambo, visits to the local chichería, the Salinas, and the local town of Urubamba, an evening around a bonfire, and hikes through the surrounding mountainsides.
On a typical Thursday the students enjoyed several of these activities…
While some had their morning Spanish classes in the sunny alcove on the second story, others took a field trip to explore the local chichería… At the small brewery they encountered young guinea pigs being farmed for consumption (the famous Peruvian cuy), new vegetables and fruits, and of course traditional drinks and snacks. Chicha (fermented corn drink) and Frutillada (chicha flavored with fruit) were the drinks that they got to try – but not before making the traditional offering to the Pacha Mama (Mother Earth), which includes pouring out the first sip of each glass as a gesture of gratitude for providing the drink.
Upon returning to the Spanish school, the students were greeted by the pleasant smells of home-cooked food. Lunch time! Everyone left the table full and happy, and then took a few minutes to relax and enjoy the sunshine and gentle breeze blowing thru the garden.
Visit Ollantaytambo
Next on the agenda was an excursion to the town of Ollantaytambo. After short combi ride, students and AMAUTA Spanish teachers piled out of the van in the square of the quaint little town built at the foot of the ruins of the ancient Incan fortress. Those with the tourist ticket headed off to explore the ruins themselves, while the rest opted to climb up the mountain across from the ruins for a free hike and a gorgeous view of the fortress and town, as they did not want to buy the entrance ticket.
Two hours later, the group met back up, warm, tired, and satisfied with their individual adventures. The ride back to the Spanish school was short and quiet as each reflected on what they had just seen, and mentally prepared for the upcoming afternoon classes. Like the morning classes, afternoon classes could be held in a variety of locations: in the shade of the porch, in the spacious living area of the house, in the garden, or even in the chichería or cafe down the road.
As Spanish classes came to an end and dinner was served, the day came to a close with a spontaneous yoga class taught by one of the students. As this unexpected turn of events demonstrates, days spent in the Sacred Valley are unpredictable, relaxing, and thoroughly enjoyable!
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Are you interested in this program? Check here for more information on Spanish at the Sacred Valley.We need a minimum of 6 students to run this program, that takes place between 1, 2 or 3 times a month, depending on how many students are registered. A week of Spanish course in the Sacred Valley includes transportation from Cusco, accommodation, all meals, Spanish lessons and two fieldtrips. Participants have spoken very highly of this location!
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