Chunka Isqonniyoq    Day 1 Arrive in Lima Transport will be provided to Minka Wasi Housing situated in the Lince District of central Lima.  In the afternoon we meet with the Lima based staff of Minka Fair Trade (MINKA), visit the show room and become familiar with the activities carried out by MINKA.  After having a look around Lima city centre we return to Minka Wasi for the night.  Lima at night Day 2 Pelicans at Paracas beach After spending the early part of the day visiting museums and seeing a bit more of Lima, we depart by private bus for Pisco, where we stay overnight in a local hotel.  Day 3 In the morning we go by boat to the Ballestas Islands.  The tour lasts approximately three hours.  We pass the famous Candelabro, a huge ancient design like a candelabra, resembling the designs of the famous Nazca Lines, carved into a large hill face on the Paracas Peninsula coast.  The Islands are inhabited by sea lions, pelicans, penguins, indigenous guanera birds and other species of birds which represent the greatest producers of guano in Peru.  Our next stop is the Paracas National Reserve desert zone, renowned for its amazing colours.  Inside the reserve we visit the Julio C. Tello Museum (ceramics, woven handicrafts and mummies of the Paracas civilization), an interesting rock formation known as the Cathedral and have lunch in Lagunillas Bay, the only fishing village in the reserve.  After lunch we drive to Nazca and stay overnight at a local hotel.    Paracas National Reserve Day 4 The "Monkey" design - Nazca In Nazca we have the option of either flying over the famous Nazca Lines (US$30 - US$55) or going on an excursion to the Mirador (panoramic point from which some of the lines can be observed).  The Nazca Lines are huge lines carved into the desert over the course of several centuries creating complex geometrical designs and drawings of plants, animals and objects.  We then move on to Arequipa, a stunning colonial Spanish city situated 2230 meters above sea level.  We arrive at Arequipa late in the evening and stay overnight at a local hotel.   Day 5 We start the day with a guided tour of Santa Catalina Convent. This is a miniature monastic city of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and today it is possible to visit the convent nearly in its totality. We will then visit some small fruit and vegetable markets and Museo Santuarios Andinos where well-preserved frozen Inca mummies can be observed. We then stay overnight in a local hotel. Arequipa Day 6 Colca Canyon In the morning we depart for Colca Canyon.  At 3,300m, Colca Canyon is almost twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, and is flanked by some magnificent scenery.  Sabancaya, one of the most active volcanoes in South America, can be seen in the background, together with Andean villages and ancient terraced fields that are still used to this day.  We spend the night in a local hotel overlooking the canyon. Day 7 In the morning we visit the Cruz del Condor where the huge birds can often be seen at close range.  The rest of the day is spent walking the several walking tracks in the area, relaxing in hot pools and adjusting to the altitude.  Cruz del Condor, Colca Canyon Day 8 Misti Volcano, Arequipa After we have breakfast in the hotel, we say goodbye to Colca Canyon and depart for Arequipa, where we will stop for lunch before moving on to Lake Titicaca, at 3812m the highest navigable lake in the world and, according to legend, the birthplace of the Inca people (the first Incas, Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo, are said to have emerged from the lake's chilly waters to found the great Inca Empire).  We stay in Puno, a small town on the shores of the lake.  Day 9 At 7.30am we depart for  Taquile Island on Lake Titicaca, in a boat exclusively owned and operated by the Taquile community.  On the way we visit the Uros, the famous floating islands of Lake Titicaca made of canes (totora) and ballasted with a soil base and stones.  Even today, the local community continues to build their huts and boats with totora.  On arrival at Taquile Island we will be treated to a warm welcome from the MINKA committees in Kollino and Huallani (two sections of the Taquile community) who will provide a delicious buffet lunch.  We then go for a walk through the island guided by one of the members of the community and visit archaeological sites where gifts were offered to the Pachamama (which in Quechua means Mother Earth) before having dinner and staying overnight with one of the Taquile families.   One of the exclusively Taquile-owned-and-operated boats, Lake Titicaca Day 10 Swimming at Taquile Island - 3812m above sea level After having breakfast we meet the community.  They will explain their daily agricultural activities during the different periods of the year, what they produce, what they fish, what the most important natural resources of the island are, their rituals and their work within MINKA.  They will also demonstrate their remarkable ability to knit very fine garments (including sweaters, hats, scarves, bands, purses) with a variety of natural colours and designs.  In the afternoon we will have free time to soak up the tranquillity of the island before staying another night with our family.  Day 11 After breakfast at the home of our guide we leave the tranquillity of the communities for the other side of the island, where we will visit some pre-Inca archaeological ruins and the village, the main tourist centre of the island.  We then return to Puno to stay at a local hotel.  Pilali Peninsular, Taquile Island Day 12   Lake Sillustani     Learning to dance the Chinipilco at Unocolla  Community, Juliaca   In the morning we depart for Juliaca with a stop at the Chullpas (funeral towers) of Sillustani, an ancient cemetery of the Inca and pre-Inca ages, situated in stunning surroundings featuring lakes, lagoons, hills, blue skies and wide open spaces.  We then go on to Unocolla Community in Juliaca (3800m), where the various MINKA committees in the local community will give us a warm and cheerful welcome involving songs, dances and presentations.  After lunch in the Local Comunal (community house), the producers will display the various types of handmade products (sweaters, gloves, scarves, hats, etc.), which are made by the community.  We also visit the warehouse of alpaca fibre and cotton and receive an explanation of the production activities and their work within MINKA, the interrelationship and organisation between the communities and the important role of women in the communities.  We then walk to Chacas Lagoon and, on the way, visit some of the family houses of the local community.  In the evening we will have dinner and stay overnight at the Unocolla Local Comunal. Day 13 On the Lampa - Cusco road In the morning we go to Cusco, which was the ancient capital of the vast Inca Empire. On the way, we cross natural reserves and see wonderful landscapes, volcanoes, wide open plains, a deep blue sky, lagoons, as well as alpacas and llamas. We also visit the modest town of Lampa, which boasts the word's only mould replica of Michelangelo's La Pieta, take in some magnificent snow-capped mountains and have the option of seeing some pre-Inca ruins and bathing in some natural hot springs. We arrive at Cusco in the evening and stay overnight at a local hotel. Day 14 Today we have free day.  You will be able to spend the day exploring Cusco, visiting museums or having a look at some of the Inca ruins in the surrounding area.  We stay overnight in Cusco in a local hotel.  The Sacred valley of the Incas Day 15 Cuyo Grande Community, Sacred Valley of the Incas  From Cusco we go to Pisaq and see the local handicraft market and some Inca ruins.  We then visit the MINKA committees in Cuyo Grande and Cuyo Chico communities, both of which are tucked high up the Sacred Valley of the Incas and at the foot of the grand Inca ruins at Pisaq, preceded in majesty only by the nearby citadel of Machu Picchu.  where the locals will provide us with lunch and give us a demonstration of the ceramic production process.  In the evening we will be invited to a meeting with the producers' families, have dinner and stay overnight at Cuyo Grande Community. Day 16 After having breakfast in the local community we visit the Pisaq ruins where the ancient waterways built by the Incas remain intact and run past villages neighbouring those in which we stay. We then travel up the Sacred Valley of the Incas to Ollantaytambo Fortress, which controlled the way to Machu Picchu because of its imposing height and strategic position. We walk around the stone walkways of Ollantaytambo village, a good example of the urban architecture of the Incas, before taking the train to Aguas Calientes to spend the night at the foot of Machu Picchu. Cuyo Grande Community, Sacred Valley of the Incas Day 17 Machu Picchu In the morning we visit Machu Picchu, where you will be taken on a two hour guided tour of one of the most famous and memorable archaeological sites in the world.  After the tour you will have time to explore the ruins yourself or to do some of the treks around the site, ranging from a 10-15 minute walk to the precipitous Inca Bridge, a 1 1/2 hour walk up to the Gate of the Sun or a challenging near vertical ascent of the overlooking peak of Wayna Picchu.   After a packed lunch amongst the ruins we return in the late afternoon by foot or by bus to Aguas Calientes and depart for Cusco by train to stay in a local hotel. Day 18 From Cusco we fly back to Lima and meet with some Lima-based producers that work with MINKA.  We then return to Minka Wasi where we stay overnight.   Day 19 On our last day we visit some other local producers before returning to Minka Wasi for lunch, giving you a final opportunity to enjoy native Peruvian food.  Following a Good Bye Party at Minka Wasi with a Folklore Group you will be taken to Jorge Chavez International Airport.