Peru Interim 2010

This course will explore Peru, one of the most culturally significant and biodiverse regions on the planet. Coursework will combine selected readings with site visits to museums, galleries, artists’ studios and world-significant archeological sites and biosphere preserves. Students will participate in on-site field research and creative projects, focusing on field sketching, watercolor painting, and journaling.

Highlights include visits to six UNESCO World Heritage sites, ancient desert cities, an orphanage, paragliding, and backpacking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu.

Explore Andean aesthetics of earth and sky, including Incan constellations and contemporary expressions in the visual arts.

Analyze how humans have responded with varying degrees of success to extreme environmental stress, such as El Niño, and discuss the profound implications such crises bring to cultural systems and apply this to our contemporary global situation.

This course requires physical conditioning and vaccinations beforehand, and a flexible mindset for budget travel in a developing country. A physician’s examination and release stating that you are in excellent physical condition and capable of hiking at altitudes above 15,000 ft. is required.

Oh yea, and can you say beach—it’s summer in Peru in January!

Explore Chan Chan along the northern desert coast, the largest city in pre-Columbian America.

Visit the Moche Sun Pyramid, the largest adobe pyramid in the Americas. View thousand-year-old paintings covering the outside of the Pyramid of the Moon!

We will hang out in an orphanage, build kites with the kids and do our part.

Painting at Huanchaco beach, a laid-back fishing village with friendly dogs and lots of reggae music.

Lima, the Spanish colonial capital of South America. Satellite Image.

View the Cordillera Blanca, the longest mountain range on earth.

Paraglide near Pachacamac, the famous pan-Andean religious center and oracle site to the Inca Atahualpa.

Paracas National Reserve: whales, orcas, sea lions, sea otters, green, leatherback, hawksbill and loggerhead sea turtles.

Fly over the Pampas and view the earth drawings at Nazca.

Painting in the Convento de Santa Catalina.

City of Arequipa.

Watch condors thermalling in Colca Canyon, a canyon twice as deep as the Grand Canyon of Arizona!

Painting around the town of Cabanaconde or hiking in the canyon to an incredible waterfall.

Qoricancha, Sacsayhuaman, Qenko, Tambomachay, Pucapucara.

Maras, Moray, Pisac, Q'Allaqasa, Ollantaytambo, Intihuatana.

Four days and three passes backpacking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. We will visit lots of sites along the way, including: Runkuracay, Sayacmarca, and Phuyupatamarca.

Painting in Cuzco.

Budget adventure-travel course priced at $2,500.00 for 27 days and 26 nights. This does not include airfare. Airfare is $1325.20 and will be purchased as a group by September 12. Augustana will book these flights and you will be charged only for the actual cost of the ticket. You must be prepared to buy your ticket by September 12 (you can pay by credit card).

Unfortunately due to all the recent airline restrictions put in place and holiday travel rules, there is no way to reserve group airline tickets from Sioux Falls to Lima without paying for them within 7 days. Since these are non-refundable tickets, we must wait until the sign-up date of September 21 to book our flights. All travel to and from Peru will be done together as a group, flying from Sioux Falls and returning to Sioux Falls. Travel will be within the month of January.

Course dates: Jan 3–30, 2008

A $500.00 deposit is due by September 12, 2007 (which is refundable up until September 12).

Airfare is due Sept. 12, 2007.

Balance of payment is due Oct. 1, 2007.

Course price ($2500 plus airfare) includes all airfare, including within Peru, ground transportation, hotels, entrance fees, paraglider instruction, Inca Trail passes, tent rental, all your food while on the Inca trail, etc. (subject to change)

All breakfasts are included. You will need to buy the majority of your own lunches and dinners, so $400-500 extra is recommended, although you could budget carefully and get by on $300.

The Financial Aid Office has Student Loan money available for Augustana study abroad, including spending money.

4.0 Credit hours.

This course will be led by two Augustana faculty and members of the Art Department: Gerry Punt and Scott Parsons. Both professors have led this course to Peru previously. Scott Parsons is fluent in Spanish and this will be his eighth trip to Peru. His wife, Yrene, will also accompany the group and her family resides in Lima and will serve as an emergency in-country contact.

No prerequisites. Course limited in size to 15 students.

Sign-up through the instructors.

Deadline is September 21 to sign-up, including a $500.00 deposit and a doctor’s consent form with physical. Airfare will be due October 1.

This trip requires good overall health and physical conditioning. On the Inca Trail we will hike with backpacks 6 to 8 hours per day. Trails lead to passes over 15,000 feet with substantial changes in elevation each day.

This trip is meant for people who enjoy the outdoors, sleeping in tents, and can otherwise be flexible and adaptable to adventure-travel in a developing country with infrastructure, lodging, food, and transportation limitations.

You will need a passport, most likely vaccinations, and an ISIC International Student ID. You will get more info on all of this at a required orientation session. If you do not have a passport, you should apply now U.S. Passport Application.

Grading: Letter grade.

Readings: Cut Stone and Crossroads, The Heights of Machu Picchu.

Participation: An engaged presence (beyond mere attendance) and active participation in all guided visits and discussions, both formal and informal. 100% attendance is required.

Observation: Timely, daily, articulated responses will be entered into student's personal sketchbooks or journals, including notes and observations on museum and site visits, lectures, etc.

Watercolor Component: Complete a small portfolio of plein-air “in the open air” paintings.

Analysis: Required readings and group discussions will form the core component for processing and evaluating the relationship of human cultural systems and their adaptations and interactions with the Andean landscape over time.

All students will work in a sketchbook on a daily basis and create a portfolio of watercolors through direct concentrated observation and creative response to the Peruvian landscape. All students will create a descriptive, contemplative, and well-structured image/word-based field journal of Peruvian visual culture and experience, including a comparative iconography with references to contemporary Peruvian society. Art majors may emphasize the watercolor portfolio and sketchbook, non-art major may emphasize their field journals.

How many days will we be camping?
Please understand this is an adventure travel course in Latin America. It is important that you are ready to do lots of hiking and maintain a positive outlook and sense of humor about getting wet, being tired, eating strange food, long days on buses, etc. There will be three or four nights camping.

Do I need to be an art major to go?
We need students with a sincere desire to try watercolor. You do not need to be an “artist” or art major, but there are a number of days when we will spend the entire day painting. Field instruction in watercolor painting and drawing will be given for all levels of experience. The reason Interim exists is to try something you might not do otherwise in your normal course of studies at Augustana, outside your field of expertise. The point is to go and experience the wonder and awe of another country, the history and the culture.

How do I sign up?
You will need to visit with Scott Parsons or Gerry Punt in the Art Department. A $500 deposit (check made out to Augustana) or a recent physical (past six months) stating you are fit to hike at 15,000 feet in elevation will reserve your place for the trip. We need the deposit by Sept. 12 and the physician’s approval by September 21, but either one will hold your spot. You must disclose all medical conditions beforehand that would prevent you from engaging in all physical activities related to our travels. Enrollment will close for this course prior to the general Augustana Interim registration in the fall. Come see us soon! We expect this course to fill rapidly.

Are the deposits refundable?
Yes, until the deposit deadline, September 12.

What do I need to bring for the Inca Trail?
A rigid frame backpack (internal or external frame), a sleeping bag good down to 30 degrees (or 15 degrees if you sleep cold), a Nalgene water bottle, and a good pair of shoes to hike in—these could be lighter cross-trainers, or heavier boots, but they should be able to withstand getting quite wet and offer good support for your ankles. Other camping items like tents, stoves, fuel bottles, insulate pads, food, etc., will be provided.

Do I need to be able to speak Spanish?
It helps, and it’s great practice if you do, but the answer is no, you can go without knowing Spanish. Both Yrene and Scott are fluent in Spanish and are able to assist you when needed. Many students who go on this trip are also very good in Spanish.

Do I need to start working out?
Yes. I think every student who went has said hiking the Inca Trail was the hardest thing they have ever done in their life, and perhaps ever will do. To arrive in the manner of the Incas to Machu Picchu is both physically and spiritually exhilarating. You will climb three passes. On day three, you will hike though a cloud forest, then on day four you will climb to the Sun Gate at dawn exhausted. As you make a small descent, Machu Picchu appears below you through the clouds and it is a mystical experience—you will have such a sense of wonder, and accomplishment and pride in yourself. Students have said hiking the Inca Trail became a spiritual journey. Altitude will be a factor on the trail, and we would recommend running several miles, several times a week at a minimum or a similar cardio activity to build endurance. You can ask your doctor to recommend a personal training program when you get your physical.

You said that we shouldn’t wear shorts in the towns, but can we still bring some to hike in?
Yes, bring a pair to hike in, or the lightest efficient way is to bring a pair of travel/cargo pants with the legs that zip off—it is a convenient way to have shorts and pants, plus you don’t have to take your shoes/boots off to switch to shorts or pants. You may also want to have a pair of shorts to go along with your swimsuit to the beach and the hot springs we will visit. As mentioned, wearing shorts around town is not such a good idea.

Is it okay to wear capris in the town areas and while we are hiking?
Capris could also work if you want to bring a pair for around town. They are not so common, but okay. On the Inca Trail, really you can wear anything you want, it should be comfortable for you to hike in. Watch out for any sewn-in belts or such things when carrying a backpack, that could be very uncomfortable.

What is the ideal pair of pants to wear?
Cotton cargo pants. Two pair of these pants or similar and you’re set for the month.

What kinds of shirts can we wear? Can we hike in thick strapped tank tops?
The best thing for the Inca Trail is to think in layers. A tank top sounds fine if it’s hot and you use sun block. The only thing is I would try out your pack and see if your shoulders are going get rubbed raw by the straps. If it is cold and we are at altitude, I will put on a long sleeved polyester running shirt over a t-shirt. The polyester type of running shirts do a better job of wicking away moisture than cotton does. I brought two polyester short sleeved, one polyester long sleeved last time, and a couple of normal cotton t-shirts for the month. On the Trail I used running shirts only. A sweatshirt or fleece could be nice to have when it is colder. And then some kind of nylon, rain and wind protection, shell jacket. Whatever you bring, bring thin layers that are easy to take on and off. You want to have a dry set of clothes to sleep in on the Trail.

What if someone needs to contact me while I am in Peru?
You will receive a detailed itinerary with names of hotels and phone numbers for each night of our stay. You will also receive the address and phone number of Yrene Parsons’ family in Lima. Internet cafes for email and international phone calls are abundant.

Have you guys been to Peru?
Gerry Punt and Scott Parsons have traveled to Peru and elsewhere in Latin America. Yrene Parsons, is from Peru and will help lead this course. Scott has studied, lived, and painted in Latin America for more than three years. Scott pursued graduate studies in South American archeology while completing his M.F.A. and has performed archeological field work in northern Chile.

What else will we do?
Gerry may offer surfing lessons when we stay at the beach, and Yrene and Scott have been known to give impromptu salsa lessons.

Email Scott Parsons (605) 274-5025, studio 185C between the Drawing and Printmaking Studios in the Center for Visual Arts.

Gerry Punt (605) 274-4333, studio in the Ceramics Studio in the Center for Visual Arts.