Activities

When you come to Amigos, you have the opportunity to do much more than simply study Spanish. We offer a range of extra-curricular activities, both complimentary (free) and premium (extra cost), to help you enjoy your time with us, and to foster friendship and community amongst fellow students. These activities are also designed to teach you about the local culture, in such aspects as cuisine (food), music, dance, artisanship, and socio-economic issues.

Note: the date and time of all activities is flexible, and may be changed subject to the needs of students.

Complimentary activities

We currently offer the following extra-curricular activities, free of charge and are held once per week (generally in the afternoons) to all students:

Real city tour

A three-hour tour like no other tour in Cusco, led by Amigos staff. Students are taken to a number of the most impoverished areas in Cusco, and are shown nearby locations such as schools, industrial sites, and private residences. The guide explains some of the issues that the people in these places have to contend with every day such as, chronic exploitation, lack of education, and domestic violence. Students also get to partake in some fun and unique experiences, such as drinking chicha (traditional local beverage) in an authentic chicheria, and visiting Cusco's oldest and most chaotic market, Mercado San Pedro.

Location: greater Cusco.
Day / time: Wednesdays, 2pm-5pm.
Guide: Juan Carlos.

Cooking lessons

A two-hour lesson with a professional local chef. Students learn how to prepare, cook and get to eat a variety of traditional Peruvian dishes — from Peru's coastal, desert, Andean, and jungle regions — in a nearby fully-equipped kitchen. Students are encouraged not just to spectate, but to join in and get their hands dirty (although you should start with clean hands!).

Location: Amigos kitchen, 5-minute walk from the school.
Day / time: Thursdays, 4pm-6pm.
Chef: Ricardo.

Dancing lessons

A one-hour lesson with a trained local teacher. Students are usually taught Salsa, but are sometimes also taught Meringue (a cousin of Salsa) or Huayno (traditional Andean dance). Break out your dancing shoes, become one with the "son" (rhythm) of the Latin world, and prepare yourself for the wild party nights of Cusco!

Location: Amigos dance studio, 5-minute walk from the school.
Day / time: Fridays, 5pm-6pm.
Instructor: Juan Carlos.

Tandem tuition program

A short weekly interaction between foreign Spanish students and our local English-learning youth. Each week, both parties spend ½ an hour together, with 15 minutes being spent speaking in English, and 15 minutes spent speaking in Spanish. This activity is usually conducted during the morning break of students in the standard 8am-12pm timeslot. It has the aim of increasing the language ability and the cultural awareness of both parties.

Location: Amigos Spanish school.
Day / time: One weekday per week (students' preference), 9:45am-10:15am.

Premium activities

For those students willing to invest a bit more cash, and keen to learn a few more skills, we also offer premium activities (subject to demand) for an additional cost. The premium activities are conducted by very experienced and specialised teachers, and they will further your knowledge of (and your immersion in) the local culture tremendously.

We currently offer the following extra-curricular activities, at an additional cost and held according to demand, to all interested students:

Weaving lessons

Subject to request we offer weaving lessons, which are conducted by a Mrs. Naywa Huillcahuaman. This experienced weaver and teacher comes from the villange Chinchero (50 minutes by bus from Cusco) to give weaving lessons at Amigos. Chinchero is a very well known village, famous for its weaving belts and for its blankets. The weaving of Chinchero contains graphic designs that symbolize many of the festivals and rituals in the Incan culture. The teacher is not only patient and dedicated to her job, she is also a proud holder of pure Incan ancestry, and she shares with students her wealth of knowledge about her rich heritage.

Location: Amigos Spanish school.
Date / time: at students' discretion.
Teacher: Mrs. Naywa Huillcahuaman.
Cost: USD$10 per hour.

Quechua lessons

Also subject to request, Amigos can not only teach you Spanish (the language of the Latin world), but also Quechua, the language of the Incas. Quechua is an incredibly useful language to learn, as it is the most widely-spoken indigenous language in South America (with 10 milion of native speakers). Quechua is also the perfect foundation for experiencing more of the local culture than would ever be possible otherwise.

Location: Amigos Spanish school.
Date / time: at students' discretion.
Teacher: to be determined.
Cost: to be determined.