Almost all students studying Spanish in Cusco, will visit the famous Machu Picchu ruins, either before , during or after their Spanish classes.

Many students participate in the famous Inca Trail, a four day hike to Machu Picchu.  Here is a list of essential items you do not want to forget!

INCA TRAIL PACKING LIST

• Backpack: This might seem obvious, but it is so important to have a good backpack for this trek.
• Passport: You will need this to get into the ruins when you finally reach Machu Picchu. You also need to bring your International Student Identity Card (ISIC) if you have one for the student discount.
• Hiking Shoes and Clothes: We always recommend dressing in layers because the weather is constantly changing.




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It is believed by scientists that all potatoes have a single origin in Peru where thousands of varieties still exist in the Andes and where over 100 cultivars might be found in a single valley. It is also believed that the potato was first domesticated between 2000 and 3000 BC and flourishes today in a wide variety of colors, flavors, textures and sizes.  There are approximately 5,000 varieties worldwide, 3,000 of them are found in the Andes, mainly in Peru.

Here in Peru, potato connoisseurs can sample from nine different colors of native potatoes, varying in texture, flavor and nutritional value.  Some have drawn the attention of the world of haute cuisine as exotic ingredients and have been used in exhibitions because of their flavors as well as nutritional value.  Their traditional uses are as varied as the potatoes themselves each having its own special or ceremonial use.  Some potatoes are for eating, some for weddings, baptisms, some for funerals and so on.  Some are high in antioxidants, like the red “moro boli” some need to be soaked or steamed and some are made into potato alcohol.

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So. Learning has started here at AMAUTA Spanish School in Buenos Aires. It’s back to school all over again. Students, teachers, classrooms. Some things are quite different though. It’s funny how something mandatory in high school can be so much fun later in life. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I’m in the beautiful city of Buenos Aires surrounded by bigger-then-big trees, and sweeter-then-sweet sweets* but new palabras and verbos (do go and search for them on Google Translate) are going round in my head like a 16-year old American girl going round her walk-in closet on a Friday night.

I even like my homework because every new bit of integrated information makes it easier for me to connect with Buenos Aires and her lovely Porteños. Being able to order your own café con leche con tres medialunas without having to use your hands and feet is not only easier but much more fun.

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Not sure what to give your family and friends this holiday season? Buenos Aires, Argentina is the shopping capital of South America and it is absolutely full of great unique and cultural gifts this time of year. Come to South America to see the sights and shop ‘til you drop this holiday season 2011!

Here we have compiled our list of the top five shops in the city that are definitely not to be missed! Buenos Aires has something for everyone on your Christmas list.
If you are looking for a one-of-a-kind gift for a special woman in your life go to Perugia Bottier. This shoe store has been around for 50 years and the shoes are handmade from the best Argentine and Italian leather. These shoes are a bit pricey and take approximately ten days to make, but the quality is well worth the extra cash and waiting time.

If you are looking for a gift with an edge go to Autoria. This store offers a wide range of products ranging from jewelry and accessories to paintings and sculptures. Everything has an artistic flair! This store is a great place to shop for that cool teenager, young adult, or simply young at heart person in your life.

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Here at AMAUTA Spanish School we pride ourselves on our top quality Spanish courses and volunteer programs. For us, quality has always been very important and that is why we are so pleased to present our new and improved website! AMAUTA means teacher in the native Quechua language of the Peruvian people and it is our aim to teach anyone who wants to learn the Spanish language and about Latin American culture.

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Your time in Buenos Aires will be filled with many new sites and experiences, no doubt, and some will be more interesting than others. It is often difficult to know from your guidebook which activities are truly worthwhile. So, we thought it might be helpful to get advice from fellow students. We parsed the people at AMAUTA for must do activities in Buenos Aires, and we condensed it into a list of the top 10 things. We hope you have time to enjoy them all!

• Take time to visit the Palermo Parks.
  Enjoy a picnic, rent a bike, lay in the grass, enjoy the lakes and diverse wildlife. It’s Spring, for pete’s sake!
• Treat yourself to a fantastic parrilla.
  There are many parrillas, but there are some that are exceptional. Try La Cabrera and Las Cholas in Las
  Cañitas!



• Attend a dinner tango show.
  To travel to Buenos Aires and not attend a dinner tango show is just a darn shame. There is so much passion in it!
• Free city walking tours. Organized by Buenos Aires’ city government. The architecture is breathtaking, and all the neighborhoods are vastly different.
• Attend a futbol game.
  Argentineans are futbol fanatics, and weekends bring huge crowds to the city. Chanting along with thousands of Argentineans will be an unforgettable experience!

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Vayamos a Museo de Chocolate!

Only about 7 weeks left at AMAUTA! Time sure is flying while studying Spanish in Cusco! I think I finally became acclimatized, as walking up the hill from Plaza de Armas no longer makes me feel like I’m going to die from lack of oxygen. Of course, this may be helped by the fact that I found a gym in Cusco (wahoo!) and I have been working out three times a week. I’ve been told if I can work out here, I’ll be able to run for miles and miles when I return to Canada!

This past week I visited “el Museo de Chocolate” here in Cusco with my Spanish class. The museum is only about a ten minute walk from the AMAUTA school. (By the way, did you know AMAUTA means teacher in Quechua? Cool, huh?)  The museum is completely free to visit, and it’s full of really fun and interesting facts about Peruvian chocolate. Come on, who doesn’t like chocolate?! They offer you free chocolate tea upon entry as well as the option to try a piece of chocolate (you get to choose from over 15 different typesJ).

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Walking over rickety rope bridges and swimming with caimen sound like a typical day to you? Well, for Elke and Steffen Garden (Germany) it was. Here they describe their final days living and studying Spanish in the rainforest with AMAUTA Spanish School.

In the morning, the rainforest lived up to his name. During class it was stormy and rainy. When we left around 11.30am by boat to another lodge close by, the rain had already stopped. We arrived at the other lodge and a parrot welcomed us. Afterwards, we walked half an hour through the forest and then to a higher canopy floor – we moved 24 meters over the floor by way of a slip-lane and rope bridge – Unforgettable!
After lunch and a few hours of Spanish lessons, we went by boat to the sand bank.  Here we played volleyball and football with the locals, which was really funny! For our way back we could decide if we wanted to go by boat or if we want to swim. Once we were back at the lodge we enjoyed some time in the pool.

At 11.30am, after breakfast and Spanish lessons, we went by boat to the “Native-Peoples“. One man in an Indian dress welcomed us and offered a One-man-show, mostly in Indian language and in the Wild West style.  Afterwards he showed us how to make a fire with natural materials and he showed us different things, like a head of a boar and a bow and arrow.
In the afternoon we walked through the rainforest and walked with the guide over overturned trees and coveys of mosquitoes.
In the evening we went by boat to look for caimen, and with a floodlight we saw a lot – surprisingly. It was the highlight of the day! I have to admit, it was a bit scary thinking that we swam back from the sand bank to the lodge the day before…

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Elke and Steffen Garden (Germany) spent a week studying Spanish with AMAUTA in the Peruvian rainforest. Staying near the Tambopata National Reserve, the two students had a chance to live in one of the most species-rich natural habitats in the world! Here, the two describe their first few days living and studying in the Peruvian rainforest.

Once you have survived the ten-hour bus ride to Puerto Maldonado, you’ll have a great and unforgettable experience studying Spanish in Tambopata with AMAUTA.

At the port, Justo alias Tuto, our guide for the next week, was waiting for us where we went downstream to the Nài-Meci-Lodge by boat. Because of the tropical temperature, we enjoyed the boat’s breeze, which cooled us down. We arrived at the lodge, which consists of two large buildings, a swimming pool, and a lot of small cabanas. The lodge is located right next to the river and is surrounded by jungle vegetation. The first day, we swam in the swimming pool followed by a drink of coconut milk out on the patio. In the afternoon, we had Spanish classes because our teacher, Libia, made an effort to schedule all the Spanish lessons next to the activities.

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Finally, a family vacation that combines fun with learning! AMAUTA’s Spanish for Families program is specifically designed so that everyone in the family, including the kids, has a fantastic time on holiday in Argentina. Each program is custom designed to the needs of the family, and combines interactive Spanish learning mediums with kid-friendly excursions.

Two students (8 and 11 years old) and a family describe their experience with AMAUTA’s Spanish for Families program. Continue reading to hear their perspectives!…

My name is Stefan Kozlowsky. I am Polish and 11 years old

At AMAUTA there are no boring classes. Everything is interesting! After 7 weeks, I can speak four different Spanish tenses; presente, pasado, futuro, presente progresivo and now I am studying the imperfect tense. We play a lot of interesting games with the professors. For example, Mateología, masks, monsters, cardboard and paper, TV, movies and theater, cartoons, plants, and more. AMAUTA is very social, and we have picnics, birthdays, trips in Buenos Aires, cooking, tango and we drink mate. The professors only speak in Spanish, which is also very nice because it helps me develop an ear for the language.

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