Report by Ariana Swenson of Apus Peru
To give to someone less needy at Christmas time is a special thing to do. To give generously in Peru is something that you will never forget.
Apus Peru Adventure Travel specialise in unique treks to little known places – their routes cross remote mountain ranges, skirt around snow capped peaks and visit out of the way communities. Yet their latest offerings – Christmas hikes – take the idea of participative tourism to a new level.
These hikes feature a day in a remote community bringing to these isolated, often undernourished, and unkempt children the most distinctive Christmas tradition – the Chocolatada. This tradition sees businesses or institutions giving to the less needy through giving out hot chocolate, bread and gifts.
In these special Christmas hikes, visitors to Peru, instead of merely hiking through communities, will assist in running the Christmas chocolatadas being held in Chaullacocha and Ancascocha. Both remote communities are not accessible by vehicle and tend to ‘miss out’ because everything needs to be brought in by mule.
The Chocolatadas are funded from the Apus Peru Community Projects Chest (5% of the price of each trek is goes to this trust) and trekkers on these special tours will be volunteers for a day.
They will assist in assembling gift bags prior to departure and while in the communities distributing the hot chocolate and gifts. “As this chocolatada is essentially being funded by foreigner’s contributions I would like that the children and people of this community can actually receive the gifts from people who are not from Peru, “ says Ariana Svenson, of Apus Peru Adventure Travel. “Not only is it symbolic but in doing so I believe we are crossing cultural bridges.”
The Christmas Chocolatada tours can either be done as a trek or as part of a broader Christmas package designed for the thinking visitor to truly experience Peru.
For more information see Apus Peru Chirstmas and New Year Packages.
