Chucuito is a little town on Lake Titicaca, just South of Puno. It's a 15 minute tuc-tuc ride, and a world away. We went to hole up for a few days, hoping to shake the tourist machine that is Puno out of our bones.

Our first morning there I wasn't feeling so well, and when we took a walk to the center of town to buy me a coke, we ran into a wedding party. Literally. The entire town had just come streaming out of the church, and were dancing around the

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Before we decided to head to Peru, friends told us about a place in Cusco called South American Explorers. They are a non-profit travel organization based in several cities in - you guessed it - South America. We all fell in love with the concept of SAE, as well as the people who work and volunteer there.

Here's how they describe themselves:

The vision of South American Explorers is to improve the social, economic and environmental conditions within South America by fostering the diffusion of information and positive cross-cultural interaction.

The mission of South American Explorers is to support and promote a deeper understanding of South American history and culture through programs, lectures, accurate information, and in-country clubhouses.

Mary, Mark, Doris, & Miguel have created a home-away-from-home in Cusco, and our kids

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