ECUADOR, THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS & PERU

Itinerary

Day 1, Tuesday: Quito

Arrival to Quito, Ecuador. We'll be transferred to our hotel for a group dinner and orientation. Quito is without a doubt the prettiest city in South America. It's located at 2850 meters above sea level, 22 Kilometers from the equator, and enjoys a great spring climate and a magnificent view all around. The scenery is ruled by mountains and a number of snowy volcanoes that can be seen from a distance. The city itself lies at the feet of Mt. Roca Pichincha, which rises to a lofty 4,700 meters. Architecturally, Quito holds vast colonial treasures, and construction in the modern city is under strict supervision ever since 1978, when UNESCO placed Quito on the list of World Heritage Sites. After Arrival, transfer to hotel.

Day 2, Wednesday: Quito – Mindo Bird sanctuary

The cloud forest area that is located just an hour from the center of Quito is a tropical forest with unique vegetation, rivers, and more. The area holds over 600 species of birds and other animals and insects. There're also some trout breeding farms and tilapia, as well as countless kinds of tropical fruits, some specific to the area, some specific to Ecuador, and in general to the climate in South America. We visit the Mindo bird reserve, walk among butterflies and orchids, and the brave among us can zip line above the cloud forest.

Day 3, Thursday: Otavalo

Today we head north to visit a small town, Otavalo, known for its Indian market. Market day is a festive and colorful event, and the locals welcome it with their folk costumes. Surprisingly, it‘s not a fake event put on as a show for tourists. The market is considered to be one of the most important and spectacular market in Latin America. Then we head north to visit two villages. One is Cotacachi which is located in a magnificent mountainous area with a lagoon nearby. One of the prettiest in the area, Cuicocha Lagoon is situated in an inactive volcano, with green pastures growing on the sides. The locals of Cotacachi specialize in leather products, like purses, coats, saddles etc. We continue driving north, not far from the town of Ivra, where there‘s a tiny village with a gallery of wooden crafts.

Day 4, Friday: Quito

After breakfast we'll stroll through the only capital in the world that is located near an active volcano. There's constant activity going on in Pichincha, which is located about 21 kilometers from the city. The largest eruption occurred in 1660, when about 25 centimeters of dust covered the city. The last eruption took place on November 5th, 1999, when large amounts of ashes were scattered over the city. We'll ascend to the summit of Mount Pichincha for an amazing view of the city below. We'll then continue to tour the old city, including the well-preserved colonial-era La Ronda Boulevard. We'll visit the Middle-of-the-World museum and monument, through which the equator passes. The museum includes Ecuador's Indian traditions, authentic structures, totem poles and sculptures, as well as scientific explanations for the strange sun effects and gravity in this area. After our tour we'll return to the hotel to prepare for Shabbat.

Day 5 Shabbat: Quito

We‘ll spend Shabbat with the Jewish community of Ecuador. After services and Shabbat lunch, we‘ll take a walking tour of the area near the hotel. In the evening we‘ll go out for some nighttime activity.

Day 6-10, Sunday – Thursday: Quito – Galapagos Islands – Lima

Today we fly out to the Galapagos Islands for a fascinating cruise around the Islands. This is a volcanic group of Islands that rose from the ocean approx 4-10 million years ago. Man discovered the islands in the year 1535, and just like any other place, started destroying his surroundings. The animals, that weren‘t yet familiar with humans, didn‘t run away, and the sailors massacred them mercilessly, both for food and for pleasure. In addition, they also unleashed goats, cats and dogs that destroyed the area. The sailors took the giant tortoises back with them on the ships as a supply of fresh meat. Later they butchered the tortoises too for their fat. For these reasons and others, dozens of unique species became extinct. We‘ll take a shuttle across Itabaka to Charles Darwin station on Santa Cruz Island, an international research station that also serves as a breeding farm for different animals, especially the giant tortoises. During the cruise we visit Schwartz point on Espinola Island, Florana Island, and Santa Cruz Island.

5 days/4 nights on First Class Galapagos Cruise Boat GALAPAGOS LEGEND (According to eco-regulations in the area, the first night will be in a Hotel) Itinerary:

SUNDAY to THURSDAY

• Sunday Baltra Airport / p.m. Santa Cruz Island(Overnight in Hotel)
• Monday a.m. Bachas Beach / p.m. North Seymour
• Tuesday a.m. Dragon Hill (Santa Cruz) / p.m. Cormorant Point (Floreana)
• Wednesday a.m. Suarez Point (Española) / p.m. Interpretation Center (San Cristóbal)
• Thursday a.m. Carrion Point / Baltra Airport

At the end of the cruise we‘ll fly to Lima, capital of Peru. Transfer to our hotel.

Day 11 Friday: Lima

After breakfast we’ll depart for a guided tour of the city. Plaza de Major, Plaza San Martin, The Museum of the inquisition and the Gold Museum, The Armaments Museum and the pedestrian mall of Jiron de la Union. We’ll visit Yitzchak Rabin Park, the Indian Market, the Catacombs at the Franciscan Church, and more. In the late afternoon we’ll return to the Hotel to prepare for Shabbat, Shabbat services and Shabbat dinner at the hotel.

Day 12 Shabbat: Lima

After Shabbat services and lunch we'll take a walking tour of the area near the hotel.

Day 13 Sunday: Lima – Cusco –Urubamba Valley

Today we’ll fly to Cusco, oftentimes called the “Katmandu of Peru” due to its attraction of so many backpackers and hikers from all over the world. Cusco, population 350,000 is located at an elevation of 3,326m above sea level and is considered the capital of the Andes Mountains. We’ll continue to Urubamba Valley, sacred to the Inca Indians. We’ll visit a llama farm at Awana Kancha as well as the Indian market at Pisac. We’ll spend the night at a special hotel in nature.

Day 14, Monday: Urubamba Valley – Machu Picchu - Urubamba Valley

Today is an exciting day and the highlight of the tour. We’ll travel by special train as we climb the heights through amazing scenery until we arrive to Machu Picchu – the lost city abandoned by the Inca, and later discovered by Spanish conquerors. This is one of the most mysterious, baffling and exciting sites in the entire world. It’s also one of very few Inca cities that has remained almost completely intact and was not destroyed by the Spanish conquerors. According to legend, Machu Picchu (“The Ancient Peak”) was considered a sacred site from time immemorial. The city was only discovered in 1911 by the explorer Hiram Bingham. In the evening, we’ll return to our hotel in nature.

Day 15, Tuesday: Urubamba Valley – Cusco

We’ll start the day with a memorable visit to an Indian village called Ollantaytambo. From there we’ll continue to El Descanso to see how the Peruvian national drink – Chicha – is brewed, and we’ll get to taste some of it too! Afterwards we’ll head back to Cusco. Evening optional extra: The Andean Mountains Show.

Day 16, Wednesday: Cusco – Lima – Home Gateway

After breakfast and a summation discussion, we‘ll fly from Cusco to Lima‘s international Airport, from where we’ll depart to our home gateways.

Important:

* There may be changes to the order of places visited. We will make every effort to visit every place mentioned in the itinerary.
* The tour organizers have no control over airline services such as seating, special meal requests, changes in departure times or delays. These remain the sole responsibility of the airline company.

Tour Date	Start date	End Date	Price	Price w/flight from Tel Aviv	Single supplement	Pre/Post Hotel Night
EGLP0911	November 8, 2011	November 23, 2011	6810 $	7560 $	3300 $	130 $ twin share 110 $ single

Price Includes

• Galapagos Cruise
• Domestic Flights
• First tourist class hotels or the best available locally
• Domestic Airport and security taxes
• Comfortable air-conditioned touring coach for travelling
• Breakfast and dinner daily, and supplies for making sandwiches for lunch
• Professional, experienced English-speaking guide
• Local English-speaking Guide as required
• Entrance to all sites mentioned in the tour plan

Price Excludes

• Upgrade to Suites on board ship: available upon request
• International Flights
• Airport departure fees (Quito: $40 per person. Lima: $30 per person)
• International Flights
• Tips for local service providers US$130 per person
• Travel and baggage Insurance
• Personal expenses
• Evening entertainment that are not included in the tour plan
• Changes in air fares due to increases in fuel, airport tax and security tax surcharges
• Tip for our guide (Recommended: $3 per person per day)
• Travel & Health Insurance
• Miscellaneous expenses such as departure fees, visas, security surcharges etc. where applicable.

Cancellation Terms

A $500 USD Deposit per person must be received at the time of booking in order to confirm your reservation. Payment in full is due 90 days before departure. A minimum number of participants are required to operate tour dates. If a minimum number has not been reached prior to tour departure and the tour is cancelled you will receive a FULL refund.

• 90 days before departure bookings are refundable less a $100 administration fee
• 60-90 days prior to departure: $500 + $100 per passenger
• 30-60 days prior to departure: $1,000 + $100 per passenger
• Less than 30 working days prior to departure: 100% of total - no refund
• We strongly recommend purchasing Travel Insurance.

Kashrut on Tours

Kosher food is provided to our travelers on all our tours. We work with the local Rabbinate to provide Hashgacha for all local ingredients and fresh meat and poultry. In some cases, we fly in kosher food from Israel and other sources, depending on the destination of the tour. We do not guarantee Pat Israel and Chalav Israel for all destinations.

In many destinations we have our own crockery and cutlery. Where we don't, we provide disposables at the meals. When we cook in Hotel kitchens, we ensure proper Kashering and we use our own kitchenware on kashered and covered surfaces. All this is done under the strict supervision of our trained staff/guides who function as our Mashgichim.

Our travelers enjoy gourmet meals prepared by our team including fresh local fish, fruit, and vegetables. This is an integral part of Jewish travel. We make great efforts to assure that our travelers will experience local foods first-hand, while maintaining stringent observance of Kashrut laws on all occasions.

Rabbi Menahem Fogel

A native of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Menahem Fogel served as a pulpit rabbi in South Africa and Canada before returning to Israel in 1984 to take up the position of spokesman of Yad Vashem, in Jerusalem, a position he held for six years.

Since that time he has held senior positions in both the public and private sectors developing interactive computer systems for museums around the world. He also lived and worked in the Netherlands, Austria, the UK and India. A lifelong yearning for travel led to his becoming a Tour Manager in 2000 and developed expertise tourism to Japan & China, Alaska, Canadian Rockies and Africa. Recently he took on the added role of Rav Hamachshir for Shai bar Ilan and Eddie's Travel to ensure the highest standards of Kashrut are implemented on all our Kosher Tours.