If someone had told me a few weeks ago that I would end up volunteering at a Krishna Eco village in Peru, I probably would have laughed in their faces. It was from a complete random conversation whilst staying in Lima I found myself at Eco Truly Park.

This place is an ecological, artistic community based on the Vaisnava principals & Indian traditional teachings. There is a strong focus on awareness, self observation, reincarnation, recognition & growth with the goal of being fully sustainable & 100% self sufficient. They open their doors & rely on the help of eager volunteers such as myself & the many other legends all there ready to get our hands dirty.

A typical day in village life is as follows:
7am- yoga class. A great way to start the day & wake up the body.
8am- Finish yoga & optional meditation to wake up the mind.
8.30am- Breakfast is served.
10am- With a full belly it’s time to get to work.
2pm- Lunch is served.

After lunch you are free to spend your time however you wish. Often there are art classes or activities for volunteers to participate in such a weaving or pottery for example. Chacra y Mar beach is located just across the road. It’s quite dusty but there are caves & nice walks to be discovered.

All meals are included for volunteers & are 100% vegetarian/vegan. Always hefty & impressive  servings of vegetables cooked any which way & accompanied by a homemade brew of tea or juice.

This was a unique experience & great way to learn by helping. As mentioned this is a Vaisnava community & every night in the temple there is a musical ceremony followed by a reading and discussion from a Vedic text. Anyone is invited to join and learn about Vaisnava culture. I found everything really interesting & the temple with its beautiful surrounds was well worth the visit.

Accommodation for volunteers:
$15 (US) a day for Shared rooms, separate for Men & women. $12(US) a day for camping if you have your own tent/set up. Individual rooms are available for a slight cost.

Volunteering:
What you do generally depends on where the need is however you are free to express your interests & people with knowledge & skills in a particular field are considered an asset. Whether it be yoga, art classes, helping the kitchen, organic farming or language lessons. Note: 95% of the residents do not speak English however the volunteers are from all over the globe & good for a chat.

Additional:
Bring toilet paper!! There is never enough of this necessity especially when you consider all the fruit & veg you’ll be eating!
The nearest town is Chancay (15min taxi) where you can go for wifi, ice cream, coffee or a cold beer as they are not allowed in the village.

Arriving:
From Lima airport, take a taxi to “PLAZA ACHO” at the end of Abancay Avenue, where there is a bus station called “TURISMO HUARAL”. You can take the taxi from inside or outside the airport: the taxis outside are less expensive (around 15-20 soles) and allow you to bargain. The taxi service inside the airport is a bit more expensive but also more secure.

The TURISMO HUARAL Rates:

Monday-Friday S/. 6.00
Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays S /. 7.00
The company has 2 routes, so make sure that you take the bus along the route “PASAMAYO” as this will drop you closer to us. Frequency of buses , every 15 minutes.
Approximate Travel Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Once you are off the bus it’s a simple Taxi ride (6 soles) to Chacra y Mar beach.

You can find them here:

Phone: (51) 993 196 797
Email: volunantariado@ecotrulypark.org
Websites: http://www.ecotrulypark.org, http://volunteeringecotrulypark.blogspot.com