2010 Douglas County Peru
Hola Amigos,
I am writing this from a small café in Cusco, overlooking the Plaza de Armas. The students and teachers are hitting up the market de artesanias, coveting the final opportunity to shop for handicrafts and souvenirs. We are all exhausted and inspired by our last few days in Peru.
Wednesday was our final day of service work in Ollantaytambo. We were so proud of our hard work and progress as we raised the walls to almost three complete meters. By the end of our work, everyone had learned how to mix the perfect batch of mud and how to place adobes securely.
On Thursday morning, the group met at 4:00am in the plaza, loaded with only what we could carry on our backs for the next three days. We rode in the van for a few hours to the trailhead in Santa Maria. The trip was challenging, with many curves, a few cases of carsickness, and a flat tire, but we made it in one piece – more or less! The group headed off for what turned out to be about a ten-hour hike. The group arrived to our campsite in Santa Teresa, ate an early dinner, and crashed into the tents exhausted from the hard work and excited about the future.
On Friday, our group split up. The teachers stayed in Santa Teresa with Sam, Tealia and Breanna, disappointed to see the hot springs under construction, but rewarded with a delicious lunch of pizza! They took the train to Aguas Calientes and met the rest of us. Tory, Rachel, Hayden, and Mitch traveled with Chino, Gabriel, and myself for about 6 hours, mostly walking along train tracks, but also cable carting across the Urubamba River. We stopped along the way for lunch, snacks, a game of ninja and of course… many photos. We arrived in Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Village) in the afternoon, excited about the next day’s trek up to our final destination.
Yesterday was an epic day of exploring the ruins of Machu Piccchu. There are two ways to get from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu: by buses that chug up steep switchbacks or by hiking the infamous, grueling, never-ending steps, which must make Icy-Hot a lot of money. Clearly, we chose the latter. At 3:30am our group assembled and the excitement was tangible. We departed into the misty dark morning, strapped with headlamps and daypacks and began to climb. Our lungs burned and our legs were willed only by the hope of climbing Wayna Pichhu (they only let the first 400 visitors attempt to climb this peak that towers above the ruins).
We labored up over 2,000 stone stairs (I counted again) to the entrance of Machu Picchu, together as a group, encouraging one another along the way with stories, songs, and cheers.
The group was relieved to make it up in time and receive tickets for a 10am entrance to Wayna Picchu. We entered the famous park of Machu Picchu around 6:30am. Our beloved guide Chino was unable to join us, and the weather was not ideal, but nothing can take too much away from the awe-inspiring surroundings of this world wonder.
After a few hours of touring, it was time to make our final treacherous trek up to Wayna Picchu, which translates to “small mountain.” Again, as a (somewhat smaller) group, we stayed together and took it step-by-step. We made good time and before long we were among the misty peaks and looking down on Machu Picchu!! It was truly an unforgettable experience. Everyone had 20 minutes alone to reflect upon the experience, and most identify this as a high point of the trip. We all reconvened at the entrance to Machu Picchu and returned together to Aguas Calientes where hot chocolate and thermal baths awaited us. We took a late train back to our homestay village and left today.
As we left Ollantaytambo today, we experienced a myriad of emotions. In our two weeks here, we have bonded with our new friends and families, constructed a cafeteria that local children will use for years and, most importantly, immersed ourselves in the rich Peruvian culture. We have stepped outside our comfort zones and pushed ourselves harder than we thought possible. We speak better Spanish now and know a few words in Quechua. High altitude doesn’t affect us. Our forearms and legs are stronger, our hearts bigger and our minds are more open. These past few weeks have been the adventure we hoped for and more, and we can’t wait for you to hear about it in person.
We will spend tonight in Cusco and fly to Lima tomorrow around noon. We plan to spend a few hours exploring the seaside neighborhoods of Mira Flores and Barranco, enjoy a final meal together then make our way back to the airport to begin our journey home.
I am very proud of this group. Each student has added a wonderful element to our stellar group dynamic and has maintained their commitment to grow and learn. I would like to express special pride in Dr. J and the challenges she has overcome. She has not only beaten cancer, but she has powered through hours of laborious service work, climbed tall mountains while adjusting to high altitude, traveled through the Sacred Valley on bicycle, and finally, she walked up thousands of steps to gaze down upon Machu Picchu. And then she danced the night away in Aguas Calientes. She has been an inspiration to all of us, and we commend her bravery and strength.
It has been a huge challenge and success and I thank everyone for this experience.
The path is made by Walking,
Vanessa
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