2010 Peru Immersion

After taking in the breathtaking sights of southern Peru and getting acquainted with the language, we arrived in Ollataytambo, the city that we have called home for the past two weeks. Ollantaytambo, or Ollanta, as those who live here call it, is the last living Incan city in Peru. We live among the mountains of the Sacred Valley and ancient Incan ruins with families that have welcomed us into their homes. While each student on the Peru Immersion program is having a different experience with their Peruvian host families, each is getting accustomed to the local food and culture. Students practice their Spanish and get to know their families during breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which they eat at their homes each day. Many students, like Abby, have attended local celebrations and festivals with their families. Other students, like Talia and Katherine, also help their younger siblings with nightly homework. While living with another family always comes with some trepidation, it is safe to say that all the students have forged comfortable and caring relationships with their families here. Sydney and Chloe have a lively 2-year-old brother Rio Ferdinand who constantly dances to Michael Jackson’s Thriller, which rivals Tara and Emily’s 4-year-old brother Edwin’s affinity for make believe action games. Robert and his host brother decided to wake up early hike up to the ruins before work.

However, our days in Ollanta are devoted to the group service project. We have been working long satisfying days at La Escuela de Las Mujeres building a cafeteria for the students. We began the project by digging trenches that would serve as the foundation for the building. After digging out and collecting rocks from the river here in town, we created the foundation. But the majority of this project was laying adobe blocks to create the walls for the building. This incredibly strong group of students hauled in over 3000 adobe blocks and 2500 ceiling tiles and got to work. Mixing dirt and water to create the mud to keep this building together has been an essential daily task and one that gets us all dirty. After laying the foundation and building the walls, we have finally reached the ceiling. Our maestros de obra or our foreman at the worksite, Renaldo and Jaime, have been teaching us step by step during this process so that we all had the confidence to get up on the roof and lay the layer of reeds. Take a look at the pictures to check out our progress. This group has been working incredibly hard to complete this project and is looking forward to celebrating its completion with the students and parents that attend this school here in Ollanta.

TO VIEW THE ONLINE PICTURE GALLERY, FOLLOW THIS LINK: http://www.flickr.com/photos/homesurgery/sets/72157624555150646/

Jonathan, Debbie and Judson

2010 Peru Immersion

The next stop of our journey was the coastal town of Puno, located on the banks of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world.  Lake Titicaca forms the natural border between Peru and Bolivia, and is home to the indigenous Uros people.   We left our hotel in style, weaving through the streets of Puno in a caravan of bicycle taxis.  At the docks we met up with Ronaldo, our local tour guide for the boat tour of the lake.   We headed out to the manmade floating islands of the Uros people, an amazing network of reed islands on which over two thousand people live.  We stopped at one small island on which 26 people lived, the chief of the island welcomed us warmly and described to us the process of how these islands were constructed and the lifestyle of the people on them.  We snacked on the reeds, and fresh ceviche, as we toured the homes and communities of these fascinating people.

After  our time in El Yanque  and a dip in the hot springs, we woke up early for our tour to the Colca Canyon.  With Luisa as our guide we  approached La Cruz del Condor and waited for the Condors to take flight.  At more than twice the depth of the Grand Canyon, the view was truly remarkable.   After about a half an hour of anxious waiting, one by one the condors began to leave their nests and coast through the air currents of the canyon.   We were amazed at  how many condors we saw and at how close they flew to us.  It was awesome to be so close to the largest flying  bird in the world, and the national bird of Peru.  On our way back we stopped at some roadside markets where the girls got the chance to try on some traditional Andean dresses.  Check out the photos!

2010 Peru Immersion

Hundreds of years ago a group of Incan warriors on an expedition passed through a fertile valley with a mild climate at the base of the Volcano El Misti. When the subjugated indigenous group traveling with them requested permission to remain in the valley, the head Inca Mayta Capac said, ¨Ari qhipay¨ meaning, ¨Yes, stay.¨ From this phrase originates the name of Arequipa, the white city, and if it weren’t for all of the big plans we have in Peru, we may have wanted to stay as well. Arequipa is a beautiful colonial city designated by UNESCO as a world heritage site, and is primarily constructed out of white volcanic stone.

After an early morning arrival, we jumped right into the action with a walking tour of all the beautiful sites in Arequipa. We visited the Church of the Company, where we saw beautiful artwork and architecture constructed from Spanish gold, and learned about the interweaving of Indigenous religious symbolism with traditional Catholic symbolism. After walking through the main plaza, we made our way to the cathedral and eventually the gorgeous Santa Catalina Monastery. At the Santa Catalina Monastery we learned about the lifestyle of nuns in this enormous monastery since the time of its construction in 1580. We admired beautiful artwork, architecture, and actual bedrooms from nuns hundreds of years ago. It was kind of surprising for everyone, but the monastery turned out to be one of our favorite places that we`ve experienced. That evening we dined on some comfort food by eating Mexican at a restaurant in the city`s historic district, and after dinner an impromptu sing-along to a Katy Perry song took place.

The next day we made our way by bus to El Yanque. It was a long bus tour during which our guide Luisa pointed out wild Vicuñas, Alpacas, and Llamas from the window of our bus. We stopped at a few beautiful lookout points as we worked our way through the snow capped peaks of the Andes. We also got our first taste of the altitude as we climbed to heights upwards of 15,000 feet. Thankfully, local teas and candies kept us all healthy and comfortable while traveling through such altitudes. After we arrived at the luxurious Killa Wasi hotel, we all got our first taste of Alpaca medallions at dinner. Cameron and Connor, dove right in and never looked back and even Chloe who was originally apprehensive about the idea, ended up enjoying it. That evening we relaxed in hot springs and looked forward to our early morning at the Colca Canyon.

Santa Catalina Monastery

Cathedral in the Central Plaza

2010 Peru Immersion

Greetings from Peru!  After a bit of a delay in Miami, we are finally in Lima, at the start of our journey.   Our first full day in Lima we visited CIMA, an orphanage for boys in Lima.   At CIMA  we were received with warmth and enthusiasm and soon learned that although  we come from such different  backgrounds there was so much that we did have in common, and so many universal ways we could interact.  The boys at CIMA gave us tours of the grounds where we saw their dorms, the animals they took care of, computer lab, metal shop, and many hydroponic gardens which they cared for.   As we broke up into groups and toured CIMA, we also got the chance to play with the kids during their recess.  Katherine showed off her ping-pong skills, and Tara impressed everyone during a heated soccer match.  After a busy and eye-opening day, we returned back to the hustle and bustle of Lima.  After eating dinner overlooking the Pacific ocean, we walked around the historic Barranco district  and headed back to our hotel, preparing ourselves for an early flight to Arequipa.

Here’s what some of the students had to say:

I truly enjoyed spending time with the kids.  I love how, almost right off the bat, all of them are so incredibly open and comfortable.  It is really nice to see that even though we come from totally different  parts of the world, and that eventhough we have very different backgrounds, we still share common interests and are able to laugh at the same things.  It was only my first day here in Peru, and I already am having a blast! –Talia

I got to really try out my Spanish, and I also made a lot of new friends.  There is definitely something special and interesting about all of the kids I met today. -Cameron

We got to meet great people, see beautiful scenery, and even watch some World Cup.  Today’s trip to the orphanage has gotten me really excited for the rest of the trip, and all of the other great experiences to come. -Tara