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Tuesday July 31, 2018

Today was an excellent arrival day! The GLA Service in the Sacred Valley Team rolled into their fourth and final program of the Summer 2018 season. The day began with an uncertain feeling upon learning that the flight from Lima to Cusco with 80% of our students, was cancelled. However, the skepticism took a sharp turn for the best. We picked up all of our students AND all of their luggage from Cusco!! (Way to go savvy travelers!) This is the first program of the summer to accomplish such a feat so we will continue to keep optimism and positivity in the air.

The group of 30 students arrived at our Home Base in Ollantaytambo in time for a late lunch. After taking some time to get settled in and rest a bit, we jumped into get-to-know-you and orientation activities. As you can see in the photo, we caught the sunset over the snow-capped peaks of the Sacred Valley. Our little sanctuary sits in a agriculture-filled valley with thousand-foot mountains jutting up from each side. It is a truly beautiful place for the students call home for the next two weeks. Energy is high and the whole team is excited to work with this promising group! We have an action-packed itinerary with service, rafting, cultural explorations, and all the adventures in between.

Here’s to a Peru journey with new friendships, unforgettable memories, and pauses to enjoy the brilliant stars in the night sky!

Abrazos,

Service in the Sacred Valley International Staff

Wednesday August 1, 2018

Hi parents, here are your leaders of the day, Chen Chen and Dylan! We along with our team are having a wonderful time in Peru!

Today, we awoke from slumbers fully rested and ready to go. Our first adventure was visiting the Awamaki office, the NGO that we will be working with for the next two weeks. We will be learning about fashion products that combine traditional Incan textiles with modern trending styles, as well as constructing a weaving center for the local women. After being briefed on our mission, we were sent off on a scavenger hunt around the town, in which we took pictures in various hotspots (chocolate museum, ruins etc.) and enriched our knowledge of the local culture (and of Quechua, an indigenous Incan language).

Later, after we had lunch, we engaged in discussions about cultural immersion with Ariel and Raquel, the head of our home base. We also did an exercise in which we took a few items from our rooms, each representing American and Peruvian culture. This exercise was aimed at defying stereotypes and embracing cultural differences.

During our free time, we first had one-on-one health checks, then teamed up to explore the town some more. We enjoyed ourselves with souvenirs, snacks, hot chocolate, cool pictures, and many, many cute dogs.

After dinner, we divided into our mentor groups and had meaningful discussions about first-day experiences, leadership, and goal-setting. Aside from the serious talks, we didn’t waste any time connecting with each other through jamming to our favorite songs and playing card games and mafia before bed time.

Even though it gets pretty chilly at night, the alpaca blankets and our excitement are keeping everyone warm. We all look forward to our first service day tomorrow.

Dylan & Chen Chen

Thursday August 2, 2018

On the morning of August second, GLA students headed downstairs for breakfast. Half an hour later, we left for our first day of service. When we arrived we were greeted with necklaces made of Cantuta flowers, the national flower of Peru. Soon after, we began our service. The students were divided into small groups and assigned tasks. One group leveled the ground with picks, another carried wooden planks, and one was tasked with carrying Adobe bricks. The work wasn’t easy, or clean, but everyone still enjoyed helping out the community, and working together. The students carrying Adobe bricks even formed an assembly line, which made the job far easier. After about two hours, we went back for home base for lunch.

After lunch, the students left home base to hike the Incan ruins. We stopped at the local market and explored the foods the locals were selling including jewelry, blankets, and alpaca hats. When our tour guide arrived we entered the ruins. We began by learning about their methods of communication and the counting system through rows of colored ropes and knots, and we learned about how they warships the sun and moon among multiple other gods. We climbed up the ruins and learned about the agriculture of the Incans and their food storage. We then hiked to the top of the ruins and learned about the Spanish colonization. We learned about the Incan rebellion and their methods of fighting through swinging and shooting rocks at the speed of a bullet. Once we made it down we split into two groups. Some left to head to home base while the other group continued to explore the ruins. We hiked up to an Incan structure in the mountains and explored the seemingly endless amounts of staircases. After returning to home base and having dinner, we had a game night. Split into our mentor groups, we had to run when our number was called, collect a shoe, sit down, and throw it to knock down a water bottle. Overall, it was exciting second day in Peru.

Friday August 3, 2018

On the morning of August third, we set out to our service from base camp. For the entire morning, we worked on continuing the construction of the weaving center. After being assigned into groups, students were given various tasks including: Carrying adobe bricks, transporting wood, and sifting dirt. After a tough few hours and a couple snack breaks, it was time to clean up the service site and head back home. At base camp, everyone enjoyed a nice warm lunch and discussed the morning’s activities.

We began our afternoon with a leadership activity. Everyone paired up and took turns leading their partner around the town while their eyes were closed. This was a great way to develop leadership skills such as giving accurate directions and also having trust in others. It emphasized what it means to be a good leader because each person was responsible for every action that their counterpart did. After this activity, we had a chance to go to wifi cafes to catch up with our parents and try local beverages and snacks.

Later we walked to a large soccer field surrounded by the Andes. Our team was able to play a friendly game of soccer where we got to learn more about each other and get to meet more people. We ended the night by splitting into our mentor groups and discussing the TED Talk, “The Danger of a Single Story,” about the importance of multiple perspectives in modern society.

Overall, we had an exciting day in Peru and look forward to the many exciting adventures ahead!

-by Kaitlyn & Sofia

Saturday August 4, 2018

‘Twas an early morning where the entire group was required to eat breakfast at 6:15. We enjoyed a great balanced meal consisting of eggs, bread, and more. We then proceeded to board one large and one small bus on our lifelong journey to the rafting area. Games were played, music was heard, and friends were made. After a quick change into the most flattering wet suits and a safety briefing, we made dynamic groups of 6. We then embarked on our rafting adventure. Paddling to our hearts content down massive rapids… however gaining athleticism wasn’t the take away from this activity. It was the core idea that if a team is united they are more efficient, staying in sync and pushing for each other was the true idea behind it. After getting soaked and returning to the main area we were greeted with a delicious lunch consisting of soup, chicken, and some banana bread. We then got the opportunity to experience some zip lining over the river. For some it was easy… others, well… a bit more exciting…. we then boarded the buses for our return to Ollantaytambo. Once bace at Home Base, we chomped on some food and a Quechuan author came and spoke to us about his writings and the meanings behind them to give us some insight on the Andean world. Afterwards we winded down from a long day and went to bed.

Sunday August 5, 2018

Today we took about an hour long ride to one of the neighboring towns called Pisaq. Here we toured an Alpaca farm to learn the process in which you sheer, clean, thin, and then dye alpaca fur as a foundation to create the beautiful hand woven coats, bags, tapestries, etc. we see today. After, we drove in to the town for a delicious three course meal lunch with some authentic Peruvian cuisine. From lunch, we had a short ride to Incan ruins where we saw firsthand how the agricultural system worked and some of the traditional Incan ceremonies. We were each given three coco leaves to make wishes on and throw into the pit. From there we drove back into town to explore the Pisaq markets. The markets were beautiful and we got a chance to buy souvenirs and negotiate the prices in Spanish. While heading back to base camp we got the chance to try the Peruvian delicacy known as Cuy or Guinea Pig. We finished the day with a surprise bonfire from the mentors.

Monday August 6, 2018

This morning we woke up to pattering rain on the roofs of home base, and headed to breakfast, ready for our a full day of service. After a delicious breakfast of pancakes, we all grabbed as many waterproof pieces of clothing as we could find and headed into the town square to board the buses to Huilloc. The rain was relentless as we drove up the one-lane gravel road into the mountains. When we reached our service site, we got to work on several different tasks. One group got busy digging a trench for a sewage pipe alongside the building. Then we confronted with several large rocks and had to work together to pull them out. Another group continued to work on a rock path for people en route to and from the village of Patacancha, which is up the road from the service site. The goal for the path was to make it stable, welcoming, and easy for people to travel on foot to and from the village (as is a common form of travel in Peruvian villages. Other groups completed tasks such as transporting wood planks, cutting metal wire for the frame of the building, and more. Although the rain made the work very trying, we all pushed through and did our jobs the best we could. After a delicious lunch made by women in Huilloc, we headed back to home base in Ollantaytambo.

Our first step when we got back was to begin cleaning all of our outerwear, which was covered in mud and dirt. Soon after, we all settled in to the dining room to watch “Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade”. Our director, Sheila, explained that Indiana Jones was based off of Hiram Bingham, who was the man who discovered Machu Picchu. Although we enjoyed the movie and fun afternoon it was also an introduction to the adventures that lie ahead later this week at Machu Picchu!

In the evening, we enjoyed our dinner of fried rice and tequeños (fried Peruvian cheese sticks). Before meeting up in mentor groups, we all participated in an interesting activity that generated meaningful conversation. All of us wrote a statement on separate pieces of paper starting with “I believe…” and the mentors read most of them aloud, asking us to stand in the dining room on a spectrum according to our opinions about the belief (“strongly agree” to “strongly disagree”). After we were all in place, some of us raised our hands to explain our stance on the topic. Statements varied from “I believe that pineapple belongs on pizza” to more controversial topics such as “I believe that freedom of choice should be legal and safe”. Afterwards, we met in our mentor groups to have more intimate discussion about the statements that affected each of us most. We realized that it is ok to have different opinions and the importance of standing up for what you believe in.

After mentor groups, we tried to enjoy the stars (even though it was still cloudy from the rain) and headed to bed. As we fell asleep, rain continued to patter on the roof but we all hoped for a sunnier, more enjoyable day of service tomorrow.

Your leaders,
Luke, Emma, and Krishna

Tuesday August 7, 2018

Today was our last day of service! After breakfast we got in the vans and headed to the construction site in Hullioc. Luckily the weather was great today unlike yesterday’s disastrous rain. Once we got to the site, we divided into groups. One group worked on digging a trench for pipes and another worked on building a stone path. At noon we went to one of the women from the collective, Marta’s house for a filling potato soup. After lunch we returned to the work site where we formed an assembly line to carry buckets of concrete. After a couple hours of hard work, we headed back to Ollantaytambo for a delicious pizza dinner at Pizza Quinoa. Following dinner we split into two groups – one to get ice cream and one to get baked goods. After the dessert excursion, we all returned to home base for a talent show where both the mentors and the students showcased their prowess in song, comedy, and magic.

Jacob, Gabe, and Stavan

Wednesday August 8, 2018

Today we went to the city where we did service and learned about the historical structures. We learned about the terraces that were used for agriculture. We also visited an old Church where we learned that many people converted from Christianity. We later met the women that we helped build the weaving center for. They taught us their weaving techniques and natural ways of dying their yarn. The women and their children were very kind and welcoming despite the language barrier. We made bracelets and enjoyed lunch together while learning about their cultural values and the importance of helping others.

Your Service in the Sacred Valley Leaders

Thursday August 9, 2018

We left early for the lares trek we had a three hour bus ride to the trail head in the town of lares. We met our trek guides and got our gear ready. Then, we started the trek we hiked for two hours and ate a gourmet lunch. We hiked for about three more hours and arrived at base camp witch was at 14,000 most of us had never been that high in elevation! We had hot chocolate that night and had dinner. The stars were amazing!!! We had a awesome and challenging day.

Ryan & Clara

Sunday August 12, 2018

We started our day by splitting into two groups. One went into town to go shopping and get WiFi first, while the other went to the chocolate museum to take a chocolate making class. During the class we made multiple types of chocolate tea in three teams competing to make the best. After that we were given either milk or dark chocolate and candies to mix into it. We poured the chocolate into molds and let them freeze.

After the chocolate classes and shopping, a Shaman (spiritual leader) came to home base and performed a ritual honoring Pachamama. All of the students participated in the ritual and learned why and how it is done.

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Friday July 14, 2018

Hello Friends and Family!

Despite delayed flights and missed bags, almost all of us have arrived safely to our home base of Ollantaytambo (Ollantay)!

Upon arriving at the airport, we loaded up onto passenger vans to make the hour and a half trip to Ollantay, located in the heart of the Sacred Valley. Along the way, we passed through open golden fields, winded through snow capped mountains, and ultimately followed the bank of the strong Urubamba river home to our lodging, where we will live for the next two weeks.

Here in Ollantay, we are located in a river valley, nestled by tall mountains speckled by Incan ruins. Upon arriving at home base, we received a tour of our accommodation and ate a hearty lunch. Our afternoon was relatively lax, as we all took time to rest, settle in, and begin to adjust to the altitude of 9,000 feet! In the evening, we engaged in orientation-lite— establishing house norms and participating in several get-know-you games before dinner.

Lights out will be pretty early tonight as we prepare to launch head-first into our Service in the Sacred Valley program tomorrow. We will be beginning our day with more orientation, before taking a tour of Ollantay and the surrounding ruins.

We are still waiting on two of our students and are excited to greet them with open arms! Stay posted for our group photo coming to you shortly!

With Anticipation and Zeal,

Service in the Sacred Valley Staff

Sunday July 15, 2018

Hola from Peru! We started off our first full day by watching the final match of the World Cup. Our local director, Raquel, told us about the history of Ollantaytambo and explained the culture to us. We went into the town for a delicious lunch, then walked to the ruins that are in Ollantaytambo, visible from Home Base. Before entering the ruins, we walked through a small market and some of us bought our first Peruvian souvenirs.

We had great tour guide who explained the history of the ruins and the stories of the land that we are living on. We explored the ruins for a few hours, and then some of us explored another area while the rest of the group played games and did yoga. On our way back to town, some of us stopped at the chocolate store. The chocolate was delicious. We then enjoyed a nice pasta dinner back at Home Base. We played a guessing game that determined our mentor groups, then met with our groups and played some games to get to know one another.

Adios!

-by Cecilia, Edgar, and Max

Monday July 16, 2018

Today we met our nonprofit partner, Awamaki, an organization which teams up with women cooperatives who make handwoven goods, helping them create a more stable and reliable source of income.

After being briefed on what kind of work we would be doing, we split into groups and explored our home town of Ollantaytambo. We participated in a scavenger hunt to become further acquainted with the surrounding ruins and alleys. Following the scavenger hunt, we visited an alpaca and llama farm and had the opportunity to feed the animals and learn more about them.

After, we drove to the village of Pisac for lunch and stumbled upon a massive festival which included large floats and marching bands walking through the town center. After a delicious lunch at a local restaurant called The Blue Llama, we visited the market and many of us purchased traditional alpaca clothing, blankets, and bags.

Finally, to close out a long day of adventure, we visited and climbed up the ancient ruins of Pisac and got to see parts of mountains that had been carved out into caves and tunnels to serve as burials for Incans. We had a very full and adventurous day; now for hot showers and some good rest!

With Zeal,

Service in the Sacred Valley

Tuesday July 17, 2018

Today was our first day of service. After driving up to the worksite in the village of Huilloc, we were split into groups to dig up rocks, create mud, carry buckets of water, and sift dirt.

We worked for about three hours and then met some of the women who are involved with Awamaki. They greeted us with Peruvian flower necklaces and made us corn and potato soup for lunch.

We then went back to home base we each got to make our own object out of pottery. After we finished, we learned and played native Peruvian music, using flutes, djembes, and a cajón! Thanks for keeping up to date with us; stay tuned for another full day of fun tomorrow!

With Zeal,
Service in the Sacred Valley

Wednesday July 18, 2018

Today was our second day of service at Huilloc. Like yesterday, we were split into groups and we preformed a selection of jobs.

Some of us were making bricks out of mud that we made yesterday, removing rocks from the area that will be a patio, and sifting dirt to make the mud.

After our half day of service we returned to the base camp for lunch. After lunch we had the opportunity to go into town and get snacks for tomorrow’s hike and exchange money for future purposes. We also had the chance to connect to WiFi in a local cafe and get something small to eat.

Afterward, we returned back and had a briefing about the trail we will be hiking— the Lares trek. We had dinner and prepared for the hike. Overall, it was a great day and we are all excited for tomorrow.

Thursday July 19, 2018

Today we started our exciting 2 day Lares trek!

We began with a 3 hour bus ride with gorgeous views and then began our hike. Although it was raining, everyone was in high spirits and ready to get started. We hiked 2 hours to lunch and ate an amazing 4 course meal in a small town on the side of our trail called Wacawasi.

Afterwards, we continued our hike which became even more difficult due to the increasing elevation, something none of us even thought was possible. Three hours later we finally made it to our campsite.

The campsite consisted of many tents surrounded by the Andean mountains. After we got to the campsite, we shared snacks and then rested until dinner. We had a four course dinner and then headed to sleep in the freezing cold. Despite the challenges, it was an amazing day.

Friday July 20, 2018

We started off our day with an early breakfast in the beautiful town of Aguas Calientes. After breakfast, we ventured out into the rain to get on the bus to Machu Picchu.

The rain was discouraging, but everyone was still excited to see Machu Picchu. We climbed up many, many stairs to get up to the ancient city, and everyone was surprised when we got up there and couldn’t see anything because it was so cloudy. After a few minutes, the clouds cleared and we could see Machu Picchu in all of its glory. Everyone was wowed. The light clouds surrounding the mountains made it look magical and mystical. We spent a while taking pictures and taking in the view.

We split up into tour groups to learn more about Machu Picchu. We learned about the techniques that the Incan people used to built amazingly strong buildings that have stayed strong for hundreds of years. We learned about how these people used light from the sun to measure time, and we learned about symbols that they used to represent the land.

After exploring the ruins, we took a bus back down to Aguas Calientes for a delicious lunch. We then got to explore the town and pick up some souvenirs at the local market. The train ride back to Ollantaytambo took almost 2 hours, then we ate dinner back at home base.

To end our day, we had a speaker come in and share some very interesting philosophies and perspectives with us about the world.

Adios!

-Service in the Sacred Valley Team

Saturday July 21, 2018

Hola from 14,000ft! Last night was an unforgettable experience. After a long six hour hike, we settled down at base camp. We quickly fell asleep, excited for the next morning.

Day 7 started with snow flurries and a beautiful sunrise. After a quick breakfast, we began our second day of trekking. From 14,000, we hiked up 600ft to the summit where we learned about Incan culture. Next, we descended the mountain towards a village for lunch and our bus ride back to Home Base.

We arrived at Home Base and promptly packed our backpacks for the Machu Picchu excursion. We took a roughly two hour train ride to the town of Aguas Calientes and quickly settled down in our hotel. We were all excited for the next day’s adventure.

Sunday July 22, 2018

Finally we see the sun. We began our day bright and early and after a hearty breakfast got comfy on a bus for 2 hours. Our destination was a cozy, outdoorsy stop where we prepared for our thrilling rafting experience. The wetsuits, jackets, shoes, and life jackets were a bit too wet and cold for comfort, but we eventually got used to them and the outcome was totally worth it. This was a first time rafting trip for many us and I think we all agreed it was tons of fun.

Although our hands were numb, the close calls, teamwork, and competitive splashing made it worth while. The rafting trip felt way too short but the amazing guides provided us the opportunity to zipline over the river afterwards. Going against many of our fears we did it, and although it was short and simple, it was quite exhilarating. After another 2 hour trip back to home base we enjoyed a fabulously made meal and celebrated Kaitlyn’s birthday with a yummy cake. Pacha Mama blessing us with clear skies for star gazing was just the cherry on top to this amazing day.

Monday July 23, 2018

The day started at 8 am amazingly as it hadn’t for a while. We ate breakfast at a preferred and normal time and went right to work at the weaving center in Huilloc. We endured around five hours of physical labor with a great lunch break (fried rice!), and afterwards drove back to Ollantaytambo for a well deserved break. After the hour and a half long relaxation period, we headed out to one of the most amazing dinners of the trip. We ate different pizzas (cheese, Hawaiian, and even Alpaca), and everyone seemed as happy or happier than they had been for a while. We even got another surprise when the mentors took us out for brownies and ice cream. This put a cap on a great day. We went back shortly after and did mentor groups until around 8:30 pm. The rest of the night was relaxation and sleeping, and it served as a satisfying finale for a wonderful day.

Tuesday July 24, 2018

Buenos Días Everyone,

Today we were finally blessed with beautiful weather! After having breakfast, we made way to the service site in Huilloc and everyone applied some SPF before getting to work.

We made some progress today and definitely became more efficient at our human chain system. We saw a lot of hard workers today and had loads of fun learning and helping to the best of our abilities.

After lunch, back at home base, we split up into two groups: The first group went to the chocolate museum first and learnt about the Peruvian art of making chocolate. The second group went to the city centre first to go shopping and change money and then joined the chocolate adventure after the first group had finished.

Both groups first made two types of hot chocolate (the way the Mayans made it and then the way the Spanish changed it) by grinding cocoa and adding lots of ingredients and then everyone made their own chocolate molds.

After loads of fun and a sugar rush we all regrouped at home base and then had dinner together. We ended the night with a bonfire under a clear night where we played some song battle games, told scary stories and had a bunch of laughs.

What a fun day!

Thursday July 26, 2018

¡Buenos días!

We began our day by walking to the plaza to meet up with our bus driver for our last day of service in Huilloc. Sadly, Max, Ethan, and Isaac could not join service because they were under the weather. We had a very productive half service day; we sifted, made cement, and leveled the patio. Everyone worked very hard today. After service, we went back to Ollantaytambo for a delicious lunch.

After lunch, a Peruvian shaman came to home base and performed a sacred ritual to bring us blessings for our future. The shaman displayed his beliefs through a ceremony.

After the ritual, we got the choice to play soccer in town with the locals or stay at home base and relax. Later, we sat down for a chicken stir fry dinner. And then everyone enjoyed an exciting trivia game night.

¡Hasta Luego!

Thursday July 26, 2018

We woke up and had a nutritious breakfast and then made our way to Huilloc.

We stopped to look at some pre-Incan terraces and learned their purpose and history. We also stopped again to visit a small colonial church, tucked away among tall mountains.

We arrived to Huilloc and the women greeted us with open arms and muña tea. They demonstrated how they weave and dye their textiles, and then thought us how to make our own bracelets. After, we ate a large, traditional lunch.

We then beaded back for home base and got ready for our farewell dinner. After a short walk into town, we are s beautiful meal at a local restaurant, topped off with chocolate cake! We then returned to home base to begin packing.

It’s a bittersweet feeling as we prepare to leave Ollantaytambo and our new-found friends, but we are excited to come home and see all of you!

Hasta Pronto!

Service in the Sacred Valley

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Thursday June 28, 2018

What an exciting day we had in Peru! Our great team of Mentors woke up very early to meet all our students in Cusco for their arrival. After many long hours of travel, students were grateful to have friendly faces waiting to help them at the airport. Once we got all the bags- everyone’s bag made it!- we took our shuttles back to Homebase.

As you can see in the group picture, Homebase is situated right in the mountains. Our town is at the end of the Sacred Valley and is called Ollantaytambo (It’s easier to say after some practice). This evening involved name games, orientation, getting to know everyone and mentor groups. We have two adventurous weeks planned and I look forward to working with this group of bright individuals. Everyone headed to bed early to get a good night’s rest. Not without stopping to gaze at the brilliant stars overhead first though!

Stay tuned for updates of our service activities, cultural adventures and outdoor excursions!

P.S. Our Local Director, Raquel, is hiding out in the far right of the picture! She’s super happy to welcome this group of students to her home town and share all her local knowledge.

Sheila Moriarty
International Director

Saturday June 30, 2018

We had another amazing day in Peru! The day began with a tour of the local ruins and the town of Ollantaytambo. We got to experience our first market and learn some history of our town. Later in the day after a wonderful lunch, we had an option of going to a WiFi caffe, playing SOCCER!!!, or staying at the home base. I chose soccer and so did quite a few others:) It was so much fun, and one boy named Jose that was watching us joined our game!

He was so good and so was everyone else. The ball went over the wall once though but we retrieved it and a cactus didn’t pop it unlike last trip so yay! Once you got over the altitude it was amazing! And we might be playing more soccer later in the week! Then we went back and talked with our group in preparation for this amazing Quechuan and Spanish story teller. He shared tales of his Incan ancestors and how in their culture one plus one can equal three- it’s crazy!

The Andean/Amazonian cultures believe that everything has two parts, like moon and sun, male and female, past and future. He talked about the need for multicultural professors in order to understand these beliefs. He also explained why the children think the way they do to help us make sense of their fundamentally different ways of thought. He told us about how grandparents are considered the future and grandchildren the past for being born later while the grandparents were born before. It was truly amazing! I’m just so blessed to be here and to experience this with all these amazing people!:)

-Ella Kopperud:)😜

Sunday July 1, 2018

Stayed the first day service today, we left home base around 9am and arrived in Huillac around 10. The natives told us about their culture and taught us some basic Quechua phrases. Shortly after, we continued building the weaving center to help the women of Huillac become economically independent. Service included: mixing mud into clay to be later used to make bricks, clearing out space in the structure. After cleaning up, we arrived back at home base for lunch. Following some free time, local musicians and artists came to teach us ceramic basics and native Peruvian music. The group separated to either play soccer or go to the market to get snacks. We all joined back at home base for dinner and immediately following there was a surprise bonfire, where we told ghost stories, bonded and sang together.

-by Ava and Peri

Monday July 2, 2018

Today we had a full day of service. There was brick making, dirt sifting, rock breaking and ground leveling at different stations. We got to the foundation at around 10 o’clock and worked until lunch which was at 12. We went to Marta’s (she is the president of the women’s co-up we are working with) house for lunch where we had fried rice and crackers. After lunch we went back up to the foundation and worked until 3. We got back to home base around 4 and some students went to go play soccer with the locals. We then went to dinner at a local pizza place. Some of us got the chance to try alpaca pizza. Overall it was a rewarding and fun filled day!!

-Brooke & Nichole

Tuesday July 3, 2018

Today we had a full day of service working to construct the weaving center for the women of Huilloc. We left home base after breakfast around 9:00 and arrived at the site around 9:45. We continued our work from yesterday by splitting up into stations that consisted of sifting, mixing adobe, laying mud bricks, creating mud bricks, shoveling dirt, hammering stones, and collecting water. We worked hard until lunch around 12:30 at Marta’s house where we ate rice with squash soup. After lunch we were presented with the work of several women weavers who sell their goods to Awamaki (the NGO we are partnered with). We were given the opportunity to buy items straight from the women who made them and thank them personally. We then headed back to the service site and continued to work until 3:00. We later got back to home base around 4:00. We had dinner at 6:00 and began packing for our trek tomorrow morning!

– Abby & Bailey

Wednesday July 4, 2018

Hola everyone! Greetings from Peru! Even though we were not in the US for the Fourth of July this year, we all had a great time celebrating by starting our 2 day hike.

We had to get up super early for breakfast at 5:45. Afterwards, we took off on a bus ride to the start of our hike. We hiked for around 3 hours before stopping for lunch in a little town. We were able to give the local children some gifts such as pencils and marbles. The views throughout the entire hike today was absolutely incredible. We walked among wild alpacas, llamas, horses, and sheep.

After lunch, we hiked another 3 hours which was mostly uphill to our camp site. We all settled down, ate some dinner, and gazed at all the breathtaking stars. To celebrate the Fourth of July, we each got sparklers and had cake! We topped off the night by singing some classic American songs such as The Star Spangled Banner, Party in the USA, and Firework, by Katy Perry. Most of us fell asleep early because of being so exhausted from the hike.

We are all very excited to finish our hike tomorrow. Hasta luego!

-Brenna, Emily, and Peyton

Thursday July 5, 2018

Today we woke up at 6 o’clock in order to pack up our tents and get ready for the second half of the trek. We left shortly after breakfast and had an hour of hiking upwards until we reached the overpass, the highest point of the trek at over 14,000 feet! The hike was super difficult but the breathtaking views were definitely worth it.

We made a traditional Andean offering to Pacha Mama with a rock statue at the top of the pass. The rest of the afternoon involved hiking through high alpine mountains until arriving to Patacantcha for lunch. It was about three more hours of hiking but again, the dank views made it worth it. After lunch, we drove back to home base to pack an overnight bag and to have dinner in town, later catching the train to Aguas Calientes to stay in a hotel for the night. We are all tired from our hike but very excited for Machu Picchu tomorrow!!!

-Lucy, Joey and Thomas

Friday July 6, 2018

Machu Pichu, a place of wonder, freedom, and ideas. Machu Pichu is one of the world’s seven wonders and one of its many mysteries. Besides being an Inca civilization no one knows what it was for. Some say it was a convent for the virgins of the sun, others day it was a beautiful winter sanctuary. However the tour guide of my group, Santi, said something that struck my interest. He said that Machu Picchu was a freedom to decide what you thought about it. What I’ve decided is that Machu Picchu is freedom itself to express all the beautiful sides of humanity of the Incan people. Machu Picchu is beautiful! It has amazing architecture of the Inca people. You could tell who was royal versus unimportant based on how the stones were shaped and if there was clay in between them or not. The Mountain views were breathtaking, and you could really feel the energy of everything around you. Walking in the Inca’s footsteps showed us how truly amazing they were and like them we can always be a part of something bigger. Like the Incas to the mountains, we are to our service project.:) over all it was a very fun and beautiful adventure!!!:) alrighty bye for now!:)😜😋

-by Ella K.

Saturday July 7, 2018

Today we slept in and had a great breakfast. Afterwards, we went to play soccer or get wifi at a local café for an hour. Then, we drove to Pisaq and had a delicious three course lunch at a restaurant where we sat on pillows on the floor. Later, we shopped at an outdoor market for souvenirs and fun gifts. Bartering in a local market was super exciting! After the Pisac market we got to go to an Alpaca farm! We were taught how the wool is made into very soft, high-quality goods.

We saw some women weaving the yarn from the alpaca wool. We also got to feed the Alpacas some alfalfa! After the alpaca farm we got to visit some ruins near Pisac. We learned about the burial traditions of the Incas and saw some tombs in the mountains. On our way back to Ollantaytambo we stopped at a restaurant that sold cuy (guinea pig) and everyone that wanted to got to try some (Cuy is a delicacy in Peru!).

-by Nichole & Chelsea

Sunday July 8, 2018

We woke up early again today for a scenic hour bus ride to Cusipata for rafting. When we arrived, we received wetsuits and safety gear to help us stay warm in the frigid rapids. We were split up into rafts in groups of 6 and learned the basics for Class 2-3 rapids. After this, we got on the river and realized just how cold the water was when the sun went behind the clouds. Even though the wind and water were chilly, the wetsuits did their job! The adventure was unforgettable with several exciting parts along the river. We had lunch at the lodge after warming up and had the opportunity to zip line over the river! We drove back home and played an intense game of Peruvian jeopardy after dinner, and although we were all exhausted by the end, we enjoyed today’s adventure!

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Tuesday June 12, 2018

After a long day of travel, the majority of the students for the first Service in the Sacred Valley Program of the summer have arrived!!! We are looking forward to having the whole team together when the rest get in on Thursday (Alexander Judson, Harris Hussain, Leead Silverstone, and William Stanwick). Our first group picture came out a little blurry but I think that it speaks to home much of a blur day one was. All of our students successfully arrived to Cusco despite numerous delays, missed connections and long days. I’m very proud of everyone for navigating the unexpected hurdles that international travel can provide. This is a group of bright individuals with a wide range of personalities and experiences. Speaking of bright, the snapshot of snow-capped peaks and yellow fields and flowers was taken on our bus ride from Cusco to the Sacred Valley.

Once everyone got settled in, the amazing team of Mentors led a variety of fun activities to get to know one another and our home for the next two weeks. We all shared dinner at our homebase in the town of Ollantaytambo. I included a photo overlooking our small mountain community- we are surrounded by towering Andean peaks and beautiful Incan ruins. I am looking forward to our meaningful service project we begin tomorrow. Stay tuned for more details about the adventures to come!

Saludos de Peru!
Sheila Moriarty
International Director

 

 

Thursday June 14, 2018

This morning we woke up to scrambled eggs, rolls, fruit and popcorn for breakfast!! YUM!! We then headed to our service site where we unloaded GIANT logs, hauled them back to the sight and then stripped the outer layer of bark off the tree. We ate lunch and then headed back to home base where we rested before dinner. For dinner we had some Peruvian mac n cheese and then played a World Cup debate game that showed us how to be more open minded. We then had our mentor groups and went to bed!! Can’t wait for tomorrow!

-by Carol & Cassidy

Friday June 15, 2018

We started out the day by visiting Saqsaywaman (or sexywoman), a site that hold the ruins of the Incas. There, we saw a sacrificial platform and the cave where mummification took place. We also had fun racing each other down the naturally formed slides on the other side of Sexywoman. We then had a very yummy buffet lunch in the heart of Cusco where we threw caution to the wind by trying alpaca stew and purple sushi. We walked off our meals by competing in a scavenger hunt around San Pedro market in the old city, before taking some time to shop for ourselves ( and maybe some lucky friends and family 😉 )

Written by the Leaders of Day: Avery, Nick, and Devon

Saturday June 16, 2018

Today was such a fun day despite having to drag ourselves out of bed for breakfast at 6:45. After a long bus drive we arrived at a beautiful little campsite to go white water rafting! we got geared up with wetsuits and headed out into the freezing cold rapids. Though it seemed a little scary at first, rafting turned out to be a blast! After the cold rapids we got to warm up in a sauna at the raft operation lodge. Their dog was absolutely adorable! After a delicious lunch we went zip lining over the river. What a thrill! Finally we had an amazing quechua speaker after dinner that talked the about the Andes culture and folklore. We even got to buy some of the children’s books he wrote to help support the local communities. Can’t wait to see alpacas tomorrow!

~ Kayla, Riley, and Peter

Sunday June 17, 2018

Today we started the day with a drive to Pisaq where we walked through an alpaca and llama farm. The animals were so cute and social: we even got to pet, feed, and take selfies with them! We then went on an interesting tour through an ancient Incan cemetery hidden in the mountains. We learned about how the Incans burried and worshipped their dead. From there, our group had a delicious lunch at a local place called the Blue Llama. After we were refreshed with food, the group started shopping in the Pisaq market. Some of us truly shopped till we dropped! We finished up our day adventure by trying the local delicacy cuy – they actually eat guinea pig here! The day in Pisaq was super fun and we can’t wait to explore more in the coming week!

Cecilia & Jamie

Monday June 18, 2018

Today we learned about the community, Patacancha, where we have done our service. We went to a Pre-Incan worship site which during colonization was turned into a church which is still used today by the local population. We also visited some terraces that have been used for farming for centuries. They dug canals from a glacier to irrigation every level of the terrace! Then we went to our service site to learn from the local women. They taught us how they dye and spin wool. It’s way more work than I could have ever imagined! Afterwards, the women also helped us to weave our own bracelets! After sharing a traditional Andean lunch, we went back to Ollantaytambo and shopped and visited the local bakery.

-Grace & Harris

Tuesday June 19, 2018

We had an amazing breakfast at 8:00 and left for the Awamaki office at 8:45. Awamaki is the non-profit we have been working with to do our service. We learned a lot about the organization from an intern named Kira. After that we split up into groups and went on a scavenger hunt through Ollantaytambo. On the scavenger hunt we saw Incan ruins, a farm, and new products from many Peruvian shops. Next we ate lunch at the home base before learning and experiencing local pottery and Andean music. Everyone got to play a variety of Andean, African, and Australian instruments. The pottery activity involved everyone making their own creation from a block of clay and painting it. We finished the day with a great dinner.
– Joylene and Alex M.

 

Wednesday June 20, 2018

Today was our final day at the service site. 🙁 We moved and stripped lots of large trees and also moved over 75 giant mud bricks. These materials will be used to finish the walls and roof on the new kitchen for the women’s co-op. Right before lunch with the women, we had a limbo contest! Megan won!! It’s amazing how much we learned during our service days in the local community. After we returned to home base, everyone was given the opportunity to either go to the town square or play soccer on the local field. We spent the night preparing for our trek and getting all packed. Big day ahead!!!

Love,
Alexa, Megan and Reese

Thursday June 21, 2018

Thursday morning we rose before the sun to eat an early breakfast at 5:45. We loaded onto buses, all packed for a two-day hike through the gorgeous Andes Mountains. A scenic three-hour bus ride later, we arrived at the beginning of our trek, with six miles to go until our camp. Our tour guides led us through a few miles of Andean beauty before we stopped for a delicious lunch prepared by our guide company’s chef in a small mountain community. Afterwards we continued on to our camp, at around 14000 feet of elevation. As the sun set beautifully over the snow-capped mountains and the thin air cooled, we bundled up in all the layers we had and waited for another great meal. We all went to bed soon after, resting for another day of hiking.

Friday June 22, 2018

Today, we woke up bright and early to the smell of breakfast and the cold mountain air. We started the second half of our Lares trek right after we ate. The first hour was probably the most difficult part of the entire hike, but once we reached the top the views were amazing! We were able to make an offering with coca leaves and rocks. Thankfully, after reaching the 14,000 ft peak, the remainder of the six miles was mostly downhill. We finished our hike in Pataconcha, our service site, where we had lunch made for us. After our amazing lunch we quickly went back to our home base to unpack our bags and prepare them for Machu Picchu. Once we were ready, we headed to a delicious buffet dinner in Ollantaytambo before catching a ride on the Inca Rail train. The train ride was very relaxing and almost everyone slept the entire way. Right now we just got to our hostel in Aguas Calientes and are preparing for another awesome day here in Peru, and the highlight of the trip- Machu Picchu! Excited for the rest of the trip!

By: Kelly, Leead, and Will K.

Sunday June 24, 2018

Today we were able to explore the beautiful Incan ruins here in Ollantaytambo. After a short and scenic walk up to the top we were able to take in the beautiful and historic view. After our morning of exploration we were out on the town. Although the time out in town was short the experience was amazing. Our final day in Ollantaytambo was definitely one for the books. We concluded the night with a farewell dinner and a short and sweet toast from Sheila. The trip overall was definitely one of the best experience ever. The mentors and local staff could not have done anything more to make these last two weeks any better, the students here on this trip can all confidently say that this trip has changed our lives for the better.

Hugs and kisses,

-Diallah, Will Stanwick and Maddie

 

Thursday August 3, 2018

After a full arrival day yesterday, we’re happy to report that 22 of our students have safely made it to home base! They are currently enjoying learning about Andean culture (and the homemade pineapple juice) before jumping in to service orientation this afternoon. We can’t wait for the last two members of our team, Brian and Owen, to arrive shortly!

Tuesday August 7, 2018

Well, ever since the arrival day that included many delays, the group has been up and running, adapting to new challenges. On the second day we all participated in a welcome ceremony led by Yuri, our wonderful host. We later learned various medical skills like how to take a blood pressure, how to take a heart rate, and how to communicate with our patients in Spanish. The last few days have also included a lot of games ranging from capture the flag to Simon says in Español. We watched The Bucket List or Antes de Partir as it’s known in Spanish and went white water rafting.

Today, in light of the transportation strikes going on in the surrounding areas, we stayed in. We all made up games based around the Spanish and medical skills we recently acquired. While most students played the games and had a discussion about big pharma(ceuticals), some of us helped construct a spiritual sweat lodge called a Mascal which was made of made of straw, adobe mud, and horse poop. Eventually our drivers made it over and we took the buses to Taray to finish painting the clinic.

After turning the building completely blue and the rusty truck a vibrant orange, we took a break to play (or watch) a friendly soccer game with some adorable local kids. Everybody has been bonding and getting to know each other, and new friends are being made every day. Free time is filled with card games, soccer tennis, and lots of laughs. We are all excited to get even closer to each other over the next week.

Wednesday August 8 through Friday August 10, 2018

On Wednesday morning, a couple of us went back to the clinic to finish up painting while the rest went to the Pisac Clinic to learn about vision testing. We learned how to conducts a vision test by having a patient close one eye and read each line of letters to determine the extent of their eyesight. After we finished training, we started the scavenger hunt around the town’s markets. I loved seeing all of the colors and different things being sold and it was super fun to walk around and talk to vendors in Spanish. My favorite part of the market was finding the chocolate store where a couple of us got to try different types of chocolate and buy drinks from its café.

-Kristin Lips

After the extensive tour of the market and a lunch at home base, we had a talented family over to educate us on traditional Peruvian rhythms and to lead activities on pottery and music. Everyone circled up in the Maloka and attempted to make clay creations. We then listened to our guests perform Andean songs and some of us participated; trying to play drums or guitar or pan flute. We then painted our pottery and packed up the instruments. We finished out this exhausting day by playing the night game Sardines, which was surprisingly difficult. All in all a fun-filled day.

-Katherine Shock

On Thursday we all woke up super early to go to a school in San Salvador. The school was really great because it is a private school that is free for smart kids living in poverty. At the school we tested kids in from second grade to sixth grade. We set up different stations where hemoglobin levels, vision, glucose levels, blood pressure, and heart rate were tested. Others went around with the kids to the stations to keep their vitals on a piece of paper and comfort them if they needed it, although most of the kids were pretty tough! After testing a little under 200 kids, we said goodbye and headed out to lunch. We had lunch at a restaurant in Pisac called El Sabor and then headed out to the ruins in Pisac.

-Caroline Gracey

After a fun time at the school, poking students with needles and causing bloodshed we took a fortyfive minute drive to the ruins of Pisac. Picking up our tour guides Alfredo and Mario we headed to the ticket stands to get admitted inside the ruins. The group of 24 as well as our guides and mentors climbed a decent amount up the mountain until we ran out of breath. The guides were telling us about the stories of the Incas and the wars they had on this mountain. They also showed us the area where they bury the dead and they lay them in a fetal position because they believe in the afterlife. After taking a ton of pictures like a pack of tourist we climbed to the top to take a better view of the mountain where half the group slipped and fell a little. To wrap up our tour we climbed down some steps which seemed to be meant for giants and we all headed home.

-Jaideep Bijjala

After a wonderful week, we had an amazing day starting with being able to go to a local clinic in Pisac and testing adults and young children for nutrition deficiencies. There we were able to once again practice taking hemoglobin and glucose tests and taking blood pressure. We also had the privilege to stop at a market and buy some sweets and snacks. After a delicious lunch of pasta and potatoes at home base, we had the luxury of having 2 doctors and 1 nurse come and talk to our group. Here we were able to ask questions about what it is like to be a medic in a developing country. We also learned a lot about the health and differences of each region and how this knowledge is very important to one’s health. In addition, we learned that many locals. Here drink cow spleen juice as it is an excellent provider of iron, which is a necessity as many people in Peru have Anemia due to lack of resources and knowledge. Now we are excited to see what dinner is and what will be instore for us for the rest of this marvelous trip!

-Serina Bernsen