Hola Spanish Service Adventure chicos y chicas!

Wow – what a summer it’s been! After round #2 of the program, Maria Fe, Allie, and I had a few days together in Cuzco (with plenty more baby alpaca sightings) before heading our separate ways to school and new job opportunities in Hungary and California. Still, we love thinking back on our time with y’all and the memories we made. Here are a few of our favorites:

– Our epic Egyptian ratslap card tournaments at the home base

– Waking up at 4:00 am for the totally-worth-it dawn hike at Machu Picchu

– The trench at Escuela Umanes. Oh, that trench…

– Conquering Andean peaks on our final day at home base in Coya

– Braving the frigid waterfall on our hike to Aguas Calientes

– All the name that tune and singalong extravaganzas during our bus rides
– Hearing amazing original music and beautiful voices at our talent show

– Perfecting your bartering skills at the markets in Cusco and Pisac (and that final Blue Llama dinner!)

While we’re sure you are all busy with school, sports, and other activities, we hope you still look back on everything you learned and accomplished this summer – through our service projects, Spanish class, mentor groups, or even from spending time and learning from each other. We’d encourage you to keep up your language skills and find ways to be culturally aware and lead by example in your homes, schools and communities. Bien hecho, and keep up the good work! Keep in touch with us as we’d love to hear the amazing things y’all are doing, and keep us in mind for next summer!

Saludos,

-Patrick

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We hope that you are all eating your quinoa! Remember, it is for your health and if you don’t eat you could be sent back.

It’s been a minute since you all have been in Peru. Well maybe more than a few minutes, but Mario and his students are still here making good use of the greenhouse you built.  You put a lot of work into it – endless bags of dirt, painting until arms got tired, but in the end you completed a great project that will benefit a lot of people.  Mario’s school is continuing on as normal (kids are still crazy, but at least they’re learning something!) and hopefully you’ve all settled back into your own lives of high school classes – or potentially college- or perhaps your final year of middle school.  Remember your experiences with the Peruvian students here, their own challenges, backgrounds, and excitement, and utilize what you’ve learned in your own lives.

We’re sure you all remember Lares! Oh how the endless steps and hills seemed to go on: one foot in front of the other, one llama sighting after the next. Cresting the hill and finally lunch, little did we know that we would continue on to yet another beautiful valley. That night we were able to enjoy dinner – whether we wanted to or not- as well as a toasty fire with campfire songs and breathtaking stars. Literally breathtaking. The next day, the challenging but beautiful moment when the group crested the mountain together and looked into the valley beyond was shared and enjoyed by everyone. Finally (only 10 more minutes, promise!) we arrived at the Hot Springs that night and relaxed into the realization that we had all completed such a challenging task.

The highlight of the trip for many of you was our visit to Machu Picchu.  We had another tough climb up, but everyone accomplished it with minimal complaining and encouragement for the others in the group.  We all got some great selfies and took a nice group photo with the hippo.  We split into two groups and had our guides explain the history behind the site.  Some people got a little more out of the tour than others (sorry, Dani!), but everyone could appreciate the beauty of one of the wonders of the world.

The trip was a beautiful mix of personality, talent and adventure. Being able to see the entire group come together to appreciate each person’s contribution to service brought us closer and helped our group become a family. Together we learned about ancient Incan sites, took on the rapids of the Urubamba River and laughed at the talent show.  We shared an incredible last night together.

Our favorite moments:

Arriving back from MP at 2 in the morning

So. Many. Stairs.

Finally getting Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream in Aguas Calientes (or a few days later for Morgan)

Getting coca leaf fortunes told by the shaman – remember, Matt, you’re marrying rich!

That damn darn hill on the way to service everyday.  At least it got a little easier by the end!

Inca Kola.  Hopefully Dan and Sandra have found some sort of supply of it somewhere.  If not, can someone check if they are still alive?

Singing songs around a campfire.  Some happy moments before everyone started getting sick.    

Learning about Sacsayhuaman with John.

Mateo’s wonky finger and Olivia’s wonky detachable teeth.

Taking time to deconstruct everything you experienced in Peru during Mentor Groups.

Supporting each other during each difficult step on Lares.

Making bird fighting noises whilst flapping your arms during dance class.

Gabby’s awesome poem at the talent show

Yojan and the legend himself, Rolando, doing some traditional dances for us at the farewell dinner.

Playing a valiant game of soccer, despite getting destroyed by the local team.  Remember, Lily H, soccer means no hands!

Fighting over our Leaders of the Day’s trivia questions in order to be first in line for meals.

Coca tea.  Some liked it, some hated it, but remember how much it helps with the altitude!

Nothing ever being on time.

Mob mentality taking over for the piñata and smashing it with Gabby’s crutches.

John having to translate for the MP guide, whilst Dani and Sandra had to translate for John.

The USS Dank taking on some rapids!

About half of you got to know Cusco’s lovely MacSalud Clinic with Yensi at one point or another.  Fond memories from there, I’m sure.

Adam carrying around a cuy’s head in a bag, for some reason.

Movie nights!  Also getting to see the cinematic masterpiece that is Transformers in theaters, which many of us weren’t able to understand a word of, and was probably completely inappropriate for 5 year olds.

Mario and all the work he has put into helping just a small number of Cusco’s children.  Never forget the difference that just a small amount of work, done by just a small amount of people, can make in the world.

Slow and Steady,

Mateo, Sierra, Raquel, Yensi

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Dearest GLA Students:

Our first week was full of new learning and sight seeing. We met Mario and he told us all about his school and our future plans for our 3 weeks of service. Little did we know how much dirt we’d be able to move! We were so impressed with how well everyone worked together and with the efficiency of our various assembly lines. The walkway and walls to Julio’s house looked amazing and created a fertile ground to commence the building of a greenhouse. The tiling on the bathroom gave it such an elegant touch and made it look absolutely beautiful. Everyone did such great work with the pickaxe and shovel to make way for a garden; can’t wait to see the fruits of your labor- literally! 

During each and every cultural activity, you picked up a nugget of knowledge about the local culture. You learned about the vast and complex buildings of the Incan- it seemed like no part of was without use and intent. At the salt mines, you learned more about where salt came from and the long process it went through before arriving at your table. During the Pachamama ceremony, you were shown what it was to connect with mother earth and all that she provides for us. During the textile presentation, you were brought closer to your clothing and were able to discern between different alpaca materials, knowledge which you effectively used at local markets!

You all proved yourselves to be adventurous souls as you trekked up the seemingly endless steps to Machu Picchu. But it was well worth it, as you learned all about the Incan civilization and what they did. However, there was one Trek that you all so valiantly survived, Lares Trek. We will never forget those 3 days filled with beautiful landscapes, 4,600 feet of altitude, camping, low temperatures, and, of course, Max. May you always be able to tap into the strength and courage that led you to the successful completion of this and into the warm embrace of the much awaited Hot Springs in Lares. 

 Our Favorite Moments: 

1. Exploring and taking in the incredible views of Machu Picchu after a challenging early morning climb
2. Rafting down the freezing cold Urubamba river, followed by cliff jumping and then ziplining! What a day of adventure!
3. The talent show (who could forget it!) Hosted by Mason and Tyler, students and staff revealed their many talents with singing, story telling, musical instruments, and impressions. And of course, if you didn’t share a talent, you were in the Hot Seat!
4. The epic soccer tournament of GLA Students vs Peruvians. Most Valuable Player: Matt the Ninja Goalie
5. The Service Celebration – you wowed the kindergartners of Mario’s school with your amazing perforrmances, playing Peruvian pan pipes and percussion instruments in a musical number, followed by the unforgettable Flower/Llama Dance – this was outside of many of your comfort zones, but you totally pulled it off!
6. Mario’s Food Presentation – you tested the limits of your taste buds with Peruvian delicacies such as lambs’ intestines and bulls’ testicles. The boy’s team won for fastest eaters, but the girls’ team won for correctly identifying the most dishes!
7. Juan Carlos’s memorable quote that he shared with us at our farewell dinner: “Alpinism is the art of climbing mountains by confronting the greatest dangers with the greatest prudence. Art is used here to mean the accomplishment of knowledge in action. You cannot stay on the summit forever. You have to come down again. So what’s the point? Only this: what is above knows what is below, what is below does not know what is above. While climbing, take note of all the difficulties along your path. During the descent, you will no longer see them, but you will know that they are there if you have observed carefully. There is an art to finding your way in the lower regions by the memory of what you have seen when you were higher up. When you can no longer see, you can at least still know.” — RENÉ DAUMAL, from Mount Analogue

Always remember that slow is fast and fast is slow,

-Yensi, Sierra, Raquel, Matt

Hi All!

How is it going at home? Do you miss those cold showers from Peru? Crazy how time flies, it feels like just yesterday that we were all in Peru being immersed in service and Peruvian culture. Over those two weeks you came out of your shell, took risks, got to know a fantastic (and funny) new group of people.  You bonded with new people, made new friendships, and challenged yourself mentally and physically.

Most mornings started with service in the community of Chocco, Peru which is about 20 minutes from our home base. We built two guinea pig houses for two families in the community. The construction had already been started, but it was our job to finish the guinea pig houses. These houses will help the families feed their children, as well as giving them an opportunity to sell the guinea pig at the market for additional income. Want to carry some more adobe bricks? The work was challenging, but working in our service teams kept us all motivated listening to music and passing on compliments with every adobe brick. The families even came out to help us when things got tough!  It was rewarding to see the progress that we made each day. We could see the impact we were making for the families, the completed houses are probably already filled with guinea pigs.

Even though the mornings were filled with challenging service, the afternoons were occupied with fun cultural events. We had guest speakers that informed us about health issues and the Peruvian economy. Who could forget feeding the llamas and alpacas though? I’m sure we all have some fun llama selfies to look back on! And that city tour of the ruins around Cusco and the Cathedrals, WOW! Remember the master stones or the Inca cross? I don’t think any of us will soon forget the trip to the orphanage. Your generosity in donations was inspiring. We were able to go shopping to fulfil most of the orphanage’s wish list.

Not only did we bring supplies, but we brought the fun! From dance parties to volleyball in yard, I will never forget the laughter I heard and the smiles I saw on everyone there. Oh, and don’t forget about Patabamba! We were introduced to some amazing families that opened up their homes to us. We helped them shell beans and were presented with some amazing potatoes and homemade cheese! That wasn’t all we did in Patabamba though, after a scenic picnic lunch we were fortunate enough to have been invited to play soccer on the turf soccer field. A lot of the locals came out to play soccer and cheer us on. Playing soccer in 14k feet was not easy, but regardless of how out of breath we were, it was an awesome time! We can’t forget about the Shaman either! Did any of his prediction come true for you yet?

Our mornings were filled with service, our afternoons were packed with cultural events, but what about the evenings? Thanks to our event coordinator we had fun games nights and parties. Who could forget the epic performances from the Lip-Sync night: Glamourous, Fergalicious, Genie in a bottle, and cup of Joe, to name a few! The boys let us know that, “Saturday is for the boys”, but they opened up their Saturday party for everyone to enjoy snacks and ping pong on the sixth floor.  We tried some yoga and played numerous games to fill our nights. All those times spent together helped us bond into the tight knit group we became.

Then, the big moment came: the Machu Picchu trek!!! Day one…am I going to make it? Day two….are we there yet? Day Three… WE’RE HERE! We survived our trek of almost 25 miles to make it to Machu Picchu, do you still have blisters? A sense of accomplishment came over the group as we arrived to our campsite on the first night. We camped in style and the local staff made us some amazing food! Then we were off again in the morning, many of us caught up on more sleep in the car on the way to the train tracks. We trekked along the train tracks all the way to Aguascalientes. The excitement for the Machu Picchu the next day was tangible! The day came, we toured Aguascalientes before lunch and then we were off to Machu Picchu! Did you count how many steps we went up? My fitbit said 89 floors!! What a workout, but the top was well worth the hike! I will never forget your faces when we first arrived- pure joy and awe seeing the ruins for the first time!

Our trip came to a close with our last day of service. The two service groups combined forces to finish the guinea pig houses one at a time. What a feeling! The roofs got put on and we were done! We spent time with the families as they showed their appreciation through a wonderful potato treat and little gifts for all of us. After we finished our service, it was time to shop! The much anticipated shopping trip did not disappoint and many of us left with multiple bags of souvenirs for ourselves, family, and friends. Our final dinner together was complete with a full buffet, a live show, and some of us even got pulled on stage to participate! What a way to end the trip!!

You are all back at home now with clean drinking water, strong wifi, and a closet full of clothes. Do not forget the lessons you learned here and who you helped. Never stop sharing about the people you helped or the lessons you learned while you were here in Peru. Many of you lived outside of your comfort zone and met the new challenges that this program gave you. Remember our full value contract to take risks and try new things? Just because our program has ended does not mean you should stop getting out of your comfort zone. Do not forget what you did here not only for the local community, but for yourself as well. GLA’s motto is “be the change”, I hope that you take what you learned here over those two weeks to be the change that the world needs you to be.

Thank you for an amazing two weeks, I truly enjoyed getting to know each and every one of you!

-Lauren Bercha & Brenda Troyo

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Time does fly when you’re having fun! It seems just like yesterday that we were all here together learning about Peruvian culture, working hard on those guinea pig houses and surviving that hike up to Machu Picchu. Over those past two weeks, you all learned new things about yourself and others. You tested your limits, both physically and mentally and you got to experience and explore a wonder of the world.

Our mornings were dedicated to our service work. The group was split into two teams and spent the two weeks helping to build a guinea pig house for two families in need in the community of Chocco, Peru which was located about 20 minutes outside of Cusco. Remember where it all started? Picking the ground, moving rocks, making the “barro,” but of course the best part were the adobe bricks? Am I right? We started by leveling out the ground and ended up with walls. During your time at service, dedication, strength and perseverance were the tools needed to keep going. To make time go by fast, we listened to many international songs shown to us by different students. That was definitely one of the highlights of service. Watching the sheep, goats and chickens was also like having live entertainment. The community was so thankful for the work you did, those houses will soon be filled with many guinea pigs and will provide those families with extra income and food.

Although our mornings may have been a little tough, our afternoons were filled with fun and cultural events. Feeding the llamas and alpacas pounds and pounds of grass, was a great time! Everyone got some pretty great pictures and some funny/silly ones as well. We also learned about some of the health issues in Peru and about the country’s economy when our guest speakers came to home base. Those talks were so informative and gave us an inside look at the Peruvian world.  The girl’s orphanage was such a blast! You got to see what their lives were like and you got to spend a whole afternoon making the girls laugh! I can still hear their adorable giggles.

Your donations went a long way, thank you for that! How many beans did you shell at Patabamba? Probably more than you thought you would ever do in your lifetime but just remember how much it helped those families. They opened up their homes for the day and treated everyone like part of their family. They even shared a delicious meal of potatoes and cheese. Yum!! Have any of the shaman’s words come true? Let us know if they do! We are all very curious. Last but not least, we can’t forget about the city tour! Getting to know the place that y’all called home for two weeks was an awesome experience. How did the Incas do it? Remember the master stone? WOW! Getting to eat at the restaurant with such an amazing view and great live show was so memorable.

Now to the best part: MACHU PICCHU! WE SURVIVED! Day one…am I going to make it? Day two….are we there yet? Day Three… WE’RE HERE! Does anyone still have blisters? Do you still have those magical pictures saved on your phone? I remember seeing everyone’s faces light up as soon as we walked into Machu Picchu, it was such a grand sense of accomplishment! Give yourself a pat on the back; we hiked about 24 miles, both up and down and no one had to be carried on the horse. TROOPERS! Y’all are now super prepared to conquer your next hike! Don’t forget, the hike is always worth the view.

As our trip came to a close, we couldn’t end it without a market run and one last family dinner. I’m pretty sure you guys bought the whole market. From ponchos, to slippers, to alpaca rugs you guys bought enough souvenirs to last y’all until your next trip back to Peru. Our last family dinner was filled with delicious chocolate cake, a little bit of guinea pig, nonstop dancing, photo ops with YouTube stars and an amazing live show! It was the perfect ending to a perfect trip.

You are all now back in your own homes with nice hot water, strong Wi-Fi and a closet full of clean clothes. I hope that you have shared and continue to share what you learned here. May the skills you acquired, help you in your future endeavor. You are all leaders and you can all make a difference, big or small. Don’t be afraid to be the change. You have a wonderful support system within your Global Leadership Adventures family; utilize each other to make this world a better place. This experience was one that we will never forget, you helped people from a completely different place and made a positive difference in their lives. That’s important but don’t let that be the end, make that your beginning.

Thank you for a wonderful two weeks, I enjoyed every minute of it and hope you all did to!

-Brenda Troyo

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.