7/7/2015

The Spanish, Service and Mayan Culture program in Guatemala has officially begun! After long flights and equally long layovers everyone has arrived safe and sound and spirits are high. We are now settled into our home base in Quetzaltenango (aka Xela) and are looking forward to a summer full of excitement, learning and adventure. Updates to come soon!

7/10/2015

Written By: Maria Scovel and Madeline Mark

Hola everyone!! It´s Maria and Maddi checking in, although there were slight delays everyone landed safely. The first full day in Guatemala we started our drive to our home in Xela.  On the way we stopped at a traditional Mayan textile shop. The shop is run by five families who are all trying to preserve the Mayan culture. They showed us how to create the cloths and after explaining actually let a few of us try; it was harder then it seemed.  They then showed us how these cloths would be used by having a mock wedding for us where Maddi and Babs (Michael) were married and had a child as well. Then, while giving us time to shop they showed us how to traditionally make tortillas. Then we continued our drive to the home base.

Day 2 we woke up and began our first day of community service at a local school in Xela where we plan to paint the yard areas of the school. We met the principal and saw a few of the classrooms. We began by washing the walls to later paint it. We have been waiting to bring cameras when the children are more comfortable with us, so pictures of that will come later. In the afternoon we headed to our first Spanish class where we split into advanced and beginner level classes and did some review based on what we needed to work on most. Then we headed out to the park to do interviews with some natives to practice our Spanish. We then headed home and then watched a movie together.

Day 3 we began painting the school in two shades of blue. We still have been waiting to bring cameras to school, so expect photos later. We then headed to a famous potters workshop where the artist spoke some about his Mayan technique on pottery making. After the pottery lesson we were able to try and make plates with his help. He was amazing and very helpful and after we went to his gallery and looked around at his finished products.

Day 4 we finished painting about half of the school, but still no cameras. After service we then headed to Spanish class and continued review for the first half of class and then went to a gypsy grave that is associated with a Guatemalan fairytale very similar to Romeo and Juliet. This is basically the only grave where it is acceptable to write on a grave, here we wrote a wish we have with the hope that the gypsy will grant it.

So tonight is night 5 and someone new will write up the latest update sometime later be prepared for a new update.

Here is a treasure trove of photos to show you all what we’ve been up to!

7/14/2015

Written By: Madeline Mark

Hola Everyone!! First week done!! We´ll be home before you know it!! Its been a pretty packed weekend and so much has happened since we last blogged!! When we left off it had been night 5 so starting day six we woke up and got ready for school. It was our first day with cameras allowed and the children really enjoyed seeing the pictures and even learning to take the pictures themselves. The school is about half painted at this point and the children are getting used to us being there. In the beginning the older boys wouldn’t talk or even look at us and now they´re jumping rope and thoroughly enjoying having us there. Many of the children have taken an interest in standing behind Maria while she paints and pointing out certain objects and asking what the names are in English. Many of the children know phrases such as hello, goodbye, and even thank you, but now some of them have even learned how to say ¨Thank you for painting our school.¨ It´s amazing to see the progression that the kids have gone through getting to know us.

After school everyday we go home and enjoy a delicious meal made for us by the absolutely ¨increible¨ cooks, they are always open to letting those of us who don’t speak Spanish into the kitchen to help them prepare and set us the meals. It’s a great way to not only learn new vocabulary but also to become closer friends with the locals and to learn parts of their culture. We all come to the breakfast table tired and some of us are not, shall we say, morning people, but they are always there with amazing food and a smile on their face. Every little bit just adds to this amazing experience.

After lunch we usually go to a different activity around two and before that have free time. Day five we took a drive down to a traditional Guatemalan chocolate shop. The shop is run by a family and they apparently make the ¨best¨ chocolates around. Let´s just say that I can testify to the fact they have some pretty amazing chocolate. We were provided a chocolate fountain to start off the speech and then watched a short film ¨in english¨ about the history of chocolate. The video was followed us by one of the actual owners coming in and talking about why they chose to study chocolate and also about how chocolate has changed over the years. Beware; she said that by the year 2020 chocolate could become as rare and expensive as caviar. After our chocolate class we went to a salsa dancing class to burn some calories that we got by eating and sampling all of the chocolates. We met up with the ¨mother¨ of the houses son named, Andres, who joined us for dance class. Because we had eight people, Jen sat out because of stomach pains, we were paired in groups of two and so some girls were paired together. We were taught the steps bit by bit. Finally we pieced it all together and most of us were twirling around like pros. We were allowed to have about an hour to just walk around. Most of us went to a nearby internet café and then we all met at a church through a park.

Day seven was our first weekend in Guatemala and it was amazing. It was such a different experience then the small town of Xela. We started driving to the town of Atitlan. In Atitlan there is a huge lake surrounded by mountains that seem like they go on forever. There are many little towns around the outside of the lake and you drive using the mountains. As you wind around the sides of the mountains you see so many different views and angles of this truly beautiful natural thing. Most of us were up in that point (it had been a 2 hour drive) and there was silence in the car as we marveled the beauty. When we reached the hotel we quickly checked in and then made our way down to a dock where we caught a boat ride that took us across the lake. It was about a 20 minute ride and as we got to the middle it was just such a strange feeling of something so incredibly different. It was really the fact that we were in the middle of nature and we were with people who we had grown so close with. At that moment I felt small in such a large body of water but also the size of a mountain, figuratively. The water was so blue that it was practically clear and you could see the algae growing just under the surface. The mountains seemed to go on forever and overlapped with the sky and the clouds. Finally after we reached the other side and docked we were once more swarmed by people trying to sell us little trinkets and ¨mementos¨ of our time in their town. It was our first time actually bartering or having the chance to try and talk people down and out of their price. It was really interesting to see that people tried different strategies. Some would start at a price ridiculously high so that you would talk them down to about half the price. Others would start at a reasonable price and wouldn’t be able to be talked down as much. At this point there were some shops but it was mostly just children and woman going around and selling little trinkets. After that we got back on the boat and went back to the town where we were staying.

The next day (Day 8) we left the small town and started on our way to the market. The market was a completely different experience from what we have in America. We were dropped off in front of the hotel where we would all be meeting later and from there on we entered a maze. There were many little booths set us with and without covering and everywhere there were just people. The owners would come over as soon as they saw you stop and start pointing out their goods and saying prices. The shops ranged from selling cloths or bags to an entire part just for food. There were carts selling fruits and breads. A few had open slabs of meat; people sat up stalls to eat at and would serve soup or oatmeal from a large pot. There were children everywhere and ranging from about six up they would watch stores and just generally go around trying to sell things out of their baskets and backpacks. The one thing I admired from the market was persistence. I was able to learn quickly that when a person reached their lowest price they wouldn’t really budge until you walked away, at which point they would summon you back and accept your price. It was overall a very different experience which was challenging but at the same time very fun.

After finishing up at the market we began our hour and a half drive back to Xela. This morning (day 9) we woke up and started once more continuing to paint the school. At this point we should be done painting by Wednesday and then we can start going into classes to gather ideas for the mural. After school today we went to Spanish class where we went out to a market and bought different fruits using our new Spanish vocabulary. Which leads us to the end of this blog. Check back later this week for more updates!!

-Maddi Mark (Unaccompanied Minor)

7/17/2015

Written by: Madeline Mark

Monday morning we woke up and after an amazing breakfast and started on our way to school. At the school it was a matter of just finishing up the last bits of painting the main courtyard area. The children have gotten very comfortable with us and in fact the moment we walk into the school we are immediately mobbed by all of the children that are out of the classrooms and waiting for us. At recess there are so many different things to do and the children and incredibly interested in everything and anything we want to do. The love to watch us paint, have us teach them English, let them teach us Spanish. Babs (aka Michael) loves playing tag with the children, Antonio rescues the children who try to climb the steps, Maria enjoys teaching them the alphabet and everyone has made what seems to be their own little group of friends.

After school and lunch we have different activities. On Monday we had Spanish class number 3 where we learned the different types of fruits. We then went to a market and ordered the different types of fruits from local vendors. After walking back to the school we cut up different types of fruits like papaya, watermelon, cantaloupe, and banana. We made a huge bowl of fruit salad and tried the Guatemalan way by putting cream and sugar on top, most people went back for seconds.

On Tuesday we had a guest speaker from the Civil War of Guatemala. He was on the side of the military and his story was not only incredibly interesting but it was also completely eye opening to the ways of how the movie we had watched to prepare and give background could have been biased to the ways of the Guerilla fighters. He was very open with his experiences and explained how he had felt while fighting in the war and also how it had changed his life. He even went as far to explain why he had been in the army and why he had finally retired. We are incredibly excited for Friday when we will have a speaker from the Guerilla side. Also Tuesday morning we skipped community service and took a ride to ancient Mayan ruins. We learned more about the way they lived and got to see some amazing statues which are still around.

On Wednesday we had another Spanish class where during the second half we were able to go to an orphanage. It was a truly eye opening experience for all of us because it turned out to be an orphanage where a lot of girls our age and younger went in order to have children. We were divided into groups of two and then placed with a group of children. The children there were from the ages of baby´s had by some of the girls to 17. The story´s they told were heart wrenching and truly just gave us another view of the world and of the people here. It was a truly humbling experience to see how lucky we are compared to others.

Wednesday night we met up for our team meeting and just went over how what we´ve seen  has truly changed our view of the world. How we are lucky to have homes, and even the money to buy toothpaste and a toothbrush. The fact that we don’t have to beg people for money, or for food, or to buy bracelets for 1 quetzals apiece in order to stay alive.  This experience will truly change all of our views of the world and how we live forever.

7/24/2015

Hey guys! It´s Maddi and Maria checking in, sorry for the big delay, but we have had just about the craziest week since we last wrote; in a good way of course. So to pick up where we last left off, on Thursday, we began the day as normal and headed to the school to finish up painting the last walls of the school. We then rushed off to lunch and ate quickly so that we could head over to the Natural hot springs as soon as possible. We arrived after about 30 minutes (a trip that normally would take an hour, but our fabulous driver, Freddy, knows his way around) and began the short hike to the natural hot springs (Fuentes Georginas). We stayed until the springs closed and spent about a total of 4 hours there. It was extremely beautiful.
On Friday, we woke up and headed to the school again. Except this time, we weren´t painting the school, but going into the classes of grades 3rd and below to teach a lesson. The instructions for this lesson were to draw a picture of what you wanted to be when you grew up. We hoped this would help spark ideas for the mural we planned to paint on Monday in the back of the school. After school ended and we ate lunch, we were supposed to have a speaker from the civil war come speak to us, however, it was rescheduled for Sunday evening instead so we had the night off.
Saturday we woke up super early and started our drive to a country club. From the country club we drove to our drop off point and we divided into two groups for the river. The river was called Cabuz and had both rapids and areas to swim. At lunch we stopped and made sandwiches to accompany our watermelon and cookies. There are no pictures due to the fact that our waterproof camera is probably in the ocean floating as we speak.
Sunday we met up with the other group and took a hike down to the beach where we experienced a Mayan traditional ceremony. We were supposed to play a soccer game but due to stitches and rain it was canceled. When we got home it was discovered we had lost power so we had a free afternoon which we used to strengthen our team bond.
Monday we had community service which after we went to Spanish class where we went to a traditional mayan ceremony and learned how the people that are mayan make a living with their weavings. The people at a place named trama pay traditional mayan women for their weavings. This is how they make their living and it was created after the civil war.
Tuesday we went to community service and then after an amazing lunch went to a small village where we learned the ways that they create the wool used to make clothing. We were able to try out the machines and actually work on the loom at one point. It was truly a place where we were thrown into Guatemalan culture.
Wednesday after community service we attended our last Spanish class where we went to a café and talked with future teachers. After we had some free time and we roamed around downtown in small groups.
Thursday was the day of our Despedida and what a sad day it was. We had a wonderful party at the school and watched many traditional mayan dances. We were taught the culture and foods by the students and then we said our goodbyes. The school and mural look amazing.

-Madeline Mark and Maria Scovel

8/11/2015

The fifth and final two week program is upon us. The season so far has yielded more adventure and curveballs than we could have ever imagined and has been immensely rewarding and inspirational. Expecting no less from this final group, we woke early, guzzled back a few cups of coffee and waited in anticipation of the students’ arrival.

Unseasonably overcast and rainy, it seemed as though the day was off to a not-so-fortuitous start. But as the students started to arrive from Naples, Portland, New York, Pennsylvania, San Francisco and Denver, we were taken aback by their maturity and eagerness to wander the streets of Cusco and soak in as much Peruvian culture as possible. And so, that’s exactly what we did. After a hearty lunch, and despite the constant drizzle and sullen clouds that loomed over the city, half of the group took to exploring the neighborhood while others took the time to rest and acclimatize. In the afternoon, everyone in the group proved to be stellar nappers, falling fast asleep until dinner time.

After a delectable dinner of kebabs, french fries, salad and rice, we introduced ourselves, sharing quirky traits and little-known facts. As we got to know each other better, we discussed why we were here and what our goals were for the next two weeks, namely to finish a greenhouse being constructed for a local elementary school. We also got to know the local staff and discussed the role of Leader of the Day. Every day, individuals will volunteer to take on additional tasks such as waking up the other students, helping serve meals, leading warm up activities at the community service site and writing the daily blog. Tomorrow’s brave Leaders of the Day will be Bishop & Kelsey!

Early tomorrow morning we head out to Chocco, a community located in the outskirts of Cusco where we will continue to work on a greenhouse started by GLA students 9 weeks ago. Here’s hoping the rain abates and the bold Cusqueño sun makes an appearance!

– Written by Bianca, one of the brilliant mentors 😉

8/12/2015

Today we started off our day at 6:00am followed by breakfast. Then we headed off to our first day of service. When we first got there we warmed up by playing a fun game of “ninja.”

Afterwards we visited the school and the greenhouse we will be working on for the next two weeks. We got right to work stripping bark from three big eucaliptus logs for the columns of the roofs, pickaxing the greenhouse floor, and sifting rocks out of dirt.

Around 10:30 we took a break to interact with the kids by playing soccer and “duck duck goose”. Interacting with the kids was really cool because they were so energetic and fun to play with. After our break we got back to work, putting the beams of the roof up and leveling the dirt on the ground. We also had fun teaching Kelsey how to speak Spanish – she can now say “I want to give you a cookie”! :).

After the day was over we put the tools back in the shed. Once we got back to home base we had a delicious meal and played some fun games such as “mafia,” “PB&J” and “toxic river.” After diner, a local nurse came to give us a very informative talk about chronic malnutrition and other health issues in Peru, and how organizations are working on these problems. Finally, we had a good talk about technology and how the happiest times in our lives don’t always invlove technology. We had a great day playing games, working hard, learning a lot and getting to know each other better. Can’t wait for our second day tomorrow!

Written by Bishop and Kelsey

8/13/2015

This morning started out bright and early when all volunteers struggled to rise to the leaders of the day singing (more like screeching) and playing “Dancing Queen.” After breakfast the group headed off to a strenuous morning of work. The group split into two, one group working on the roof of the main greenhouse (you can see we started the struts coming off the beams from yesterday, almost finishing them!), the other moving bricks to the side project—another greenhouse for a local kindergarten. During the midmorning break, although the air was frigid and damp from rain, we still managed to get in a game of soccer with the elementary schoolers. The whole group also got nicknames for our new squad, Los Vatos Locos. After completing a few more hours of service, it was time to make our way back for lunch.

This afternoon, we headed off to learn about Peruvian music. We took a bus up into the mountains and sat down outside to explore the historical value of Peru and listened to a Peruvian music specialist discuss and play traditional instruments. After listening to the discussion, we all had the opportunity to play the instruments, and then learned to play a song on an instrument called the “siku.” Some of us picked the “way of the music” up quickly while others struggled. Whether or not the skill of playing music was present, everyone enjoyed and had fun exploring the different music they could make. With rain on the horizon, we made our way back to homebase for free time and dinner.

Spoons has been the card game of choice the past few days, and several intense games took place before dinner. After dinner we finished our game of “toxic river,” and with several tries eventually made it across the “river” to the other side. After the game, we wrapped up our evening with a discussion of our goals and expectations for the rest of the trip. We are excited to see what the rest of this trip has to come!

Written by Milan (Flaca) and Makayla (Apu)

8/14/2015

This morning, the leaders of the day woke everyone up by singing “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey as loud as possible. After a delicious breakfast, we set out to our worksite at Chocco. To warm up in the cool morning air, we played “hug tag” and “machine charades.” All the group would agree that this was the most challenging of days so far. After we wheelbarrowed most of the adobe bricks down to the second greenhouse site, we had to carry them up steep steps. Our teamwork showed through when the group formed an assembly line up the steps so that no one had to carry a brick up all the steps. We made a lot of progress on the second greenhouse, getting the walls to almost chest high.

We came back either numb or sore from a very successful and productive work day to a warm yummy lunch. We washed off the layer of dirt and sweat on our skin and took well deserved naps. After napping, we were all very eager and excited to go and explore downtown Cusco. We visited several gorgeous plazas. At San Blas Plaza we stocked up on alpaca clothing and souvenirs. At Plaza de Armas – the main square – we split into teams and went on an epic scavenger hunt where the winning team was treated to ice cream by the mentors.

The group took a beautiful, scenic, and leisurely walk through Cusco to get back to home base, where we enjoyed a scrumptious and well needed dinner. Everyone was so full after their dinner, many people gave their desserts to Ro, who ate 7 pieces of pie!! After the antics at dinner, we watched a TED Talk called The Danger of a Single Story. The talk related to the way we perceived Cusco/Peru and how some of the people in Cusco percieve the U.S. Tomorrow we’re off to Patabamba, a mountain village where we will spend the morning with different households working and eating alongside them, and learning about life in rural communities here. We can’t wait!

Written by Mary (Misky) & Rose (Tika)

8/15/2015

This morning our leaders of the day woke our fellow students up with a pillow brawl and “Roar” by Katy Perry, as well as a musical performance to get the day started. After an eggy breakfast, we packed and left to take a gorgeous drive to the village of Patabamba. We spent the day doing community service with the locals. Though we were split into three different groups, every individual experienced what it would be like to live in a Quechua family for a day, similar to a homestay. We shelled beans, carried firewood, and cut and sorted cilantro to sell to the market. For brunch we had boiled potatoes and cheese, and for lunch, quinoa soup. There was also a guinea pig farm in each home that we visited.

Despite the language barrier between us English, Spanish, and Quechua speakers, we managed to have a productive, successful and all around fun day. After the work was done, we played the locals in a game of soccer (the field has an incredible view of the mountains and Incan ruins across a mountain gorge). The odds were against us, being faced with incredibly skilled soccer players, but after an intensely close game, Los Americanos won (7-6!).
The rest of the day was relatively quiet, given that most of the students were pretty spent from working in the sun and playing an epic game of soccer. On the way home our group got to see the end of not one, but TWO rainbows ( admittedly lacking a pot of gold). After dinner, we participated in a group activity called Tamale Caliente, or en Inglés, “Hot Tamale.” In it we discovered what kind of leader we are, as well our strengths and weaknesses as leaders. To help reflect on our group activity and settle down for the night, some of the students meditated with Bianca.

Also, yesterday we watched a Ted Talk that discussed the danger of telling only one story of a culture, of not knowing the many sides that a culture may have. Having spent the day with a Quechua family, we were able not only to grasp more of the story of Incan & Peruvian culture, but also to actually partake in it, which was wonderful. With that, we bid you an Allin tuta 🙂

Written by Michaela & Ro

8/16/2015

This morning we got to sleep in a little (up at 8) before going on a tour of Cusco . After breakfast we packed and left to take a gorgeous ride to the Incan ruins near Cusco. We made our way from one site to another, ending in the impressive Sachsay Waman site. We also walked to a big statue of Jesus similar to the one in Rio but smaller. We also got to see a great view of the city of Cusco. At the ruins we got to see the awesome architecture of the ancient Incan empire.

We ate lunch at a restaurant overlooking the city of Cusco. The majority of us ate alpaca steaks and they were delicious. We also got to hear some authentic Peruvian music while we ate. After lunch we went downtown to see some colonial Spanish cathedrals. There was lots of gold and silver within the church. Outside of the church in the main square we were able to see part of an outdoor pageant/parade where elementary school kids dancing while being judged. Then we came back and ate dinner. In the evening we also began planning for our trek, what to pack etc. Tomorrow we are back at the project bright and early, we hope to finish the greenhouses soon!

Written by Brigham and Daniel

8/17/2015

Today was an informative and fun packed day. Our wake-up call consisted of country music and knocking on doors. We got off to an early start heading to our work site, where we worked on building the walls of the second greenhouse and the detailing of the first greenhouse´s roof. We took a break in between and went to the convenience store next door, where we were able to buy and try many Peruvian snacks. After some down time with the kids during recess, we headed back to work on both greenhouses. Though a little behind schedule for progress, we ended the service day on a good note.

After lunch, we conducted a bag check of everything that needed to be in our daypacks for the trek. We then headed to a farm, where there were llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos. Forfeiting most of our grass, we had a fun time feeding the alpacas and llamas. Only one of us got spit on, and that was Dan. After we finished at the farm, we went next door to a textile exhibition, where we saw traditional Peruvian weavers and many varieties of potatoes. From there, we went to Orion (a local supermarket) to stock up for our trek. In there, we found many different types of candy and interesting foods, such as squeezable peanut butter.

After dinner, a speaker came to talk to us about the socioeconomic realities of Peru, focusing on Cusco. He discussed the local traditions, such as on the 25 de Diciembre, people of the Cusco region fight for a few minutes in order to settle the grievances that accumulated over the past year. He talked of the differences in poverty, whether that be poverty of living without basic necessities or being at a disadvantaged local environment. We learned that in many places in the Cusco region, it´s considered common to marry at as young as fifteen. The information seemed hard to swallow, being so different from our cultural views, but it definitely helped to give us perspective on the hardships and rewards of living in the Cusco region. The day ended with goodies from the market, cute photos from the llama farm, and fresh clothes from the laundry done the day before. Allin tuta!

– Written by Michaela & Sam

Cloé explaining to everyone the importance of layers for the trek 🙂

8/18/2015

Following a delicious breakfast we began our journey back to work at the greenhouse. After playing a few warm-up games we began work at both greenhouses. At the larger greenhouse we started cutting sheets of plastic to place over the roof. We each took turns holding and pulling the sheets of plastic in place while our greenhouse building expert, Edgar, nailed the plastic to the cross beams.

At the second, smaller, greenhouse we began to level the ground and sift the dirt on the inside. However, just down the stairs the group used pick-axes to peel bark off of the eucalyptus trees so that we may use them as the main beams for the roof of this, smaller, greenhouse.

After returning to home-base for lunch the group took some time to relax and gather the towels that we then brought to the foster home. While visiting the foster home we all played soccer with the kids in intermingled teams. The foster-home houses children between the ages of 7-18. These children come from many different areas, including regions of the jungle outside of Cusco. We took a tour of the foster home and saw the multiple bedrooms and the library where the children study and learn during the afternoon when they return from school.

The people who felt up to another adventure went to the market. After exploring the market and not buying anything we passed a fried dough place we stopped and treated ourselves to this dessert which we then were served again as a dessert after dinner.

After all of the these adventures we watched two videos that helped us figure out more about ourselves and how human interaction and human biology is responsible for our happiness and ability to be good leaders.

Written by Nick

8/19/2015

After a very long streak of eggs for breakfast, we once again headed off for our 6th day of service. Today we spread dirt and fertilizer in the greenhouse and planted all the vegetables! We also sifted dirt and rocks out of the kindergarten greenhouse and started building the foundation for the roof. We were invited to eat potatoes cooked in spontaneously made mud ovens with the kindergarten students (a Peruvian picnic called a Watia), and had a good time interacting with the kids.
This afternoon we visited a medicine man. We were able to learn about and perform the traditional Incan offering to Pacha Mama (Mother Earth). Following the offering some of us were able to sit one on one with the shaman and have our coca leaves read. We all enjoyed sharing the stories the shaman told us. Finally, after dinner we packed our duffels and had a last minute trek debriefing because we leave for the trek tomorrow morning!!! Up at 5 AM and leaving at 6! We are all excited to begin the journey to Machu Picchu!

Written by Kelsey & Milan

8/20/2015
Waking up at 5 am is supposedly awful, but we had a good time singing along to Waka Waka. The group set out at 6 am for a three hour drive to a small village just an hour and a half away from the start of our hike. We arrived at the start of our hike, unaware that we would be scaling so many mountains the next two days. From the bottom of the mountain to our lunch break on a snow covered ridge, we hiked about three hours. In between, we had the opportunity to reach a record 15,000 feet! The views from the hike were absolutely breathtaking. All of us were so excited to stop for a delicious and piping hot lunch.
When we set out again, it took us about three more hours to reach our cozy campsite. Being up in the mountains and seeing no other groups of people, only animals, was a great experience. Seeing our campsite at the bottom of a snowy ridge made a few students slide down the icy surface. We were welcomed with delicious hot chocolate and continued to have a well needed dinner. Our tents were very tight and cozy, though at one point the pounding hale made it hard to rest. We were extremely tired and happy to be going to bed under a blanket of the most amazing stars!
– Mary and Makayla
8/21/2015
We woke up this morning in our campsite freezing cold. The girls were four in a tent though so that made us a little warmer. One of the groups of girls accidentally switched tents with one of the groups of boys so they only had two sleeping pads for four girls where the boys had four sleeping pads for two boys. The people that went ahead of us and set up our campsite had piping hot coca tea at the ready as everyone woke up and had to leave their tents to go out in the slightly colder outdoors. As we emerged from our tents ready for a warm pancake breakfast, we were all in awe of the beautiful sunrise on the snow capped mountains. Almost everyone stopped for a picture. Right after breakfast, we were in a bit of a rush to get a move on so we all had to quickly repack our daybags and duffels and get ready to hike again. After a bit of hiking the group split up a bit and one group took a shorter downhill path to reach the van for the ride to the jungle. After a nearly three hour drive to the jungle, we finally arrived at the train tracks that we hiked along for about three more hours to reach the town Aquas Calientes, where we all had a fancy dinner and got to sleep in warm beds in a hostel!
Written by Rose

8/22/2015

Today we went to Machu Picchu. Some of our group took the stairs all the way up, whereas others took the bus. We got there all the same. Once we reached the top, we could see the mountains and ruins in a panoramic view. We had some down time to enjoy the view and then soon after we were led on a tour by our charasmatic guide, Patrick. He talked to us about the history of Machu Pichu, as well as the secrets that it holds. Despite knowing much more about Machu Pichu then we did, he agrees that many details are left to the imagination. Picture´s don´t do Machu Pichu justice. Going there is an expirence that we will carry with us for a lifetime.
After we left Machu Pichu we had lunch at the same restaurant we had dinner at the night before. That was great. Then, we had a couple hours of down time before our train departed. Most of us stayed in the hotel and watched Transformers, but a few of the girls went to an internet café and roamed town. The train ride was hilarious, with funny faces and air guitar solos, and it was also beautiful. The day before we had hiked a significant amount of track on foot to get into town, so the view looked both different and familiar. After the train we were pretty tired out, just hoping on the bus and heading straight for the hotel. Now, we sleep and prepare for tomorrow, our last day. Allin Tuta!

Michaela

8/23/2015

We woke up like this ,flawlessat 6:30 am. After breakfast we got ready for work- the usual routine. Thegroup played ultimate frisbee as a warm up which Ro, Nick, Clint, Bishop and Kelseywon (with an epic comeback). We then finished both greenhouses for the pre-school and the elementaryschools. In order to finish the kindergarten greenhouse we placed the plasticroof and leveled out the ground so that we could then plant – beets, lettuce, oregano, and mint to get the greenhouses started. After we finishedboth greenhouses we returned back to home base to talk about the rest of theday. Later we went into town and went to several markets to buy souvenirs and spend the afternoon and evening in the old town. After that we had a nice walk around the main square, and took lots of pictures, before going out to our farewell dinner where we enjoyed entertainment,buffet food, and teary eyed speeches. Oh, and as you can see below, we also enjoyed participating in a
variety of traditional Peruvian dances! Ro & Nick
PS we all got on our flights ok! This is us at the airport in Cusco.

8/24/2015

All students have departed and are on their way home!

8/3/2015

Dare to Live in Color

After checking customs we were finally in Peru. Everyone arrived safely and soundly. We were welcomed with scrambled eggs and Peruvian delicacies. We jelly fished in the local plaza and got to know each others names. We visited the local food market and were able to stock on snacks. Ending the day tired and exhausted, we were excited for the new experiences to come.

– Erin Dempsey & Katherine Cabral

8/4/2015

Greetings from Peru!

August 4th was the beginning of service in the Sacred Valley community, where we began the work on our greenhouse project. We started the day at 6:00 am and promptly were out the doors by 7:00. When we got the site, roles were distributed, and we were introduced to the different tools and techniques that we will be using for the entirety of the project. Tasks included digging and sifting dirt to hold together infrastructure, stripping bark from the support beams and digging two feet (60 cm for you Canadians) in which we will place the beams in, tomorrow. Fun stuff !!!!! We are definitely noticing the effect of the altitude, but luckily none of us have been placed in the hospital (yet). Then in the afternoon, we had a motivation and inspiring pep talk with our mentor groups where we set up our expectations for the rest of the trip and for the mentors. An Economist then came in for a social reality talk, where we were educated about the Cusqueñan culture and social issues of Cusco. As leaders of the day, we interviewed him about his occupation and shared it with the rest of our group. To conclude, it was an eventful day full of learning experiences, and even though it has only been two days, we feel as if we have grown a lot together as a group. We are looking forward to the rest of our time in Cusco and we miss you all dearly…

Adios,
Leaders of the Day
Beatrice, Vivian, and Victoria

8/5/2015

Our 3rd day started off at the early hour of 6 again. At the service site, some of us continued sifting dirt and finishing up the holes,as well as turning over the ground at the greenhouse. After that, we cut the logs and painted them with oil base, so the trunk is waterproof. The first beam to the greenhouse was set up. We also worked on installing the pipeline for the greenhouse, and we covered it with dirt. After service we visited a textile workshop, where we were able to learn about the Peruvian weaving traditions. After everyone was comfy in their new alpaca sweatshirts, the leaders of the day interviewed Carolina, the owner of the textile workshop. Carolina taught us about the importance of continuing the weaving traditions. She wants others to remember Peruvians by how kind they are. After dinner we got to learn more about each other when we did a speed dating activity. We asked each other random questions, and shared our answers. Our 3rd day in Cusco was extremely interesting! We are really excited for the experiences to come.

Hasta Luego,
Leaders of the day
Rogelio, Andrew, and Katherine

P.S. Some people found “The One” 😉

8/6/2015

Salutations from General Ibrahim, Sargent Jenna, and Captain Ethan. Today we alerted the troops at 0600 for a very productive day of battle. Although we were locked out of the battlefield (work site) at first, we soon were able to get to work. We began with our routine stretches and a morning chant. Our work today consisted of moving six holes 20 cm to the left, moving tons of bricks, laying support beams, and making mud. The troops left the battlefield at 1230 covered in mud, sweat, and tears.

At around 1300 we arrived at home base, there we encountered a lovely meal of steak, potatoes and rice… It was the bomb. We got acquainted with the new recruits Jose and Laney, our platoon is finally complete.

We ended the evening with a nice game of charades and family bonding <3.

General Ibrahim, Sargent Jenna, and Captain Ethan checking out for the night,

Hasta Mañana!

8/7/2015

On today’s episode of “How to Service in 21 Days”, we bring to you danger and excitement in the bricks of our labor. In one corner we have the Rooftop Chiselers and in the other, there’s the We Never Do the Same Thing team. In other words, WE HAVE VARIETY. We were also very productive. But that’s not important, right? Turns out the only reason anybody survived this day was due to the promise of Wi-Fi which seemed to only reward one group of the three from anecdotes received from anonymous sources. A shopping trip managed to placate the savages but unfortunately time was short. Several things were bought and several former purchases were lamented. Sour pickles for everyone. Alpaca’s are soft. We need more sleep. Or Wi-Fi. I think the second one would produce more civilized humans. To finish off the night, a chicken and rice and yuca dinner was consumed. Some people weren’t hungry and did not eat much. I think it was the exercise. No one should exercise when there is a shortage of Wi-Fi. Some things were forgotten and… My train of thought has also vanished into thin air. Right. TED talks. The cast was subjected to a very educational TED Talk on stories and how basing opinions on one singular story will take away a full experience. There is currently a cutlery percussion-off in the dining area and I think they should just stabby stabby each other. This paragraph is actually the opinion of one singular person so please don’t sue. Or call the cops. Peru is very nice, although dry and dusty. Many lips are chapped and Erin’s aloe is going to run out before the trip is over. It is very nice that everyone is close to each other and I feel that no one is going to get pushed off Machu Pichu anytime soon. Although everyone is going to fight on the 25th. Because this post cannot exceed mentor expectations, this is Linshan, Jackie and Gigi signing off.

8/8/2015

A fun filled day of service in the quite village of Patabamba, the home of our driver-aka Julio’s crib. We split into our mentor groups and completed chores for families in the village. This included shucking corn, peeling potatoes, gathering firewood, snapping peas, removing the kernel from the cob, and watching animals. We were served a snack of potatoes, cheese and salt, and for lunch received a local specialty of quinoa soup. After the morning chores were finished, we headed to a soccer field surrounded by mountains and pigs. And dogs. Just animals. A couple games of soccer were played with the local village children and Inca Kola was shared. The hour long bus ride back was filled with the beautiful mountains and music from our respective DJ’s (SHOUT OUT TO ANDREW AND BEATRICE). Our first laundry load was sent in tonight and was followed by an informational National Geographic documentary about Machu Picchu and the mysteries of the Incan people (sorry to Miguel for half of everyone falling asleep).

8/11/2015

Today the alpaca descended. We are today’s alpaca wranglers. Unfortunately the suffering hasn’t ended. The mud must be churned and several that have slight fears of heights were put to the test on THE WALLS. Waging war by mud balls is not convenient. The alpacas were not obedient and could not be threatened by taking away the break. Our schedules have synced up with the children’s and we can now play soccer and interact with them. They seem to like these foreign alpacas. Several Alpacas cannot understand Spanish and therefore gifts are appreciated but we cannot express gratitude without understanding why. At least I can’t. Shoelaces are great. Lunch consisted of bones and meat and things. There is a vegetarian within our midst. No one remembers lunch. Hot showers were appreciated today, only by the few that swallowed their plates and left before anyone went to wash their fur. There are more people here now. We have successfully scared them with an awkward toast. They will not look at us as they descend the stairs. How unfortunate. I believe we have beautiful faces. At the ever-changing 3:00-3:30 activity, we had the pleasure of testing out music in the rain. Although very informative, hooves are not used to hold flutes and such. Recorders are so basic. Conch horns and double headed snake horns and human skin drums are all the rage. We have learned to song but song is hard. Pan-flutes aren’t easy to play. To be cold or not to be cold, that is always the question. The last of the baggages have arrived a week in and compensation is needed for the suffering that has spread throughout the herd. I vote 50000 dollahs in cold hard cash. That way it will not look legit no matter what. There always has to be suspense in the camp. The spirits wandering around are giving us some trouble but there are also those who wish to cause discord from within so everything must be taken with a grain of salt. Although there were several complaints, no one resisted when we finally headed to the mystical arcade which was totally built into a garage. The dancing games were disastrous and the second-hand embarrassment was overwritten by the sensation of satisfaction that you obtain when seeing a teenager trip over themselves over and over and over again all the while the locals watch silently without any judgment but instead confusion. The journey back was far more lighthearted as money was lost down the drain and a claw machine clearly made by asian people sucked coin after coin into the bottomless pit of plushies. Those who were actually good at the games were rare but there were circumstances where-in a game was beaten. My respect of peruvians has risen due to their endless talent in dancing arcade games. Currently we are back and there are several people crowded around a board giving everyone Star Wars identities. I approve of all the doodling but I foresee that the board will be illegible as usual. The heart rates are decreasing as the machine beeps even slower. Demons in hard masks creep upon the innocent workers of the site. I hope we finish. Timmy the ghost will totes possess us if we don’t. Sleep is imminent however conversation is still lively. If we were meeting alpacas as weird as we are, we wouldn’t look at us too. I don’t blame the new 14 day group. We were promised pizza. I am pretty sure that the pizza sucks here. The jungle creeps closer with each day that passes and we all await cool pants. GAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA I have no mental problems as of now. This is today’s alpaca wranglers Linshan, Jenna, Rogelio, returning to semi-eternal slumber. For when we are called on again to prevent an alpacalypse, we will awaken once more.

-The person in the mask

8/12/2015

8/18/2015

Its been four days since we first left home base for our long-awaited hike to MaPi. It was really pretty, tiring, and life-changing. Now we are back and there is pizza and a movie waiting for us so if you don’t mind we will excuse ourselves and explain everything upon our return.

Sincerely,

– Jarlene, Vivian, Beatrice

8/19/2015

Today is a day of no themes, as our schedules have completely fallen apart in the few days we were away. Recovery is fairly rapid as our spirits are lifted with the promise of a cake that we did not get cause the greenhouse is incomplete and the plastic is a nightmare for those who have OCD. I promise I do not. Dirt is still the main dish of the day as nothing in terms of plantable dirt was made. Much was done in terms of cave exploration however and a music video was made as we were set to crawl through tunnels while the dust fell on freshly washed hair. Several of the deeper tunnels were sealed off. What a disappointment. I wish to get lost and eventually become one with the earth. It is however, only a personal desire of mine, the rest wish only to explore and take the very best selfies. How to Aleve your existence from the earth 101 in an area that sounds like a workout video title. Zona-X. We have kept our streak of health as no one has been severely injured or maimed or kidnapped. We are fine. Reassurances are needed for the readers of our humble blog, correct? We have not been made to tell our life stories just yet and I still await the moment to reveal that I am a unicorn from a different dimension. My fellow leaders of the day lead normal lives though. We have also semi-determined our leader personalities in the form of Warrior, Teacher, Healer and Visionary. Simply by reading these titles it is fairly easy to infer that I am very comfortably an unreliable Visionary. The other two are both Teachers/warriors/everything else. We all get along fairly well though. There is no sign of altitude sickness but there seems to be a lethargy in the air as our days are numbered. We are required to teach children and pass on wisdom. All I wish to pass on is how to run around and scream like a chicken but all to their own.

There are currently suspicions about who blabbed about our lifeline, the wifi, but everyone will still be phoneless. I simply wish to read my books but we are not the most subtle group. I’d rather shop, even though I detest it with all the fibers of my being when it comes to shopping back home. Something about the prices appeal to me here.
There is now Tabasco on the table and it is ambrosia to the souls that find the food flavorless. The deep-fried cauliflower was much like the deep-fried green beans. A very effective way of making us eat healthy. Clothing is however looser on our bodies. The strict schedule keeps us couch potatoes from collecting a fat supply for the ‘winter’ we are currently experiencing. I have once again exceeded the limit for a reasonable journal entry.

This is today’s leaders of the day, Linshan, Erin and Logan signing off.

8/21/2015

What did the orange say to the other orange. Tickle my naval. If you don’t think thats funny you’re right. We woke up at 8:00 today it was stupendous. Today the kitchen had made us the best breakfast, eggs just eggs again scrambled quite amazing. After breakfast we departed on a 3 hour journey to go rafting. Upon arrival we geared up and set voyage on the rapids. We were separated into 3 different rafts and had a small training session on the different types of positions we need to take for our safety. However this was disregarded by the tour guide who decided to throw everyone in his boat in to the water. Rapids were amaze, no worries, everyone survived. We had a great lunch and a hell of a bus ride back because it was 3 hours. Movie night and sleepover tonight. also, Cake. That is all.
LAiney
JosB
CAKE
Lindsay Logan

7/26/2015

Welcome to Cusco!

Today we picked up students from the airport throughout the morning and allowed everyone time to rest. We went on a walk around the neighborhood and visited a local market. Then we headed back to home base to play fun games and get to know each other. We also learned about the service site we will be working at and were introduced to the local home base staff. Then we all enjoyed a delicious dinner followed by breaking into our awesome mentor groups. We all headed to bed early after a long day of traveling and orientation. We can’t wait to hit the ground running at the service sitetomorrow morning bright and early!

Looking forward to meeting our last two students, Nia and Lauren, when they arrive tomorrow!

Written by: Dani & Emily!!! Woohoo!

7/27/2015

Today began our first actual day of Peruvian experiences. After breakfast, we headed over to the construction site where we became acquainted with adobe construction. Mud stomping, trench dredging, and brick laying were some of the tasks we labored over — and possibly worm eating (just Cray).

After a long morning of hard work, we had a delicious lunch of carne y papas. Following lunch there was a short span of down time, before the “Money Man” came to visit us. To continue the day we further became familiar with our peers over a few rounds of speed dating. The haven that some call the supermercado beckoned for us to come and explore its riches and glory. Soon after spending countless soles on Oreos and Inca Kola we began our trek back to base camp, of course stopping for ice cream on the way. We ate what we could of our dinner since our bellies were full of treats. A social economist gave us a very eye opening presentation on all the different aspects of the everyday life of Cuzco.

This concluded our first breath taking day, literally, in Cuzco. We are very excited for what this great culture has to offer us and what we can offer it, in the days to come.

Written by the leaders of the day:

Kanishk- Hey mom and dad, hope y’all are having fun in Texas.

Brandon

Paul

Cray – Also shout out to my family, friends, and girlfriend back in Ohio

7/28/2015

After an early morning start, we arrived at the service site and continued our work on the greenhouse.  Today’s work included mud brick building, trench digging, ground leveling and teaching some local children English. We arrived back at home base around 1 pm for lunch and took some downtime to change out of our muddy clothes! A couple of hours later, we went to the mountainous countryside to participate in a music workshop. We learned much about the origins and evolution of native Peruvian instruments. Following the presentation, we had the opportunity to attempt to play several different instruments. After this great experience, we went back to home base for dinner and had some free time before we watched an interesting presentation on the effects of certain chemicals within our body and their effects on leadership and human interaction.

-Ajit Kalsi, Ava Bender, Phoenix Alix, and Kenny Steinberg

7/29/2015

As leaders of the day, we are in charge of waking our entire group up. This mornings wake up call consisted of parading around the halls blasting “Cheerleader” accompanied with “Good morning!” and “Rise and shine!” We were greeted with sleepy groans and confused faces. After breakfast, we headed to another day at our work site. We have finished laying the adobe walls, but a new task soon presented itself. We spent the day flinging pickaxes and taking turns gawking at the dirt’s stubborn and surprising  immobility. At break, we ventured to the neighboring snack shop to nourish our sore,  sun-burnt bodies. As we munched on our snacks, some local children schooled us in a spontaneous dance party. And also limbo.

After returning to home base, we enjoyed some specially made Peruvian ceviche followed by steaming beef stir-fry with yuka fries and rice pyramids. To top off our meal, chichorrones drizzled with honey were served and quickly devoured. Then we were briefed on how to pack for our Machu Picchu trek and spent the afternoon checking our gear to make sure we would all be nice and toasty. Before dinner, a local nurse spoke to us about the malnutrition and health issues prevalent in Peru, giving us a better perspective on the greater purpose and importance for our greenhouse project.

Following dinner, we broke off into our mentor groups to discuss what kind of leaders each of us are. It was another eventful day of new challenges, discovery,  and as always, fun.

-Lindsey, Ava J., Jessica, and Rachel J

7/30/2015

Today was the first day that we didn’t spend at the work site and after a much appreciated late wake up we set off to explore the city of Cusco and its infamous Incan ruins. Our first stop took us through an Incan underground tunnel system that led us to some breathtaking views overlooking the city. After learning more about Incan architecture and its various meanings that revolve around the balance between man, woman and their surroundings (and a ridiculous amount of selfies) we visited an enormous statue of Christ named el Cristo Blanco that overlooks Cusco, almost as if it were Cusco’s protectorate. After our various cultural adventures it was time for the best part of the day — LUNCH. Lunch consisted of a traditional three course meal that entailed delicious Alpaca meat and Peruvian ice cream. We ate with much content while admiring the magnificent view of Cusco from above. After the wonderful lunch we headed back down into the city of Cusco and explored the Cathedral of Santo Domingo; one of the oldest Cathedrals in South America, containing a fusion of Incan traditions and Catholic gold leaf ornaments. With brains full of attained knowledge, we packed back on to the bus and headed back home.

-Katie. Ava H., Isabel, Caio

7/31/2015

This morning we woke up at our usual 6AM, ate breakfast, and then left for the service site. We arrived at the service site and subsequently commenced our warm-ups. Our warm ups consisted of a game called knights, cavaliers, and horses followed by ricochet-tag. We then started work in the greenhouse and on the trench. After 4 hours of hard work we came back to home base for a tasty lunch of beef and rice.
In the afternoon, we took a semi-long bus ride to Awana Kancha, a llama and alpaca farm whose community weaves and receives fair profits for some of the finest wool. We were shocked by the numerous breeds and colors of both animals. Feeding them alfalfa and taking pictures with spitting llamas were the highlights of the beautiful trip deep into the mountains.

While on our way back to home base, we stopped at a market called El Molino, which is reminiscent of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar. We picked up a few last minute items for our upcoming trek and finished our day with cena (dinner) and a TED Talk about the importance of challenging cultural perceptions.
With love from your leaders of the day,

– Ellie Copps, Asim Mohiuddin, Humayra Mohiuddin, and Emily Williams

8/1/2015

We started off our morning with a lovely wake-up call. The leaders of the day snuck into each person’s room, sung Happy Birthday (no it wasn’t anyone’s birthday), and were met with varying reactions including giggles, angry words, and thrown pillows. Breakfast this morning included two sunny side up eggs and then we picked up our brown bagged lunches on our way out the home base.

We took an hour long trip to the town of Patabamba where we helped the families with their daily chores. Some of the chores included harvesting and sorting beans and corn, washing lettuce, stacking firewood, and carrying trees up and down mountains. During our service we had the opportunity to eat home cooked Peruvian dishes which included a snack of potatoes and queso andeo (Andean cheese) along with Quinoa soup. After a half a day of service we went to eat our brown bag lunches and play a game of soccer with the locals.

After a ride back to home base we cleaned up and packed our duffel bags for the trek tomorrow. Following our sumac mihuna (tasty dinner) we watched Miguel, a member of the kitchen staff, arm wrestle and beat every guy in the hotel in about five minutes. We finished off the day with mentor group meetings and headed off the bed so that we could get up early for our trek tomorrow morning.

Written By:
John Brady – Shout out to Mom, Dad, and Grace
Will Long – Shout out to Mom, Dad, Warren and Christina
Jake Branham – Hope you’re having fun in Wyoming, Mom, Dad and Jordan
Nia Singleton- Shout out to my fam <3

8/2/2015 – 8/4/2015

Trek Day 1
Rise and shine was at 5am and we left at 6 for our long bus ride to the trail head. After a mid-way stop at Ollantaytambo, a lot of us bought walking sticks (as well as hot chocolate) in anticipation of the steep (and cold) trail ahead. We were greeted at the trail head with chocolate covered crackers and bananas for one last energy boost.
As we climbed higher and higher, the views became more and more breathtaking. Massive, cascading mountains surrounded us, and one of our stops was even at a beautiful lake nestled into the side of the mountain. When we reached our camp for lunch, our tired selves rejoiced at the smell of warm quinoa soup and pasta.
During our next 3 hours of hiking, led by our fearless leader, Richard, we reached a pass measuring up to 15,000 feet! And of course, this was cause for a celebratory selfie. We arrived at our final campsite at around 5:00. Frozen and exhausted, our incredible porters served us hot chocolate and popcorn as a post-hike snack. As we got settled in, we enjoyed the wonderful view of Mount Veronica. Dinner was served at 7, and consisted of steaming tomato soup, chicken and rice and potatoes, and chocolate pudding. The stars came out very quickly and we gazed in awe at the vastness of the Milky Way and the crazy amount of shooting stars until our toes were numb.

Trek Day 2 (arrive in Aguas Calientes)
Hot coca tea and pinkish hues illuminating Mount Veronica greeted us on the morning of our second day trekking. To fuel the long day ahead, breakfast consisted of bread, oatmeal, and pancakes. With frozen fingers, we packed up our duffels and departed onward. The morning began cold, but quickly warmed up as we hiked up and down the rolling mountains. Mid-morning, the slower group took an shorter route (due to time) and met back up with the rest of us at the buses. The buses then took us winding down from the cold mountain to the edge of the humid Amazon jungle. After about 3 hours, we arrived at the train tracks that would lead us to Aguas Calientas. With another 8 miles on the tracks, we trekked into the night. We arrived in Aguas Calientas sweaty and famished. Walking right into Hot Springs restaurant, we devoured a delicious dinner. We checked into our hotel, enjoyed our long awaited showers, and went to bed to rest up for Machu Picchu!

Machu Picchu Day
The morning of Machu Picchu, we were given the option to either hike or to take the bus to the top. The group split pretty evenly and we all met at the entrance. It was a beautiful, sunny day as we all followed our tour guide around the incredible ancient city. Perfectly cut stone and adorable baby alpacas filled our morning. We learned more and more about the rituals of the Inca and their fascinating culture. After a morning of roaming around, we descending back down to Aguas Calientas for lunch.
Following lunch, we were given free time to roam around the colorful city. Some separated to go to the hot springs, and the rest of us strolled through the vibrant craft markets and shopped. We then met up for an early dinner in order to catch the 7:30 train back to Ollantaytambo followed by a 2 hour bus ride back to our home base in Cusco. We rolled in at about 11 absolutely pooped. Home sweet home!

8/5/2015

“Pago a la Tierra” Shaman

Still recovering from our trek, we were able to sleep in a little later this morning. We arrived at our service site at about 9 and worked until 12. After lunch, we went to see a traditional Shaman. We took a 30 minute bus ride to his house outside the city. Filing into his quaint courtyard, he then walked through all the components in an offering to Pachamama (mother earth). We made wishes on coca leaves and then each blew on the offering for good luck. He then took it into the garden and burned it. Afterward, we had the choice to ask the Shaman questions about our future. It was fascinating to learn about the important religious aspects of their traditional culture. We finished the day with dinner and a Ted Talk about leadership.

*Photos by Brandon Yung:

8/6/2015

Our penultimate service day started at 6:00 AM with wake up. At 6:15 our group ate breakfast together and got ready for work. To warm up, we played Sharks and Minnows and finished off with a game of Hug Tag. During service, groups broke off to work on separate projects. One group continued clearing the ground inside the greenhouse to prepare it for planting. Another group brought water to the greenhouse in an attempt to curb the dust. A third group brought adobe bricks to the second work site down the street, and a fourth group taught English at a local school.

After work and lunch, we set off for the market. The first market we went to was called San Pedro; it offered a variety of items, from local Cusco food and drink to memorable souvenirs. We walked to a second market called the Artisan Market and bought many keepsakes. After dinner we finished the day by watching inspirational videos and talking further about what leadership means and how we can move forward after our GLA program comes to an end.

Written by Julian
Special Thanks to Caio, Ajit, and Asim

Photo Cred: Brandon

8/7/2015

Bittersweet. That’s all we could think of this morning when we woke up for the last day. We woke up for breakfast as usual, and headed to the service site to wrap up the work we started 13 days earlier. After one last game of the extremely popular “Hug Tag,” we started our last day of hard work. We had the daunting task of finishing the trench under the road. We then filled up the trench we worked so hard to create after the pipe work was laid. Much work was also done at another service site, where the starting base of a new green house was completed. We came home for lunch exhausted but feeling good that we had contributed to the GLA mission. We know it’s our last day here, and that we will be leaving soon but we also know that our memories here will come home with us and we can smile back at the challenges and the good times.

Written by LOD- Geovani, Humayra, Kanishk, Agnes

7/10/2015

We arrived in the morning to a chilly but sunny Cusco. The view from the flight from Lima to Cusco was breathtaking : we had an overhead view of the Andes that were going to hike a week later. Walking off the plane to see the city with the mountains behind gave all of us a taste of what we were about experience. Although exhausted and jet-lagged, we all were able to enjoy meeting our new found friends, mentors and staff. We played games and walked through Cusco. We experienced our first meal of the three weeks consisting of chicken, rice, potatoes and carrots. The weather was cold in the morning but quickly warmed up in the afternoon and was very pleasant. Unfortunately our good weather only lasts until the sun went down, it got extremely cold then. We had a excellent first day and are looking forward to starting service tomorrow!

– Gillian, Flore, and Jade

7/13/2015Today, we woke up as usual and went to work at the school. We continued for the first two hours building the walls of the green house, some of us were making mud others were digging and some were adding bricks to the wall. We then had a one hour break where we were finally able to meet the kids from the school. We got to jump rope with them, play soccer, go on the swing and learned about them despite the language barrier. Afterwards we joined together back at the hotel where we ate lunch and we were able to chill.At 3.00 pm we had the chance to go to a textile market which was far away. The ride there had some of the best views we’ve seen so far. When we arrived we were welcomed by wonderful ladies who were excited to teach us how they make yarn and their traditional clothes. Everyone was shocked to learn that the textiles take up to 4 months to complete and we were also able to see how the colors were made ( some dyes are even made with beetles! ). Before leaving we all bought bought a large amount of hand-made sweaters, hats, socks, scarfs, purses and even dolls! We then drove back home and arrived just in time for dinner. We ended the night with a documentary which explained the Inca Rebellion, which we are learning more about tomorrow on our tour. We had a busy day though it was rewarding and totally worth it.by Nina, Flore, Chandler and Capucine

7/14/2015We started the day off sleeping in until 8:00 am (it was amazing). We ate breakfast and left the hotel at 9:00 am to start our day of touring Cusco. The first place we went to was Tambomacha, where we learned about the Incan monks and how they were initiated using the water falls. Then we went to Pukapukara and walked around the military base and looked at the beautiful scenery that surrounds the ruins. After we went to Sacsayhuaman and went through the caves (they were very dark, small and scary). We also slid down a naturally formed slide made out of rocks, which was very fun. While in Sacsayhuaman we were able to get an amazing view of Cusco and the mountains surrounding it. After, we went to lunch and some people tried alpaca (which tasted like stake). While eating the amazing Peruvian cuisine we enjoyed the musical stylings by a Peruvian band. They played songs like “Planchamacha” and many students purchased their CD. When lunch was over we hopped back on the bus and went to the Incan Qoricancha and the Basilica Cathedral. We saw many gold paintings and learned a lot about the history of Cusco and the Incans. After a long day of touring we went back to the hotel, ate a delicious dinner and got to know more about one another through speed dating. The day was very fulfilling and the students are ready for a long nights wrest for tomorrows volunteering.7/15/2015To start yet another remarkable day in Peru, the sun escalated over the mountainous horizon and gave off a luscious orange glow. We embarked on our journey to the school to continue our construction of the greenhouse after a relaxing day off touring the city of Cuzco. We continued working on the adobe wall and transferred the trees to the sides of the greenhouse. After a delicious lunch we listened to a Cusqueñean nurse who enlightened us on the health issues and malnutrition of the children of Peru. There is a definitive correlation between poverty and malnutrition in Peru. We had lots of free time today and everyone had fun hanging around the hotel. After dinner we were told that our “surprise” activity was going to be a visit to Playland, a small amusement park across our hotel. Our group had a blast doing the bumper cars, hurricane ride, and twister. It was “turnt”- as Max would say. We feel that the group has connected a lot through the various activities from the past couple of days and look forward to many more adventures.Robert, Shannon, Rodolfo, Max7/16/2015

Not going to lie, waking up was rough this morning. After getting slightly used to later wake-ups, having to scamper out of bed into the freezing Peruvian air at 6:00 sharp was less than pleasant, to put it lightly. Breakfast consisted of the ever-classic scrambled eggs, along with the perpetually available bread, butter, jelly, and fruit. I would give it 3.8 stars. We left the lodge at 7:00 am, filing onto the bus in a melancholy manner. Once we were on the bus, spirits lightened up. The grumpier among us fell asleep, and the cheerful engaged in friendly banter. Service was mostly business as usual, with a few exceptions. We didn’t have anyone working on digging and sifting dirt for the mud, due the the excess created by previous groups. Because of this, we had more people than jobs, which lead to minor confusion. This was overcome, however, by strong leadership exemplified by our leaders of the day — living up to their title. During our breaks, we played with the children attending the local school. “Playing” consists mostly of pushing kids on the swings, kicking a soccer ball around with them, and having large difficulty deciphering the cryptic Spanish insults thrown our way when we do something that the kids don’t like. They’re all very creative. After service, we marched back on the bus and drove back to the lodge for lunch. I would rate our midday meal an enthusiastic 4.3 stars, due to the overall strength of the entree: the pork chop. It was complemented by the expected rice and potatoes, which were solid, but not exceptional. After a few hours of napping, showering, and general recovery from the morning’s work, us GLA students hopped back on the bus and drove to a Peruvian rock formation known as Zona X. It’s famous for its numerous winding tunnels permeating the ancient rock formations. As soon as we saw the massive mossy playground that was ours for the evening, the cantankerous mood that had hung over the crowd vanished, leaving the feeling of excitement and adventure in its stead. Some students explored the seemingly endless caves and tunnels together, climbing and squeezing into increasingly impressive places. Other students practiced their yoga on top of the entire formation, experiencing the fantastic view and surrounding nature fully in between their grunts and stretches. Morale was high when we finally clambered back onto the bus to return — once again — to our lodge. We had another hour to chill out before dinner: a disappointing 2.9 stars. The rice was drier than expected, and the potatoes, although cooked to a respectable softness and texture, were disgraced by the accompanied sauce. The main dish — steamed chicken — was what pulled this meal above 2 stars. It was sweet, and fell apart at the bone. After dinner, we played a game titled rather morbidly “Murder in the Dark”. It supported the running joke that GLA is obsessed with blindfold games, as the game consisted of a group of kids running around, blindfolded, of course, trying to kill each other and catch the murderers. After 3 rounds of chaos, everyone fell silent when we learned that our night was ending with cake. We all sat at tables as the leaders of the day cut the cake into 36 slices for all of the students and some of the mentors. The cake was quickly devoured, and the children scuttled upstairs to their respective rooms. Soon they will be asleep, ready to repeat the day’s cycle again.Thank you all for reading! We miss you all (probably, I know at least 3 kids who have mentioned missing their parents)!Sincerely,Dylan, David, Annie, and Jade

7/17/2015

This morning started out like your typical day. We woke up at 6 and had breakfast, then we went to service. During service we worked on building the walls of the greenhouse, digging dirt for mud, cutting hay, and a new job which was preparing walls for painting murals. Andy, had the idea of using his hi-tech camera to take pictures of the kids to create a yearbook for the school. We also had a chance to play with the kids at the school and learn about a new teacher. We came home to a delicious lunch and set out to finally get wifi and to spend time in the plaza. At the plaza we were able to exchange money, contact family and friends, and shop around. After we gathered together, we walked forty minutes back to base and ate another great meal. Then we had a talk about what was necessary for our trip to Machu Picchu which is coming up on Monday. After the meeting we were able to have our clothes washed for laundry day. We then hung out until lights out at 10:00.

– Khalil Brooks, Lena Wencker, Gillian, and Regina Olivares

7/18/2015

Today we woke up later than usual at about 7 am. Although we got to sleep an extra hour, we had less time to work on the greenhouse. The greenhouse is coming along very well and it is a possibility that we could finish it by the end of our trip. Today we also started work on a trench that will carry a water pipe directly to the greenhouse. After lunch we headed to a llama farm where we learned the differences between llamas, alpacas and vicuñas. We got to feed them, pet them and obviously take selfies with them. After dinner we talked about our trek which we will be embarking on as well as the essential things we will need. We ended our day by watching Emperor’s New Groove which not so accurately represented Incan rule.

7/19/2015
To start off the day we woke up later than usual at 7AM as opposed to the usual 6AM. We had the regular breakfast of 2 eggs with the beverage choices of orange juice, water, or pineapple juice. After that we went to an open air market called Pisac. There we bought various items including, sweaters, scarfs, necklaces, tapestries, soaked in the local culture, and even tried their had at haggling with the vendors. Max impressed everyone with his freestyle rap skill by dropping so called “fire bars”. Everyone then faced the daunting task of balancing essentials for the hike while still keep everything as light as possible. A few last minute purchases were made to ensure warmth and overall happiness during the trek to Machu Picchu. After dinner, the group viewed a local dance troupe and a few students even got to go up on stage and partake in the ritual dances. Everyone said there goodbyes to the 2 Weekers who will have left by the time the groups returns to base camp from Machu Picchu. Everyone is looking forward to the trek and the opportunity to get closer in touch with nature while camping in the great outdoors.

-Andy, David, Shelby, and Brenden

7/20/2015

We woke up in Cusco at the hotel early in the morning. Then we left and drove for 4 hours, on the way we stopped at a small town to buy snacks. After the 4 hour drive we arrived at the beginning of the trail where we stopped to eat lunch. After a quick break and lunch, we began our trip to Machu Picchu with our first leg of the hike being 4 miles. When we arrived at the first camp site after our 4 mile uphill trek we all had tea and ate dinner while we tried to warm up. We tried to sleep but it was difficult for most because of the cold weather. Most found themselves sleeping like a baby, waking up every hour crying because of the cold.We woke up at seven, ate breakfast, packed our stuff and left for our hike. That day was mainly uphill and it was 8 miles. We stopped for lunch and enjoyed beautiful scenery despite our exhaustion.
We finally made it to the camp, where most people had pooping troubles. A group gathered to practice constipation exercises and luckily all were successful. After tea and dinner, everyone was able to fall asleep. We woke up at six, to tea and breakfast and began the last part of our hike. We hiked two miles down hill, then stopped for lunch in a local village, where buses picked us up. It was an amazing bus ride through the jungle for two hours. We were dropped off at a train station, where we walked another 2 1/2 hours along the train tracks. We arrived at our hotel for the night where everyone was excited to shower after two nights of hiking. We went out to a fun and delicious dinner and went to bed early.
In the morning, part of our group left at six to hike the stairs up to Machu Picchu and the rest met them at the entrance. We were able to take a three hour tour of the ruins and explore. Everyone was exhausted by the time we left and went out to lunch. After lunch we walked around aguas callientes and shopped in the local market place. At 3 o’clock we took a two hour train ride, followed by a two hour bus ride. We arrived safely at home base and enjoyed hot showers and dinner.
-Regina, Chandler and David

7/24/2015

To kick off Peruvian Independence day, we arose from our slumber at 7 AM. We had a typical breakfast of eggs, and it was off to the service site to continue our speedy progress on the greenhouse. The house is looking larger than ever, and everyone is doing their best to achieve our final goal. The sun beat down as we worked all morning, and spent a greater amount of time with the kids due to their upcoming winter vacation. It was hard for some to say goodbye, as we shared lots of constructional experiences with our little amigos. After a productive day of work, we returned to the hotel to a lunch of yummy meatballs and rice. After some much deserved rest, we embarked on a bus ride to the top of a nearby mountain to get a full experience of Peruvian music from a local musician who shared with us his many different instruments. We learned to play various wind and percussion instruments and had a wholesome experience. We came back to San Borja Hotel to a dinner of stuffed chicken and rice. We then took a trip to a local food market, where we stocked up on snacks for our rooms. Time here in Peru is running short, and we are excited for the upcoming adventures that await us in the next week!
-Laura, Max, Aiyana, and Shannon

7/25/2015

Instead of usual service today, we went to Patabamba to help out 5 different families with their chores so they are prepared for going to the market the next day. What we did was hulling corns and washing the lettuce. We had quinoa soup with potatoes and cheese as lunch. It was really delicious! Afterwards, some of the students had an intense soccer game with the town kids. In the middle of the game, some kids brought a dead bird out of nowhere and kick it around the field. Then, one of them threw it to the audience and scared the heck of them. We came back had dinner with some beef and rice, and ended our day with a game of hide and seek.

-David, Annie, Khalil, and Rudy

7/27/2015

We started the day off sleeping till 8! We then packed our bags for an adventurous day of white water rafting. We arrived at the raft launch and immediately began paddling through the beautiful mountains of Peru. It wasn’t long before friends started turning on each other, jumping onto their pirate ships and throwing their women, children, and food overboard. After numerous water fights in the freezing 10 degree Celsius water, we finished the the trip off with a nice warm lunch. Lunch was yummy chicken and potatoes.Then we started on our 3 hour drive back to there hotel. But then we stopped at Oyantatambo , a market place with beautiful Incan Ruins, and people shopped for bracelets and food. We continued on our long drive back to the hotel and ate a great dinner.

7/29/2015

Dear readers,