Uncategorized - Part 47

May 31, 2023 by Ashley Welter

Peru: Service Expedition in the Sacred Valley (July 6-July 19, 2023)

Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things you can expect:

We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

May 31, 2023 by Ashley Welter

Peru: Service Expedition in the Sacred Valley (June 19-July 2, 2023)

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Written by Alejandra Gonzalez, International Director

Hello fellow GLA adventurers!

It has been many months since our special time together in Ollantaytambo, Perú… what a journey! From playing spontaneously with any kid you found in the way, or any friendly dog, pickaxing under the burning sun, receiving unconditional hugs from the local girls at service, having very interesting bus rides, eating infinite potatoes, rising to 14,000 feet high in the Andean mountains, breathing into coca leaves and laughing and crying together, as we blew our final appreciation circle candle with our last kikiwakan CLAP! It might feel like yesterday, or maybe ages ago. In any way, we wish the memories you made are still echoing in your heart.

Each one of YOU made this adventure significant and unique. We hope you take it all in wherever you are in your lives. This email might find you back in school, navigating your junior or senior years, college applications and perhaps changes in friendship or family dynamics. Wherever you are, we wish you remember our time together as a breeze of fresh air. Breathe it in and remember it is yours to embrace!

The impact that you had with your service work is greater than you imagine, you left the girls’ homes better than how you found them. With your hard work, your example and willingness to exchange smiles and words of kindness with them. You contributed to the development of a better reality for them and for you, with your now expanded knowledge and understanding from being in service, getting to know the girls and the high mountains from where they come from. We hope the perspective you gained will serve you and the communities you go to for the rest of your lives.

As you reflected about your learnings, you set a collective goal together to ‘MAKE THE BEST OUT OF ANY SITUATION” which for you meant truly living daily, making connections, focus on the positive aspects, put in the effort to be happy, no negativity, moving on and understanding that everything happens for a reason.

How is it going?! Have there been any changes in your home or even community? I hope you are able to integrate the many learnings and your intentions into your life back home, in your own authentic way. Thank you for being courageous and striving to BE THE CHANGE!

Sending each and every one of you my best regards and shiny rays of sunlight from Ollantaytambo!

P.S. Interested in traveling with GLA again this summer? Sessions are filling quickly! Check out our 2024 Program Guide for available session dates! We hope to see you again soon 🙂

Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

Here are a few things you can expect:

We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

Cell Phone Policy: The GLA cell phone policy is currently in place this summer to help foster meaningful connections between students. This means your student’s phone will be collected every day and returned to them after activities are completed to have with them through the night. Actual tech times and regularity will vary greatly by program location and time zones. During designated ‘tech time’, your student may use their phones as they wish. Please note that your student may not always choose to use this time to get a hold of their parents. If you are not hearing directly from your student each day, you can assume that no news is good news! We strongly recommend you follow the blog to follow your students’ experience without talking to them every day. If you are a parent and would like to get in touch with your student directly, you can call us at +1-619-758-3031 and we can set up a formal time for you to connect with your student.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

Click here to jump down to the most recent posts!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 19

Arrival day was a beautiful success as the students happily and safely arrived to the airport in Cuzco. We were welcome at our home base and did a tour with Alex, our home base manager who very kindly shared about the Living Inca City we are in, Ollantaytambo. We played soccer with the local boys in the main plaza, which was a true highlight of joy for the group.

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 20

On our second day we started a morning of get to know you games and orientation. Students did several activities to continue creating a sense of trust in the group. We had an interactive tour through the Ollantaytambo ruins and dove into the Andean culture with a heartfelt ceremony with Q’uero community members, one of the last indigenous Incan descendants Quechua speakers in the region.

In the night we got to be in a cultural presentation in the Ollantaytambo ruins to celebrate the original tale of the town, a truly unique experience. We are now a complete group with the arrival of one of our students today!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 21

Dear families!

As the leader of the day Seth U., I got the chance with my fellow peers being more of a mentor to them rather than just a friend. Being a mentor means you have to make sure rules are being followed but it’s more than that it’s all about making sure that people are safe and having fun.

I had a few jobs like making sure that people were getting to places on time and staying hydrated and not getting absolutely cooked from the sun and not bullying – that last one was luckily not hard at all.

It all started early in the morning around 7:00 waking up making sure I was ready and mentally prepared to handle a bunch of crazy 17 year old. At around 8:00 I made sure that everybody was getting to breakfast and that they knew what we would be doing that day and what they would need through out our first day of service. After eating our amazing toast and eggs we got all our super important things together and started our small hike up to a girls school to help them cleaning up the yard and making sure they would be able to grow crops for the future.

We had lunch at the service site which was really cool we got to try food that they would normally eat and it was really good. Next we got to meet a lot of the girls and introduced our selves in their native language and they introduced them selves in English. It was a struggle and very hard pronunciation but it was super fun. We played tag with them running around and we were in a pretty small area but that made it even funnier. Finally we sadly had to head back to home base after a lot of fun with the girls and helping out.

When we got back to home base there was a guest speaker ready for us so we quickly grabbed some more water and jumped right back into the fun after speaking to the guest speaker more about why and what we are doing to help these girls and their education. We had a fun little game which we got to connect more with the speaker and the small family we are creating. Then we got to take a small break and headed up to dinner. When we got there we decided to go shopping a little bit while they were making our food. We got to go out and try some of the very unique products, the very interesting candies and snacks they have in Peru. Some were definitely tastier then others. After that we quickly headed back to the restaurant and ate our food which was very good. We are only a few days in and have tried some very cool foods.

After dinner we headed back to home base and had a leadership activity with our peers. Some more then others got to a very deep level and really were able to relate and connect with our emotions. It’s very heartwarming to see how much alike we are and what hard things that we have all been through and honestly are still going through.

Last but not least during our free time we like to get everybody together or at least all people that aren’t about to fall asleep from the long day and go play cards and keep connecting for this last hour. It is definitely a special moment and one of my favorite moments every night. After that we all go to our respected rooms and head to bed getting ready for the next day.

It’s amazing we get to have these special connection and seeing these almost unworldly things from where we live today. What an experience!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 22

Written by Connor and Seth – Leaders of the Day

Hello parents!

On day 4 we started our day early with a long bus ride to our service trip in Calca. There, we worked hard to remove weeds and moved rocks to create a more level ground. Afterwards, we travelled to explore some artisanal markets in Pisac. We were introduced to a new world of colorful textiles, and we even got to meet an alpaca.

On the way back, we had quite a bonding experience on the bus. Then, we got to eat some delicious dinner and followed the night with a leadership activity.

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 23

Today was a very eventful and exciting day. We had breakfast and drove to Calca to do our service. We used pickaxes to break the ground up and get the grass out of the ground. Not as easy as it sounds. We also spent some time tanning/burning in the sun. The girls from the home finally arrived back and we got to make ceramic Makarinas. We forgot what they were called. But they made whistle noises as you blew into the hole in the top. We got to watch the girls laugh at us as we tried to speak Spanish with them. The people who were teaching us how to make the whistle noise things had brought their daughter, Naira. She was the absolute cutest child EVER!

Our cuisine of the day consisted of some delicious green noodle soup, and shredded chicken stuff with rice. But the most exciting meal of which we had been waiting for since the day we saw it on the menu was Alpaca. Now that may sound gross but it was actually amazing. They added this sweet sauce and it just had so much flavor and tasted like no other meat we’ve tried. Some people had a hard time eating as we were having laugh attacks mid dinner. Also the fact that we had just held a baby alpaca yesterday and now we’re eating one. Overall it was a very good day.

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 24

Written by Beatriz and Kaitlin – Leaders of the Day

Good morning, today we had a later wake up and some of us got up early to go on a jog with Manu, our local director! After breakfast we packed our bags for Cusco and learned about responsible photography. Shortly after we headed to the Maras salt mines where we learned all about the history of the mines and got some great photos. After that we headed into Cusco for lunch at a local restaurant.

We then did a walking tour around the popular streets of Cusco and got to visit the local markets that sold delicious foods. Shortly after we checked into our hotel where we then had a safety briefing to prepare us for our exciting day tomorrow of white water rafting and zip lining. For dinner we had delicious chicken and fries and ended the night playing group games.

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 25

Hello dear parents!

Today was our adventure day as we went rafting and zip lining! It was a beautiful day with the sun shining and the students adventuring the nature in Peru. We woke up early in our hotel in Cuzco where we spent the night and had our breakfast prepared with much love from the wonderful host in the hotel.

We arrived to the river with our rafting guides where they prepared us for the adventure, getting us the right gear including our padels, lifeguards and our suites and boots to face the cold water. We grouped in two boats and had fun rides as we navigated through rapids up to class 3. We had some exciting moments with rougher water but both boats made it through without any falls. As we arrived back to the lodge we had the sauna waiting for us, where we enjoyed warming our bodies and relaxing after the adventure.

They served us a beautiful lunch with nutritionus quinoa soup and the main dish chicken, vegetable and of course potatoes – we have had many potatoes as Peru has 4 thousand kinds which students are enjoying.

After lunch we zip lined across the river to close our journey. We came back in bus in a 3 hour ride, where many students peacefully slept through 🙂

The journey has been smooth and beautiful!

My kind regards,
International Director Maria Alejandra Gonzalez

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 26

Written by Aedan and Montana

Today was day 8 in Peru and it was extremely exciting. We woke up and had a breakfast of pancakes and eggs before heading out to our last day service here in Ollyantaytambo. We worked in the garden using pickaxes to get rid of weeds and loosen up soil. After lunch we tanned in the scorching sun. On our walk back to homebase we stopped in the plaza for some ice cream and handmade Peruvian goods, such as clothing, backpacks, and bracelets.

After our shopping spree we hit the dance floor and learned some cultural dances from the four regions of Peru. Turning the tables, we taught the dance instructors the Cotton Eyed Joe line dance. We finished off the day with some free time before dinner and a leadership activity (Extremely competitive Pictionary). We also learned how to be a more cohesive team with a power point presentation. Today was another great day in Peru and we cannot wait for tomorrow and our trek later this week.

Signing off!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 27

Written by Seth – Leader of the Day

It all started waking up nice and early in the morning of course as the amazing leader of the day I was totally not late 😉 lucky my amazing partner Dane the other leader of the day, also my right hand man, was there and up making sure everyone was at breakfast and on time. Me and dane explained the schedule to everyone to make sure they knew where they were going and were ready for the day. After that me and Dane rounded up everybody and made sure they had their necessities and were getting on the bus for the service we were going to be doing at this school.

When we got there we separated into teams and started getting work done with Connor who had speakers so we could be jamming while working. After working for a while we all sat down and had lunch together. It was amazing probably one of the best things we had so far and a little taste from home if you could guess what it was I wouldn’t be that surprised because it was a delicious burger.

After that we headed back out and finished up doing some more work and ended the service pretty strong. After that we made our way back to home base to chill for a little then do a nice debrief of the good hike/camping trip we had in store for us which was around 12 miles in total. After that we had FREE TIME! We all played some cards joked around and had some really interesting and fun talks. After that we went to dinner and had some amazing food then ended the night going to bed early sadly for the crazy camping day we are going on. Good night for now.

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 28

Written by Connor and Montana – Leaders of the Day.

Dear families,

We started our day bright and early with a 6:00 am breakfast. We headed to our starting point of the hike just past the town of lares. We got oriented to what the hike was going to be like and started our journey.

We hiked past waterfalls, alpacas, and spikey grass on our way to base camp which was situated at about 14,000 feet. On our journey, we got to meet some locals at a small town that we had lunch at. Though it was a tough feat, we all made it, and got congratulated as we were one of the fastest groups of hikers that our leaders had. After this long hike, we were met with a light snack of pocorn, crackers, and warm drinks before dinner. Dinner was hot spaghetti. The stars in the night sky were to die for and the constellations were very different from what we were used to as Peru is in the southern hemisphere. In preparation for our long day tomorrow we went to bed very early in our tents.

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 29

Good morning!

Today we woke up freezing and above 14,000 ft! After we found it in ourselves to leave our warm sleeping bags, we had breakfast and packed up our tents and started our trek. We climbed to the highest point of the mountain and took a long break to enjoy the view. Then we continued down the trail, some fast and some slower, and all eventually met to have lunch in the nearest town to the lares pass.

We took the bus back home and enjoyed the views, and then unpacked and showered off all the sweat from our hike. In town, we got coffee and bought souvenirs in the markets. We also saw a concert in the town square, as there were many festivities going on today. We had fun chatting at dinner, and back at home camp we relaxed. Overall a very fun day!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 30

Written by Luella and Kaitlin – Leaders of the day!

We were awaken at the crack of dawn. Had delicious bread for breakfast and then headed on our way to the train station to start our journey to Machu Picchu. We soon realized we could have slept in an extra hour as our train got delayed. We spent the hour in the train station coffee shop drinking our delicious Peruvian iced coffees. We then got on the train for a two hour drive and arrived around 10:30 to the town of Machu Picchu. Throughout the train ride the habitat around us changed, we were used to a dry and cold environment, but it changed into a more jungle and humid environment. The town of Machu Picchu was full of tourists waiting to go to one of the 7 Wonders of the World. We waited in line for about 15 minutes and then we went aboard the bus to our destination. The bus ride was around 30 minutes and had the most beautiful views we’ve ever seen. We arrived at the bottom of our walk to Machu Picchu. We climbed up flights of stairs and finally made it.

As we turned around the corner we were struck in awe. The views were mesmerizing. The pictures of Machu Picchu do no justice of what it is like in real life. The amazing architecture and beautiful views were stunning. We got to learn about many things including the Sun Temple where they would sacrifice pure children for the gods. We also learned about the astrological significance of Machu Picchu and how many buildings were built around the way the sun and stars move. We then arrived back to the bus stop and headed on our journey to lunch. The ride down from Machu Picchu is the most beautiful but most scary car ride i’ve ever been on. The road is the width of a car and a half and we’re all holding on for dead life. The whole tour took around 2 hours and we were on our way to lunch!

We finally arrived back at home base around 7:30 and went to our dinner spot. After dinner we had our own concert down the streets of peru, singing and dancing! We then have our closing activity as two of our people are leaving tomorrow, a day early.

Closing was an emotional roller coaster. We started off laughing and ended outside around a candle crying our eyes out.

BLOG POST FOR JULY 1 & 2

Written by Alejandra Gonzalez – International Director

Dearest families,

We have closed our wonderful learning journey finalizing our time together with space to relax at the homebase, pack, share with peers, play games and music and enjoy a fire in the terrace. We also walked around the town for the last times. Students enjoyed getting ice cream, being in the plaza and buying last souvenirs from the local artisans from the stores in town.

We had our last lunch all together on Saturday, and student reminisced as we played a video from all the memories we shared in our last 2 weeks. Seth and Dane departed first on Saturday afternoon, with a feeling of nostalgy but also warmth from the new friendship that have been formed. Our next 3 students, Katie, Kaitlin and Luella left the home base at 3:30 am – great early bird warriors 😄! Other students woke up to give the last huggs and goodbyes to them!

Finally we had Beatriz, Connor, Montana and Aedan be the last students to leave homebase and leave all together in the airport Sunday afternoon.

We feel so grateful to have shared this life-changing experience with our dear students who have made this time truly memorable.

My best regards and wishes in receiving your sons and daughters back home. Thank you for your trust and support throughout the journey!

May 31, 2023 by Ashley Welter

Peru: Foundations of Global Health (July 25-August 7, 2023)

Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things you can expect:

We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

May 31, 2023 by Ashley Welter

Peru: Foundations of Global Health (Sessions Starting July 1, 2023)

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Written by Adela, Kasia, and the Peru Team

Hola todos. Les echamos muchísimos de menos (we miss you so much!). Siempre vamos a recordar los lindos momentos con ustedes en Cusco, Perú. While you all are probably, now, wrapped up in classes in highschool or maybe even college, pursuing your many talents like sports, music, and many others, we feel like it was just yesterday we were all here together among the incredible mountains of Peru, walking the cobblestoned streets of Cusco, visiting the vast diversity of cafes, and petting our fair share of llamas and alpacas together. Here in Cusco we are still reminiscing about all the wonderful memories and adventures we shared together. We hope that you have learned more Spanish by now! You were a wonderful GLA group with such unique and beautiful personalities.

You have made a difference in every person/dog that you talked/petted and every community that you visited. Do you remember the clinic and being able to write out prescriptions in Spanish and teaching kids how to brush their teeth? You helped with people’s vitals and prescriptions, and many people have received much needed medicine that you helped distribute. Plus, we got to help suction mouths and helped with supplies for the dentist while she helped an incredible amount of people with dental care. You also sanded, and painted, and cleaned some houses that made a positive continuous change in people’s lives. You all did such a great job with those tasks and the people that you helped will never forget you! While you contributed so much to the well-being of others, you also received information that you can now use onward. Maybe your work here inspired you to pursue medicine (or strengthened that passion), maybe your experiences here made you see more of a need for change, maybe that need for change extends to your home country, maybe this service has ignited your desire to get more involved and inspired you to be involved with a fire and with a reason. However these experiences have influenced you, remember that this experience and every day of your lives gives you knowledge that you have the ability to apply to your future.

Also, in addition to our service work. we went to so many magical places together: the remarkable, historic ruins of Machu Picchu, we rafted down glacial waters, zip-lined across the river, cooked s’mores over the fire (and showed Mateo his first s’more!), trekked incredibly strong, in high altitude, up to rainbow mountain, then trekked once again to the magical lake Humantay, and ate some delicious picarones. What’s more, you made some delicious lomo saltado in the cooking class (it was buss!), played a beautiful concert of pan flute, produced some tasty chocolate, and used your creativity to create lovely ceramic artifacts! We will also never forget our adventures to the local markets and trying to get the best price for a souvenir. We have some expert bargainers here! Our nightly walks in Cusco were also unforgettable!

Finally, we can’t forget our group’s OMG! One meaningful goal. Our goal was to make a difference! This goal doesn’t have an end date, I love that we want to work on it forever! We’re going to achieve this by stopping being negative (toxic), continuing volunteering and spreading positivity, and starting to put other people above yourselves! We’re going to use friends, family, and each other to achieve this goal. Our end goal will be us being able to recognize positivity in ourselves. I would love to see how you all are incorporating the OMG into your lives. I’m sure that no matter how you choose to make a difference, it’ll impact your life and others’ lives in so many important ways.

Thank you for being a fantastic group of students and we hope that each and every one of you is doing well! Good luck with your personal and group OMG, and we are sending you all lots of amor (love) from Peru! ¡Muchos besos y abrazos para todos!

Cheers,
Adela, Kasia, and the Peru Team

P.S. Interested in traveling with GLA again this summer? Sessions are filling quickly! Check out our 2024 Program Guide for available session dates! We hope to see you again soon 🙂

Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

This blog is for the Peru split session starting July 1, 2023, which includes both the 14-day and the 21-day student groups.

Here are a few things you can expect:

We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

Click here to jump down to the most recent posts!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 1

Hola!

After the group traveled all night to get here we were so excited that most of our group arrived this morning safe and sound. Soon after arrival, we made our way back to our charming home base in the historic district of Cusco. Once we got to home base, we found our rooms, unpacked, and hung out with the group on this beautiful sunny day. After getting situated, we ate an energizing lunch after some long travels and got to know each other even more.

Once lunch ended, we were able to do some introduction games and made some beautiful portraits with a mix of the features of everyone in our group. Then, our wonderful mentors introduced a comical game where we learned about each other through acting. Soon after, we sat down a bit for orientation followed by a delicious dinner which was accompanied by a cup of tea (they do say Coca tea helps with the altitude). Now that dinner is over, we’re ready to turn in early to recharge for the exciting days to come!

– Adela Traeger (International Director)

BLOG POST FOR JULY 2

Written by Tev

Today we left the hotel in the morning to see a military parade in the city center. We then did a walking tour around the city. Some of the students bought local merchandise from the vendors at the market. Students bought ice cream, fresh orange juice, jewelry and alpaca clothing. We headed back to home base and we ate a traditional Peruvian lunch. With our free time we did an activity and debated if a dirt road should be built on indigenous land.

In the afternoon, we took a bus and hiked for a little while to see beautiful landscapes and we saw traditional rituals performed by natives in the mountains. We then went back to home base and ate dinner. Towards the end of the day, we got our mentor groups and we played jeopardy as a group.

BLOG POST FOR JULY 3

Written by Cece

Today we all had to for breakfast at 7am. Then we left for the reality tour in preparation for our medical volunteer service tomorrow. We visited towns along the whole outing, places in the Sacred Valley along with see the outside of a rural school and glancing inside a rural medical clinic. We later ate lunch at a lookout and got to try a delicious fruit called granadilla.

After lunch, we got to visit a zoo with alpacas, llamas, condors, and a variety of other animals. We also got to hear the animal’s stories and how they got to the zoo/sanctuary. We then drove back to home base and met the new students who arrived today. We watched a presentation about what we were going to be doing tomorrow and then also got to go to a local store to get snacks. Afterward, we ate dinner and then had a presentation about appropriate photography.

BLOG POST FOR JULY 4

Written by Isabel

We started our day today with breakfast at 7 am, and then left for our first day in the clinic. When we got there, we helped set up all of the stations, which included education, toothbrushing, triage, dental, general medicine, and pharmacy. Our well organized system allowed us to see and help 70 people! We all participated in two stations, helping doctors attend to patients. Some were very hands on, including dental where we got to help the doctor with suction. When we got back from clinic, we had a July 4th themed reverse talent show which was really fun! It was such a valuable experience to be able to make a big impact in this community, and we’re so excited to do it again tomorrow!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 5

Written by Nate

Allianchu!

Today, we continued our service days with the MEDLIFE traveling clinic. We set up shop at a local schoolhouse, and got to work, seeing patients of all shapes and sizes. We met a friendly dog whose name roughly translates from the Quechua phrase for “Little bear,” as well as interacted with a family of 5 children. Later that night, we (eventually) made it home to the hotel, where we learned dances from all three major regions of Peru; ranging from those that imitate the mountain harvest, to the explosive, flamboyant dances of the Peruvian coast. All in all, we had another eventful day in the sunny nation of Peru, and we all look forward to where our adventure takes us next!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 6

Written by Elizabeth

Hola! Today we had breakfast at 7:00 a.m before heading to our last day of clinic. At the clinic we had the most patients of any other day! It was very busy, but everyone got lots of experience with clinic work and speaking Spanish. During clinic everyone ate their lunch sandwiches quickly to get back to the patients.

After clinic, when we returned to the hotel, we had a music workshop. During this we learned about Peruvian instruments such as a harp that you hold on your shoulder. We learned a song to play on the Pan Flute that we played as a group. At the end of the workshop everyone got to try any instrument they wanted. Later we had a great dinner before heading out for our night time activity. We walked around two plazas while taking pictures. Before heading back to the hotel for the night some people got food such as Peruvian fried doughnuts (picarones).

Having a great time!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 7

Written by Agam

Today we started our day with breakfast at 7:30 am, and then left home base to go to our cooking class at 8:30. We cooked 3 different meals including a beef stir fry (lomo saltado), chicken with cheese and bread (aji de gallina), and a mushroom stir fry. We all had so much fun with the chef! Then we headed back to home base for a break, and then we were off to our tour of the Qoricancha museum. We learned all about Cusco’s history, and the religious symbols and aspects.

Then we moved in to our afternoon activity, where we split up into two groups and tried out coffee shops in Cusco. We got affogatos, cookies, lattes, and discovered new peruvian coffee spots! Then we went to dinner at 6:30 pm and head to our rooms for early lights out and packing for our departure tomorrow for Machu Picchu!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 8

Written by Lily

Bienvenido!

After eating a hearty breakfast to give us the energy for our exciting day we set off for our first stop. With beautiful weather and great company we made it to Maras. Learning about the salt mines and getting to take in the beautiful views was a great way to begin our day of adventure! We got to learn about the history of Maras, buy different kinds of salt as well as some tasty chocolate from the markets. Back on the bus we headed over to Andean Colors for some delicious lunch of soup, lomo saltado, and Cuy!

After a delicious meal we got the opportunity to feed the alpacas while taking some cute pictures and learn about the process of making Alpaca textiles. We got an immersive experience in the development of those beautiful sweaters and blankets we see in the markets lining downtown Cusco. We ended our time at Andean Colors by browsing the stores and buying some memorable souvenirs to bring home!

Dinner at Mijunapas had a change of plans when there was a time constraint and we ended up having to box up our food and take it to go. Even though our initial meal was a little rushed, we got to enjoy some amazing food while experiencing the breathtaking mountains on the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes. After arrival, we walked to our hotel for the night and got prepared for our big day tomorrow at Machu Picchu!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 9

Written by Ruby T.

Allianchu!

After a nutritious (and certainly early) hotel breakfast, we set off for the bus station to take us to the stunning and historic Machu Picchu! On the scenic bus ride up the mountain, we couldn’t help but marvel at the sights of one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

After hiking part of the original Inca trail (which required some scrambling and inhaler puffs), we finally arrived at the breathtaking Machu Picchu. We saw this as a wonderful opportunity to take some photos and soak in each moment before heading down the mountain, closer to the ruins. Our wonderful tour guides, Matteo and Delia, were sure to inform us of the rich history behind the ancient citadel. Meaning “old peak” in Quechua, Machu Picchu is believed to be constructed in the early 1400s as a palace for Emperor Pachacuti, sitting majestically at the meeting point between the Peruvian Andes and the Amazon Basin.

Craving a taste of home, we enjoyed a nutritious lunch of burgers and pizza. Yes, it was as glorious as it sounds through your screen. After walking around the bustling city of Ollantaytambo and picking up souvenirs at some authentic artisanal markets, we enjoyed some ice cream and prepared for a LONG journey back to home base, which clocked in at a whopping three and a half hours. You heard that right – we were wiped.

Unable to keep our eyes open at dinner, we tucked in early and are so excited for more adventures tomorrow!

Stay tuned!!

Rutukama,
Ruby T.

P.S. Find the hidden Viscacha (squirrel-like and rabbit-like and chinchilla-like animal) in a photo below! -Adela

BLOG POST FOR JULY 10

Written by Bella

¡Hola Hola!

After our wonderful trip to Machu Picchu yesterday, we thankfully had a late breakfast at 9 am this morning! However, one of our mentors, Jesse invited anyone who wanted to come for a 8 am Starbucks run. After getting our coffee we headed to a local bakery called “Dumbos” and found some delicious croissants. The Starbucks group hurried back to catch up with everyone else during breakfast. After breakfast we had a group game called “Queen Bee.” The game was fun and lead into the leadership activity of discussing the effects of assumptions. We had about an hour after this discussion before heading off to the MedLife roundtable event, so some of the group decided to go to the local grocery store while others stayed at home base for some free time.

Around 12:30 we hopped on the bus and trekked about an hour and thirty minutes outside of Cusco accompanied by the Medlife staff. We had the opportunity to meet past patients from Medlife clinics who the organization has continued to support and follow up with throughout the years. The patients were gracious enough to invite us into their private homes and shared their personal stories. This experience was a beautiful way we as students were able to connect on a deeper level with the community and really understand the challenges some of the local people face. We, along with the Medlife staff, brought the patients household items to show support and to continue to make a profound impact on the patients’ lives.

After the roundtable we headed back to our hotel in Cusco for a quick briefing on the exciting adventures of rafting, zip lining, and hiking Rainbow Mountian. These activities begin tomorrow so we were given a chance to meet one of the guides and understand what the adventures will entail. We had about thirty minutes of free time before a 6:30 dinner.

After our yummy meal prepared by our great chef, Jorge, we headed into the local plaza for a group activity to close out the day. During this activity we were assigned random partners and were given three sets of about 12 questions to ask over 45 minutes. We had 15 minutes per set of questions, but not one group made it through every question because, as we talked, side questions would be asked and a deeper connection was formed as we got to know our fellow students on a new level.

After this activity, we headed back to home base and got to walk through a local high school performace which consisted of beautiful costumes, music, and fun! Before heading to bed we stopped at the corner Peruvian donut shop (picarones) for a night time snack. Everyone is excited about our adventures tomorrow so once back at home based we quickly got packed and headed for bed!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 11

Written by Sophia

Hola!
Today we had breakfast at 7:30, then hopped on a bus to our next homebase, where we will stay overnight. Upon arriving to our beautiful lodge overlooking the Vilcanota river, we got our rafting gear on and drove to the area where we’d begin whitewater rafting! Our teamwork was put to the test as we navigated the rapids, while admiring the gorgeous views of the mountains along the way! Countless splash fights, paddle highfives, and races resulted in many happy (and not so dry) faces! We returned to a delicious meal of soup and chicken with a dessert of chocolate pudding, which definitely hit the spot after rafting! Then, we ziplined across the river, which was thrilling! A few hours later, we made s’mores over a bonfire beneath all the stars. Matteo (local director) had his very first s’more! It was a relaxing end of the day before our early wakeup for Rainbow Mountain tomorrow morning!

-Sophia

BLOG POST FOR JULY 12

Hello!

After a very early wake up this morning (4:00 AM), and a necessary breakfast of french toast, hot chocolate, and of course coffee, we started our journey to the marvel that some call Rainbow Mountain and others call Vinicunca. The bus ride, from the River Lodge where we stayed the night, was about an hour and a half. We then started the strenuous but exhilarating hike up to the mountain. It started out flat, but as we got closer the incline increased…a lot. The combination of the uphill hike and the very high altitude made the arrival of every person in our group so rewarding and impressive. For most of us (if not all), this was the highest altitude we have ever experienced in our lives, about 5,000 meters or 16,400 feet, and we were rewarded with the most incredible views of rainbow mountain, colored by different minerals in the dirt, and to the other side a close up view of Ausangate, a glacial mountain that we can see every day from Cusco city (4 hours away!).

After many amazing pictures (accompanied by fluffy dogs and photogenic alpacas) and a meaningful conversation about the mountain and culture from our guide, Juan Carlos, we made our way back to the River Lodge for lunch. We soon ate a very filling lunch and got some rest, then we headed back on our 2 hour journey to home base. Upon arrival, the group was revived by some much needed rest and free time. We then had a wonderful dinner followed by a night activity lead by the mentors. This consisted of a HA HA game and a hilarious game of hide and seek. Soon after we headed to bed to dream about the many incredible mountains of Peru.

– Adela (International Director)

BLOG POST FOR JULY 13

Written by Jack & Maddie Oh

We began the day with a secret santa style game by each person drawing a random name. Afterwards, we spent a couple hours at the market with 10 soles to spend for our given person, and to buy any personal souvenirs as well. Once we finished shopping, we walked as a group through the city to some delicious cafes. In the cafes, we got food ranging from savory empanada pastries to delectable sweet cakes. Soon after, we went back to home base for a quick lunch, and took a bus to the beautiful countryside. The 14-day departures and 21-day departures were split into two groups, with the 14-day’s reflecting on their experience, and 21-day’s writing a new mission statement for the upcoming week. As soon as the group sessions wrapped up, we had a fun time at the top of Templo de la Luna exchanging our mystery gifts with each other. Following our exchange, we took a scenic walk back to home base and had dinner. Since this was a special last dinner for the 14-day departures, a tasty carrot cake was served around the table. As the day wraps up, our group pleasantly bonds together before members of our group leave tomorrow. 🙁

– Jack & Maddie Oh (AKA Mack)

BLOG POST FOR JULY 14

Written by Ruby and Elce

¡Bienvenidos!

Today, we woke up bright and early to prepare for our last day of clinic! We said heartfelt goodbyes to the first batch of 14-day program students after breakfast. As somber as it may have been, we are so excited to see where their adventures with GLA takes them, and we know they will accomplish incredible things.

We set up our mobile clinic at a local school in Pisac, Cusco. Today was one of our busiest days yet – we provided care to over 80 patients and demonstrated proper tooth brushing/hand washing techniques to the local children. After an exciting soccer game (we were promptly demolished), we had some downtime before dinner. Some students ventured out to San Pedros market (the largest market in all of Cusco), while others relaxed at home base.

Unable to keep our eyes open at dinner, we tucked in early after a hilarious game of “Who’s Most Likely To.”

Stay tuned for more adventures tomorrow!

Adios,
Elce and Ruby

BLOG POST FOR JULY 15

Written by Callie

Hola!

Today we woke up for a delicious breakfast at 7am and left at 8am for our first day of the healthy homes project! We travelled with Medlife (thanks to Rodrigo and Mateo) an hour and half south of Cusco where we did some work on a family’s home.

We started by sanding the paint off the walls before we painted the bright new colours on the walls. We also cleaned the brick stove and refurbished the white strips between the bricks. We had lunch and continued to work until 2:30pm when we finally finished. It looked great and the family was very happy.

She showed gratitude by making us a special type of Peruvian popcorn and fresh cheese from the market. We said our thanks and travelled back to Cusco. With some free time to clean up for our wonderful Quechua guest speakers we had an educational presentation about ancient natural medicine Quechua people continue to use this day with a variety of many plants.

We all went out to Starbucks for a quick coffee break after the hard work from today and then had our delicious dinner at 7pm.

We ended our fun packed day with a scavenger hunt thanks to Jesse and Kasia. Lights out at 10pm for our next day of healthy homes!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 16

Written by Peter and Gabe

Today we had a bright 7am breakfast and shortly after we headed to community of Secsencalla and started on another home. We painted the interior and exterior of a lovely families kitchen. We then drove back to home base for some much needed rest, before heading to the Choca museum where we learned the process of how to make chocolate. After learning this process, we made our own chocolates, and left them to cool. We then returned back to home base and ate fried chicken and cilantro soup for dinner. After a delicious dinner, we picked up our chocolates and scouted around Cusco for live music and fun vibes to enjoy our last night with our beloved mentor Jesse.

– Peter and Gabe

BLOG POST FOR JULY 18

Written by Eunnie

Hola!

Today, we rose before the sun at a healthy 4:00am. It was the beginning of the excursion we’ve been waiting for: the hike to Lake Humantay. The bus ride took around 3 hours, and we stopped for a light breakfast before we started the hike.

90% of the hike was undeniably uphill and there were slippery rocks along the way. To say it was tough is an absurd understatement. Thankfully, the elevation is much lower than Rainbow Mountain–if they were the same, we surely wouldn’t have made it.

When we arrived at the lake, it appeared as though we’ve hiked straight into a scene from a fairy tale. The photos barely do it justice, and words can hardly describe how magical it was, but I suppose I could try. The lake was an unreal blue, the color of mermaid tears and freshly cut diamonds. Ethereal glaciers towered over like they were guarding this sacred place from the outside world.

After we admired the stunning view and filled our camera rolls with photos, we went for lunch at the base of the mountain. We taste-tested several kinds of potatoes that are native to this region. The bus ride back took another 3 hours or so, and we rushed straight to dinner and a refreshing shower.

Overall, the experience was mesmerizing and surreal. Not many sights can compare to what we’ve witnessed today. It was completely worth all the effort, as it will be an unforgettable experience for the rest of our lives.

BLOG POST FOR JULY 19

Written by Matthieu

We woke up later than yesterday, but still relatively early, to have breakfast at 7am. Afterwards, we walked to a nearby café and ate some pastries! We then had a short break, and due to outside circumstances instead of going to the Healthy Homes clinic we went to the Pisac community, about an hour northeast from base camp, for a ceramics class. We first learned about the process of properly creating ceramics, which included getting the clay needed ready through burning then drying minerals, molding the clay into the desired shape, and painting the ceramic after it dried. After the instruction, we got to make our own necklaces, bracelets, and earrings!

For lunch, we got to drink muña tea and eat Huatia, an Andean tradition where during the potato harvest people create a temporary underground oven in the field to cook potatoes. After lunch (relatively late, at 2pm), and an informative class, we went to the instructing family’s shop, where they taught us about the significance of ceramics in Incan culture, through them being used as musical instruments and communication devices between inhabitants of different areas. We were also given time to buy what we wanted, and afterwards we got onto the bus and headed back to base camp.

After returning and a short break, we ate dinner, which included potatoes, onion tomato salad, and beef. After dinner, we had a nighttime activity where we were given a random partner and a list of questions to ask, and had to ask some questions on the list to each other within a given amount of time (half an hour for the entire activity). Afterwards, we retreated for the night. Today was very informative for all of us, and while we weren’t able to go to the Healthy Homes clinic today we’re excited to do so tomorrow.

– Matthieu

May 31, 2023 by Ashley Welter

Peru: Foundations of Global Health (June 14-June 27, 2023)

TIME CAPSULE LETTER

Written by Adela & the Peru team

Hey everybody! I can’t believe so much time has passed since we were all together! It seems like just yesterday we were walking the cobblestoned streets of Cusco, stopping for all the churros and boosting our vitamin C with all the orange juice we drank. After arriving back from this trip, I know you all had so many activities planned for the rest of the summer, and even now that you’re all immersed in your classes in high school or maybe even college, here in Cusco we still think about all the wonderful adventures we shared together.

The communities in Peru that we visited were influenced so much by your visits, so many kids now know how to brush their teeth and so many more people have toothbrushes, you helped with people’s vitals and prescriptions, and many have medicine that you helped distribute. While you contributed so much to the well-being of others, you also received information that you can now use onward. Maybe your work here inspired you to pursue medicine, maybe your experiences here made you realize the differences between countries and privileges that some have compared to others, maybe those differences that you saw inspired you to contribute to your own communities. No matter how your experiences affected you, remember that you now have more knowledge from before that you can keep using for the future.

We can’t forget all the great times we shared either. From the beginning, this group was full of innovators that used their resources during games (not cheaters). Everyone was so wonderful to each other, if there ever was a supposed wrong done there was always vindication by vindicators! This tight-knit group of ten played beautiful music, cooked some delicious lomo saltado and beautiful causa, you walked through the remarkable, historic ruins of Machu Picchu, rafted down glacial waters, zip-lined across the river, cooked bananas over the fire, trekked incredibly strong up to rainbow mountain, and ate some delicious picarones.

Finally, we can’t forget our group’s OMG! One meaningful goal. We all decided to incorporate our passions into community service, and we’re going to do that by checking in with one another! I would love to see how you all are incorporating the OMG into your lives, I know that no matter how you decide to achieve this OMG, you’re making a difference in your communities.

Thank you so much for making these wonderful memories in such a beautiful and adventurous place, good luck with your personal and group OMG, and I hope your futures are full of beauty and light!

P.S. Interested in traveling with GLA again this summer? Sessions are filling quickly! Check out our 2024 Program Guide for available session dates! We hope to see you again soon 🙂

Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM

Here are a few things you can expect:

We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

Click here to jump down to the most recent posts!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 14

Hola!

Here we are, safe and sound at our home base in Cusco, Peru! Every single student flew all night, but we made it safely and happily with only one lost bag (it’s on it’s way here!). After everyone arrived this morning, we made our way to our charming home base in the historic district, on the way we got to see women walking around with their fluffy alpacas.

After arriving to home base, we were able to do some introduction games and made some beautiful portraits with a mix of the features of everyone in our group. After, we ate a yummy lunch to energize us, followed with our lovely, knowledgable, local Director, Mateo, leading our group to walk around the area by home base on this sunny day. We got to see the plaza de Armas, huge cathedrals, groups dancing, walk the cobblestoned streets, stop by Qorikancha (temple of the sun), before heading back to home base. Right now is the season for Inti Raymi (festival of the sun — the Incan winter solstice), which means every day there are traditional dances in the plaza, and crowds of people enjoying the festivities of the season by watching the dancers and wearing traditional clothing.

After a bit of well-deserved rest, and what sounded like some intense card games, we met back up for orientation. At this point, our group was really running on fumes, but I have to say everyone is unwavering after getting through the day with only a wink of sleep and long travels. For dinner, we got to eat traditional lomo saltado (and a tofu version for the vegetarians), yummy squash soup, rice, french fries, salad, and a piece of dessert, all accompanied by a warm mug of tea (Coca tea, anyone?). Now, we’re turning in early to energize for the adventures to come!

– Adela Traeger, International Director

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 15

Written by Hunter I.

Today we started by having a nice breakfast! After breakfast, there were multiple rounds of card games, one of them being an intense game of spoons.

Then, we had a reflection activity at the home-base which took up most of our morning. We debated on our positions on an issue in Peru. This gave everyone in the group perspective on how our actions can have environmental and social impacts.

After lunch we then went to a celebration in downtown Cusco during our walking tour. In this tour we explored the city while gaining historical knowledge about the buildings surrounding us. Near the end of our tour we visited a local market (called San Pedro market) selling churros, Peruvian ponchos, and the traditional baked Guinea Pig.

After walking around the market we went to indulge in a spiritual connection to nature. We came back for dinner and played a very riveting game of jeopardy, which included many questions about Peru and GLA. One of them being, “What is the traditional drink made of fermented corn?” Answer: Chicha!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 16

Written by Jack

Wake up call was at 6:00 where the GLA students got ready and made it down to breakfast at 7:00. We enjoyed bread and yogurt for breakfast. After breakfast we hopped into a van and traveled across cusco where we expierenced a reality tour of rural cusco. We witnessed a kindergarten, elementary school and medical clinic. We all then enjoyed lunch with a beautiful view of the mountains. After that we continued our journey by visiting an animal sanctuary where we saw llamas, monkeys, alpacas, condors and a bear. We then returned back to base where we rested for a moment before heading back out for some ice cream. There was some time to waste before dinner so the students played poker betting with local types of candy. (Grace won big) We all finished the day by eating a great meal of chicken and rice and then heading to bed early before our big day tomorrow.

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 17

Written by Waverly

Today we started our day off by having a delicious breakfast at home base! We took the opportunity to fuel up before our first big day of volunteering at the mobile clinic! Right after breakfast we packed our bags with lots of water and sunblock before heading out to catch our bus.

At the clinic, we were divided into the different stations. These stations were education, pharmacy, triage, shadowing a doctor, and assisting in tooth brushing/dental hygiene. Each station provided a hands-on medical experience for every GLA student, and was a great way to kick off the service portion of our trip!

After having lunch at the clinic, we continued to help out with the second rotation of stations. Each student got to experience two different stations today! Once we had all finished the work at our stations, we headed back to home base before hearing some Quechua stories!

In the evening, we winded down with shoutouts before an amazing dinner at home base. To end our night we learned about responsible photography and played a fun game of “hot seat” where we asked each other questions to get to know each other better.

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 18

Written by Zayne M.

For today, we all went and did the mobile clinic in Yuncaypata, and helped out the local doctors. We got to help out in the pharmacy organizing people’s medicine that was prescribed, teaching the children how to wash their hands and brush their teeth, writing prescriptions assigned by the doctors, and taking some of the vital signs of patients.

After that, we all decided to go to San Pedro market and got ice cream and shopped around. Once we finished that, we went back to home base to rest, but not for long as we all had dance class not thirty minutes later. They taught us the dances of the jungle, mountains, and coast, and even let us keep the items we danced with as souvenirs.

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 19

Written by Clara

Today was the final day of the mobile clinics. We traveled to a different small community with the local medlife doctors we have been working with the past few days. We assisted the doctors by teaching the kids how to properly brush their teeth and applied fluoride; took patients vitals, height and weight; educated them on diseases; and proscribed and passed out medication. There weren’t many kids today because most were in school but a few came by while we were cleaning up to get a toothbrush.

Once we returned to home base from the medlife clinic everyone spent some time in their rooms before meeting up to listen to a local musician play a few of the traditional instruments of Peru. He taught us to play a song as a group and demonstrated a few songs in instruments such as a harp, banjo, and flute. After that we had dinner and latter pizza then got ready for bed.

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 20

Written by Grace

Today we started our morning by getting to sleep in a little later than usual and had breakfast around 8:20! After our meal we made our way to our bus where we drove to a cooking class. In the class we got to help prepare and cook a three course meal! These dishes were traditional Peruvian meals: causa, lomo saltado, aji de gallina, and masa mora for dessert.

After we enjoyed all the food we cooked, we headed to the MedLife roundtable. During this round table we got the opportunity to visit the homes of three families who have been helped by MedLife. They shared their stories with us and this was a good opportunity to see the first hand impact we were able to help make by volunteering in the clinics.

Lastly, we traveled back to home base where some people stayed to rest before dinner and others went to buy some snacks! The rest of this evening we will be packing and getting ready to head to Maras to see the salt mines, then Aguas Calientes tomorrow.

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 21

Written by Mason

We started today early by waking up at 5:30 for a 6:00 breakfast and departed at 7:40. After a very bumpy ride we arrived at our first stop, the Maras salt mines. We got to view and take pictures of the beautiful salt mines. We then set off to our second stop called Andean colors where we ate lunch on a site with alpacas surrounding us and got a taste of the Peruvian delicacy, the cuy, or guinea-pig.

After our meal we got to see the guinea pig farm that was a host to hundreds of the fussy animals. Then we were taken into another room where we were shown the process of how alpaca blankets are made and the dyeing if the material. We left for our final stop of our van trip at a small town, Ollantaytambo, where we ate dinner and bought some mementos. After dinner we took a train to the town closest to Machu Picchu called Aguas Calientes where we checked into our hotel and spent the night.

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 22

This morning we woke up for an early 6:00am breakfast to leave for the bus to Machu Picchu at 6:30am. After a quick bus ride, we soon arrived to the incredible ruins of Machu Picchu. Our local director and guide, Mateo, lead us through the ruins, showing us the difference between living quarters and sacred temples based on whether the rocks used mortar or not. Those that didn’t use mortar fit together perfectly, and were used for places that were sacred to the Incas.

We also saw sun dials, and perfectly circular rocks that were theorized to either be used as mortar and pestle for food, or they put water in it and used it as a mirror to see the stars. We also got to take some amazing pictures!

After Machu Picchu, we headed back down to aguas calientes where we played charades, had a wonderful lunch of burgers and pizza, and spent a long time at the market. Soon after, we took the 2 hour train ride back to Ollantaytambo, then a 2 hour van ride back to Cusco. Upon arrival, we ate dinner and are already ready to get some much deserved rest.

– Adela (International Director)

Here are lots of pics from the last couple days!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 23

Today was a relaxed day after getting back from Machu Picchu. We got to sleep in for a late breakfast at 9am. After, we did some leadership activities at home base, and then had some free time to play cards. After lunch, we walked to Qorikancha, the sun temple that the Spanish had converted into a convent. It was very interesting to see the intricacy of the Incan stones and then the more unsophisticated additions by the Spanish.

After this museum, we walked to San Blas, the art district, and got some crepes while we played uno and other games and got to shop around a bit. Afterwards, we headed back to home base where we got our rafting briefing and ate dinner, then headed to bed early for the exciting rafting day to come!

– Adela (International Director)

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 24

Written by Nico

Today we got up, ate breakfast and drove forever for two hours to the River Lodge in Cusipata where we went rafting. Rafting was exciting! We rafted for two hours, and in the middle there was a big rock that we got to jump off of into the freezing glacier water river (it’s okay though because we were wearing warm wetsuits.) We got to raft in up to class three rapids. Then we got back and had a big lunch. After lunch, we ziplined really fast over the river. Then, we hung out and played poker and had a big fire outside. We had a delicious dinner, then got creative and cooked bananas and chocolate over the fire. We are going to bed early to wake up reeeeeeeally early for rainbow mountain tomorrow.

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 25

Written by Miles

We started today at 4:30am, where we had breakfast at the lodge before embarking on a two-hour hike up to Vinicunca, the Rainbow Mountain. At the summit, at almost 17,000 feet above sea level, we enjoyed some hot chocolate and companionship. The difficult hike was rewarded with a beautiful view. We learned about how the rainbow mountain was formed and with what minerals. Then we relaxed at the home base before going to McDonald’s and playing some poker. We then enjoyed dinner at the home base, and are headed to bed to get some sleep after a long day.

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 26

Written by Vitoria C.

We started the day by having a filling breakfast and discussing our plans for our final day! We headed out to the market for some last-minute souvenir shopping at the artisanal market and stopped at McDonald’s on the way back.

The group had lunch, and then we began our closing activities. These included naming one meaningful goal (OMG), an appreciation circle, and student evaluations. We all went back to our rooms to pack, and some of us joined in on a game of poker, while others walked around the city to find churros.

After that, we enjoyed our final dinner before having picarones which are like Peruvian donuts. Then we returned to our rooms to finish packing and rest before our day of traveling tomorrow!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 27

Today, 7 students had to wake up super early to head to the airport at 6am. We were sad to see them go, but happy we made the memories that we did!

The remaining 3 had a relaxed day, they checked out of their rooms at 10am. Before lunch we hung out at home base, and then spent some time at a nearby cafe to eat empanadas and pan con chocolate. We then headed back to home base for lunch, and afterwards walked to and ambled through San Pedro Market to window shop and get the last churros and orange juice of the trip. After hanging out a bit more at home base, the car came and took them to the airport.

Now that everyone has passed through security, home base feels quiet. Mateo and I will definitely miss this funny, adventurous, brave, strong, kind, resilient group. To my group, thank you so much for coming and everything that you added to make it what it was.

– Adela (International Director)