PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM
TIME CAPSULE LETTER
Written by David & the Peru Team
Hi, how are you?
Hola, como estás?
Allinllachu, imanalla?
Time has gone by like a blink of an eye, we’re all hoping that your experience was meaningful and that you might remember every minute we had the opportunity to be together. Now Cusco feels far away from our homes, the weather might be different, and the streets don’t look the same anymore; but we know that every stone, every corner, every smell and the bright sun still lives with us every time we see a mountain or probably when we find something related to our clinic work.
Can you remember the first day you were at the airport? The first time you got to see the shinning blue sky. The first time you got into your room and thought “this will be my home for the next two weeks” Maybe the first time you felt the cold in the mornings or how the sun warmed you like a gentle hug coming from our beloved “Tayta Inti”.
The first days filled with new food, new people and new places; going around the city and walking the same steps people have walked for over 500 years, can you fell the first time you ate coca leaves and tasted “weird” or “bitter” most of you didn’t like them that much but did enjoy the coca tea from time to time. Can you remember your intentions at the “Pago a la tierra” ceremony and how our Shaman “Cesar Augusto” played like a child in the forest as he said, “look at me, I’m 250 Y.O. but I can still play as a kid!”.
After those first few days we went on our reality tour and had the chance to see many places far away from home base like the viewpoint at Ccorao and the viewpoint at Taray (where we also had our first packed lunch) with the amazing view of Urubamba River and the way to the sacred valley. The visit to the health center at Taray and how that started to change our perspective about public health and the many differences that may exist between a small town, a small city and a big city. Realizing how distances and transportation can play a big role in how people can access to health services like doctors or even medicine.
After that, our first clinic day! Going to the communities and having an eye-opening experience feeling how all the work became very “real” at that moment, with a bit of confusion here and there all of you started to get the hang of clinic work and how a mobile clinic develops in so many different places and situations. Whether you were first at the Hygiene station, Toothbrush, Education, Triage, Doctor, Dental or Pharmacy you might recall the first impression and impact we had in communities and with ourselves. Going to communities and going back to Cusco it always felt like every time we were different people, getting to HB tired but with the achievement of have been able to help.
Five days had gone by that moment when we all started packing our overnight bags to take our long trip to get to Machu Picchu, getting up early in the morning and going in the bus for Maras salt mines, walking around and learning how there can be salt water so up in the mountains! Later going to Andean colors, learning the weaving techniques the coloring process and how these magnificent artisans create this one-of-a-kind clothes and pieces of art at the same time (don’t forget the bracelet!). The road to Ollantaytambo filled with magnificent views of the mountains, the mystical train ride at night in the dark and suddenly arriving to Aguas Calientes before our brief rest at the hotel and the very (5am) early morning preparing for MP.
Can you picture in your mind how it first felt when we started walking up the path and saw the first constructions in the mountain? Or maybe when we were at the terrace and had that awesome view from the citadel? We traded the cold weather for a burning sun, we traded our conversations for a mesmerizing silence contemplating the magnificence of the engineering and how that was built so up in the mountains, the cultivating terraces, the rives below representing the Snake (Hurin ‘or Uku’ Pacha), the mountain on the side representing the Puma (Kay Pacha) and the carved stone representing the Condor (Hanan pacha).
Then going back to Cusco for our last clinic day filled with excitement and lots of feelings, the (extremely long) cooking class and round table as a close for clinics; the visit to the Qorikancha museum, remember the last couple of days with closing activities, cafés, shopping for souvenirs and packing with a bittersweet feeling? Knowing that even though we were all excited about going back to our homes we will be also missing our time in Cusco, the people, our walks through the city and the fireworks at night during “Inty raymy”.
With the best of luck and warm hearts all the Staff hope you’ve had a meaningful experience and your goals to be: More open minded, self-aware, grateful and contribute to you community to have a positive impact keep flourishing! And, you never know, maybe sometime in the future if you get back to Cusco you will find yourself again in tiny details and relive the experience.
Kindly,
David Flor
Mateo Coello
Mary Malone
Until we see each other again, Thanks!
Hasta que nos volvamos a ver, Gracias!
Yapamanta Tupananchikama, Yupaychany!
Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!
Here are a few things to know and expect:
- Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
- We typically receive 2-3 blog updates per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
- Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
- Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
- Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.
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
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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 15
Hello!
Hola!
Allilanchu!
GLA families; from the mystical, beautiful, ancient and magic city of Cuzco,
After long hours traveling from many places to get here the Andes have welcomed our students with a bright sun and a chilly wind. Some of them arrived very early in the morning, some around noon and others in the afternoon; since we had sometime before lunch we decided to have a quick tour around the city center so they can have their first fell from Cuzco, their people and magnificent architecture, taking a few pictures here and there in iconic places. Also, being able to see a dog parade from pets dressed up in native clothes (so cute!) afterwards we went back to “Casa Campesina” our home base for lunch; our first lunch together was filled with good taste from our amazing cooking staff that had prepared one of the signature dishes in Perú, the “Lomo Saltado” and for our vegetarian fellows “Tofu Saltado”.
We played a few name-games during lunch to get to know each other before picking up the rest of the students that hadn’t arrived yet; meanwhile students had some time to rest, get settled, play games and get to know one another and overcome the first “awkwardness”, after a couple of hours during health checks they were playing card games, chatting and laughing around. Their faces light up when they see the mountains, the amazing blue sky and this magnificent schedule packed with service work and wonderful activities, Machu Pichu being the “cherry on top”.
We’ll keep you posted during our adventures and experiences!
See you soon!
Hasta pronto!
Tupananchikkama!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 16
Hello all!
We started our day off with a much needed extra hour to sleep in before heading off to breakfast at 8:00 am. After we finished eating, we met for our program orientation to cover everything from GLA history to program expectations. We also enjoyed learning about each of our mentors and their path to GLA themselves. After acting out and guessing the prohibited behaviors for the program, we wrapped up orientation and took a quick break before heading off to lunch, where we enjoyed some shrimp rice, chicken-wrapped ham and cheese bites, strawberries, and some juice among other items.
-Maddie Smith (Leader of the day)
After lunch the group went on a van ride to a hike led by a local shaman. While we hiked, the shaman talked about life lessons and how to maintain equilibrium in the modern technological world. After walking for about 30 minutes in effort to connect with nature, we came to a clearing where there was a cave filled with past offerings for Pachamama or Mother Earth in English. He then laid down a colorful mat and we began the offering. It was a ceremony that is popular in Incan culture called Pago a La Tierra or payment to the land in English. It consisted of him blessing us, a long prayer with bells to set an intention of positivity for our trip. After, taught us about the use of coca leaves for tea and chewing to help with altitude sickness and other ailments. They are very special to the people here. We then took a couple pictures because the sunset and the view of the city was beautiful and hiked back down. We walked back on a colorful street called siete borreguitos, which means seven little lambs. It was a really cool experience that you can’t get anywhere else and it was a really mindful and respectful way to start the trip.
-Cooper Ford (Leader of the day)
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 17
Hola!
Today we woke up bright and early to explore the outskirts of Cusco through a reality tour. Our helpful guide Natalie, a leader with MEDLIFE, took her time explaining to us the challenges people living in Cusco face in their everyday lives and how MEDLIFE has helped to support communities. MEDLIFE stands for Medicine, Education, and Development for Low Income Families Everywhere. This eye opening experience taught us all the roles MEDLIFE plays in order to help people in Cusco live a more good and sustainable quality of life. Due to the mountains and altitude, healthcare, agriculture and is very difficult. Anemia has impacted many communities especially outside the main city of Cusco creating a lasting effect on learning development in children. Education, is just one area MEDLIFE is working to expand. As a part of the development aspect, MEDLIFE has built greenhouses for many varieties of vegetables and fruits to be grown year around so that people can have a well-balanced diet ultimately preventing anemia and allowing a better education. Lastly, medicine is a key focus that development and education is rooted in. Many locals living in areas outside the major city of Cusco do not have room for patients or access to medical technologies that we may have. In the afternoon, we learned more about what MEDLIFE provides for healthcare and what our first day of clinics will look like.
-Olivia
Next we had a lunch over a view of the mountains before going to see the Cristo Blanco statue that sits at the top of Cusco, with a view of the whole city. It was amazing to see the smaller communities outside of Cusco in the mountains and learn about the different health care access. During this we learned more about what Medlife is all about and its impact in North America, South America, and Africa. We then learned about the Mobile Clinics and the health protocols, different stations, and the roles for us volunteers. We then wrapped the day up with a reflection and list of goals for our trip. Tomorrow we begin our service work in a small community in the mountains and we are all so excited.
-Sebastian
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 18
Hola famílias!
Today was day four! We started our day at 7 o’clock for breakfast. We then headed to the bus to meet our clinic doctors and staff. It took us two hours and a very windy road through the mountains to get to our first clinic location.
Today was a very important because we built our foundation and knowledge of what the day should look like. With the help from clinic staff, we set up all of the stations with medical supplies to prepare for the patients. We split into small groups to take on the six different stations; hygiene, triage, education, doctor, dentist, and pharmacy.
In the small town Q’enqo, we met sick children, mothers, fathers, and grandparents. We shadowed doctors who diagnosed and prescribed medication to help alleviate pain. Most patient struggled with lower back pain, joint pain, and acid reflex from hard manual labor. In the dentist clinic, most patients had broken or rotting teeth that needed to be extracted. However, most declined treatment because they were afraid of the pain. We helped MedLife staff provide treatment that these families wouldn’t otherwise receive.
While the parents were inside with clinic staff, the children were learning about oral hygiene, and how to wash their hands. At the end of the session, they all received toothbrushes and interacted with volunteers. Plus, they all got stickers which they were very excited about!
In the evening, we visited the San Pedro market for some souvenir shopping. To finish the day we had dinner at 6:30, chow circle, and shared an impactful moment from the day. We all agreed that today was full of eye-opening experiences and we feel better prepared for tomorrow’s clinic.
Kayakaman (see you soon in Quechua!),
Kinsey and Lucia
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 19
Hola from Peru! Today was our second clinic day where we visited the village of Sihua and got to work at different stations than yesterday. Today, the clinic took place at a school so we set out to meet many more kids than yesterday. They were so excited to see us and receive help. We loved to get to know them and play with them throughout the day. The community was so grateful four our services at the end of the clinic they boiled potatoes as a thank you gift. It was so amazing to see the impact we had on them in just one short visit.
After the clinic we headed back to home base and got to participate in a dance class which consisted of five different types of dance styles: Coastal, Jungle, Anaconda, Andes, and Salsa. We followed dance class with our chow circle where discussed our favorite part of the day and our plans for the following day. After our third clinic day tomorrow, we are making our way to Machu Picchu! Stay tuned!!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 20
Greetings from Peru!
Today we had a packed day, finishing our 3rd successful clinic, learning about different music and instrument’s and a fun night in the town! We started the day off early with breakfast to fuel for our bus ride. Once we arrived to the clinic we got busy setting up and going to our stations. After 2 hours at our stations we had a delicious lunch in the bus and got right back to work. Some of us were helping the pharmacist, shadowing the do to and others helping fill cavities with the dentist! After our 2nd station we made our way back to the home base and started backing for our weekend adventure to the Mara’s salt mines and Macchu piccu!
-Kate
After packing and a little free time we proceeded to do a music workshop where a local musician informed us about different types of interments and their significance. We learned that some instruments are masculine and some are feminine but can be played together to create balance. Then, we proceeded to learn “on the floor“ by Jennifer Lopez and play instruments together! although it wasn’t easy to play the right notes, we successfully created a similar sounding version. After workshop, we ate a delicious dinner and continued packing for our big weekend.
Chow!
-Leigh
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 21
Hello! We started our day off with our usual breakfast at the hotel, then departed to the maras salt mine by bus. we saw beautiful views of the progression of salt being formed. after that, we took the bus to andean colors, where we saw textiles, llamas, alpacas, and even guinea pigs! a few brave souls got to hold some guinea pigs and a baby alpaca! the kind workers also taught us how to make different colors for their yarn. we enjoyed a nice lunch on the farm, eating teadition peruvian foods.
After a delicious lunch that Andean Colors provided for us we were able to interact with the llamas and Alpacas. We also viewed the farming of the (cuy) guinea pigs. Andean colors introduced the process of creating the wool and dying it in many colors. They also taught the group how to make colorful bracelets which was super fun! Later we had dinner in Ollantaytambo and were given the chance to try the local delicacy…cuy. We ended the night with a train ride to Aguas Calientes, a quiet end to the eventful day. We have a 4:45 am wake up for Machu Picchu tomorrow and we couldn’t be more excited!!
-Kira & Mia
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 22
Hello all!
Today, everyone checked off a box on their bucket list as we explored one of the new 7 wonders of the world, Machu Picchu! Waking up at 4 am was definitely worth it to see this magnificent site. With beautiful weather, we had great views of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and pictures that we will cherish forever. Looking at the early Incan architecture, we discovered how they built homes from stone, and practiced their religion, which centered around the sun and other astrological symbols. After Machu Picchu, we headed back down to the local city, Aguas Calientes, where we walked around going to shops and buying snacks until we had lunch. After much walking, we headed back to the train station and had a peaceful train ride back with gorgeous views of the Andes mountains.
-Olivia
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 25
For starters, yesterday we went to a cooking class in Cusco and made traditional foods like ajo de gallina and lomo saltado. It was a really good experience and everybody learned a lot about cooking. We then went to MetLife’s round table and toured a greenhouse. It was really amazing to see the non-medical work med-life does and how much more variety farmers have when growing in a greenhouse vs outside. We also visited a patient’s home that is involed in Medlife’s follow up program to learn about her treatment program. We started out today with a sleep in until 8:30, which was awesome, and then started the bus trip to the rafting and zip lining place.
We stopped at a small market along the way for some snacks and played with a kitten that belonged to an older woman who owned the shop. When we got to the place, we started with a zip line across the river, then went on a 2 hour raft ride, then finished with lunch inside and a sauna to warm up. The rapids went up to class 3 and were a ton of fun. We then went back home in the van, stopping again to see the kitten, and came back to home base where we did a leadership activity and had dinner. We finished the day with candy and watching the emperors new groove. It was a super fun day.
-Cooper
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 26
¡Hola a todos!
We began our day with an extra two hours to sleep in (for which we were all exceptionally grateful) before heading to breakfast at 9:00. After everyone finished eating, we walked over to the San Blas market where we had the opportunity to shop at some beautiful markets. We then headed over to the San Blas plaza, nestled amongst one of Cusco’s artsiest neighborhoods. We played a fun game or fishbowl as part of our leadership activity before having free time to browse local shops and cafes, where many of us enjoyed iced lattes!
After lunch back at the hotel, we visited Qorikancha, an art museum that had once served as an Incan temple of the sun before being converted to a monastery and church of Santo Domingo by the Spanish. After taking in the beautiful art and architecture, we spent some time in the San Pedro market before heading back for dinner. We wrapped up the night with mentor groups and prepared to enjoy our last day in Peru!
-Maddie
