An Amazing Day
Today was an amazing day. We woke up to the beautiful singing of the roosters. Our cooks made us a delicious breakfast of yogurt, granola, and a cucumber and ham omelet. After breakfast we de-kernelled the corn, just like the native women of Soccma. It was so pretty to see all of the white corn kernels lying on the brightly colored blanket.
Once we were finished with the corn we split up into groups to begin our service work. Ben, Wyatt, and I climbed all the way to the top house to work. We started off by hitting bamboo pieces with a hammer so they can use the broken pieces as roofs on their houses. Nothing in Soccma ever goes to waste. I then went and helped Josemar with peeling lima beans. Josemar is 12 years old and probably the coolest person I have ever met. In Spanish we talked about our families, school, and many other things. He also taught me Quechua and I taught him English. We were both so excited to each other our native languages. He also gave me all of the lima beans that had cool designs on them. Then came lunchtime and Willy and Geraldo made us noodle soup, chicken, and Mexican rice. After our yummy lunch we took a gorgeous hike to the side of a mountain. There was a huge cornfield on the mountain where we all shucked corn while looking at the beautiful Andes.
After an hour of shucking corn, the boys and Hannah went and played soccer with the local kids of Soccma. The remaining girls continued to shuck corn and when we were finished we carried the corn in blankets like the local women of Soccma. When we all got back to camp we sat around a fire and talked about expedition behavior. We then paired up and came up with hilarious skits that had to do with expedition behavior.
We all really bonded as a group through our service today. I am so grateful to be in Peru with this wonderful group of people.
-Nathan
An early morning
We were woken up at 6:45 and we ate breakfast at 7:00. Breakfast was amazing as usual! There was mango yogurt, strawberry yogurt, crunch granola, two types of fruit salad (papaya and pineapple), scrambled eggs with chopped up ham, and the daily hot drinks, of which Mate de Coca and coffee were offered. After breakfast, we got friendly with some dogs; one was named Cara.
A little later, we learned arts and handicrafts with the families we’d helped out for three days. Some of the crafts included sewing faces and clothing on to dolls while other crafts included knitting a doll’s hat in a crochet-like fashion. Today, Lauren and I helped to prepare for lunch by setting the table, washing and drying pears, and packing snack bags for the group (there were also Sublime bars packed in). Next, we packed our daypacks and backpacks, enlisted 15 horses to carry our giant packs, and sat down to eat an exquisite lunch. The meal consisted of traditional Peruvian food and delicacies that the families made us in thanks for our community service. We all tried a bit of Guinea Pig (which did not taste like chicken), we ate fried corn (which tasted like potato latkes), and we devoured a traditional soup whose purpose was to give us energy for the upcoming trek. I was not able to each the desert as I was so full, but it was a cooked cinnamon apple in an interesting caramelized apple sauce. After lunch, we began our trek out of Soccma to our next campsite. The hike was three miles of beautiful uphill and it took from three to four hours. We also had a vertical gain of 1,500 feet. Along the way, the dog we befriended in Soccma (Cara) decided to follow us. Even though we told him to turn around 100 times, he wouldn’t stop walking with us. In the end, he ended up following us to our campsite (located at around 13,000 feet). Also on the trek, we passed a beautiful waterfall.
After we set up camp, a few of us decided to continue hiking to Pre-Inca ruins. It was so worth it. From the ruins, we were able to see how far we hiked; we could also make out houses and buildings from the rubble. During dinner, we told a bunch of riddles (Albritraz soup) and after dinner, we built a small fire and gazed at all of the stars and constellations (the southern cross and llama’s eyes). Today was an outstanding day overall.
-Patty
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!
Today we woke up to a beautiful sunny day in Cusco. We ate a scrumptious breakfast of Peruvian bread and eggs. We then met in the lobby at around 8:30AM and met our awesome river guide Wilber. Wilber drove us to the river where we ate a yummy lunch of vegetables and chicken. We then boarded our rafts and enjoyed an afternoon of whitewater rafting! Our campsite was on a sandy shore next to a cluster of peaceful rapids. We all collected firewood and made a giant bonfire, which we all sat around and bonded as a group. Our guides created a lovely vegetable soup followed by a traditional curry chicken meal. When the sun went down it was like being in a different world. The stars were nothing like I’ve ever seen before. They shined brighter than any fluorescent light back in the states, and the moon was a deep amber color. We all decided to sleep outside on the sand under the stars. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life.
-Lou Anne
Kayaking
Up extra early this morning, we had a loverly breakfast of bread, and hard-boiled eggs. It was awesome. I definitely have a new appreciation for eggs, tea, and soup after this trip. We began our walk down to the kayak place along the lake just after breakfast, where we would begin our 3-hour paddle to Taquile. Along the 45 minute walk a small dog was following us (not like that’s ever happened before). We named her Spazzella, because she constantly shook her entire body in joy. The kayak trip was intense. Molly and I shared a kayak and had some good conversation along the way – including a short lesson of Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles. Once on the island we had an AMAZING lunch of fish and rice. It was so good. We also got to see a local woman weaving something. It was beautiful, and will take her 2 months to finish. We traversed the island, stopping in the Central Square. The view of the glaciers in Bolivia, across Lake Titicaca, was incredible. We concluded our trip with a quick boat ride back to Llachon. Most of us crammed onto the roof, to enjoy the air. Later in the evening we played Marshmallow, and Lauren came shooting out from behind a stove table (no one saw that coming) to bombard Ethan with a remaining Marshmallow. It was epic. Dinner a little later, and some cards before we call it a night. Tomorrow is our last day in Llachon. The end is neigh, but we’re all making the most of these last few days together. It has been an amazing trip I have enjoyed everyday.
-Shannon
Uros Day
Today was Uros day. We started the day by waking up for breakfast at 8:00, which was the usual: bread, butter, and jam. We then went down to finish the school. We sanded and then re-painted the inside of the building. After the paint was dry we moved in all of the chairs and tables we painted and presented it to the town. The townspeople had a presentation for us. First, the women danced and then we danced with them. Next the children danced and we danced with them. Hillie then presented the school to the village in Spanish. Then we all sang, “Lean on Me” for the village.
After these ceremonies we went back to our houses to pack for the Uros Villages. The boat ride to the villages lasted only an hour and a half. When we arrived they had a presentation about the Uros and we met the female president of the island we were staying on. After learning about the Uros we took a trip on a super cool boat to layout fishing nets for the next morning. While on the boat we had warm popcorn and hot coca tea. Then we returned to the island for a dinner of soup, trout, and guinea accompanied by a dessert made up of peach filled bread and minty custard. Then we broke out the guitar and played for a long time. The villagers came to talk to us about tourism on the island in the middle of this jam session. Then we all went to sleep hoping we would wake up in a new location the next morning.
-John
