Day 8-9 - Peru

We spent our last two days in the city of Cusco, the capital of the Incan Empire! This city is at such a high elevation that it takes some time working up to the altitude.  The city sits at 11,000 feet up! In the city, we spent time learning how the cocoa grown in the jungles of Peru is used to make chocolate that is shipped out of Peru! Everyone got to make their own tray of chocolates and flavor them with mix-ins such as oreo, coffee, sea salt, marshmallows, cinnamon, chili, cloves, and nuts!

We had traditional Peruvian meals while in the city, and enjoyed shopping in the local markets for Alpaca sweaters, jewelry, hats, bags, and other goods while enjoyed freshly squeezed juice smoothies while we wandered up and down the aisles.  On top of shopping, we also took time to go to the highest point in Cusco city. At this point, there is a gigantic statue of Jesus that displays the influence that the Spanish conquerors have had on the city by forcing the Catholic religion on the original culture of the area.  Because it is the highest point of the city, the view was amazing!

For our closing activity in Peru, we did what is called "Rustic Ties". As a group, we stood in a circle and went around discussing what we used to think and how our experience in Peru had changed our perceptions of things! It was amazing to see how much had changed for so many of us!  Lastly, we each were given a locally made bracelet that was made with Alpaca yarn.  As we went around the circle, we shared our favorite experience with the person who's wrist we tied the bracelet on.  Although the trip was coming to a close, we all became so much closer with each other after all of our shared experiences! 

Day 7 - Peru

After seeing Macchu Picchu yesterday, we were wondering what else could be so awesome on the trip.  We only had to wait a few hours into our morning to find out! We were going mountain climbing and zip-lining today, and we were about to be challenged! We all put on our gear and were ready to take on the mountain.  We didn't realize we would be climbing 2,000 feet directly up the side of a flat rockface! We climbed up the rocks having to shimmy sideways, cross over suspended rope bridges, and encouraged each other along the way! We were amazed at the views we encountered on the way up!



After we reached the top of our climb, we got to enjoy the zip-lining down! It took 6 zip-lines to get back to the base of the mountain, and some were partner zips to increase the speed! It was so exhilarating!


On our drive back to Cusco, we stopped at a small shop that made textiles as the Inca used to during the hey-day of their empire.  The women showed us how the Inca used natural dyes to take the white alpaca fur and turn it into vibrant and beautiful colors! Then how they would turn the yarn into amazing blankets, shawls, and other textiles!

Day 6 - Peru

This morning started early! We began with our walk to the base of the Inca Trail that would lead us up to Macchu Picchu.  There are 2,000 steps carved into the mountainside that we hiked in basically a vertical line! It went straight up!  We need a few breaks along the way, but eventually reached the top and were ready to enter into Macchu Picchu.




















We toured the beautiful, historic city that was "discovered" by American Hiram Bigham.  The city was amazing to see in person.  The views from the top of the mountain, as well as, the planning the Inca did to line up the city with the winter solstice's sun rise was innovative considering it was on the top of a mountain and they didn't have any tools! They simply used stronger rocks to shape weaker rocks and build all of the buildings! We learned that Macchu Picchu was still under construction when it was abandoned, and that the emperor that requested its construction, Pachacuti, was said to be the best and most revered emperor of empire.

Day 5 - Peru

We left Pacchar early in the morning to drive to a mountain top near the town Ollantaytambo. We got on all the the safety equipment and were ready to mountain bike back into the valley and take in all of the spectacular views along the way!
 

After reaching the city center, we grabbed a quick lunch before catching the train to Aguas Calientes, the base camp of Macchu Picchu.  We wandered around the town enjoying Peruvian donuts and the markets before grabbing a quick dinner and heading to the hotel.  We would be hiking up to Macchu Picchu tomorrow!

Day 3-4 in Peru

We worked on our community service projects on these days.  We were working to move rocks to begin preparation of creating a flat service for a water reservoir that would hole 100,000 liters and provide fresh drinking water to 3 communities in the Sacred Valley.  We also got to witness a typical Incan sacrifice to the "Pacchamama" or Mother Earth from our guide Raoul so that our project would be successfully completed.  He is from the Sacred Valley and had to study for 5 years to become a certified guide and expert on the Inca! We were all able to participate and supply the offering with our positive energy and hopes for the project!

Once we finished our service for the day, Raoul led us to an Incan temple (and up a LOT of stairs!) He shared the history of how the sun was a big factor in where the Inca built their temples since the reflection of sunlight was revered.  Afterwards, we returend to Pacchar to have on final dinner with our host-families before leaving the next morning.

Peru Adventure continues

We received a dispatch from Peru! 

Huskies in Peru

"We arrived to Pachar yesterday and received a warm welcome from our host families. We debriefed our community service projects and had dinner in our homestays. Today we went straight to the service sight and worked on moving rocks that will be used to create a flat floor for the reservoir, part of an ongoing potable water project that will benefit the community. We had an awesome experience being a part of the “first rock” ceremony where the president of Pachar, mayor of Ollantaytambo, the municipality, engineers and community members all gathered to place the first rock in the ground to represent the start of this important project. Super cool!"

Huskies being greeted by the community 

Homestay community 

Service, Exploration and Cultural Immersion in Peru!

10 Days Until Peru! 

Essential Question:

How has Peru been shaped by its past and how have modern influences interacted with the country's rich history?

Competencies:

• Students will contribute to Peruvian society by participating in a service project in Ollantaytambo, Peru.
• Students will understand the economic struggles and politics of Peru through exploring Lima, Cusco, and smaller villages as well and by speaking with our local tour guides about these issues.
• Students will learn about one of the great American cultures, the Inca by visiting historical sites like Machu Picchu, which is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
• Students will learn how the Inca people traveled the steep slopes of the Andes by visiting the same trails as the Inca did hundreds of years ago.
• Students will understand family life in Peru by living with a host family in a living Incan city which they will eat local foods, speak Spanish and experience a culture that is greatly different than their own.
• Students will learn about the colonial history of Peru through walking on the cobblestone streets and visiting the massive cathedrals of Cusco, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. 
• Students will read articles and a novel as well as research the history of this unique South American country in preparation to exploring everything that it has to offer.
• Students will learn how natural geography (jungles/mountains) impacts the development of culture and livelihood through exploring the Andes and interacting with the local people who live there.
• Students will reflect on all aspects of their journey through organized pre-travel, during travel and post travel discussions to enhance understanding of their experience.