Peru Sacred Valley Service & Education 2024

July 20, 2024

Bonus blog entry from our early arrivals!

On Friday, we flew into the Lima airport, just the two of us (Lake and Azali) and made it to the hotel. We were really tired so we didn’t really do much else. Today, we woke up bright and early at 9 am and enjoyed the buffet breakfast, after that we got into the car and drove around the coast. Then, our driver dropped us off so we could walk on the coast to Miraflores. It was a nice walk with really nice views of some cliffs, surfers, and amazing blue waters. For lunch we went to the center and had a typical Peruvian lunch. After lunch, we went back to the hotel for a bit before heading out again to go to a fountain light show. There were many fountains in this park, but we visited one that had a projector pointed at the fountain which displayed a short film about the history of Peru in three sections. The first section was about the ancient civilizations, followed by the conquistadors and finally a section about modern Peru. It was an amazing fountain light show accompanied by a couple fireworks. Once the show had ended, we exited the park to go meet the rest of the group who were on their way to the airport. At the airport we ate dinner and awaited the rest of the groups arrival. Everyone greeted each other and we were loaded onto a large bus to take us back to the hotel. At the hotel everyone enjoyed a couple pizzas before heading to their room for the night.

-Lake and Azali

July 21, 2024

Today we got a well needed sleep-in. We woke up around 9:00 and had a great breakfast. We walked over to a nice lunch place and had some delicious chicken. After lunch we packed up and headed to the airport for a short flight over the mountains. The views were beautiful from the plane and even better when we landed. The city is very cold and surrounded by mountains. We hopped on the bus for a couple hours and headed to our final destination, we got to know each other during the ride and played some games. At last we arrived at the hotel/resort and it is amazing. The campus is huge and there is a lot to do. Finally, we ended the day with a delicious home cooked meal of tomato soup, pesto pasta, and ice cream. We are excited for our first full day as a group!

By Hamish

July 22, 2024

Today we took a bus ride to first exchange our money for some shopping at a market. We had an hour to shop for things such as alpaca fleece blankets, sweaters, hats, bags, and many more souvenirs! While shopping, we were able to practice our Spanish through bargaining and overall conversation with the locals. We then went to get lunch in the market, eating delicious fries, empanadas, and smoothies! After lunch, we took a bus ride all the way up a mountain to an alpaca, llama, and cuya farm. We fed them and learned how their coat is used and naturally dyed to make sweaters and more! After our day out, we played some hacky sack and relaxed until having a brief meeting about trip goals and a wonderful dinner. We ended our day with friendship bracelet making and bonding time! We are excited for tomorrow in the community!

By Kat

July 23, 2024

Today we woke up way too early, around 7, so that we could be ready and packed for the day by 7:30 at breakfast. Then, we left for the indigenous community at 8. It was about an hour and a half drive. When we got there we had to get briefed on what we were going to be doing with the water tank supplies, and then we walked over in groups of three and four to our assigned house to start working. Over the course of a couple hours we dug a trench for the water pipe, installed the pipe and water tank, and then covered up the pipe. We said our goodbyes to the indigenous community and were on our way back to Urubamba for lunch. We had a traditional Peruvian buffet, then went back to our hotel to chill for a bit and meet our host families. We got assigned our partners for the homestay and then played icebreaker games with our families. After they left we had dinner and a bonfire with some smores. Everyone is getting excited for their homestays.
By Evan

July 24, 2024
Today we woke up around 7 and quickly packed all of our belongings before having our last breakfast at Semana Wasi Ecolodge. After having delicious eggs and saying goodbye to all the hosts and animals, we loaded our bags into the bus and set course for Urubamba. In Urubamba we spilt into two groups. The first group went to a silver smith to make nice .95 silver rings. We didn’t just size our rings and let Mario, our silver smith do all the work. Each and every one of us got to design a pattern and use a blowtorch (with supervision) to create our perfect rings. The second group ventured into the flourishing markets of Urubamba to learn about and buy exotic fruits and the biggest grapes I have ever seen. After the markets we explored the towns plaza and exchanged USD for local currency.

After switching groups and doing both the markets and the silver smith we then loaded back into the bus and drove 40 minutes to settle into our host families in Calca! We saw our rooms and ate an amazing lunch (I had steak in onion sauce and cheesy potatoes). I spent hours talking in Spanish and getting to know my host family and their cute little baby. After lunch we got back on the bus and spilt into two more groups to explore the Inkarry museum of Calca and test our ceramic making abilities. I went to the Inkarry Museum first and I have to say it was one of the best museums I have ever been to. You start out at the beginning of Peru’s history back to 14000 BC when the first Peruvians worshiped fire and as you continued through different eras you got to witness real life wax figures of how they looked and what their lives were like. It was truly an amazing experience. After that my group loaded back into the bus and went to a local ceramic shop were we painted clay cups with Peruvian designs and different colors. After that our pottery skills were tested as we tried to shape wet clay into bowls and cups (I was utterly unsuccessful). After both groups did each activity we then got back on the bus for the last time and went back to our host families for the night. I had an amazing dinner with chicken, rice, and potatoes. Lastly, we had game night where my host mom’s brother, sister, and friend came over and we played a card game similar to Jin but Peruvian edition. After that we settled into bed and said goodnight to our host families.
By Elijah

July 25, 2024

We met at the plaza at 930 and walked towards the school. Everyone was celebrating Peruvian Independence Day and the plaza was filled with snack vendors, games, and a parade.

The principal and a therapist met us at the school and it was empty because the students were on break. We worked together to cut up foam pads and glue on feathers, noodles, beans, sandpaper, etc for an enriching experience for the students when walking across the pads. As a break in the middle, Fabricio gave us the fruit we bought from the market yesterday to sample and it was all delicious, especially the cherimoya.

After lunch, we met at the plaza at 3 and walked towards one of the Homestay families’ houses to decorate t shirts. The family had three very cute dogs as well as cats, a duck, and chickens. We stenciled in a design and then painted on the shirts and afterwards dried them. The end result was really cool and the shirts came out great. This ended around 530 and afterwards most of the group went to the plaza to play carnival games as well as get popcorn and ice cream, which were both delicious, before heading back to their respective homestays by the 630 curfew.

Ethan

July 26, 2024

Today most of us woke up at around 7:30, ate breakfast at our homestay’s, and headed to the plaza to meet up. We then got on the bus and travelled to the indigenous community of kajllarakay that we went to on day 2 of the trip. They greeted us with music and gave us all bracelets they made for us as we all split up to complete certain tasks. Some groups went up to their farm in the valley of the mountains to help harvest and collect the potatoes they cook in the ground, while others shucked corn and sorted beans. After that, we all gathered together again to watch a ceremony the kajillarakay people perform with cocoa leaves, before eating the potatoes we previously cooked in the ground. After we all ate the potatoes with cheese and a spicy sauce, we said goodbye to the community and headed back down to Calca. Before returning to Calca, we stopped at Moray which is an archaeological sight the Incan people used to test crops. We then also went to Maras to buy some local salt and other things such as tea and chocolate. Finally, we returned to Calca and we went back to our homestay families and ate dinner, then went to sleep.

-Heather

July 27, 2024

Today we woke up and had pancakes with strawberry jam. Then we went to Senor de la Vara and finished our projects. The projects included repainting the bridge on the playground, repainting the Hop scotch, and painting in front of the school. We also painted a small mural of flowers and vines along the stairwell to brighten up the area. We finished our sensory boards for the kids at the school to walk on and touch. Afterwards we left the school to go enjoy lunch with our homestays. At our home we enjoyed a pesto pasta with beef on top. Then we went to the park to play soccer and volleyball with the local kids. The games were very enticing and fun. After we went back to our homestays and had dinner. Our dinner was a delicious potato soup with Angel hair pasta. After we tucked into bed for a good nights sleep to prepare us for the day ahead!

-Hanna and Clara

July 28, 2024

Today we woke up around 9am and celebrated Peruvian Independence Day with our families. With our family, we made our way to Eli and Ethan’s house. After enjoying our breakfast, Evan and I went to Rosa’s house, where we played uno with Azali and Heather. For lunch, Azali cheffed up some homemade pesto pasta, which was not too shabby. We went on a walk after lunch and then played board games for a few hours. Next, we went back to Macarena’s house to get ready for dinner. At dinner, we made homemade pizzas and ate one last dinner with our families. We are sad to say but goodbye, but excited for Machu Picchu!

-James

July 29, 2024

As our last day with our host families, me, Hanna, and Clara had a slow morning cleaning up our room and finished up some packing. We had our usual tea with our breakfast of avocado, ham, and eggs. We then went with our families to meet up with the others at the square. After some happy tears and many hugs we said our goodbyes and restated our thankfulness for their hospitality and care. We then traveled to the town of Ollantaytambo where we had lunch and then went to an Incan archeological site and learned more about their history. Once we were done we shopped a little at the local market and then headed to the train, arriving in Aguas Calientes a little before dinner. Once we got our hotel rooms we had a fun dinner with tasty drinks and delicious ice cream for dessert. Our energy is high as we are looking forward to a day of exploring this vibrant town and Machu Picchu tomorrow!

-Kat

July 30, 2024
Ok everyone! Tune in to this days episode of Global Works Peru trip: Machu Picchu edition!! We woke up bright and early at 6:30 to start our journey from the bottom of the Amazon cloud forest to the vast mountains hiding the gem that is Machu Picchu. We ate a light buffet breakfast at our hotel and quickly ran out the door to get in line for our 8:00 AM bus ride to the base camp of Machu Picchu. While waiting in line we got to experience something new, something you can’t see or feel high in the Andean Mountains: RAIN! At first, It might not seem significant to our friends all over the world but experiencing rain in this part of Peru means you made it to the Amazon area. After a quick twenty minute queue, we got on the bus to base camp where one of the seven wonders of the world was waiting for us behind an eery wall of fog. After a quick 30 minute bus ride up thousands of feet of lush green mountains, we arrived at base camp and entered the base of Machu Picchu. We walked up the ancient stone steps built by the Incans in the 1400s and quickly were in awe by the views of Machu Picchu from above. I tell you the pictures do not do it justice. The views, the architecture, the history! After about half an hour of taking pictures and taking in the panoramic view of Machu Picchu with the surrounding mountains, we went to a different part of the of the site called the Incan Bridge. Before reaching the actual bridge we indulged on a scenic walk winding through the mountain that hid Machu Picchu for hundreds of years. The route itself was carved out of the mountain, making steep and narrow pathways. Looking out, you see mountains with clouds and you felt like you could just reach up and touch, and below, a river that feeds the Amazon. As we continued down the Incan Bridge Trail we reached a spot where you could see a view I would call magical. On one side of the valley, the land is sand color with large mountains and darker colored rocks, while on the other side of the valley are those lush green mountains I talked about before. We were witnessing a climate change between the grand Andean mountains and the Amazon cloud forests. That was my favorite part of the whole day. After reaching the end of the trail we had reached the actual Incan Bridge. There, we had our first history lesson of the day by our amazing Machu Picchu tour guide, James. He told us about the history of the trail, why it exists, and so much more. After our history lesson we headed back to our panoramic view of Machu Picchu for a photo shoot and then had our second and final history lesson of the day on the grassy grounds of an Incan terrace farm. There, we talked about the history of the Incans. Did you know Inca actually means King in Quechua? We learned about the emperors and the leading theories on who built Machu Picchu, who discovered it, and more. After that we took our last breath of Machu Piccu air and headed towards the exit.

From there, we took the same 30 minute bus ride back into Machu Picchu town, its actual name is Aguas Calientes. In Spanish that means hot waters which I found interesting. We had 30 minutes to walk around the town and explore its souvenirs before we boarded the Incan Express Voyager train to take us back to Ollantaytambo. After a chill hour and a half train ride through the beautiful Andean mountains and following the Urubamba River, we arrived at the train station and took a two hour bus ride to Cusco where we are staying for the remainder of our trip. Through winding roads and sleek turns at over 11,500 feet up we finally arrived at our hotel in Cusco. We then settled in for a hour, headed down for a pizza and chicken dinner, and went to bed around ten o’clock.
-Elijah

July 31, 2024
Buenas noches!

For our last full day, we woke up at around 9 to eat breakfast, then went to the market to start our scavenger hunt. During the scavenger hunt we had a list of foods to buy. We ventured around looking for our fruits, bread, salts, and spices. We used our amazing Spanish to negotiate and bargain for good prices. Once we had bought everything, we wandered around searching for someone to give the food to. Each group found a person or family that looked as if they were in need and we gave them the food. We then walked around the beautiful town and went to our final market of the trip to get some final souvineirs. After that we went to our salsa dancing class and had so much fun. Finally we went to dinner out in town to celebrate our last night together and went to bed!
By Heather and Hamish