2019 Elkhorn South Peru Adventure

The Final Full Day

Written by Avery Spyers

¡Hola! Today was our last full day in Peru : ( We started it off with a relaxing morning which we spent with our families, eating breakfast and saying our last goodbyes. Then we got in a van and headed to Pisac, where we had an hour and an half to shop around the colorful market, practicing our Spanish and buying lots of souvenirs like bracelets, shirts and gifts for us and our families. After shopping we all ate a delicious lunch and then hopped in the van for a short ride up a mountain to see some beautiful Incan ruins. We also saw an Incan cemetery in the side of a mountain and learned that the Incans chose to bury their dead there so they were closer to the to the heavens or afterlife. Then, after a quick tour of the ruins, we headed back to our van and towards our next stop: an alpaca farm! At the farm we got to feed and pet lots of llamas and alpacas, they were so cute!!

Finally, we all got in the van again to go back to Cusco, where we had an amazing dinner to celebrate Ally’s 17th birthday! Lots of us tried alpaca and really enjoyed it! We also had picarones (donuts with honey) for dessert which were delicious! Overall it was a great and unforgettable day!

Machu Picchu Take 2

Written by Lydia

Our day started at 4:30 this morning when we woke up and enjoyed a quick breakfast. Then, before the sun had risen we took a bus ride through the winding roads leading up to Machu Picchu. After entering the grounds and viewing the ruins for a second time, the group took an hour long hike up to the temple of the sun. Even though the trek was difficult, the view was worth the sweat. We got to see Machu Picchu from a much higher angle as the morning sun was rising and clouds were forming between the mountains. After touring the rest of the ruins, we enjoyed a pizza lunch and relaxing ride back to Ollantaytambo to meet up with our host families. We enjoyed a going away party with traditional Peruvian food, even including our very own Guinea Pig.

Machu Picchu at First Sight

Written by Olivia

In the morning my group and I gathered around a weathered table at the back of our host family’s small shop. We came for pancakes, but we received an in-depth look at daily life in Peru. After breakfast, and a quick chocolate cake run, the group met up and boarded a pretty little train that showed us, through numerous windows both on the sides and top of the train, scenic Peru. As we arrived at Aguas Calientes, the town was surprising quaint once you avoided the inevitable llama keychain venders. It was lucky our host families packed us snacks because none of us could wait to feast our eyes on the famous Machu Picchu. The walk up was a tad strenuous but once we all made it the view was worth it. The terraced hillside swept downward in a cascading path of multilayer stones. My friend said she thought of it as being part of a picture she had seen many times. As for afterwards, my personal highlight was the fact that I was gifted a passion fruit. In addition, the sweet-potato doughnuts that were absolutely dripping with honey and fresh out of the fryer, were pretty fine.

Queridas familias

Written by Grace Barker

Today was a super fun day! We started our day off having breakfast with our host families. Then we all met up in the middle of town and headed for the Chinchero. Here we saw a weaving demonstration and where some of the local food comes from. We learned a lot about the different potatoes they have and the different types of quinoa. Next we went to Salineras Salt Pools. Here our guide told us a lot of interesting facts. For example, we learned there is three layers of salt and what the different types are used for. Also, the view was very pretty here. After that we ate the lunch that our host families packed us at a scenic outlook of the mountains. Next we went to Moray.  Here we saw ancient Incan terraces. The guide taught us a lot about Incan beliefs. For example, we learned that silver represents the blood of the moon and gold represents the blood of the sun. After this we biked down the mountains. The views were outstanding here. Finally, we returned to our host families for dinner and spent the rest of the evening with them. Overall today was very fun and we learned a lot about the culture in Peru.

Day 2 in Peru

Written by Ally Schilmoeller

¡Hola! Today was a busy day. We started it off with a delicious breakfast of eggs, potatoes, pancakes and fresh squeezed orange juice. Next, we set off on our scavenger hunt around the city of Cusco. There were two groups; group one was Grace, Madeline, Paige Sutter, and Lydia, and group two was Ally, Avery, Paige Vose, and Olivia. In an hour we had to find as many things as possible and snap a photo of them. Some of the highlights were the human pyramid, finding cuy (guinea pig), taking a picture of someone with a mustache, finding the 4 cathedrals, and finding a dog in a sweater. Group 2 won with 27 points and group 1 finished with 23. After that we headed out to find a restaurant for lunch and ordered entirely in spanish. After lunch we headed over to the dance class for salsa lessons. We all had so much fun learning the moves, dancing with each other and the instructor as well as trying to keep up with the quick tempo. After that, we headed to Ollantaytambo and met our families in the plaza. The families made us a home cooked dinner and we all got to know them and practiced our Spanish skills. Overall it was a day packed with culture.

Exploring Cusco

After getting into Cusco from Lima, we arrived at our hotel, Pension Alemana, at 7:00 AM. We relaxed and slept at the hotel until about noon, then had a little meeting and some lunch. After lunch we took a walk down to the central plaza. On the way we passed a lot of quaint little shops and some baby alpacas. We met our tour guide, Greco, and he took us on a walking tour of the historic city of Cusco. We got to see inside of the Convent de Santo Domingo del Cusco, and learned about the Quechua culture and history. We then took a ride with William, our driver, to Saqsaywaman, where we all took a lot of photos. I think everyone’s favorite part of the day was when we were taking videos of some dogs chasing the alpacas, and then the alpacas started to chase us! After this, we drove to a restaurant called Naturales for a delicious dinner, then off to the hotel for bed. The adventure is just beginning!