2025 GSSM Peru Cultural Journey

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Blog 9: Last Day in Peru

Written by Ella A. and Emily W.

Today, we woke up at roughly 7 AM to finish packing our belongings for our unfortunate departure from the Amazon and Corto Maltes. We headed to the restaurant for a relaxing breakfast at 8 AM, enjoying fresh fruits and scrambled eggs. After breakfast, we carried our bags out to the boating dock for departure at 9 AM, where we thanked our wonderful hosts for their hospitality. However, just as we pulled out, Rafael realized he forgot his water bottle, and we had to pull back in. We are definitely going to miss the vibrant and lush Amazon, but I certainly won’t miss the bugs.

After docking at 10 AM, we had the opportunity to explore the markets in Puerto Maldonado and observe the busy stands filled with delicious, ripe fruits and Brazilian nuts.

Next, we headed to the airport around 11 AM and checked in. Our flight was slightly delayed, which gave us the amazing opportunity to enjoy a delicious lunch at a European restaurant in the airport. Most of us had a calzone filled with chicken, cheese, and tomato, paired with freshly squeezed strawberry juice. It was absolutely amazing. Some of us also utilized our Spanish skills to order Oreo ice cream at one of the small stores.

After some time, we were finally able to board the plane to Lima. There was some confusion with seating and a very enthusiastic dog on board, but most of us managed to get some sleep during the flight.

Once we arrived in Lima, we boarded a bus to the neighborhood of Miraflores to enjoy our last dinner in Peru. We arrived just in time to see a gorgeous sunset from our beachside restaurant and take plenty of pictures. We then savored a delicious meal of fresh fruit juice and chicken sandwiches before finding an ice cream shop for dessert. After making our last stop at a nearby supermarket for snacks, we made our way to the airport in Lima. We said goodbye to our guides, Rafael and JP, before boarding the plane back to the United States.

Blog 8: A Day in the Jungle

Written by Gabriel B. and Hampton B.
Today was a very interesting and fun day. We woke up at 5:00 am and left the lodge at around 5:30 am. We followed the trail behind the lodge to watch birds eat claylicks. We arrived at 6:00 am. There was a tarp held up by wooden beams. Long ant trails were on some of the beams. Half of the floor was flooded, the other half mud. We all took our seats and waited. A few birds got close but we’re eventually scared away by monkeys and hawks. Finally, at 7:15 birds began to gather around the clay. Eight birds eventually gathered on the clay. It was truly amazing. We sat for around twenty minutes before heading back to the lodge for breakfast.
 After breakfast we headed to a small farm. A kind man named Pedro owned roughly 30 hectares of land on which his farm was located. There was a very excited monkey, many lambs, chickens and ducks. Behind the farm were many plants such as coconut, cacao, plantain, banana, and lemon trees. There was also pineapple, sugar cane, and yuca.
Once all tried the fruit that the farmer Pedro had picked for us, we left on our boat to head back to Corto Maltes. We then ate lunch at 1:00 pm before immediately leaving at 2:00 pm when we left to go do the hanging bridge. Once we got there it started raining a lot but the bridge was still safe enough to cross. After everyone had their turn crossing the bridge we rode back to Corto Maltes in the boat. Then we had a longer break until dinner at 8:00 pm when we had dinner and then did an activity where we wrote a letter to ourselves three years in the future. After that was assigned we left dinner and were allowed to go to sleep.

Blog 7: Caimanes & Bridges

Written by  Crystal N.

For the caiman activity, we took a break before heading out to search for caimans at 6:30 PM. We enjoyed a boat ride along the river, gliding by the vegetation and trees as our guides scanned the waters with flashlights in search of the elusive creatures. The sunset was gorging with stunning warm red and blue hues, creating a beautiful backdrop. By around 7:20, we spotted a caiman resting and carefully moved in closer to snap some pictures. Along the way, we also encountered other boats searching as well. After our adventure, we returned for dinner and spent the rest of the night unwinding and relaxing.

Blog 6: Welcome to the Jungle

Written by Max M. and Lucy H.
Today we woke up bright and early (but not too early) to hit the road for Cusco airport. We flew out at 11 and landed in Porto Maldo for the next leg of our journey: the Amazon rainforest. After repacking our things into easy-to-use duffle bags, we hopped on a boat for a quick trip down the Amazon River to get to the lodge. Lunch was the first thing we did once we got into the rainforest. We had delicious fish, fruits and salad. Afterwards, we had a bit of time to unpack before we went on a botanical tour. We learned about walking palms, ficus, rubber trees, and other native plants. We also had the opportunity to see a three toed sloth! Next, we had free time to explore the lodge. We played games, relaxed in hammocks, and interacted with the surrounding nature around the resort. Once the sun set, we all piled back into the boat to search for caimans (which are related to alligators). We only found one, but he was very cute. Dinner was delicious, we had kebabs, spinach soup, and a starfruit smoothie. We made it a quick night, and settled in for bed around 10:30, because we have an early morning tomorrow.

Blog 5: A Day in the Imperial City

Written by Gael V. and Noah C.

Today, we woke up early to kick off our day. Around 7:00 AM, we went to breakfast, grabbing some bread and bananas to fuel ourselves for the long adventure ahead at Machu Picchu. At 8:30 AM, we boarded the bus to the ancient city after waiting in a long line. The ride was a short 30 minutes, during which we were introduced to the breathtaking mountains surrounding Machu Picchu.

We arrived at 9:00 AM, where our tour guide, Dani, began our extensive tour of Machu Picchu. Every part of this ancient empire holds deep meaning and serves a specific function. The structure was both stunning and vast. We stopped at several spots to hear fascinating stories and capture incredible photos. One interesting fact we learned was that the Incan people didn’t rely on bows and arrows for defense; instead, the city’s remote location served as their primary protection from invaders.

Dani explained that Machu Picchu may have been a place where the Incas exchanged artifacts and advanced techniques with neighboring societies. Their ability to carve perfect stones for the palace and implement underground engineering techniques was remarkable and contributed to the site’s durability. The stone windows found in many of Machu Picchu’s structures were used to store artifacts, as the Incas didn’t use furniture. Interestingly, the head ruler of the empire, the Inca, is believed never to have lived in Machu Picchu. Instead, the palace was primarily used to host royal guests and events.

From a religious perspective, the Incas believed in the power of the sun. People were categorized as either “children of the earth” or “children of the sun,” which determined where they would go after passing. This division is symbolized by a tree placed in the center of Machu Picchu, separating the two groups. Toward the end of our tour, we saw an artistic representation of a condor. Its wings symbolized carrying the souls of the departed to the sun. This experience was unforgettable, and we wished it could last forever.

After leaving Machu Picchu, we stopped for lunch at noon. We tried chicharrón and a Margherita pizza, both of which were delicious and new to us. After lunch, we had free time to explore the market and interact with locals. Noah bought a tote and a purse for his mother, while Gael purchased a tote and a few Peruvian soccer jerseys.

At 4:00 PM, we began our journey back to Cusco, catching our last glimpses of the stunning scenery of Aguas Calientes during the train ride. Reflecting on our experience, we felt incredibly grateful to have witnessed the intricate architecture of the Inca and the breathtaking natural beauty of Machu Picchu’s mountainside.

After arriving in Ollantaytambo, we encountered some delays with the bus, which led to us traveling back to Cusco in vans. Once we returned to our hotel, we went out for a quick dinner of chorizo sandwiches and vegetarian tacos amongst others. We returned around 10:00 PM and began winding down in preparation for our flight to Puerto Maldonado the next morning.

Goodnight!

Blog 4: Salt and Mud

Written by Isaac K. and Quin T.
We (Isaac and Quin) woke up this morning at six. Both of our garmins say our “Body Battery” is at 5 percent. Today was marked by mountains and rain; both of those come back later. We hopped on the bus early and got some beautiful views of Cusco and the mountains. We stopped at another place where we saw some traditional ladies weaving wool textiles. Then we went on to the salt flats where they make Andean pink salt. They wouldn’t let us taste the pools. We learned about how in the future, it may become a Lithium mine. All of this was driving through the Andes and it was some of the most beautiful and extreme looking mountains we had ever seen. It was shocking to compare those to the Blue Ridge mountains, where we grew up. From the Salt Pools we were supposed to meet some vans that had mountain bikes, but there was a mountain bike race in town and we were told we had to detour. The detour was a dirt road through rolling hills and beautiful views. However, it had rained earlier this morning. The roads were muddy, and the bus only had two wheel drive. We were driving as smooth as you can imagine, when all of a sudden, the bus slipped into the ditch on the left side of the road. We got out and did everything from putting rocks under tires, to brute strength pushing it. We did manage to get the bus out of the ditch, but almost immediately after, it started raining again and it became too muddy. We decided to hike back to where we had come from, it was a beautiful mile hike until we hitched a ride on a cattle truck back into town where we met a van which took us to the train station. Isaac’s boots now look like they were intended to, and Quin’s running shoes are caked in mud. All in all Isaac wouldn’t trade it for the biking. Quin has no comment. The train ride was also gorgeous and you could see waterfalls and Inca ruins up on the mountains. When we got to the hotel we showered, crashed and then went to eat dinner. We are about to go to bed early at 9:30 before we have to get up early again to go to Machu Picchu.
Goodnight!
Isaac and Quin

Blog 3: Alpacas, Salsa, and Guinea pig

Written by Peter S. and Roland Y.

¡Hola desde Cusco! We (Peter and Roland) woke up at 8:00 AM today to grab breakfast downstairs at the Hotel Rojas. At 9:00, we walked to our bus for a 20 minute ride that would take us to the Quechuan ruins of Saqsayhuaman. When we got there, our guide Dani explained the site’s cultural significance to the Incans before leading us through a tunnel that took us to the Incan sacrificial site of Suchuna. Dani explained that the primary purpose of the sacrifices was more scientific than previously believed; each sacrifice was autopsied to determine the health of the general human and livestock populations. Afterwards, we climbed Suchuna and had the chance to slide down the rocks, which Dani explained had been formed by retreating glaciers. After this we headed down into Chukipampa—the site of the Incan equivalent to the Olympics. There we walked around and took photos before heading back to the bus. We stopped briefly to take pictures with the Cristo Blanco before visiting a camelid rescue where we learned about Peru’s alpacas and llamas as well as the people who weave beautiful garments out of the wool. We shopped in their store for alpaca wool clothes and thTen got back on the bus and headed to lunch. It hailed. After lunch, we walked four blocks to the dance studio and were kindly greeted by our instructor, who immediately launched into the lesson. In addition to teaching us salsa, he also taught us etiquette—how to treat our partners well. We danced with each partner multiple times and left at 4:20 PM. A group of us walked to the Mercado San Pedro, where we got refreshments and souvenirs, while the rest of us went back to the hotel. At 6:50 PM, we left for dinner. We bothhad the aji de gallina and finished with a piece of guinea pig. We have an even bigger day tomorrow and are looking forward to it.

Peace,
Peter and Ro

Blog 2: Cusco

Cusco: Not from the Movie
By Kate R.
Today we woke up at 4 in the morning to go and travel to Cusco. Though we were tired, we were really excited to see a new part of Peru. At least I was. Once we landed, we were warned about altitude sickness, which worried some people but most of us were fine. We had to take a break to see how we would react, but afterwards we ate lunch. It was very filling, they offered a lot of local cuisine like trout and ossobuco. Then I had to go exchange money because I didn’t have a rain jacket. I ended up using it a lot during the walking tour where we got to traverse the roads of Cusco. It was so colorful, and seeing the unique brick built by the Inca was really cool. They were so precise with carving the brick, they didn’t need mortar for their buildings to be structurally sound. The streets are so long and hilly though, it makes me feel like I’m walking on the stair masters. At this point my head started hurting, I’m assuming from the low oxygen but it was manageable and seeing all the sites made me feel more excited than worried. We also went to the Sun Temple, which was made from the bricks of the Inca. I wish we could have seen the whole structure of the building, but parts were broken to make the museum we were in. Then I took the most glorious nap ever followed by a delicious meal of pumpkin cream, alpaca, and fruit salad.
Traveling to Cusco
Written by Aishwarya P. 
Today was a pretty exhausting day. Thankfully I packed everything last night so all I had to do was wake up. The flight was pretty short, only about an hour and a half. The altitude difference is really drastic. They say to chew coca leaves because it helps with altitude sickness. I chewed the leaves and they don’t taste like much, I would say the taste is similar to black tea leaves. I ate crema santana, pollito escalfado, and a pear dessert. Then we walked around the city. Apparently the city was designed to be the shape of a puma. We only walked around the neck portion of it. Unfortunately, it started raining during the walking tour, so we had to be more careful. There’s a lot of nature present around the city. In the night, the lights were beautiful. Everything had this warm glow to it. Today I tried alpaca which was surprisingly good.

Blog 1: Exploring Lima

Written by Makena B. & Kambell S. 
Last night we got into Peru around 9:35 pm. We then got through customs and met with JP and Rafael to walk to the bus. The bus ride wasn’t bad, it was about an hour long to our hotel, Girasoles. We all ate pizza for dinner and then went into our rooms and went to sleep. Makena and I woke up around 7:30 this morning to start getting ready and go down stairs for breakfast. It was pretty good, with a choice of fruit (papaya, pineapple, prickle pear, and watermelon), cheese, tomato, French toast and more. After breakfast we went back up stairs to gather our things and met the group again at 9:45 in the lobby so that we could load the bus and head to Lima. The ride was an hour long and our guide Liliana had a lot of interesting things and facts to say. We took a tour of downtown Lima and saw many cool things and parks. We visited the Monastery of San Francisco and also traveled down into the catacombs underneath the structure. After a long morning of touring Lima and getting to see a lot of fun and cool sites. We even got a taste of some Peruvian desert! A churro, it was really sweet and delicious. We headed back to the hotel for a 3 course lunch, free/nap time and an orientation meeting with JP and Rafael.
For lunch we were served 3 courses, first the Peruvian dish Causa Limeña – which consists of mashed yellow potato, boiled egg, chicken, mayo, and lots of seasonings. Then we got to eat a delicious beef stir fry with tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and noodles. Finally, we were treated with a pecan brownie topped with rich vanilla ice cream. Feeling stuffed, we had some time to relax and freshen up in our rooms before our evening activities. A little before 5, we had a group orientation that gave us a chance to declare our goals and group dynamics for the trip, while also getting to know JP, Rafael, and our classmates better. We then headed toward the coast the watch the sunset at the scenic El Parque Del Amor. The little park was gorgeous, nested atop a cliff overlooking the pacific coast. All the flowers planted around the park were arranged into lovely flower shapes. After the sun set and dusk set in, we walked toward the city again to have some time to explore a cat refuge park. After half an hour, we grabbed sandwhiches and smoothies from a sandwich shop named La Lucha. Kambell and I both got Pollo Deluxe sandwhiches with a refreshing smoothie of pineapple, orange, and peppermint. After dinner, we walked back to the hotel as a group and were briefed about tomorrow’s activities, before heading to our rooms to shower and get a good night’s rest.

LLegamos!

We’ve arrived, more updates coming soon.

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