Greetings! We are very excited to go on this learning adventure in Peru with the group! On Friday, we got to know each other a lot better with a bunch of quick-fire questions as each student took turns sitting in the "hot seat." We went over some key aspects of the trip including some highlights on the packing list (water bottles, chapstick/lotion/sunscreen, shampoo/soap, gloves!) Students also established group norms and had some quiet time to reflect on their goals and write a letter to themselves (as seen in the photo below!) Going forward, students are excited to take turns updating this blog with our adventures in Peru! -- Mr. Chang and Dr. Garvey
¡Hola desde Zurite! We started off our morning bright and early with a 7 AM breakfast meet-up where we got our itineraries and homestay families! From there we reflected on intentions while we ate pancakes, meatballs, pineapple, and watermelon. Once we were officially packed, we set off to Zurite. It was a gorgeous ride as we picked out landmarks along the way before arriving to a gorgeous celebration welcoming us to the community. Representatives from the homestay families dressed in their traditional clothing and gifted us with dried flower petals and "serpiente" necklaces in place of flowers to accommodate the dry season. From there we toured the village in a dancing circle with live music following us! Once we learned about Zurite's history like how the Conquistadors took over, the recent landslides, and finally how Zurite is growing as a community now, we headed back to Don Tomás's house for a delicious lunch! We all had cuy (guinea pig) for the first time as w...
Hola! This is the Peru group’s blog, today written by Oliver and Yuna. It was our first day, full of flights. We’re all wiped out and this day was hilariously unpredictable. Two of the three bags carrying surveying equipment for our host community of Zurite have not yet joined us in Cusco. Students not having phones proved challenging on two separate occasions. First, on the plane to Panama, there was no in flight entertainment without phones, so we had to actually talk and sleep. Second, in the Lima airport, Claire decided to find our gate for us without waiting for the rest of the group. By the time we got to Cusco, we were all knocked out by three full flights. The flights themselves were exhausting. Our first and third flight had no entertainment, making the hours seem much longer. Had we had our phones, we could have enjoyed some time for ourselves exploring the wonders of social media…but you guys know what Mr. Brown said… But we got to our hotel safe! Tired, but intact. Our tour...