Peru: Friday May 15th

Today we took an all day tour to Cumbe Mayo 20 km outside of Cajamarca. Here there are huge volcanic rock formations that have been preserved by the Peruvians. We hiked through the rocks and over a few for a total of 6 km. Needless to say we were very tired by the time we returned to school.

This evening, students are attending a farewell party in their honor. The host families have put together a wonderful evening for the kids including pizza, dancing, and a dj. It should be an excellent time for the students to say goodbye to all of the new friendships they have developed at Davy College.

Tomorrow we head to Cuzco and we will be visiting Machu Picchu on Sunday. Our return trip to the States begins Monday and we should arrive in Cincinnati Tuesday afternoon. It has been a wonderful adventure here in Peru, and several students are not quite ready to return to their normal lives. However, even with our short time here, we have all definitely developed memories that will last a lifetime.

Peru: Thursday May 14th

This evening all families were invited to the La Torre family for a barbeque. The kids made a bonfire, jumped on the trampoline, roasted marshmellows, and ate lots of food. Meanwhile, the adults listened to the mayor tell stories and enjoyed each others company in their beautiful countryside home.

The students enjoying the bonfire

Peru: Wednesday May 13th

Today we didn't have much going on. Thankfully, we were able to stay at school and relax. It has been a very busy few days and I think the students also enjoyed the down time. We had a presentation this morning for the 6th grade class. They had a lot of questions for us about the US customs and what our school was like. It was a wonderful experience for us as well as them. The remainder of the day, our students went to class and found the time to complete homework, read, and update their journals.

Kelsey and Joseph presented about US history

John and Joseph catching up on their reading

Kelsey and Cory filling in their journals

Peru: Tuesday May 12th

Lions, pumas, alpacas oh my! Who would imagine a zoo in the midst of mountains? Today we visited Granja Porcon which is a city outside of Cajamarca located 3,500 m above sea level. The people of this city work very hard to support themselves through tourism as well as exporting their handmade wood furniture, textiles, and dairy products. They have developed an artificial jungle by planting thousands of pine trees (the only tree that can survive at such high altitude and low temperatures). They use these trees for their carpentry and to make a secluded home for the Peruvian animals. Tourists (us) are taken up the mountain by van to learn about the culture of the people, but to mostly see the variety of animals in their zoo. We saw everything including wild pigs, bears, pumas, parrots, condors, ducks, peacocks, and the biggest hit of the day—the monkeys. The kids enjoyed feeding the monkeys and John almost had his sweatshirt pulled right off his body by a very greedy monkey. That will be an experience he will never forget!

A Peruvian weaving a wall hanging with a loom

Me standing in the Vicuna (an alpaca variety) observation gazebo.

Astrid and Jessica feeding the crazy monkeys

All of the students resting after our walk through the zoo

In the evening, we went to the Novoa Sanchez family home for dinner to check on how John was getting along with his host family. We were welcomed graciously and felt like we were at home. We ate a wonderful meal including pork with a sweet sauce, mashed potatoes, and rice. We had an intriguing conversation about culture and the differences between the US and Peru.

Kelsey and I working on a puzzle that the family has been trying to complete for a year!

All of the Novoa Sanchez family

Peru: Monday May 11th

I experienced my first hot bath of my stay here and boy did it feel it absolutely wonderful! Vanessa, Raquel, and I went to the thermal baths in Los Banos del Inca which is the “suburb” next to Cajamarca. Although we left at 6:30 am it was well worth it. After our 30 minute soak, we walked across the street and enjoyed fresh squeezed pineapple juice. I could get used to this.


For the rest of the morning, Raquel, Carol, Kelsey, and I went shopping in the city to finish buying our souvenirs. I was successful, but Carol and Kelsey still have a few on their lists.

For lunch, all of the host families and the Americans met at Laguna Seca. This is known as the resort of Cajamarca. It is located in a remote area of the city and includes a nice restaurant, massage table, a thermal pool, and relaxation. The kids all went swimming while the adults chatted and took lots of pictures. We ate traditional Peruvian dishes for lunch and were warmly accepted and loved by the Peruvian families.

Peru: Sunday May 10th

Today I experienced the true Peruvian community at its best. Raquel, Joshi, and I met Vanessa, Carol, Kelsey, and Joshua and walked over to Juan Carlos and Sandra’s home (two teachers from Davy). We crammed 4 adults and 3 children into a taxi while Juan Carlos’s family piled into another for a Mother’s Day outing. We first went to La Querencia, a huge outdoor restaurant with games for the children and a live band. The place was packed and our table alone ended up being 25 people. As we ate traditional food the kids played on the playground equipment and the adults chatted animatedly and drank happily. The atmosphere was very warm and full of energy and felt like one big Peruvian family.


After lunch, our original entourage went for a hike through the local village of Llacanora in hopes of finding the waterfalls. We were lucky enough to find one beautiful waterfall and the younger kids had a blast playing in the pool below. On our way back to the center of the village, Vanessa and Joshua were on a mission to pick up all of the garbage they came across. They were successful and filled two bags worth. Vanessa is such an environmentalist and let the locals now verbally of the disgrace their filth city was. I’m glad that I don’t understand Spanish that well. :)

Peru: Saturday May 9th

Aww…finally I get to sleep in. :)

Raquel's Apartment Complex

The 4 flights of stairs I climb at least twice a day

Joshi's bedroom which she graciously gave up for me to use for the 2 weeks

Peru: Friday May 8th

First thing this morning at Davy College, the younger grades put on a Mother’s Day presentation. The primary students sang and danced to honor their mothers. They performed dances to various American movie theme songs from Titanic, Grease, Pretty Woman and Ghostbusters. It was extremely cute to see the little ones all dressed up!

Ghostbusters Theme Song

Titanic Theme Song

Today we toured the country side of Cajamarca: Otuzco and Los Alpes cheese factory. Manuel was again our tour guide and amazed us all with is knowledge of the tombs and the natural medicine provided by the surrounding plants. He wowed the kids by pulling the fibers out of a cactus and squishing the cactus parasite bug with his finger to reveal the substance used to color lipstick. At Los Alpes we learned how the cheese was made by hand and about the aging process. We then tasted several kinds of cheese and cream.

The burial tombs

The students posing with the picturesque background of the countryside

Los Alpes cheese factory

Aging Cheese--our favorite was Andino

Upon returning to school, the students gave their first presentation about America, Cincinnati, and Sacred Heart to a 5th grade class. They did a wonderful job and the Peruvian students in return asked them questions. After school, the faculty put on a Mother’s Day Lunch for all the teachers which included traditional Peruvian food, a Mariachi band (not Peruvian), and a presentation of gifts to all of the mothers. Mothers day is a huge holiday here unlike in the states.

Peru: Thursday May 7th

Today we all went on our tour of the city. We were picked up at Davy College and took a ride in a rickety old van and picked up our tour guide Manuel on our way. Manuel is this tiny Indian Peruvian who really knows his Inca history. Our first stop was at Cuarto del Rescate, the preserved house that originally held the Inca Emperor prisoner by the Spanish. The Spanish said they would release him if he filled the house with gold. So the Inca was very tall and stood tall with his hand raised high to mark the spot of the level the gold would be filled. Even after the gold was presented to the Spanish, they still killed the Inca Emperor.

The house that held the Inca Emperor prisoner

The small plate marks the height at which the gold was stacked

We then walked through a few ornate churches.

Next we visited the Museums of Belen which used to house the separate hospitals for men and women. Now it is filled with Peruvian artifacts and paintings.

The hospital bed for women

A baby mummy preserved in a jar.

Manuel our tour guide explaining some artifacts

A painting displayed in the museum

Our last stop was to Santa Apolonia up on the mountain. Here the Inca emperors sat watching for invaders from their thrones facing different directions. Also, here lies a church at the top of a long curved stone staircase. The view of the city from up here was amazing!

The church at the top of the steps

The view of the city from the top of Santa Apolonia

The students sitting on the thrones

Peru: Wednesday May 5th

Davy College
The school and the grounds are absolutely breath taking. The campus is surrounded by beautifully landscaped grounds. The buildings are all open to the outdoors and the only doors are to the actual classrooms. The school houses grades K-12 with small class sizes, yet over 50 teachers. It is an international school with several American teachers. Carol and I met with the students in the morning to make sure all was going well and reevaluate our schedule since we arrived late. The students followed their hosts around for the day, while Carol and I were introduced to the faculty.



Cajamarca
After school, Raquel took us to the center of the city to shop for souvenirs. The city is very different from those in the states, but it is a wonderful difference. The living here is so much simpler than in America. The apartments are small, the shops tiny, and the people extremely friendly. We were told we would be taken advantage of but I haven’t seen or felt that yet. And the food!! Mmmm… it is wonderful. It is nothing like Mexican, but rather uses more rice, and a lot of potatoes. It has an Asian flare to it with the use of Curry and hot spices. We have been to two family dinners already and stuffed myself full at both. I just can’t get enough of it!


View of the city, Center of the city, Vanessa and Raquel

Travel to Peru

Traveling to Peru was a nightmare! Who knew fog could cause such a problem and that only one flight left Lima to Cajamarca each day. Our intended flight itinerary was to last 24 hours, but instead took 72 hours. However, we did encounter a few unexpected and pleasant surprises due to our delays.

Saturday May 2nd
We left Cincinnati at 12:45 pm and landed in Atlanta on time at 2:23 pm. Our next flight to Miami also encountered zero problems. We had a 6 hour wait in Miami until our flight to Lima at 11:30 pm. The kids occupied themselves with their DS Nintendos and I watched the Princess Bride. Miami airport waiting for a flight to Lima

Sunday May 3rd
Our departure from Miami was delayed due to technical difficulties on the plane. We didn’t mind too much since a 10 hour layover awaited us in Lima. However, when we approached Lima, the pilot informed us that intense fog conditions prohibited us from landing and we were therefore detoured to Guayaquil, Ecuador. WHAT?!?! Ecuador wasn’t on our itinerary! Luckily, the airline provided us with food vouchers and a hotel stay until the return flight to Lima which left at 10 pm. While in Ecuador we visited the Iguana Park where 30+ iguanas roam freely waiting for food handouts from the visitors. The kids and I got a big kick out of this.

One of the many iguanas in the park
All of the students at the iguana park

Monday May 4th
Finally we arrived in Lima at 12:30 am, but to find out that the only flight (one per day) to Cajamarca was booked. And the next flight out wasn’t until Tuesday morning at 8:10 am. UGH!! What were 8 Americans supposed to do for 24 hours in a foreign airport? Thankfully, we were able to get a hold of Vanessa (our contact in Peru). She arranged for us to stay at a hotel in Miraflores Lima. So with my limited Spanish, I got all 8 of us plus 9 suitcases into a taxi and to our hotel. While here we were able to walk the boardwalk along the coast, visit Larcomar mall, and eat delivery McDonald’s.
The kids looking out at the fog at Larcomar

At the lighthouse on the boardwalk in Miraflores

Tuesday May 5th
After a restful sleep in an actual bed, we were picked up from the hotel and taken back to the airport for hopefully our final flight. Our flight was on time (that is Peruvian time) and we arrived quickly and smoothly to Cajamarca. We were all welcomed with open arms with posters, balloons, and streamers by our host families. It was a great sight to see our kids with smiles on their faces and to hear laughter after a tumultuous travel experience.