Breakfast was on the sixth floor of the hotel this morning. Few made it by 8 am! Bags had to be packed and passports collected before our walking tour of Cuzco began.
We walked past Santo Domingo and the local citizens enjoying a Saturday on the wide green lawn surrounding an ancient fortress. Was every walk uphill?! We saw Incan foundations including the famous 12-edged stone. The central square was again our meeting point. It was swarming with aggressive street vendors including a team of shoe-shine boys. Some walked further to the farmer's market while others visited the chocolate museum. After lunch overlooking downtown...or after trying McDonald's Peru, Washington took us through the main cathedral. It was the first one built by the Spaniard's in South America and is larger than Lima's. There were many examples of colonialism on display--Mary painted with a body in the shape of a mountain, a Guinea pig being served at the last supper, and a crucifix made of corn. The Spaniards purposefully incorporated local ideas into carvings and paintings to help evangelize the local population who were illiterate in Spanish and Latin. It was an impressive church--it's size rivals great cathedrals in Europe. The primary altar, for example, was made using 2500 pounds of silver and a side chapel had an edifice plated with 22-carat gold. Upon exiting the tour several students (Kevin and George) hurriedly spent their final soles.
Next began the arduous journey home: bus transfer from hotel to Cuzco airport-fly to Lima-grab luggage and haul to bus for dinner-bus back to Lima airport-international flight home departing at midnight and arriving in Houston at 6:30 am.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Peru Day Seven
It will be impossible to describe in words all that transpired today. We left our cottage "Shangri La" to a soft rain which would follow us throughout the morning. At Umasbamba Javier and Gary directed us to the house we would be working on and then showed us another home and the completed projects there from a prior group. The second home had a garden built inside a courtyard and another structure built to house a guinea farm. The local delicacy would be grown and sold to restaurants in Cuzco. It was necessary for EF that the family assistance include some income-generating project. In this way, the family had to create a way to grow their income and build the community. Our project would include painting, constructing a garden, and plastering an exterior wall designed to become a guest quarters for tourists.
First, however, we marched through the rain to the primary school where the children in grades 1-6 were just starting recess. They sang for us and danced with us before we shared hot chocolate and bread in one of the classrooms. The teachers, who are employed by the government, live in Cuzco and Chinchara and commute to the school each day. The hours run from 8:15 to 1:15 daily and the school year runs from March till December 20. (Students "summer break" includes Christmas.) We presented the principal with Ball High lanyards and could only stay a short while due to government regulations. EF has helped the children who want to pursue 'high school' (our secondary) in Chinchara which is six miles away by providing bicycles to students who pass the sixth grade and enroll in the next level.
Back at our project home, we divided into three teams and began working. The paint was clay-based and the family had mixed in local soil to create the desired color. One group of students grabbed rollers and began spreading the runny solution onto the adobe walls. A second team grabbed muddy plaster and literally threw it by handfuls onto bricked walls. The plaster was them smoothed by the men of the family who are builders by trade. A third team set to work measuring and cutting wood for a garden fence. Fence posts had to be selected and cut from a pile of limbs and then post holes were dug with crude tools in the rocky soil. When we broke for lunch at noon, the painting was mostly done and the plastering was finished. We ate more quinoa soup and had a vegetable medley coated with a mushroom-based sauce in the community center where the mamacitas regularly meet. Afterwards, seven students chose to stay on the bus. The cumulative effects of altitude, hiking, manual labor, some sunburn, and a strange diet had taken its toll. The rest of the group finished painting then helped with the garden project which was the most complex. The plastering team broke apart mud bricks to create the foundation for future plaster made of mud and straw. They looked like a prison work crew slinging pick axes!
The garden came together at last as students took turns hammering and sawing. Everyone helped turn the soil and add potting mix. EF had purchased flowers for the matron of the house and she directed the students as they each took a turn helping plant them in rows. She almost cried as she delivered her thanks to us in Quechua, and the students responded with equal emotion when they gave her a congratulatory hug to conclude our time together.
The day had been a huge success. Peru is now more than just llamas and Machu Picchu to these students...it is a nation of gracious people who demonstrate 'reciprocity' as a way of life. The village of Umasbamba will hold a significant place in our memories.
With the red clay soil of the village baked to or clothes, shoes, and faces we drove back to Cuzco for our final night in Peru. Dinner was at a restaurant overlooking the main square. The night lights and ambiance of street vendors facing the majestic cathedral took everyone's breath away. We are scheduled to return in the morning for a walking tour before starting our long journey home to Texas. The students miss their families, but they will also miss Peru.
First, however, we marched through the rain to the primary school where the children in grades 1-6 were just starting recess. They sang for us and danced with us before we shared hot chocolate and bread in one of the classrooms. The teachers, who are employed by the government, live in Cuzco and Chinchara and commute to the school each day. The hours run from 8:15 to 1:15 daily and the school year runs from March till December 20. (Students "summer break" includes Christmas.) We presented the principal with Ball High lanyards and could only stay a short while due to government regulations. EF has helped the children who want to pursue 'high school' (our secondary) in Chinchara which is six miles away by providing bicycles to students who pass the sixth grade and enroll in the next level.
Back at our project home, we divided into three teams and began working. The paint was clay-based and the family had mixed in local soil to create the desired color. One group of students grabbed rollers and began spreading the runny solution onto the adobe walls. A second team grabbed muddy plaster and literally threw it by handfuls onto bricked walls. The plaster was them smoothed by the men of the family who are builders by trade. A third team set to work measuring and cutting wood for a garden fence. Fence posts had to be selected and cut from a pile of limbs and then post holes were dug with crude tools in the rocky soil. When we broke for lunch at noon, the painting was mostly done and the plastering was finished. We ate more quinoa soup and had a vegetable medley coated with a mushroom-based sauce in the community center where the mamacitas regularly meet. Afterwards, seven students chose to stay on the bus. The cumulative effects of altitude, hiking, manual labor, some sunburn, and a strange diet had taken its toll. The rest of the group finished painting then helped with the garden project which was the most complex. The plastering team broke apart mud bricks to create the foundation for future plaster made of mud and straw. They looked like a prison work crew slinging pick axes!
The garden came together at last as students took turns hammering and sawing. Everyone helped turn the soil and add potting mix. EF had purchased flowers for the matron of the house and she directed the students as they each took a turn helping plant them in rows. She almost cried as she delivered her thanks to us in Quechua, and the students responded with equal emotion when they gave her a congratulatory hug to conclude our time together.
The day had been a huge success. Peru is now more than just llamas and Machu Picchu to these students...it is a nation of gracious people who demonstrate 'reciprocity' as a way of life. The village of Umasbamba will hold a significant place in our memories.
With the red clay soil of the village baked to or clothes, shoes, and faces we drove back to Cuzco for our final night in Peru. Dinner was at a restaurant overlooking the main square. The night lights and ambiance of street vendors facing the majestic cathedral took everyone's breath away. We are scheduled to return in the morning for a walking tour before starting our long journey home to Texas. The students miss their families, but they will also miss Peru.
Peru Day Six
The students prepared for today by playing reverse hide-and-seek last night amidst the maze of cottages. Washington, our guide, showed off his pool skills and the rest enjoyed reliable wifi in the lobby. Cell phones and camaras were left behind so the travelers could immerse themselves in the community and projects without seeming garish. We arrived in Umasbamba to a musical and lei welcome by members of the community. The "mamacitas" held our hands and danced with us on our way to the courtyard outside the village church. A drummer and flutist followed, serenading us with traditional rural melodies throughout our stay. After being further welcomed by our local guide Javier, we strapped Peruvian packs tour our backs and hauled tools to a potato field owned by Frida. We joined the women in a ceremony to bless the land and our work while two bulls plowed the ground in preparation for the harvest. For the next hour we dug and harvested potatoes using curved, hand-held hoes still utilized by the people today. The second hour we moved to another field 400 meters closer to the lake. It was much more deeply furrowed and produced a better crop. The potatoes were collected onto sheets of wool then dumped manually into rice bags. Each bag held approximately 100 lbs of potatoes each. They were taken back to the village on the backs of mules. It was back-breaking work and a few students are feeling further drained from the sun. For lunch, we dined in the fields on potatoes, onion salad, cheese, and quinoa. The mint tea to top it off was excellent!
Afterwards, we were shown how local plants (and insects!) are used to create the dyes for their textiles. They sheared a sheep with a knife and taught us how to spin and weave. Some caught on faster than others! It was a powerful day and the students were moved--their favorite day on the trip by far. Tomorrow we return to Umasbamba to meet the school children and to work on community home projects.
Afterwards, we were shown how local plants (and insects!) are used to create the dyes for their textiles. They sheared a sheep with a knife and taught us how to spin and weave. Some caught on faster than others! It was a powerful day and the students were moved--their favorite day on the trip by far. Tomorrow we return to Umasbamba to meet the school children and to work on community home projects.
Peru Day Five
Our busiest day yet began with a train ride to Ollaybambu minus George and Anthony's luggage...a roommate quarrel was avoided when our tour guide, Washington, called the hotel so they could send it on to us in a couple of days. The village of Ollaybamba sits below an ancient Incan fortress. 300 steps to the top according to Rachel. It was another majestic reminder of the Incas' engineering marvel and coopting of existing cultural groups. For lunch, many students had beef on a stick or wood-fired pizza in the main square. Coach King tried guinea pig even though we had just seen the cute animals inside the restoration of a historical home. Next, though not on the itinerary, we stopped at a 1500-year-old evaporative salt mine. Yet another arduous hike! Eighteen of the group made it to the spring-fed source and found a few treasures after navigating some extremely steep and narrow terrain. But wait-we weren't finished yet! Seminario, a famous Peruvian "contemporary traditional artist" demonstrated ancient and modern ceramic techniques and addressed the students about a museum-commission piece he was currently working on. Had to buy more water before heading back to the cottage hotel for dinner...tomorrow we will be digging for potatoes with historical implements and learning the weaving techniques of the Incas! Off to a well-deserved bed...
Peru Day Four
Breakfast consisted of fruit, bread, and fresh eggs. There is one rocky, winding road from Urubamba to Ollatayamba, site of the train station and launching point for Machu Picchu. One tip for train travel in the Andes: there is one lavatory per cabin, located in the rear. By lavatory the Peruvians mean a large hole. You may only use the lavatory while the train is in motion because the waste products are dumped directly onto the tracks beneath. Think of it as a 65-mph port-a-potty...
The train station was full of international passengers as we arrived at the base of Machu Picchu. The city atop the mountain was invisible to us while our bus navigated hairpin turns to the top. Once there, we began a two-hour guided tour of the ruins. Many students expressed, "This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen." The sun was blazing making for beautiful pictures of Machu Picchu and the surrounding mountains.
After a break for lunch (Nutella sandwiches melt in backpacks by the way) we took a group picture and then hiked to the Sun Gate. This is the entrance to Machu Picchu from the Inca Trail and the first view of the city for travelers on foot from Cuzco, the Incan capital. It began raining creating a slippery slope on the rocky descent, but that didn't phase the Tors from scrambling down in time for more exploration including lots of "llama selfies." (Check Facebook for the results!) Our hotel tonight is in Aguascalientes, "Hot Springs" that welcome trekkers who have finished the Inca Trail. Because the hikers have usually not bathed in four days, the springs-fed baths are known for an appearance resembling Galveston's muddy Gulf waters. It is a tourist haven, and groups of students will spend until curfew perusing the countless shops and markets lining the narrow streets.
The train station was full of international passengers as we arrived at the base of Machu Picchu. The city atop the mountain was invisible to us while our bus navigated hairpin turns to the top. Once there, we began a two-hour guided tour of the ruins. Many students expressed, "This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen." The sun was blazing making for beautiful pictures of Machu Picchu and the surrounding mountains.
After a break for lunch (Nutella sandwiches melt in backpacks by the way) we took a group picture and then hiked to the Sun Gate. This is the entrance to Machu Picchu from the Inca Trail and the first view of the city for travelers on foot from Cuzco, the Incan capital. It began raining creating a slippery slope on the rocky descent, but that didn't phase the Tors from scrambling down in time for more exploration including lots of "llama selfies." (Check Facebook for the results!) Our hotel tonight is in Aguascalientes, "Hot Springs" that welcome trekkers who have finished the Inca Trail. Because the hikers have usually not bathed in four days, the springs-fed baths are known for an appearance resembling Galveston's muddy Gulf waters. It is a tourist haven, and groups of students will spend until curfew perusing the countless shops and markets lining the narrow streets.
Peru Day Three
Wake-up call rang loud and clear at 4:30 am...there was little traffic on the way to the airport. Anthony feels fortunate to be in Cuzco since it required two boarding passes to get him in the air. The weather greeting us here is spectacular making for even better pictures. there was one long runway in the valley and the descent was quick and picturesque. our first stop was the religious fortress of Saqsaywaman. this was our first taste of exercise at 9,000+ feet! One stone weighed over 50 tons in the construction. After snapping photos of llamas and alpacas the students enjoyed a 5-course lunch at a festaurant overlooking Cuzco. a few of them bought CDs from a band whose leading member played the panpipes...they also enjoyed Chicha morada, a Purple corn drink made since ancient times. It was frothy but smooth.
The students were shown the differences between authentic and imitation alpaca wool and a couple bought some nice gifts for their parents...(can't reveal who at the moment.) The rest are saving their money for the Pisac Market which is where we are driving to now, passing Incan terraces which have been farmed for hundreds of years.
Urubamba is our staging point in the Sacred Valley. We leave on a train for Machu Picchu at 6:30 tomorrow morning and will be staying at a hostel tomorrow night. Our residence in Urubamba is quaint--individual cottages nestled in a garden compound near the edge of the city. The students are making Nutella and peanut butter sandwiches for the hike tomorrow, stocking up on 2.5L bottles of water and snacks for the long day and steep hike ahead. Only two have experienced altitude sickness...as soon as Olivia threw up she felt instantly better. Our tour guide brought an oxygen tank to the hotel but no one has felt badly enough to take him up on it. We may change our minds tomorrow after "the hike of 4,000 steps!"
The students were shown the differences between authentic and imitation alpaca wool and a couple bought some nice gifts for their parents...(can't reveal who at the moment.) The rest are saving their money for the Pisac Market which is where we are driving to now, passing Incan terraces which have been farmed for hundreds of years.
Urubamba is our staging point in the Sacred Valley. We leave on a train for Machu Picchu at 6:30 tomorrow morning and will be staying at a hostel tomorrow night. Our residence in Urubamba is quaint--individual cottages nestled in a garden compound near the edge of the city. The students are making Nutella and peanut butter sandwiches for the hike tomorrow, stocking up on 2.5L bottles of water and snacks for the long day and steep hike ahead. Only two have experienced altitude sickness...as soon as Olivia threw up she felt instantly better. Our tour guide brought an oxygen tank to the hotel but no one has felt badly enough to take him up on it. We may change our minds tomorrow after "the hike of 4,000 steps!"
Peru 2014 Day One & Two
Everyone arrived safely and no one lost any luggage despite an hour wait at baggage claim before Hannah Pillar's pink suitcase arrived. We made it to the hotel around 1:30 am. Tina Mathers was delayed from Dallas and didn't make it in until 4...her husband valiantly stayed behind and brought her to us in a taxi. We are now up, buying water "sin gas," and ready to begin our first tour!
The Museo Larco grounds were impressive and the museum informative. We also visited a convent and the catacombs beneath. This afternoon we stepped foot in the Pacific Ocean while many surfed the aggressive waves and sunbathed on the rocky beach. Lots of Peruvian boys are volunteering to take pictures of our group...hmmm. Our flight for Cuzco departs 7:15 am so early to bed tonight...(yeah, right!)
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