Day 5

Hola to our familias and amigos at home and around the world! Today we are again working at the school and of course making lots of progress. I personally have been focusing on developing the amazing mural which the other group began yesterday! Each day we find ourselves more and more submerged in Peruvian culture. It is so beautiful here and I think we are all finding our own ways of communicating and socializing with our family and local people. I can honestly say in the past few days I have spoken more Spanish then ever before in my life and hopefully it is improving! Everyone is even beginning to speak to each other in Spanish on accident, which is quite funny. I cannot speak on behalf of the other group members but my family is so funny and kind. They always try to make sure we are well fed (in fact this morning we were joking that we thought we would lose weight hiking and eating healthy but with the amount our families feed us that’s definitely not happening) and they make sure we have everything we need. Just last night the three little girls in my home sang love songs to Mary Morgan, Caroline, and I and we responded with “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” which they loved. I hope all of our attitudes remain as positive as they have thus far and I have no doubt we will continue to be challenged but also rewarded with life changing experiences which we may never have again. Know that we miss you all and we will return with unlimited memories and photos to share, and perhaps a basket or two! Until I see many of your smiling faces in MEM, Ciao (which ironically all the locals here use to say good-bye even though it is Italian)!!

Sarah

P.S. If any person even mentions the word potatoes to any of us upon arrival, we cannot be held responsible for our actions. Lets just say we are eating a lot. Simply a loving heads up.


I’m sitting in Mr. Mercer’s room right now watching someone cook lunch. My first shower opportunity in 4 days is right now and this blog entry is taking me away from cleanliness, so don’t expect an essay. Today Clay, Zach, and I woke up to the sound of two bulls right outside our windows. Then we had potatoes for the twentieth time in a row for breakfast, which was good as usual. We may have the smallest house in the village at only three rooms, but we definitely have the best cooks and the friendliest family. Our room is a warm clay square that insulates well and is relatively insect free. My group just got done weaving baskets for four hours and Mr. Mercer dragged me next door for this entry. Needless to say, I will not be weaving baskets above or below water for the remainder of my life. Mom, don’t expect perfection, or anything remotely close to it.

Yesterday we helped out around the school while the other group wove baskets. Matt, Thomas, and I painted a blue monkey and a pink gorilla on a wall. We also moved an 800 pound boulder out of the ground and rolled it out of the foundations for the dining room. That was fun. The children here are great, but the new thing around here is for them to ask “Papas!” Papas means potatoes, and I have no idea why anyone would be excited for potatoes here, but apparently they are alluding to potato sacks. Well anyways, it led to Zach and I spending an hour whirling kids on our shoulders at 11,000 feet. As a whole, the trip is great and I’m looking forward to hiking the Inca trail and the ruins at Ollaytaytambo. On Saturday we will be at some hot springs to bathe and I am pretty stoked for it. Now, I’m off to my cold shower and lunch. Hope all is well in the States.

De Peru con amor,

Zac McMillian