St. George's Independent School-Peru-2010

Final Blog

2010-07-22T20:08:00.001-07:00

To everyone,

I hope you have enjoyed our journey. We will be leaving tomorrow but I believe that this journey will be a blessing to us all for years to come. We are honored that we could be apart of the global community and express through our work on this trip our kinship with our Peruvian family. I think that we will leave this country with more than we were able to give and I believe that not only have the lives of the Peruvian people we were able to work with changed for the better but our lives have been enriched even more.

I would like to give special thanks to Mrs. Ann Smithwick who has been an absolute blessing to the children on this trip as well as to me. She has been supportive and thoughtful and I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Also, I would like to thank Jorge, Chris, and Adele for everything that they have done. We could not have had any better knowledgeable, thoughtful, and good people guiding us on this trip. Finally, I would like to thank the students who have endured great challenges but have risen to the task at hand. I am truly proud of you and I hope this trip will help be an inspiration to you on your path in life.

We look forward to seeing you all when we return. Until then be blessed.

Luther

Day 11 ( Anne Smithwick )

2010-07-22T16:08:00.000-07:00

I am an idealist. That's what the Kiersey model says. Basically, that means I am a cry baby. Fortunatley for me, there are many of us idealists on this journey. From the moment our auto car began it's decent into the Sacred Valley nearly two weeks ago, I had tears streaming down my face. Not tears of sadness, but tears of joy. The simplicity that was evident in this special place was apparent from the start. The woman down the dusty road selling flowers from five buckets in the midst of nowhere was my first impression. Why was she so far from real commerce? Was she really considering a sale or did it matter to her? It did to the woman high in the Andes mountains who scaled the mountainside slinging handmade wares in front of a few travelers on a foot path at 9000 feet. She made one sale but was content. These are just two large impressions amongst hundreds that I have experienced alongside your children. Even if they are not Kiersey modeled idealists, they have all been moved by such impressions. Some have come from scenery. Some have come from children's faces. Some have come from way too out of the ordinary dishes served. But, I have seen them all embrace the newness that has been their recent home. And, I mean, a wholehearted embrace. They should be so proud of themselves. And, you as parents, will be too.

So, here we are, on the last leg of our togetherness. We are in Cusco surrounded by ancient Incan energy. We are awaiting our dinner in this twinkling city. I cannot express to you all the bond that we have forged with our WLS leaders. They have lovingly guided us at every turn of this memorable experience. We are leaving with three amazing new friends. Chris, Jorge, and Adela, we thank you. We are returning with alpaca hats, dirty toes, and a greater appreciation for all that we have back home. We have been stretched to great limits and have grown. Mr. Mercer has, despite bumpy Peruvian road commuting, been sensitive to recording every day's activities. Peru and it's gracious, simple people will always be a part of the fabric of your children's lives. I am grateful to have been a part of this experience with them. As we prepare to leave, of course, I am crying.

Ann

Machu Picchu Pictures

2010-07-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

Piscacucho School Farwell

2010-07-21T18:31:00.001-07:00

2010-07-21T18:27:00.000-07:00

Another birthday in another continent; fifteen in North America (Memphis, Tennessee), sixteen in Asia (Beijing/Long Fong, China), and this year, my seventeenth in South America (Ollantaytambo, Peru). This years birthday, although, is the most special so far because it was spent on the top of Machu Picchu looking over the Peruvian rainforest and mountains. The day started at about five in the morning when Chris told us to be outside the hotel at five till six because our train left at six thirty. The train ride was cold, long, and awesome. The ride was about two hours long. When we got to the train station in Machu Picchu we went to the bathroom, boarded a bus and drove twenty-five minutes to the top. Some of us were not feeling so well but we all overcame our headaches and our tiredness and enjoyed the beauty of our surroundings. We spent many hours there, a few receiving a tour and then we made our way back down the mountain by bus again. We shopped around a little and I bought an awesome alpaca sweater. After the shopping I came into contact with technology for the first time in over a week because Mrs. Smithwick was talking to Brannon who wanted to say happy birthday to me. It felt weird but it was great to finally have communication from the other Americans. Once that short call was over we boarded the train and headed back to Ollanta and shopped some more. Dinner was at six thirty tonight and we ate at a great pizza place for the second time. The rest of the night will be filled with playing cards and doing ANCHOR and hopefully sleeping well. We only have two more night of sleeping left and hope to enjoy every bit of the rest of the trip and cannot wait to get home and see everyone!!

Clay

P.S. Happy Birthday Clay!!!!

Community Send-Off and Shaman Despacho Ceremonies

2010-07-20T15:32:00.001-07:00

Earth Oven Ceremony (Pachamanca)

2010-07-20T15:21:00.000-07:00

The process is to build an oven, stick the food inside and on top of the oven and bury the oven in the earth. Let the food cook for a few hours, dig up the oven, and eat hearty.

Day 10

2010-07-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

Hola amigos! Last night was a very interesting night. A local Shaman came to the school to perform a Despatcho ceremony. We spent THREE hours in a classroom going through the Despatcho. We were given leaves, other grains and seeds to give as an acknowledgement of the Earth as our mother and for the betterment of the human race. He told each of us what he saw in our future and then we wrapped our despatcho up and set it on fire, while the Shaman blessed it. It was an extremely long ceremony, but it was very interesting. Our family stayed up waiting for us to get back for dinner after the ceremony. We stayed at the table talking for hours and then all of our family’s relatives came over to meet us. We spent our last night dancing and singing with our family, and then Zac, Zach, and Clay came over to help us pack. We woke up and had our last bread, butter, and jelly breakfast. Our father, Carlos, walked us to the school with all of our bags and told us goodbye. We then played with all of the children until they called us all around for a farewell ceremony. The kids had prepared songs and dances that they performed for us all. The kids were adorable and the traditional dances were fun to watch. The kids all dressed up in traditional dress and told us how much they appreciated us being there. After the ceremony, all of our families brought us lunch to the school and we ate our last meal with our families. Our three little sisters were very upset that we were going to have to leave, but we had to say our goodbyes and then we finally headed to Ollantaytambo. We are now all in our hostel and rested. We’re going to miss our homestay families a lot, but meals without potatoes and real showers are much appreciated.

Mary Morgan

Hiking pictures

2010-07-19T19:46:00.000-07:00

Homestay Pictures

2010-07-19T19:43:00.001-07:00

Day 9

2010-07-19T19:42:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! I hope all is well back home. As Katie said the weather has improved from our trip up the mountain and it is a beautiful day here in Piscacucho. After getting home last night Olivia and I had tea with our family then went up to bed. After a restless night in the tent we easily fell asleep by 8:30! It’s crazy I know. We woke up this morning and our dad made us pancakes for breakfast and then they watched us walk up toward the train tracks for school. When we arrived we went through our usual stretches and then began working. We finished the SG crest and signed all of our names to the mural and then “finished” the side with the multi-colored bricks. After we finished the mural we split into groups and went into separate classrooms and talked to the kids about ourselves. Allie, Taylor, Caroline, and I talked to the 5th and 6th graders and afterward we taught them a few songs such as the Hokie Pokie. As we walked out of the classroom toward our Earth Oven Ceremony many of the children ran up to us asking for our phone numbers and we took pictures with them.

We all plopped down in a circle and Adela began to serve us our food. There were massive amounts of meat and potatoes and vegetables piled high on our plates. We had 3 or 4 different types of potatoes and chicken and pork and guinea pig. Yes, we ate guinea pig. Despite the fact that we were consuming what we once considered to be household pets, everything was absolutely delicious. After our feast with our families we took pictures and now everyone, well almost everyone, is down on the field playing a quick game of soccer. It’s our last night here and we’re all trying to soak up the fresh air and enjoy the peacefulness that is surrounding us!

Ashton

Day 8

2010-07-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

Hola amigos y familias! As you have heard from Allie, the hike up the mountain was obviously not the greatest day of our lives. However, I think I speak for the whole group in saying that Day 2 of the hike was MUCH more pleasurable. We woke up to fog surrounding our tents around 7:00. It had stopped raining/snowing, but it was still so cold. There were also random horses and llamas around the campsite. The Peruvian cooks with us brought coffee and hot tea to our tents…I had coffee (yes, Mom, I really did). Some locals were setting up little markets outside the tents, enticing us with warm alpaca wool hats, gloves, scarves, and socks. We got out of our tents to eat pancakes with maple syrup, toast and cheese, and hot chocolate. Then we packed up and headed down the mountain finally (no hot springs…it was either six more hours of hiking or a five hour bus ride both ways). This was the hike we had hoped for the whole trip—bright blue skies, clear views, and great pictures…plus it was mostly all downhill. At some point, some local kids booked it down the mountain in an effort to set up shop in time for us to buy things. Anyways, everyone made it safely down the mountain and were in much better moods.
Instead of the hot springs, we went to a 4 star hotel in Ollantaytambo. There, we were able to enjoy the sauna and a much-needed shower. We also dined on alpaca steaks and had brownies & ice cream for dessert (just like home!!). We waited in crazy Ollanta traffic and finally made it back to our homestays. Allie and I are staying with Gilma (27), Willie (31), and adorable Liseth (8). She and a friend came running out of the house yelling our names and greeting us with huge hugs. That simple act instantly made Allie & I feel better. It will be hard to say goodbye!! We were still full of alpaca, so we had to say no to dinner…our mama had fixed spaghetti because we told her pasta was our favorite. We had our nightly hot tea and headed to bed. Everyone has enjoyed their time in Piscacucho but we are ready for some relaxation in Ollantaytambo later this week! I’m off to finish the rest of the mural…adios for now!

--Katie

Day 7

2010-07-19T19:39:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I hope all is well back in the U.S. Today was quite the adventure. It started with everyone meeting at the school at 6:15 in the morning. We then proceeded to Ollantaytambo where we gathered all of the necessary supplies for the hike, including the excellent cooks. After that we went to the village of Patacancha. It was beginning to rain and it was very cold. In the village there were women weaving underneath huts. They were making many different beautiful things, such as, scarves, blankets, belts, etc. After some people bought some things, we left the village for the adventure of a lifetime. I personally would describe the hike up as miserable. I think others would agree. It was extremely cold. The weather would switch between rain and snow. It was pretty at some points because we were surrounded by mountains. Thankfully Olivia was with me. It took us almost 4 hours to complete the hike, while it only took around 2 ½ hours for others to complete it. Once we got there, there was hot delicious coffee waiting for us. We had soup, beef, potato, tomatoes and onions, and rice. After lunch we huddled in our tents and got warm. Once we got into the tents and were warm it was a much more enjoyable experience. People played card games and chit chatted. We even got dinner in bed ,which was delicious. It was cheese wontons, popcorn, hot chocolate, and chicken spaghetti. My tent, which consisted of Taylor, Katie, Ashton, and Olivia went to bed soon after dinner. But unfortunately during the night Taylor, Sarah, and I got sick. But we did get to sleep some of the night. We are doing better though.
Besides the getting sick part and the unfortunate hike, I have loved every moment of the trip. I have fallen in love with the children of Peru. My family loves Katie and me. They constantly laugh at our attempt to speak in Spanish and at our expressions. Our little sister is adorable! Even though there has been some sickness with Sarah, Mary Morgan, Caroline, Taylor, and me, I think we have all had a lot of fun! Mom- Happy Birthday!! I hope you had a great one! I miss you and the family. Tell everyone hello and that I love them. I am doing fine, don’t worry about me.

Allie

Day 6

2010-07-19T19:22:00.000-07:00

0 0 1 363 2071 St George's Independent School 17 4 2543 12.0

Well, right now I am sitting in the courtyard of the school. Its around 3:45 on Friday. We just walked back from our houses, since we had an extra hour of rest today since we worked so hard this morning. This morning at 8 after a delicious breakfast of toast and a warm milk drink with Ashton and my family we met up at the school like usual for morning work. We stretched and split up into groups. I was a part of the sloping group, which created a slope for the outdoor dining area we are constructing. The work was strenuous, but we felt accomplished. We then started working on the second wall for a mural. Ashton and I planned a design for Peru meets St. George’s, which is coming along well. Lunch back at home consisted of rice, potatoes, carrots, peas, broth, and a chicken leg.

Ashton and I took a warm bucket bath in the latrine today after lunch. Even though the wind was fierce and cold, it was the first time we had a shower since Sunday and the first time we had washed out hair since Tuesday. At this point, anything to get us clean was amazing.

Our family is very nice to us, and the house is located only 3 minutes from the school. We walk along the railroad tracks to get to each day. My little brothers, Abel and Grec, love us dearly, and my mom is very protective over us. One night we left for ten minutes to go next door and she came to look for us.

I am very excited for our hike tomorrow, and I hope all is well back in the U.S. Miss ya’ll!!

Olivia

Today was a very exhausting day, but it was great because we got a lot of work done. For three straight hours Thomas and I hauled dirt that was used for the foundation outside of the school. The wheelbarrow we used was in awful shape with a flat tire, so the already tiresome work was even harder. After we finished my back including Thomas’ felt like a wooden board. It feels better now and the trip has been a great experience. The culture is completely different. For example, yesterday Davis told our mom that he was not hungry and did not eat. About ten minutes later we were up in our room and she brought him a bowl of noodles to eat, because she thought that he did not like what she was serving. It was unbelievable. We are staying in a valley right now that is surrounded by mountains and is one of the most terrific sights I have ever seen. Today the clouds are hovering on the mountain tops to make it look even more incredible. We are having a great time and hope to see everyone back in the US soon.

Matt

Hello

2010-07-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

We just returned from our hiking adventure and we are all very tired. You will have a unique set of blogs coming in the next two days to catch you up to all of our activities.

We look forward to sharing our stories.

Luther Mercer

ATTENTION!

2010-07-15T14:18:00.000-07:00

We will be hiking down to Lares thermal hot springs for a few days. We will not be able to update the blog for a few days. I hope to have the blog updated Sunday night.

Be blessed,

Luther Mercer

Day 3,4, and 5 Pictures

2010-07-15T13:34:00.001-07:00

The President of Piscacucho and his wife. They have become great fans of St. George's and the Memphis Tigers :)

The Piscacucho School

A Great Day for Work

Working on the Mural

Mural is getting better

Unbelievable!!!

Breathtaking!!!!

One of our wonderful host moms just doing daily chores

The Woven Basket

Day 5

2010-07-15T13:30:00.001-07:00

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

Day 4

2010-07-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

Today was the day of basket weaving. It was a good day, a day that will forever bring a tear to my eye as I recall the hours of painstaking labor and blisters that would result from the day-long basket creation. Joining us on our journey to the Land of Basketly Bliss would be two young Peruvian honchos, Poncho and his brother. These great young men were quite adept in the art of basket weaving. From their days as toddling Peruvians they would join their father, a splendid artisan from the Piscacucho region, in creating these baskets as it was the father’s livelihood. Half of the group of worker bees that journeyed to the region from Memphis, Tenn., (read: us), went to partake in the basket weaving, and what an experience it was. We worked out little fingers to the bone all the way up to the lunch break, and for eons afterward as well. Good news: Anita doesn’t need any more presents; this basket is a masterpiece. In further news: Sr. Flores made a delicious lamb soup today all by himself without the help of his tremendous lady who was spending the day in Urubamba. It was quite the clutch performance. End.

Zach

I am starting to think in Spanish. For almost 4 hours a day I am talking in Spanish because most of the day we are at the school working. I never knew I knew that much, and I am getting so much practice by talking to kids at the school and my family. Every day that we have been here, Sarah, Mary Morgan, and I have walked to the school around 7:45 in the morning to arrive around 8. This morning, the group was divided in half. Some would get the chance to learn the Peruvian method of basket weaving. We all worked for about 20 minutes at the school, then half the group left to go basket weave. Some of us Gesso-ed the walls and some drew out the mural. After the outlines were finished, we all began to paint. When we were done there was a purple elephant, a blue duck, rainbow ants, a giraffe, a giant condor, two butterflies, vines, a dragon fly, bumble bees and a bee hive, a puppy dog (that I painted), a snake, a blue monkey, a lady bug, and a pink gorilla. It looks beautiful and full of life! The boys leveled the ground and had a really good work out taking out 2 gigantic boulders from the ground. Our work is a success! At my house there are 3 girls: Erlinda, Noemie, and Evelin, and the parents are Carlos and Natividad. They are some of the most wonderful people that I have ever met! Yesterday when we were talking about them we found out that when Carlos and Natividad were 16 and 17 they were married with their first child. The culture is so different here! The walk from the school to our house is a rocky 20 minutes uphill simply because we are surrounded by mountains, some of which are snow-capped! I cannot even believe we are here. For now, adios amigos!

Caroline, Carolina, aka (also known as) Pistachio

Day 3

2010-07-13T15:08:00.001-07:00

Today in Piscacucho the Global Citizenship Team, along with members of the World Leadership School, worked on our project at the local school. When we first arrived at the school we had to wait for other members of our group so we formed a circle and did stretches to wake us up. When everyone finally arrived we walked into the school yard with Blair, the Project Coordinator, and he introduced us to the assignments we are supposed to accomplish in our time here. Then we were split into four separate teams to finish our project easier. Mr. Mercer divided the people to do assignments that he thought would best fit them. The four different things were a group of people applying gesso, a type of cement, to a wall. This wall is going to be painted by another group, and today this group planned out what they were going to paint on there. The next group dug into the group and established the foundation that is going to become the lunchroom. The last group put together boards to make tresses for the lunchroom. A fun fact for those at home is that the entire town of Piscacucho has 150 to 175 inhabitants, which is less than the amount of people in the Senior and Junior classes at St. George’s. Working with all the people has made bonding with the other classmates easy. Through the rest of the days I’m sure there will be more bonding between classmates and will bring us all closer together.

Thomas

Hola! Today has been the first official day working on our service project at the school. Thomas already talked about what we’re doing so I will talk about the school and the kids! The school has a gate with a courtyard in which we are working. Classrooms are right off the courtyard. Down the hill a little bit is a soccer field! Every single kid is so cute and so excited to see us. They talk so fast though! Our homestays have been pretty different and a little challenging. The hardest part for Mary Liz and I has been the food because the portions are HUGE! Another challenge has been the 20 to 30 plus loose Guinea pigs in the kitchen room. I have had one shower the entire trip which was at our hotel in Ollantaytambo and was the coldest shower of my life. Today we also got schooled in soccer after working another hour after lunch. Lunch was with our homestay families but ours was pretty quiet because our only child living at the house goes to school in Ollantaytambo, which is about 20 to 30 minutes away. After playing soccer we had a meeting with Jorge and Chris who are really cool by the way. The meeting was about the 4 stages of development, which are forming, storming, norming, and adjourning. Right now I am really looking forward to our overnight hike later this week! Oh yeah, and the chocolate here is awesome! Until next time…Adios from Piscacucho!

Taylor

Day 2 and 3 Pictures (next time we will try to load video but connection is slow)

2010-07-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

Chris, Adele, and Jorge. Our companions and guides from the World Leadership School

Day 2

2010-07-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

Today is a day I will always remember. We woke up in our bed and breakfast in Ollantaytambo around 8. After I woke up I took an ice cold shower with very little pressure, which was much different than home. After my first shower of the trip and breakfast provided by the hotel we went white water rafting down the Uribamba River. The rapids were class 1-3 and my guide was awesome because he let my group best the rapids different from everyone else. After the rafting trip was over we ate lunch on the riverbank and enjoyed the beautiful view. When lunch was finished we headed back towards the hotel to pack our things and to have some free time. Some decided to go hiking, but Mrs. Smithwick, Clay, Caroline, and I decided to explore the town. We visited the crafts market and it was so cool. I had so much fun bargaining with the vendors. After our free time was over we had a group meeting and then got on the bus to venture towards the town that will be our home for the next two weeks. After a wild bus ride we arrived and greeted our new families. However, Taylor and I’s family did not show up because of an unforeseen problem, but fortunately a family adopted us. When we arrived at the house our family immediately served us dinner. The kitchen was the most unique I have ever been in. Next to our table was about 30 guinea pigs. During dinner and the rest of the evening Taylor and I attempted to use our very sharp Spanish skills, but they seemed mostly to fail us, but the good news is that the family loved our gifts. After saying “buenos noches” we set out to use the bathroom, which was the second most unique place I have ever been besides the kitchen. The toilet was basically a whole in the ground with a pot on top of it and to flush it you had to pour a giant bucket of water in it. That was pretty much our whole day and I hope tomorrow will be just as exciting.

Mary Liz

Today was a great experience. We spent the night before at the Ollantaytambo Bed and Breakfast. We woke up and had crepes prepared by the owner of the bed and breakfast. We then proceeded to go rafting on the Uramba River. The rapids were not very strong but in some areas the rapids were up to a class 3. I rode on the raft with Matt, Taylor, Olivia, and Ashton. We had a great river guide and his name was Osi. After rafting for about an hour and a half, we had wonderful picnic lunch. We then rode on buses back to the bed and breakfast. We packed up our stuff and prepared to leave for the village. We had some free time, so I went hiking with Thomas, Matt, Zach G., Zach M., and Taylor. We hiked up the cliff overlooking the town of Ollantaytambo. It was truly an amazing sight seeing ancient Incan temples and ruins. We then hiked back down the cliff and back to the bed and breakfast. We had a group meeting and loaded up on the bus. We then rode on the bus for about 30 minutes to the town we are staying and working in, Piscacucho. I was looking forward to rooming with Zach G, but out home stay mother did not show up. Another family adopted me and I am now rooming with Thomas and Matt. We settled into our new houses and met the rest of the family. We could communicate with them some but there were not many in depth conversations. We then presented out family with their gifts. Matt and I gave the mother and girls lotion, perfumes, body wash, and shampoo. Thomas gave the boys shirts and baseball caps. Later that night we had a nice family dinner where we had rice with chicken and potatoes; which I thought was actually pretty good. We also had homemade tea to conclude our first family meal. We told our family members good night and proceeded to get a goods night rest. I am very looking forward tomorrow and working on the school with my friends and classmates.

Davis

Day 1

2010-07-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

Hello,

First and foremost we are safe and sound. We had a great crossing from Memphis to Cusco. I have to say that the from the moment we left Memphis the excitement had already begun to take us over. Even though we had a 10 hour layover in Miami, we came to life as we were flying over Lima. We could not see much but once we landed we knew our journey had just begun. We took one more flight and landed in Cusco which is 11,000 feet above sea level. You have to adjust to the thin air and thankfully all of us adjusted quickly. We were met by Adele, Christopher, and Jorge who are our guides from the World Leadership School. We were taken on a bus ride through the mountain side which had to be some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. We arrived Ollantaytambo after an hour and a half bus ride. We drove through the Incan entrance to the rode of a thousand windows which was the actual Incan route to Machu Picchu. We arrived at our hotel and immediately were whisked away to a local restaurant to eat lunch and watch the World Cup. Congratulations Spain! Afterward, the World Leadership School planned a scavenger hunt around the local community for the students which one group accomplished and for their reward they will be eating the greatest junk food in Peru as I have been told, a national chocolate, Sublime.

We have now settled down for awhile in our rooms and we will have a brief meeting tonight to discuss Safety & Expectations for the trip. We will use this time to adjust, discuss our goals, and to relieve any fears that we may have. We will end the day with a great dinner and then tomorrow go rafting, meet our host families, and get introduced to our service project with Blair.

Be on the look out for our next entry. More pictures and blogging later.

Luther Mercer

First Day in Peru

2010-07-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

Hello parents,
I just spoke with Adela Arenas, our Peru coordinator, and Chris and Jorge, our instructors, and they reported that the group is doing great in Ollantaytambo, Peru. Today they saw the World Cup game, drank chicha morada and Sublime (a Peruvian chocolate). They are now doing a scavenger hunt in the main square before returning to the hostel where they are staying for a nap and dinner. We look forward to a wonderful program. Do not hesitate to call if you have any questions,
Ross Wehner
Executive Director, World Leadership School