Day 10

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

Homestay Pictures

Day 9

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

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

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

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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