Peru & Ecuador – (PEC) – June 26 – July 21

Welcome Global Works travelers, parents and friends.  We are excited to share with you trip updates from around the world.  As our main office receives updates from the trips we will update the page as we receive news from the field.
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Update #1:
The home office received some photos and a quick update from the group, more details from the students coming soon!

The Peru and Ecuador program is off to a great start! Many of the students began chatting and getting to know one another on the flight over, and they were ready for a rest  after their travel day when they got to the Urubamba hotel!  The first few days the group continued to become oriented with the city and the colorful Pisac market place.

Students and leaders had an amazing time on the river rafting adventure as they darted rapids and held tight to stay in the boat (and no one fell in!)  After rafting and taking in the beautiful mountain scenery they are off to their host families today!

More details from the group to come soon, in the meantime – enjoy these photos!

 

Update from the Field: Our group met up in the Miami International Airport and immediately began bonding. We started off with a self-initiated name game while eating, then boarded our flight to Lima. Our overnight flight to Peru was comfortable and we landed in the Peruvian morning. After another flight to Cusco, we got our bags and were struck by the high altitude for the first time. We explored the cobblestone streets of Cusco, and after getting a group picture with a Peruvian futbol team, ate some lunch, then fell asleep in the restaurant.

When we arrived in Urubamba later that day, we settled down in our hostel, a cozy spiritual getaway nestled in the Sacred Valley. The next morning, we set out for a llama/alpaca farm! We named our favorite alpaca Hugs and learned about the differences between the alpacas and llamas.  We watched the Peruvian weaving process, including hundreds of natural dyes and intricate patterns dating back hundreds of years.  Next up, we set off for the famous Pisac Market. There, we went empanada (savory pastry stuffed with meat, cheese, veggies) restaurant-hopping for lunch. We were struck by the impressive homes given to the soon-to-be-cooked guinea pigs. After eating, the bargaining began! Some of us negotiated for lower prices with local merchants while others paid the market price. As we were leaving, the group had a conversation with a little boy named Abel, who was trying to sell us bracelets.  After Pisac, we returned to the hostel and had orientation, which was a fun time filled with riddles, card games, medical/language checks and the creation of our group contract.

This morning: white-water rafting! After our first breakfast spoken en puro español (all Spanish) we set out for the Urubamba River. The girls pulled on their wet suits while the guys wrestled their way inside theirs. We had a great day on the river, and a delicious lunch put together by our raft guides afterwards.

Despite the cold showers, long flights, and chilly nights, our first four days in Peru have been phenomenal. We cannot wait for the adventures to come in the next three weeks.

Update #3:

Since we last wrote, we’ve met and moved in with our host families, done three days of service work, and had a huge variety of adventures!  Today, we’re back to work in the Sacred Valley after a restful Sunday with our families.

We spent this morning working with families in the community of Pampallacta.  We’re helping them build the infrastructure necessary to open their own small businesses- raising and selling guinea pigs, a delicacy and lucrative business here in Peru.  Here are our thoughts and highlights from the last few days:

My highlight of the trip is definitely dressing up in traditional clothing and dancing in the parade.  Yay for conquering fears!  – Ali

The last few days: rainy.  That’s a good way to describe it.  Also, awesome.  We met our host families, painted a school building, blew up balloons for a festival, uprooted logs (hader than it sounds), and visited ancient ruins.  And that was the morning of the first day.  The afternoon is gonna be crazy.  – Camron

I loved climbing a mountain above Urubamba with my host brother to get the best view of town.  Fresh empanadas and cold sodas afterwards topped off the best day.  – Max

I love spending time with all of the people I have met.  My homestay family is becoming my real family and we are all best friends in the Global Works group!  – Rebecca

This trip has been one of the most incredible of my life.  We are literally living in places I’ve only seen in magazines or on television.  Homestay is fantastic, as the opportunities to practice Spanish are endless.  The parents at my house both love chess, which is especially great for me.  The attitude of the l ocals is extremely cheery, and the same is true of the fellow Global Workers.  In short, the trip is so far unbelievable on all fronts.  –Ethan

I’m having a great time in Peru.  We taught English class to first graders, moved in with our homestay families which made me experience a whole different culture.  We went on a hike and saw a cemetery and a mill.  We help build guinea pig cages and put them inside!  I’m having a lot of fun and can’t wait to continue with this journey.  –Cassie

My highlight of the trip was the traveling- I have always loved to travel.  I also loved celebrating the anniversary of the school and meeting new friends.  –Greg

It’s hard to pinpoint several exact moments on the trip.  The whole thing has been fun, but the homestay and playing Parchesi were higher…  – Ian

Yesterday, we spent the entire day with our homestay family so we went to the local market and to the hotel that our “aunt” manages.  At the market, we explored the 400 varieties of potatoes and had some fresh fruit shakes- with boiled water of course.  The most interesting part was passing by the meat- let me tell you, they eat EVERY part of the cow.  The pictures are incredible.  – Becky

While it is hard to distinguish just a few high points of our adventures in Peru, the anniversary parade for the Sagrado Corazon de Jesus was a blast.  Meeting another group fom the US was cool, as well as seeing traditional Peruvian dance.  Parchesi was also a good time.  – Adam

Hey everyone!  These last few days have been amazing- from playing games with my host family to eating my first S’mores to doing community service alongside locals.  I can’t wait for the weeks that lie ahead!  Hopefully it will be less rainy.  – Emma

This trip has been amazing so far.  Community service has been by far the best part- the family we helped was awesome, and the guinea pigs we made homes for were so cute.  –Riley

I have been having such a great time this trip, especially with all of the new experiences like teaching kids English, painting buildings, and building cuy (guinea pig) cages.  It’s absolutely gorgeous here and I love going to the market, living with our host family and really experiencing Peruvian culture instead of just spectating.  I can’t wait for everything that we still get to do!  -Shannon

PHOTOS:

 

Update #4:
Hello everyone, it has been a while since we´ve last chatted. How is everyone? … We´ve been good too.  The last few days have been interesting, to say the least. First of all, we have been doing a lot of work. Between construction projects in Pampallacta (a local community in the mountains outside Urubamba) and work at the school, we´ve had our hands full. Here´s a quick recap of our last few days:

Working at Pampallacta – From the moment we arrived in the mountains, we realized how warm and welcoming the community was. Our purpose in Pampallacta was to develop a new method of income: raising cuys (guinea pigs, a delicacy in Peru).  Each day, we divided into groups and worked with local families on individual projects. Some people leveled floors while others constructed roofs and built cages for the cuys. The work was hard and tiring yet rewarding, as we could see the fruits of our labor with every passing hour.  We also got the chance to talk with our local experts at each station and learn more about the community. On the third and final day, we took part in a closing ceremony. We shared a meal with the families that were part of the cooperative and had a ceremonious passing of the cuys. At the end, each member of the GW group shared a personal thank you with the whole community. Then, the people of Pampallacta returned a respectful thank you and sang a song in Quechua.

School Projects – The number of tasks that needed to be accomplished at the school was seemingly endless. Every day brought new challenges that had to be overcome. These ranged from painting the library, leveling muddy ground, throwing yeso (plaster) on walls, constructing a patio, to even building relatively unnecessary roadblocks at the command of Wilbur, the director of the school. Throughout our work at the school, there was constant interaction with the children who were eager to talk and play with the strange gringos.

Tourist Activities – Our days didn´t only consist of manual labor. In the late afternoons, we went out and participated in a variety of tourist activities. On the first day, we drove up into the mountains and hand-crafted silver rings with a local jeweler.  We also visited the Inca ruins at Ollantaytambo, hence the pyramid and wall pictures. On another day, we went to a ceramic shop, where we go to design tiles with either indigenous symbols or personal creations. Or a weird combination. A recent highlight was visiting the local (live) animal and food market. There, we participated in a scavenger hunt to practice our Spanish and learn a little more about Peru. We learned that while the rest of South America calls an avocado “aguacate”, in Peru they´re called “paltas”.

In case you aren’t aware, right now South America is in a Copa America frenzy. Everyone´s watching fútbol – all day, err´day. We´d love to stay and chat but Wilbur needs us back.

Ciao,
PEC-11

 

Saying goodbye to our families during Friday night´s despedida was both fun-filled and sad.  We all prepared presentations for our host families and watched Peru beat Mexico in the Copa America game- then sang victory songs!  While playing soccer with our brothers and sisters and dancing in the school yard was a blast, we all felt that we were leaving our families behind when it came time to say goodbye.
On Saturday, we took a hike up to a giant white cross on a mountain overlooking Urubamba and enjoyed the beautiful view while practicing our Spanish in group games.  We then took a train to Aguas Calientes in preparation for our morning at Machu Picchu.  While waking up at 4:30 am on Sunday was not enjoyable, we knew it was 100% worth it when we reached Machu Picchu.  Standing on the ancient Incan city was indescribable!  A highlight of the day was our hike up to Puerta del Sol or the Sun Gate.  The tough hike lead up to an incredible view, where we spent time relaxing and enjoying the peaceful, eye-opening experience and taking many epic pics.
At the end of the day, we took a fun-filled 4-hour train to Cuzco, playing cards and laughing after the long day- all of us in a state of delirious exhaustion.  Once we arrived at the Hostel Magico, we ate pizza and passed out.

The next day, we woke up and were really able to appreciate the quaintness and meaning of the hostel and the social projects it supports.  We took a tour of the youth development project later that day.  While in Cuzco, we tested our bargaining skills once again in an artisans market, then attacked a scavenger hunt with the help of policemen and wise locals.  Later that night, we learned to salsa dance!  Although we struggled with the initial steps of the dance, we eventually mastered our 14 moves, and even moved on to some more advanced acrobatic ones!  After dinner, which included a suspenseful Jenga game wearing silly hats, we returned to the hostel to pack and rest up for the early morning ahead of us.  We´re all looking forward to the rest of the trip- and a new country!

Photos:

 

Update #5:Touched down in Ecuador!  As we arrived at Mitad Del Mundo (the center of the world), we took the typical tourist pictures, then learned that the first monument was actually 7 degrees off!  The actual equator was at a little museum a few blocks down.  It was a very interactive museum- for example; we had the chance to place an egg on a nail directly on the equator.  A few people succeeded and received certificates.

The next day, we went on a mountain biking excursion up into the Andes. On our way up, we saw wild horses and native plants and scenic views.  Further on, our bus got stuck in the snow! Unable to get it out, we had to ride a small van and get 15 of us all the way up to the summit!  Some of us had some trouble getting used to the intense downhill experience.  But overall, it was a beautiful ride, especially when we went down through the clouds and got wet on the way. After our bike ride back to Quito, we stopped at a market where some of the boys decided to start a color-coordinated band, buying instruments and beads.

Off to the Galapagos!  Finally at sea level with air in our lungs, we were ready to take on all the adventures the Galapagos has to offer.  Our first voyage was a snorkeling adventure out to Kicker Rock.  On our way there, we had a spectacular encounter with nature. We saw the dorsal fins first, then the picturesque leaps of the beautiful dolphins, playing in the water that you only see on postcards. Snorkeling around Kicker Rock, we mingled with the friendly sea lions and chilled with sharks. We saw an amazing variety of fish and marine life. After a long morning of snorkeling we got to bask on a gorgeous white sandy beach.

Tomorrow we head off to a Santa Cruz for more tropical adventures. Yes, island life is treating us well.

Photos:

 

Update #6:

The Galápagos is…

A world of its own in every way- the people, activities, animals, resources, and geography.  – Becky

A Paradise.  – Adam

A beautiful, natural, unique, and amazing place!  – Rebecca

One of the most unique, interesting, and beautiful places I have ever been.  – Emma

An unparalleled haven of exotic and impressive wildlife.  – Ethan

White, sandy beaches, underwater adventures, friendly people, science, and an animal sanctuary.  The Galapagos really is paradise.  – Ali

Full of animal encounters.  – Riley

An amazing and relaxing place that is full of culture and history.  – Shannon

A wildlife sanctuary.  – Max

A tourist magnet.  – Greg

Quite literally, awesomely awesome in every conceivable sense of the word, which has many positive meanings.  – Ian

A paradise, an untouched sanctuary, a throwback to a time before, where people didn’t influence the world.  – Camron

This  trip is…

As fun as a trampoline and as bubbly as Inca Kola.  – Adam

An adventure, that will teach you about life, the universe, and everything.  – Camron

Indescribable.  – Ethan

Educational, eye-opening, fun, and enlightening.  You learn about Spanish, yourself, and other people.  When taken to heart, the trip really is life changing.  – Ali

A completely amazing and full-to-the-brim experience that made my summer and incredible one.  And most of all… FUN!  – Rebecca

An amazing way to spend my summer, and I can’t imagine a more worthwhile, rewarding and fun thing to have done.  – Emma

Cool.  – Ian

A life changing experience.  – Riley

A little bit of everything, really.  Adventure tied with cultural emergence, traveling, and natural interactions.  Our trip really raised the bar for my future travels.  – Becky

An experience.  – Max

An awesome summer experience, instead of staying home and doing nothing all summer.  – Greg

One I will never forget.  – Shannon