We had our first substantial telephone check-in with Darren and Nayeli yesterday, and the trip report is 100% positive! According to Darren, "this is a high-functioning group, getting along really well, and having a great time." Back in the office, this is exactly what we love to hear. We have a group that gets it!
This evening, the Bridge Peru group is transitioning from the Orientation phase of the program to the Homestay and Language Immersion phase of the program. Just a couple of hours ago, they had a big dinner/meet and greet with their host families, and right now everyone is most likely already back at the Hostal, having the last full-group evening meeting before Homestays.
Here's a great little blog update that Darren and Nayeli managed to find the time to send us via email (way ahead of schedule):
Orientation Report
Ollantaytambo - Amazing Incan ruins...the whole group trying crazy new foods...mucho fun creating our group flag...jokes a-plenty while bonding over meals...initial group meetings...setting the Windsor Mountain tone...taking care to build the a positive, fun, productive, and responsible group culture...everyone sharing and learning tons about each other...these kids are fun.
Cusco - Really beautiful and amazing Folkloric dance performance...day trip to ruins in Tipon (wow)... team-building activities...intro to homestays...homestay oriented games and roleplays...street vendors...what is cuy?
Sunday - Exploring market in Pisac...MMTs in homestay groups...buying funny hats...learning how to negotiate prices in Spanish...don't buy that fake sweater!!!
(WM note: an MMT, or Magical Mystery Tour, is a WM tradition, and a great learning tool: students are split into groups no smaller than three, and allowed to do some independent exploring in a small town, or within a well-defined area in a bigger town. MMT groups always have tasks to perform and missions to accomplish, ranging from the educational--find the oldest person in town and get them to tell you what the town was like when they were young, for instance, to the just plain fun--find some local ice cream and sample it!)
Student Notes
Tara, in Spanish, effectively negotiated with Kyle, the taxi-driver, during our homestay role-playing scenarios.
Matt took communion at the Qechua mass today in Pisac.
Kyle had a lot of fun watching the folkloric dances Friday night in Cusco.
Ryan and Andrew enjoyed eating cuy (guinea pig) and playing soccer with the locals yesterday in Tipon. They put up a good fight until the altitude got the best of them.
Eva contributed her ideas and artistic talents to the creation of our group flag.
Kaleigh has been entertaining the group with her musical talents.
Kathryn has been very helpful to her peers and leaders.
Nancy has been sharing her knowledge of Chinese characters and giving fellow students (temporary) tattoos.
Beryl has provided the group with lots of comic relief during evening meetings.
Sylvia has been doing a great job speaking Spanish and using her well-appreciated translation skills to help the group.
Toni has opened up to the group and is making a lot of friends.
Today the group is going to have their first day of Spanish class and spend the first night with their homestay families. What an exciting way to begin the week!
A Windsor Mountain International Student Travel Program. For more details go to www.WindsorMountain.org.
Windsor Mountain Website Information
Bridge Peru is a Windsor Mountain Student Travel Program. For more details on our WMST programs or our International Summer Camp, go to www.WindsorMountain.org.
Blog Archive
Phone Call Schedule
The Bridge Peru campers will be calling home on these dates and times (Eastern Standard Time). Please make sure you are available to receive these calls - we don't want you to miss the chance to hear from them! Call times cannot be rescheduled.
July 1 between 12 and 2 pm (quick call after arrival)
July 10 between 5 and 7 pm
July 20 between 4 and 6 pm
July 28 between 4 and 6 pm (quick call before departure)
Mail can be sent to the Bridge Peru group at:
Student's Name
c/o Rossana Huarcaya Revilla
Machu Picchu Spanish School, Director
Calle Arequipa #251
Cusco - PERU
The last day for mail pick up is July 16, please make sure your mail will arrive by then to ensure delivery. Families may send flat letters to the program participants. Place student's name in the bottom right corner of the envelope. Please do not send packages or money.
July 1 between 12 and 2 pm (quick call after arrival)
July 10 between 5 and 7 pm
July 20 between 4 and 6 pm
July 28 between 4 and 6 pm (quick call before departure)
Mail can be sent to the Bridge Peru group at:
Student's Name
c/o Rossana Huarcaya Revilla
Machu Picchu Spanish School, Director
Calle Arequipa #251
Cusco - PERU
The last day for mail pick up is July 16, please make sure your mail will arrive by then to ensure delivery. Families may send flat letters to the program participants. Place student's name in the bottom right corner of the envelope. Please do not send packages or money.
Peru Map
What Time Is It In Peru?
Meet Your Leaders
Nayeli Reyes
Nayeli has always been interested in programs that are fun, educational, and make a difference in people’s lives. In Argentina, where she grew up, she volunteered in disadvantaged areas and did extensive work with school youth groups. In the US, in addition to leading both Bridge Mexico 2006 and Bridge Peru 2007 for Windsor Mountain, she has taught Spanish in various settings, including a language immersion camp. She also worked for the YMCA where she was a Summer Camp Counselor, a trail guide, a Ropes Course Facilitator, and a leader for Project Common Ground (teaching children to appreciate diversity). At the moment she teaches Science and Language to fourth graders at an English immersion school in Córdoba, Argentina. She enjoys traveling and experiencing a variety of cultures by living within them. Nayu feels that any time or place can be a good reason to dance and laugh. She believes you can learn from everything and that everyone has something to teach.
Darren Ovitsky
An avid world traveler, artist, and educator, Darren is primed and ready to lead an amazing Bridge Peru program. This will be his second summer leading a student travel program with Windsor Mountain. In recent years, his travels have taken him through Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Canada, Alaska, Mexico and New Zealand. After his fall season working as a naturalist in California, he took the winter off to travel around the U.S. and Canada in search of bottomless powder. His search keeps leading him further north as he plans to attend guide school for heli-skiing in Alaska next winter. Darren has traversed the continent by car or plane an astonishing 12 times in the past two years, covering every U.S. state and Canadian province except for North Dakota and Hawaii (he had a hard time driving to Hawaii). When he’s not picking ice out of his beard, he enjoys visiting friends in faraway places, playing and listening to music, and being outside. Darren believes that the opportunity to travel and immerse oneself in another culture as a teenager is an invaluable experience which resonates throughout one’s life. He’s looking forward to helping his students through what promises to be a challenging and rewarding experience this summer on Bridge Peru.
Nayeli has always been interested in programs that are fun, educational, and make a difference in people’s lives. In Argentina, where she grew up, she volunteered in disadvantaged areas and did extensive work with school youth groups. In the US, in addition to leading both Bridge Mexico 2006 and Bridge Peru 2007 for Windsor Mountain, she has taught Spanish in various settings, including a language immersion camp. She also worked for the YMCA where she was a Summer Camp Counselor, a trail guide, a Ropes Course Facilitator, and a leader for Project Common Ground (teaching children to appreciate diversity). At the moment she teaches Science and Language to fourth graders at an English immersion school in Córdoba, Argentina. She enjoys traveling and experiencing a variety of cultures by living within them. Nayu feels that any time or place can be a good reason to dance and laugh. She believes you can learn from everything and that everyone has something to teach.
Darren Ovitsky
An avid world traveler, artist, and educator, Darren is primed and ready to lead an amazing Bridge Peru program. This will be his second summer leading a student travel program with Windsor Mountain. In recent years, his travels have taken him through Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Canada, Alaska, Mexico and New Zealand. After his fall season working as a naturalist in California, he took the winter off to travel around the U.S. and Canada in search of bottomless powder. His search keeps leading him further north as he plans to attend guide school for heli-skiing in Alaska next winter. Darren has traversed the continent by car or plane an astonishing 12 times in the past two years, covering every U.S. state and Canadian province except for North Dakota and Hawaii (he had a hard time driving to Hawaii). When he’s not picking ice out of his beard, he enjoys visiting friends in faraway places, playing and listening to music, and being outside. Darren believes that the opportunity to travel and immerse oneself in another culture as a teenager is an invaluable experience which resonates throughout one’s life. He’s looking forward to helping his students through what promises to be a challenging and rewarding experience this summer on Bridge Peru.
Followers
Bridge Caribbean
Bridge Puerto Rico
Bridge Southern Africa
New England Adventure
You can also check out our website www.WindsorMountain.org for details on our
International Summer Camp and Student Travel Programs.