Student Notes from Peru!

Student Notes:

This was a week of firsts for Nancy. She took a train, rode on a double-decker bus, and went kayaking, all for the first time this week! She also composed an epic five-page poem chronicling the group’s adventures in Peru (we hope to add it to the blog soon). We were all amazed and delighted when she shared it with us during a recent evening meeting.

Eva had a great time kayaking on Lake Titicaca with Matt. Even though they were relatively inexperienced compared to the other students, they had a lot of fun and came ashore with smiles on their faces. Eva was also very helpful in the kitchen at Llachon. She helped our host, Teodora, on numerous occasions preparing meals and clearing dishes.

Andrew got to show off his hiking skills last weekend in Machu Picchu. He scaled both Putucusi and Wayna Picchu effortlessly and was at the head of the group the whole time.

Ryan has received a lot of praise for being the gentleman of the group. He is always polite and considerate of the other group members and everyone appreciates his presence in the group. He has also stepped up to some leadership roles as the group timekeeper and “doctor.”

Matt has been enjoying all of our recent excursions and has taken over 700 photos on his camera! His inquisitiveness is a gift and the group has learned a lot more about Machu Picchu and the people of the Uros (floating islands) thanks to his questions. He has also had many of us rolling on the floor with laughter with his impressions of his host mom, Sonia.

Toni did an excellent job as our leader of the day. She was very good at facilitating group decision-making and keeping the group on task. She also overcame a significant challenge by climbing over 2000 feet to the top of Putucusi!

Sylvia has proven to be a role model for the rest of the group. Her positive attitude and love for everything around her is contagious. We can always count on her to offer to help out with a smile on her face.

Tara had a blast at the hot springs in Cconoc, she stayed in the pools the whole time playing games and goofing around. She has also enjoyed shopping for gifts for her friends & family. In fact, her backpack has grown about a foot since she arrived due to the number of gifts she has acquired.

Kaleigh was the centerpiece of our group performance in the Plaza de Armas on our last night in Cusco. We all played percussion and sang as she led us in a number of finely-crafted tunes (including some she wrote herself!) She also shared her musical gifts with our host families in Llachon.

Kyle really enjoyed the bus ride to Arequipa with Matt. While others spent the whole time sleeping, the two of them kept each other entertained for almost six hours by joking around, doing impersonations, and taking a lot of photos of the countryside. Kyle also played a mean water-jug during our performance in the Plaza de Armas.

Beryl has been very enthusiastic about trying new foods. From the tamales at the hotel in Cusco, to the vegetable-quinoa soup in Llachon, to the kebabs in Arequipa, Beryl loves it all and she isn’t afraid to show it.

Kathryn has been super helpful with the everyday necessities of group life. She helped make sandwiches for the entire group on our ride from Puno to Llachon and she was always one of the first in the group to jump up and help serve meals or clear the table while we were in Llachon. She also seems to attract all sorts of fuzzy creatures; puppies and piglets flock to her as if she were their mother.