Friday, March 21, 2014
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Wonderful day
We spent the morning in Urabamba at El Colegio Valle Sagrado where we began painting a mural and we visited classes. Recess was a caos of basket, soccer and volley balls0 and bodies running in every direction. After lunch with host families, we engaged in the Chaski Challenge-a game of cultural challenges that included peeling corn kernels, sending a message across an Incan palace, preparing a local food, dancing, and climbing some ruins to offer prayers. We traveled through the challenges with a map. Now, we are settling into our rooms. We send love and thanks to all who are following us.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Travelers Speak
From: Katie
Peru is absolutely amazing!! Everything is so beautiful and
calm. I love it in Peru, and I do miss my family. It’s a little weird not
having them with me on this wonderful experience, but in a way I am also kind
of glad they are not here with me. I also want to say HI to Lily, Ali, Lauren
and Jazmin. I am wondering how you are doing and if you see this. Mom, I want
you to give Kodak, Fabio, Gilbert, and Jillia a big huge kiss from me. I am so
lucky to be here and I am grateful that I can communicate with you through this
blog to show you what is happening and how things are going here in Peru. I
LOVE YOU!!!<3
From: Hanna
Being in Peru has so far been amazing! I have made many
unexpected friends, animals included. My home-stay family has been so nice to
me that it’s insane. I am the one that can speak the most Spanish among Wyatt,
Lea, and me, but I don’t mind. It’s good practice. The little kids in our new
family are very fun to play with and the mom is an amazing cook. I have been
eating way more than I expected. One of my many new friends is named Machu
Pichu, or Machi. He is a black mutt with a white belly and paws. He followed us
on the hike through the Ollantaytambo ruins. I haven’t had any issues with
feeling bad or getting sick. *many knocks on wood*
I do miss all of my family: Mom, Dad, Brittany, and of
course, Sophia. I hope Luna and Patch are doing okay as well as Jalisco and the
birds. To Ali, Lily, and all of my friends, I cannot wait to tell you all the
memories that have been created here in Peru.
P.S. Hi Grandma!!!! <3
From: Cadence
Hi friends and family! The Peru trip is going great. My host
family’s food is delicious and the kids are starting to open up. I have been
practicing my Spanish a lot because they don’t speak much English. The scenery
outside our window is indescribable. I have become really close with all the
girls in my room, and we have so much fun together. Everyone loves to play
around with the dog Machu, who likes to follow us around on hikes and to the
school where we work. Yesterday we went to see the Ollanta Ruins and Machu came
too! I miss everyone, especially Posey (because Machu (AKA Carlos or Oscar)
reminds me of her). I love you mom, dad, Piper, and everyone else. Peru is so
far the best experience of my life. <3 J
From: Maddie Castle
VVVVVVVVVVVVVV
HI EVERYONE!!!! Again. Having an awesome time in Peru. We weaved
baskets a couple of days ago. All the baskets look amazing. Yesterday we hiked
up some awesome Incan and PreIncan ruins and learned a lot about how they were
constructed and their purpose. Our home stay families are so nice and loving.
Today we are going on a bus to a weaving coop in Chinchero, which should be
really fun. Today is the first day we get to take pictures, so I am super
excited.
Miss you and LOVE you all. See ya real soon. <3 <3
<3 J J J
Ps: (the mid-day moon),
(straps), (vvvvv), ( And that’s maddie), (got to go count my gold fish)
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Blog Time
From: Khaili
Peru is really
awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My Peru family is awesome I will never have to do my hair again. One of the
older girls, Dana, braids my hair all of the time, and she is really good. The
food is so good. The youngest, Garlet is so sweet, funny and cute. My Peru
family has a little puppy, and he reminds me of my favorite puppy, Mughu.
Shoutout to my favorite puppy I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! I MISS YOU A TON!!! I miss
you, too, Mom, Rhea, and Daddy. I think Mughu would love it in Peru with all of
the dogs running around, but then again he might not. Most of the dogs are
really small. I love it here, and I have met some really cool people. And I am
getting to know people in our group better. My roommates are the bomb.com (Lauren
and Sofia). One time during
homestay with Riley and Jimmy, we were playing frisbee with my Peru family and
I throw it over the wall so Jimmy had to climb over the wall and go get it, He
almost got stuck over the other side of the wall. Our guides are really nice
and cool. I miss all of my friends. I MISS EVERYONE. And if people at school
are reading this, I MISS YOU!! Have a great spring break. Rhea, I miss you a
ton. Mom I miss you a ton. Daddy I miss you a ton. MUGHU I MISS YOU A TON. I’m done bye.
From: Lillianna
Peru is so cool. The plane ride was super long, and I ate
most of my snacks on the plane. There are mountains all around us. They are
really tall, and in the morning they are covered in fog. We went to the
Ollantaytambo grain ruins a few days ago and the hiking trail was really narrow
and steep. There was also a sheer cliff on one side of the mountain. My
homestay family is really nice and their puppy is super cute. They always cook
the best food - potatoes and rice. I miss you guys a ton.
From: Maddie Castle
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
Hi everyone!!! Again.
Everything is going good. We weaved baskets yesterday and
had so much fun. It took me forever because I can’t weave very well. Today we
took an awesome hike through the Ollanta ruins where Incans and pre-Incans
built temples, and we saw how much hard work it took to build it. We started
working on our first community service project. I hoed the ground all afternoon,
raking so the ground can be f;attened and we can grow grass. The weather is
pretty good. More later….
From: Anna Sophia Williams
HEY. OMG Peru is the bomb. I love this place. Today, we went
to the Ollantaytambo ruins. So cool and really beautiful. I am having so much
fun. Miss you guys so much.
From Martha,
We will visit Chinchero Weaving Coop tomorrow and then stop by to see Moray and the salt mines/flats. I'm pretty sure we will not have the time or connection to blog tomorrow as we will be out for most of the day, but we'll try. We are healthy and happy, and we are sharing laughter, deep thinking, silliness and seriousness. All good. :)
Update
We are busy and well after climbing the ollanta ruins this morning. Lunch is the big meal of the day and we are just now back together. We are gathering to prepare for an afternoon of work at the elementary school. The sun is shining and hermano viento is singing. 
Monday, March 17, 2014
Fotos
 |
| The end of summer here (El fin del verano) |
 |
| Happy knee (Rodilla feliz) |
 |
| Meeting in the plaza (Reuniendo en la plaza) |
More Posts - From Monday Morning
From Haley
Hey friends and family, it’s Haley! How is everyone? I miss everyone
a lot and I hope everyone had a great weekend. Today is St. Patrick’s day and I
forgot something green to wear, but luckily I have Riley in my room and she
lent me some green. Two days ago, we met our host families and I realized how
much I actually missed them. When I saw my homestay mom, I ran to her to say
‘Hola’. Although I miss my family in Perú, I miss my parents this year more
than ever. When I get back, I want to spend more time with them, since I only
have around 4 more years till I go off to college. I have been having a great
time. Love you guys!
From Riley
Hey guys.
What’s up? I miss you all,
for the most part. J Goodbye, Braden. I never said goodbye because you
refused to wake up. Happy St.
Patrick’s Day. My host family is
really awesome. The 8-year-old’s
name is Garlet. She is so
sweet. Each day during lunch and
dinner we play Uno. Ollantaytambo
is so beautiful. In the mornings
the clouds cover the mountains that surround the town. From our hotel we can actually see
Incan ruins. Everyone here is so nice. We went on an around-the-town scavenger
hunt and everything is in walking distance. Love you Mom, Dad, Braden. Peace out, Stay cool and Llama, -Riley
From Jon Hustead
Dearest
Henry,
We never got
a chance to say our good-byes, I am heart-broken that you are not by my side. I
feel like I cannot experience this trip fully without you. I see your face on
the mountainsides, in the biggest clouds, and in the most beautiful sunsets.
Amber I miss too, but it is not compared to my love for you. I am lost in a
field of emotion with no leader, I am lost.
Til we
reunite,
Jon Hustead
To the McElvaine’s and Tenenbaum’s, and our friends at SMA:
We know our
letter can never amount to the writings of Jon. We just wanted to say, “We love
you,” to our family and we miss you very much. All is well. More later. We are
leaving to work at the school.
Love from Lea and Geneva
Sunday, March 16, 2014
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