tales of wander
Peru
When food poisoning isn’t merely food poisoning
Sometimes food poisoning isn´t merely food poisoning when it´s…well, you´ll see. After three days of illness, Ginny (our volunteer coordinator) took me and two other sick volunteers to see a doctor in Cuzco—someone the organization trusts and works with regularly. Dr. Victor works in a tiny, single-room, glass-fronted office between a hair salon and an … Continue reading
A trip to the Sacred Valley
It isn´t all about work here in Peru. In fact, our first full week contained plenty of sightseeing as we eased ourselves into being in Peru, being together as a group, acclimatizing to the altitude, and becoming accustomed to the Pumamarca school in general. We spent the last two days in the Sacred Valley, which … Continue reading
The food in peru, Part 1
Okay, we didn´t eat the exact one in the photo, but alpaca is a popular regional dish in the mountainous areas for obvious reasons: it´s what´s available. Despite the fact that the “cute factor” might make this meat unpalatable for us Westerners, I am here to say that it isn´t half bad. It has the … Continue reading
Getting into a routine in Pumamarca
Our comings and goings to the Pumamarca school are both exciting and bittersweet. When we arrive in our combi van, there are already children at the gate awaiting our arrival and welcoming us with hugs, kisses, and a resounding chorus of “hola amigos!” It feels wonderful to be welcomed this way and to know that … Continue reading
Exploring the Incan puma
Yesterday we spent a full day exploring the many Inca ruins that can be found in Cuzco. We started with a horseback ride from lower Sacsayhuaman to one of the sites at higher elevation where many Inca tunnels can be found. During the time of the Incas, the city of Cosqo (now Cuzco) was built … Continue reading
Our first day at the Pumamarca school
Today was our orientation at the Pumamarca school. Pumamarca is a rural village outside of Cuzco where the people live in extreme poverty—there is no sewage system, no running water in the homes (the locals either use untreated water from faucets outside of the homes or the water that runs in a gully along the … Continue reading
Feeling at home in Cuzco
Arrived in Cuzco. I am so thankful that I opted to take anti-altitude sickness tablets before coming, because the altitude (which is approximately 11,000 feet) is not affecting me as much as it has at lower elevations in the past. Cuzco is nestled in the Andes, so when you arrive by plane from Lima (which … Continue reading
A short stay in Lima
In Lima, I met up with two of my fellow volunteers. Since we weren´t going to be in Lima for long, we took a tour of the city and saw many of the major sites. We started in the Plaza Mayor, which is at the heart of central Lima. On one side of the plaza … Continue reading
Buenos dias from Lima
The purpose of this entry is simply to let everyone know that I´ve arrived safely in Lima. In fact, traveling here was one of the smoothest trips I´ve ever taken—no delays, good weather, I even had an empty seat next to me on the flight. An empty seat is like a gift from the travel … Continue reading
