Update # 3: Llama or Alpaca!?

Bridge Peru Families and Friends,

Greetings from Windsor Mountain!
Another wonderful update from Jim Whitmore and Katie Colby, our fabulous Bridge Peru leaders, again keeping life our lives simpler by writing email updates themselves.
And now, direct from Bridge Peru - Email Update Number 3:
"Since our last check in, we finished off the last few days with our homestays in Cusco, completed our last service projects, and came together as a big group again to visit Machu Picchu!

On Wednesday after classes we went to visit an alpaca and llama farm and got to pet the animals. Now we know how to tell the difference between a llama and an alpaca and which one you eat! We also visited the ruins at Saqsaywaman, an amazing feat of Incan architecture. Thursday we visited the kids again at Clinica San Juan de Dios, and this time got to know more kids and learned how hard the full time nurses work to take care of these incredible kids. On Friday we had our last day of Spanish classes, spent some quality time with our host families, and had a pizza party at the Director, Rossana´s house.

This weekend we spent time at Almeria, a community development project that is improving the lives of people in a small pueblo through education and agricultural diversity. We learned how to make adobe bricks out of mud and straw, collected garbanzo beans from the greenhouses, and taught games and activities to elementary school students at the local school.

On Tuesday morning we took the train to Aguas Calientes to visit Machu Picchu! The first day we hiked up a nearby mountain, Putucusi (Happy Mountain), which involved climbing up some very steep and tall ladders – a definite challenge for those of us who are afraid of heights! Wednesday we woke up really early to visit Machu Picchu before the hoards of tourists showed up. Since last year, when it was named the 4th wonder of the world, it seems as though everyone and their brother wants to visit. After touring the Temple of the Sun, Temple of 3 Windows, and Temple of the Condor, half of the group decided that despite their aching thighs and cloudy weather that a trip to Peru would not be complete without climbing up to Huana Picchu. Fortunately, the clouds lifted during the hike, and the group could see out over the entire valley. The other half of the group hiked to the nearby Inca Bridge and then enjoyed the panoramic view of the ruins.

Today we are back in Cusco resting and doing laundry before heading down to Llachon to visit the Uros of Lago Titicaca. Then it´s on to Colca Canyon and Arequipa.

Student Notes:

Meghan is the “Tom Sawyer” of the group, fearless during the hikes up mountains, and a really strong worker while making adobes. She also learned all about the Peruvian system of bureaucracy while going through all of the necessary steps to secure a new passport.

Nora loved playing in the mud when we were making adobes, and happily stomped around in the mud to mix in the straw. She is challenging herself by reading Harry Potter in Spanish, and helped the 3rd graders at Almeria make multiplication calculators.

Ali has been a great team player and happily helped wash dishes after our pizza party, singing with Leah and Nella the whole time. She also challenged the group to live up to our group goals of respect and inclusivity while debriefing our Full Value Contract.

Ben misses his host mom, Bertha, who used to hug him and tell him “¡Suerte!” before he left the house. He did a great job teaching the other group members how to smoosh mud into the adobe frames, and has modeled higher level Spanish comprehension and usage by “playing” with the language, omitting the ‘s’s, or talking with an accent from Spain.

Rachel H. noticed a big improvement in her Spanish after making a conscious effort to speak with her host parents. She also illustrated her patience while feeding a particularly challenging child at San Juan de Dios, and ended up really enjoying the experience.

Kayla surprised us all by breaking out into perfect Spanish during a meal after climbing Machu Picchu. After only 2 ½ weeks of learning Spanish, she has shown her ability to transfer the skills learned in class to the every day practicalities of living in Peru.

Michael´s Spanish skills really came in handy when he had to explain the directions to a game to over 40 Peruvian students, and they understood everything he said! He also had fun wearing masks with Dwayne and entertaining all of the kids with their antics.

Nella was psyched about Machu Picchu and threw up victory poses after completing each goal at Putucusi, Machu Picchu, and Huana Picchu. She has been a great group member, laughing and joking with everyone, and keeping the group in high spirits.

Charlotte has worked hard through the whole program, and on all the hikes, despite some continual knee pain. She and Leah taught “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” to a classroom full of second graders, and she and Ben played hide and seek with the kids during the fiesta at Almeria.

Rachel O. has been a positive role model for the group. She encourages others, takes on lots of responsibility, and consistently presents a positive attitude. She always volunteers to translate for others in the group, and did a great job doing so at Machu Picchu.

Daniel was a great leader on all of the hikes. He was always the first one up the ladders, and encouraged all of the others when they completed a difficult section of the hike. He also showed his strength by pushing heavy wheelbarrows full of adobe mud up the hill to the wooden frames.

Liz succeeded at juggling the needs of multiple children on the playground at San Juan de Dios. She also had fun at Almeria and learned some new games from the 3rd and 4th grade girls.

Leah conquered her fear of dogs and enjoyed petting a very nice one named Leon at Almeria. She was really excited to teach songs to the second graders in her classroom, and helped Ali and Nella wash dishes at Rossana’s house.

Noah was nicknamed the “gringo pequeño” by the boys at Almeria and they had a great time playing soccer with him. He also conquered his fear of heights on the Putucusi hike by taking the ladders slowly and carefully, and brags that he will be the only one in the group not to have a GIA!

Dwayne is a kid magnet and allowed the kids at Almeria to climb all over him. He has enjoyed talking to Nella about their wilderness programs last year, and encouraged her during the hike to Putucusi. He is also very proud that he is now able to order food in Spanish all on his own."

So that's it folks and you can expect the next Student call on Thursday the 24th of July....and shortly thereafter you will have your world travelers home on the 27th.