We looked around in awe as our feet touched the soil of Cusco, Peru. It was crazy to think our nine day trip spanning July 14 to July 22 was only just beginning. The trip included me, 14 other classmates, and two teachers from our Spanish department.
We arrived in Lima early the morning of the 15th and met our tour guide. We got a few hours of sleep then flew to Cusco before going to and climbing the Sacsayhuaman Fortress
The next day we traveled to the Sacred Valley and attended a weaving demonstration. We learned all about the process of weaving before going to a pottery workshop to create our own tile. On the 17th and the 18th, we worked for a total of five hours at a local house for girls. We made a total of 180 mud bricks with the goal of them expanding their dorms. On the 19th we finally got to tour Machu Picchu! It was cool to see it and be able to walk around the city, despite all the stairs. We spent the day in the town of Aguas Calientes and played soccer with a group of locals from a nearby school.
We spent July 20th at two markets: Pisac and San Pedro. They were both pretty big and a good spot to buy souvenirs. Our last day was spent in Miraflores Lima, a nice area next to the Pacific Ocean. We flew home on the 22nd, some of us happy to leave, others wishing to stay, but we got home nonetheless.
This was such an awesome experience and I was happy I was able to go. I noticed I got a lot better at Spanish, both speaking and understanding. I feel all of us bonded very quickly, and I made friends with people I don’t usually see. If you have the opportunity to go on a trip through the school, take it, you won’t regret it!