The day was already off to a good start after most STRIVE members completed their morning run and enjoyed breakfast at the market. Now, it was time to load the two vans outside the intern Willcamayu Hostel for departure to the animal sanctuary at 10:00 A.M.

After arriving, we entered the llama and alpaca quarters to feed them and take pictures. Llama selfies were a big hit with the high schoolers. However, one llama did not approve of Josh Porter and spit on him. Otherwise, fun was had by all. Next, we toured the high quality textile shop, Awana Kancha. A variety of baby alpaca clothing and items caught the attention of the high schoolers; these were authentic souvenirs as opposed to the synthetic ones found in the the Pisac market. Most high schoolers purchased winter hats and enthusiacstically wore them around afterwards.

Following the llama and alpaca experience, we walked across the street to see the other animals. First up was the monkey cage. This was the most popular exhibit among the high schoolers. Many pictures were taken of the monkeys swinging around their habitat, as well as posing in front of the glass barrier. A few other animals ncluded condors, pumas, and speckled bears. Fortunately, Aaron did not get mauled by a bear during this visit, but he was not so lucky later in the week (a high school group worked at the shelter for a service project on Tuesday and a Speckled Bear grabbed Aaron). Another highlight of the visit was the impressive flight of the Condors. Their broad wingspan evoked “oohs” and “aahs” among everyone in our group. The alpha male of the clan is over 60 years old! Now that we were familiarized with the native Peruvian animals, it was time to head out to Cusco for another adventure!

We reached Cusco around 1:30 P.M., and took a lunch break. The interns and a few high schoolers walked over to the market while the rest of the group ate at a sandwich restaurant. I appreciate the market experience and immersing myself in the culture as much as possible. The market is one of my favorite aspects of Peru, and I will be sad to leave it behind in a week. This time, I ordered a large plate of “trucha a la plancha con frioles y arroz” (grilled trout with beans and rice). Now that it’s been almost 7 weeks here, I can actually understand and speak a few spanish words. My food vocabularly has grown the fastest out of necessity to help me fuel all of the miles in the Sacred Valley. Following our sumptuous meal, we explored the market for some neat Peruvian souvenirs. I bartered for a couple hand painted Machu Picchu mugs and a patterned sweater to gift to my family. I could spend all day in the market discovering all of the intersting items, but it was time to move on to the next part of our day in Cusco.

Next, we checked in with the others before splitting apart again. One big group got massages while the other group took a tour of the town. Along the journey we enjoyed several foods from street vendors including chocolate churros and pineapple chunks. However, our most noteworthy stop was ice cream from McDonald’s. My favorite part of the tour was pausing on a balcony to take in the spectacular view of snow capped Ausangate, a mountain with a peak over 20,000 feet. The sun barely shone over the Andes Mountains surrounding Cusco at this time. Before we knew it, the sun had set and we were reboarding Hector’s van to head back to Pisac. Another full day was complete at STRIVE Peru.