Lauren and Katie blogging in here to fill you in on all the exciting moments we’ve already had in Peru thus far! Our Peruvian adventure commenced with just your typical missed flights, major delays, casual cancellations, and mass confusion, all in an attempt to reach Pisaq. The adventure took some up to 24 hours to arrive (*cough cough Lauren*) and brought others around the world i.e. Chicago to Miami to NY to Lima to Cusco (*cough cough Paul*). Thankfully, despite the slight challenges of travel, we all arrived safe and sound in the beautiful Peruvian town of Pisaq, nestled in the picturesque Andean mountain range and at the foot of the (in)famous 15,000 ft. Mount Doom (a feat we will supposedly attempt to climb and conquer later in the trip, stay tuned for updates on that!). The day ended with a group meal at a local Peruvian restaurant where we shared our Monos (a funny moment), Moscas (a frustrating moment), and Mariposas (a heart-warming moment) from our travels, and concluded the meal with dessert tea!

Our second day in Peru began with an introduction to El Mercado de Abastos, a local market that serves everything from fried guinea pig on a stick to fresh juice made from any fruit you can imagine to mini bananas sold at the price of 5 for 1 sol (roughly 33 cents). Next we made our way through the heart of Pisaq, stopping to see various sights like the town square and local bakery, before culminating our journey at the Strive Center, a space used to house various after-school activities for students ranging from 6 to 17 years old. After orientation and a quick lunch, we headed out on our first group run, a task more difficult than first anticipated given the slightly high elevation of 9,700 feet. Dinner that night included a sneak peak of a fully-severed and skinned cow head on our way to the restaurant and some boiled chicken feet in our soups (delicious!). Rest assured, the meal once again came to a close with dessert tea. Post-dinner, rather than heading back to the hostel, we were lead up into an empty field and instructed to look up, where our gazes met the most incredible night sky we’ve ever seen. With the absence of light pollution and an unobstructed view, we were able to clearly see the Southern Cross and Scorpio constellations. Thanks to Tyler’s knowledge of astrophysics and Incan history, we were able to make out the dark constellations (constellations made from the dark spaces between stars) of the Big Black Llama and the Toad.

Today, now pros, we went to the market by ourselves for breakfast, enjoying Peruvian omelettes, coffee, and various fruit juices. Next, we were distributed our responsibilities for the remainder of the week. These roles will switch each week and are designed to teach us how to be independent, self-sufficient, group-orientated leaders, capable of managing life in Peru on our own (admittedly under the guidance of our group leaders).

As you can see, we’ve already experienced so much within the first few days, we can’t imagine what the next 7 weeks holds for us. Don’t worry, we’ll be here to keep you updated on all our Peruvian adventures and mishaps. Chat soon! Blogging off, Lauren and Katie.