Hey everybody, my apologies for the delay in posting – we have been really busy! Between preparing for field day, packing our bags, tasting cuy (guinea pig), trekking to Machu Picchu… you get the idea. Here’s a brief recap of all of the fun we had over the last seven days!
Last Saturday (July 31), STRIVE successfully hosted el día deportivo (field day) at Tambohuasco. We were slightly concerned about the turnout, as the posters that we all had lovingly designed and decorated had disappeared overnight; at the same time, Alejandro and Melanie were having difficulties contacting the local radio channel to broadcast an announcement. However, we had been announcing field day in all of our classes and at the STRIVE Center for the last few weeks, in addition to passing out paper flyers all around town. Early Saturday morning, Alejandro and Melanie finally made it on air to announce el día deportivo to all radio listeners in Pisaq and the surrounding areas. All in all, about forty children showed up (mostly from our classes or the STRIVE Center) and each one had an amazing time decorating trophies, playing games, and racing each other in the 100m dash!
In the annual STRIVE Mile (hosted after the termination of the children’s events), our runners set a slew of new meet records! Tyler set an overall meet record of 4:32, and both Alejandro (4:40) and Paul (4:47) were under the old meet record of 4:48. Remember, this event took place at 9,700 feet above sea level! In addition, Sarah smashed the previous women’s meet record with an incredible 5:16! In the high school division, both Sean and Morgan set meet records for their respective genders; Sean cruised to a 5:22 while Morgan looked effortless in running 5:45.
Sunday morning’s long run was directed towards Calca, where a lunch of cuy would be waiting for us. It’s so hard to believe that was our last run together in the Sacred Valley! After devouring the cuy, we hopped in Hector’s van and headed to Cusco, where we would have dinner and a brief group meeting about the trek.
Monday morning began hours before the first crow of the rooster, with a cacophony of alarms sounding at 3:30 am. Everybody stumbled out to the van which would take us to breakfast and then to the beginning of our trek to Machu Picchu!
Basically, I could elaborate for paragraphs about how amazing our Salkantay trek was (Monday thru Wednesday), but I’ll condense it to a few phrases: breathtaking views; time spent bonding with friends; dirt covering every inch of our bodies; coffee plantation; interesting tan lines; early morning wake up calls; and did I mention the incredible scenery?!
Visiting Machu Picchu on Thursday morning was absolutely amazing. Leaving the hotel before 4am – plus the brutal uphill climb – was absolutely worth it! The wealth of knowledge that the Incas possessed is evident in their construction mechanisms showcasing the preciseness of their astronomic measurements. With the guides’ explanations, it was easy to imagine life 500 years ago, in the exact same place that we were standing!
Yesterday, Friday, we had to say our goodbyes in Cusco (for those not reuniting in the Lima airport). After spending an entire summer together, despedidas between the interns were especially painful. However, by the end of it all, we (interns, staff, and high schoolers) became like one giant happy family. I would be lying if I said that there weren’t some tears present…
Now, most of us are already safely back in our respective home countries; however, a few of the interns (and staff) will remain in Perú for a few more weeks.
Thank you for reading and following our adventures in Pisaq this summer!
Saludos desde Cusco,
Melanie
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