PTPI Blog

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

After refusing to change clothes in our frozen tents and enjoying a much-appreciated breakfast of pancakes, we set off to complete the last few downhill hours of our hike. When we stopped for lunch, our delegation leaders, Salam and Sarah, led a group discussion about the trip and what it has meant to us. We decided that this program isn’t just about observation, or seeing the typical tourist sites. It’s about immersing ourselves in a new culture, cultivating an awareness and bringing positive change through our actions.

One particularly memorable action was brought to us by our guide, Boris. As we drove to the train station following the completion of our trek, he handed out the rest of the notebooks and other school supplies we had brought to nearly every child we passed. His thoughtfulness made us consider our own actions and think about what we could do to make a difference when we return home. This trip is definitely only the beginning…

- PTPI EXPERIENCE: Peru Delegate, Kaya LeGrand

Sunday, July 18 2010

So today we started out our journey with a short bus ride to Calca.  There, we stopped to buy any last minute things we might need for the Lares Trek, such as a poncho or walking stick.  We also went to the local market to buy bread for the kids on the street that we might meet on our journey.  The market was a really interesting experience!

Then we got back on the bus for an hour and a half bus ride to Lares: the starting point of our trek (although we stopped at 15 thousand feet to take a picture of an absolutely gorgeous landscape).  We were excited to start hiking and the first hour of our journey led us to a school in Tambohuaylla. We had brought school supplies for the children here, and spent some time handing these out and visiting with them.  They were all so happy to receive their new notebooks, pencils, and things.

We would have stayed longer, but we had many more miles to go until we reached our camp site.  As we continued our trek, it became clear that this was not going to be easy.  We were not used to the altitude nor the “hills,” of the Andes, but somehow we made it through.

When we finally reached our camp site in the highland village of Huascawasi, we had a candlelight dinner in tents and then we went straight to bed.  It was a cold night and we all were tired and wanted to get warm and rested for the next day.  The first night in tents was cold and rough but how often do you get to sleep in a roadless mountain in Peru?

- PTPI EXPERIENCE: Peru Delegate, Lindsay O’Keefe

Saturday, July 17 2010