July 22, 2010
Our last day in Peru was busy, to say the least. We toured Cusco all morning, then flew to Lima, toured Lima and then got on our flight back to the States and our separate flights home. Phew! At the start of our day, we left our Cusco hotel to visit, first, a local market in one of the neighborhoods in town. We saw quite a lot of fruits, vegetables, and meats. Some of us who were adventurous eaters tried an exotic type of passion fruit. From the outside, it sort of looked like an orange, but peeling it would reveal the slimy grey flesh that you’d eat by slurping up and swallowing withoug chewing the seeds. Most of us found the taste pleasant, but others couldn’t handle the gooey texture. Aside from the produce, a few of the stands included women preparing various dishes from passerbys. Boris, our guide, explained to us that soup is one of the most popular breakfast items amongst locals. This included soups made from Alpaca feet and cow intestines.
From the marketplace, we passed by Inca walls, which were the foundations of the old buildings of Cusco. The end of our tour included visiting the Santo Domingo museum and the Plaza de Armas, the main town square. Following lunch, we bid farewell to Cusco and boarded our plane to Peru’s capital city, Lima. Most of our tour was by bus. Our guide explained to us mainly about Lima’s history and current issues. He also pointed out that it was a typical winter day—it was extremely cloudy outside! Towards the end of the tour, we were given the chance to admire Lima’s ocean shore and walk around a nearby underground shopping/amusement area, which was a blast. Our final meal was spent at none other than Bembo’s, Peru’s own fast food chain. We enjoyed pigging out on Peruvian hamburgers, fries, and Cokes as we hung out for one last time before departing for the airport. From there, we sadly said our goodbyes to Cristina, our tour operator.
On the seven hour flight back to the U.S., we all were able to sit back, relax and reflect on this amazing experience. It’s safe to say that each of us has been affected in more ways than one by what we’ve been through together. Whether it be from impacting a jungle community, to conquering one heck of a mountain, we’ve become stronger individuals, both physically and mentally. We pushed ourselves over our usual comfort zones and we’ve matured from it. We were immersed in a culture very different from our own and, as travel usually does, it has opened our eyes to this world. We met and interacted with the people. We tasted the food. Some of us spoke the language. We truly did “experience Peru.” But above all, we connected with each other and have built the foundations for lifelong friendships.
- PTPI EXPERIENCE: Peru Delegate, Valerie Weil