Day 4-5

Hola Amigos,
Everything is great in Peru! Yesterday we finished laying all the pipes in the trenches for the water project. There was also a big monthly festival all day which consisted of fireworks, a dance contest between the local indigenous groups, and lots of celebration. It was a really neat experience to be able to see this festival! Today we took a break from working and road horses up to Marcahuasi, which is a rock formation at the very top of the Andes. The ride up was beautiful and the rock formations were incredible. The view was breathtaking at 14000 ft elevation and it was so cool to be higher than the clouds! This afternoon we hiked down the mountain and now are resting up in our hotel rooms after a long trek up and down the mountain. Hope all is well in Dallas and we miss you all very much!
-Peru Crew

Day 4-5

Hola Amigos,
Everything is great in Peru! Yesterday we finished laying all the pipes in the trenches for the water project. There was also a big monthly festival all day which consisted of fireworks, a dance contest between the local indigenous groups, and lots of celebration. It was a really neat experience to be able to see this festival! Today we took a break from working and road horses up to Marcahuasi, which is a rock formation at the very top of the Andes. The ride up was beautiful and the rock formations were incredible. The view was breathtaking at 14000 ft elevation and it was so cool to be higher than the clouds! This afternoon we hiked down the mountain and now are resting up in our hotel rooms after a long trek up and down the mountain. Hope all is well in Dallas and we miss you all very much!
-Peru Crew

Day 3

Hi Family and Friends,
So on our third day in Peru we got up, had breakfast, and immediately went to work on the project,
digging holes. We dug all morning until lunch where we again went to the same lady's amazing restaurant. After lunch, we had free time where we could write in our journals or do whatever we want. Then, we spent a lot of time exploring the town and experiencing a new way of life in looking at how they lived. Later, we went to the school and played volleyball and ping pong. After an hour and a half of playing with the children, we went to the local museum and saw many skeletons and mummies found at Marcahuasi, a place in the mountains that the townspeople believe was created by aliens or unearthly beings. After analyzing all of the artifacts we went back to the hotel and had fun washing each other's hair because we hadn't showered in a really long time. We washed our hair in a sink on the roof. Then we went back to the school and watched the college boys play a soccer game against the locals. After the game, we processed to a dinner in our honor held by the principal and all of the teachers. We got to try this delicious dessert which was basically fried dough covered in honey.  After dinner we went back to the hotel, bonded for a little bit, and went to sleep.
Bye!
The Peru Crew 

Day 2

Hey folks,
On our second day here in Peru we woke up and immediately went to the local high school where we got to experience a little bit of what school was like each morning and were also introduced to the students. They ranged from kids from 5-16 years old. Next we had breakfast at the hotel made by a gentleman who works there. After breakfast some of us carried buckets of sand up the mountain while the rest of us carried heavy black pipes that were to be used as replacements for the current water pipes. They were very heavy!! We them climbed further up the mountain and helped the college students who were heading the project filter water using sand. Then we had lunch at the  same lady's restaurant. The food was incredible and all of us were amazed at the many flavors.  Next we started digging trenches where the future pipes would go, for the pipes that are carrying water to the village currently are very thin and have many holes in them.  They new pipes are very durable and are expected to last for a very long time. Then we went over to the school and played volleyball with the children. Surprisingly they were really really good and we were creamed. Then we went for dinner and again had the AMAZING food. After dinner we went back to the hotel and bonded.
That's all for now!
The Peru Crew

Day 1

Hola everyone!
Although our trip got delayed by an hour we finally reached Lima at 2 in the morning. We got settled in at the hostel, Mundo Albergue de Aeropuerto. After eating a delicious breakfast at the hostel, we, along with our third chaperone, Federico, went to the grocery store to get the necessary supplies for San Pedro. Our next stop was for lunch at a traditional Peruvian restaurant, El Paraiso Huanca. They cooked the food, wrapped in aluminum foil, in fire pit in the ground. They served us chicken, beef, pork, corn, green beans, tamales, cheese, rice, salad, and corn. We also got to taste the national drink (we think) of Peru called Inca Cola. After a fulfilling lunch, we danced with some locals and played on a playground. Then we piled into the bus again and headed towards San Pedro. The bus ride lasted around 2.5 hours and we saw many exquisite views including the monkey bridge and stopped at many small towns. We found it humorous that we had to pay 30 cents to use the restroom. Through many bottles of water and some nervous breakdowns because of the steep cliffs, we finally landed in San Pedro de Costa. We settled in our rooms and found out the heartbreaking news that there was no hot water. Welcome to Peru I guess. Then we explored the town (wasn´t hard because it is so small) and had dinner at this lady´s restaurant. She served us amazing food including rice, french frys, fish, and salad. We were astounded by the freshness of the tomatoes and the exquisite flavor of the rice. We hurried back to the hotel, dead tired. There we had a quick meeting where a cute college kid named Jeff explained what our project would be for the next week. We will explain next time we get internet. right now we are embarking on a journey back to the lady´s restaurant for the next days dinner.

see ya next time,
talk to you later,
the peru crew