Day 11 - OUR LAST DAY!!!

                It was the day that we dreaded the most. The last day. The moments we shared, the relationships we formed, and the bonds with both nature and humans that we made were hard to leave behind, but it had to be done. The day started off with another satisfying late wake-up at around 8 AM. After a great breakfast of scrambled eggs, bread, and some delicious pinapple juice, everyone quickly boarded the bus for our last day of environmental service with ConCiencia. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

We arrived at there mini "jungle" area and started the day off with some ice breakers as we crowded around on a tiny mat and the rock-paper-scissors posse game. 

               

After that, we split ourselves in our groups of 10 and started a specific analysis on every tree of Conciencia's plantation. 

After collecting all the data, we went to the local boarding school for a mouthwatering lunch of avocado salad and chicken with rice.

After lunch, we did our last activity for our environmental service project where we divided ourselves in groups of 2 and had a weeding contest, where we competed for free Conciencia's t-shirts. The work was long and tiring, but it gave all of us a good sense of satisfaction. The winners: Laolu, Spencer, and Ose, got off with free t-shirts while some of the other students paid for their own t-shirts. 

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We ended the service with a gratitude circle where we all expressed our gratitude for the opportunity Conciencia gave us and the work they did. It was a great experience for all of us participating in this innovative organization.

         We said our good-byes to Conciencia and quickly scrambled onto the bus so we could take our last showers in our hotel in Lima. After the hotel, we boarded the bus and proceeded to the airport. However, it wasn't going to be a quick trip home. There was one last thing that we had to do before leaving. It might have been the hardest thing that we have done all trip. We had to say goodbye to our dear friend and guide, Jorge. Not only was Jorge one of the nicest people around, but he was genuinely interested in helping people adjust to Peruvian culture. If it comforts you, the parents, at all, he acted as a father figure and made sure everyone was healthy and well. It was a tearful and painful goodbye, but a dinner that consisted of greasy American food provided condolences. We are now at the gate ready to come back to New York and continue the journey of life.

Christian's Reflection:

The trip to Peru created a unique environment where a group of thirty students, not many of them friends in the beginning, bonded as a family. It was awkward in the first plane ride. We called each other by the wrong names and usually just sat by people we already knew. However, as I write this blog, I am sitting next to a screaming group of twenty-nine students, tearing up and choking a little, knowing that I will never forget this experiance and cherish every moment of it. From the time we got soaked in Machu Pichu because of the rain, to the time when my friend poured water all over my pants by accident, to the time when I slipped and fell into a pile of cow dung, every moment was a blast. I love every person on this trip: the students, the teachers, the guides, and I will keep a part of this trip forever in my heart and carry the relationships I formed on this trip forever.

Justin: 

This trip to Peru was an eye-opening adventure that helped me expand my view on the different communities of this world. My reflection may not be as long Christian's, but this trip helped me understand more about what really means to "live one's life." The time I spent learning the ways of the Loquina locals and the beliefs of the Incan people has given me a sort of "enlightment" that I will apply to my life forever.    

Day 9 More ruins and a flight back to SEA LEVEL!!!

Recorded by Charlie and Ben 

Day 9: “If you live in the past or the future, you're half dead in the present” --Edgar

Crazy quote huh? We'll get to that...

We started off the day later than usual, with a wake up call at 7:45 (Craaazy right?) in the super amazing Taypikala hotel. Breakfast was the EXACT same as Day 6, but man it was delicioso. At 9 we were all on the bus getting ready to go visit the Sillusitani Pre-Incan Burial Site, a religious and spiritual center famed for its hidden gold. It was around an hour drive and many of us played cards along the way. A pack of cows blocked the road for a while.

The bus dropped us off at the bottom of the hill, since authorities closed off the rest of the road leading upwards, forcing us to hike. Along the way, we encountered many stands selling little souvenirs and alpaca themed merchandise. 

Edgar stopped occasionally (thank god this altitude is CRAZY!) to give us historical overviews and geography lessons, pointing out fragments of Pre-Incan pottery and bones.

 The site had been ravaged by Spanish explorers and time, leaving behind 20% of the original site. Legend tells of a hidden collection of gold, which had been intended to be used for the ransom of the last Incan captured by the Spanish. Spanish explorers and local farmers systematically sent searchers in pursuit of the gold, which was supposedly hidden in the burial ground. 
 

They dug up tombs with golden treasures and used dynamite to excavate the area. Eventually, a stockpile of 500 gold pieces was discovered, shedding some validity on the legend. The gold was transferred to Lima for storage, and was only recently returned, although 300 of the original stockpile had gone missing.

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We climbed past ruins of a huge wall, which used to give the site a fortress-like appearance. At the top, we encountered the remains of large towers which housed the bodies. The towers had been made with volcanic rock. Its porous structure allowed water and ice to break apart the rock, causing the towers to fall apart. One of the larger, more intact towers gave us insight to a metaphorical meaning of the towers. The towers were shaped like penises, with a round base, representing the uterus. 

The combination depicted the joining of the Father Sky and Mother Earth. Leaders were put in fetal position to represent their new birth. They were slowly lowered from the top of the tower, since the door was only small enough that those helping the burial could crawl in and out of the tower.  

We then moved on to a scenic view of a lake and a large island in the center. As we walked around the tower Edgar asked us to be careful where we walked - as weathering of the mountain was causing human remains to become visible along the path we were walking....  Libby is kneeling next to part of a skull that is now visible and you can see it better in the picture below Libby in the lower right corner.

Edgar explained the mindset of the indigenous people. They believed that the present was the most important and based their lives on that belief. We were given time to appreciate the view and reflect on the trip. 

Afterwards, some people headed back down to the bus, purchasing goods along the way. Mr. Papagayo bought a large, fluffy alpaca doll and Sophia happened to buy the exact same sweater that Spencer and Dylan had bought earlier (Who wore it best coming up? Maybe)

Once everyone was on the bus we had a short drive to lunch, which was at the house of a local family. Chef Julio and his family had converted a building into a mini-cafeteria. The older members of the family cooked and served food while the children ran around, playing with us. One of the kids ran up to us and grabbed our thighs. Outside his house were llamas. Mr. Papagayo got a photo with his fake alpaca next to a real one and Ms. Pluchino blessed us with her expression of pure happiness as she ran towards a llama with dreadlocks. For lunch we started with cheese wontons. If you could imagine joy milked from rainbows and then marinated in happiness and sunshine, you have experienced their cheese wontons. Then we had a main course of chicken, mashed potatoes, peas, carrots, and broccoli. We ended the meal with peach and cream and some mint tea.

After lunch we had a bus ride to the shady town of Juliaca, which is where we were supposed to fly to Lima after first stopping in Arequipa. We said an emotional goodbye to Edgar at the airport and then made our way onto the plane. After one of the most fearful takeoffs of our lives, we reached Arequipa and shuffled our seats around for the last leg of our flight. After this longer leg, we boarded a bus that took us to baggage claim. Once we all claimed our luggage, we headed up one floor to where all the restaurants were. Every four people were given 100 soles to spend on dinner. We went to different places to eat, such as McDonald's and Papa Johns. It was a nice break in cuisine after having days of the same soup. A little McPollo and cheese pizza brought back memories of the homeland.We had an hour to eat and after we had finished, we boarded the bus and drove to our hotel, the whole time singing old hits.