Day 7 Afternoon - Work and Fiesta in Luquina

Recorded by Wolfgang and Phillip

After lunch, we were given an hour’s free time. Most came down to the beach, to test the frigid waters of Lake Titicaca--we played games to keep warm, but none lasted for more than ten minutes.

            Shortly after our swim in the lake we dried off and went to the school yard located on a hill in the village. We sat in a circle on the school’s soccer field and had a chance to reflect upon our stay and our work in Luquina. Every student and teacher shared something about what it meant to them and how it affected them.

           

       

Following our reflections, it was time for the soccer rematch against the locals. Through the stubborn dedication of students and Mr. McClellan alike (the air is thin up there), and through a fortuitous imbalance of players in our favor (seven to ten), and after a long stalemate, we scored the winning goal. The balance of the Coca-Cola debt has been restored.

    After we had won a second match against the locals, we met up with our host families, who dressed us in their traditional clothing for celebration. 

  

  
 

 

   




It was held on the soccer field, and we watched the locals perform the traditional dance before repeating it ourselves. After this we joined up with our local families to dance together, under the now starry sky.

           

 Our families guided us back home through the darkness, and as lightning flashed outside we ate our last dinner in Luquina. We separated from our families early, as they left for a celebration of the Semana Santa, or Holy Week. Most of the students went to sleep soon after eating dinner, after a tiring day of constructing the road and playing soccer.