As soon as we stepped off the plane in Cusco, we could feel the thin air. Both students and teachers started feeling sick and lethargic within minutes of landing and it became almost impossible to climb a simple flight of stairs. The city of Cusco has an elevation of 11,150 feet above sea level and within moments everyone could feel the effects of this thin air. We went out for a quick lunch near the Plaza Mayor and then we slept. We awoke only for dinner during which we found the energy to dance with the local performers. We returned to the hotel, but not before buying matching hats, and went to sleep. During breakfast the next morning (Monday) we joked that all we had done in the 20 hours since our arrival was eat and sleep; but we realized it was necessary to avoid “el soroche” or altitude sickness. That day we visited an old Inca temple, possibly dedicated to the Sun, and it was our first opportunity to really use Spanish, as our tour was completely in Spanish. We ate lunch at a nearby restaurant and then visited one of the main cathedrals. We took a nice, long walk up the streets near the cathedral and found ourselves on a ledge, with an amazing view of Cusco, which so far we had only seen at night.

The next morning (Tuesday) we woke up at around 7:30 and went down for breakfast. Every morning we were given scrambled eggs, bread, coffee, tea, and occasionally avocado or assorted fruit. After breakfast, we hopped on the bus and drove to a surprise location. We arrived on a ranch to find llamas, alpacas, and Peruvian vicuñas! We spent a while feeding, petting, and taking selfies with them. After that, we went back on the bus to go shopping at a market. None of us had any idea what to expect; however, when we arrived...it was everything we ever wanted and more. First, we needed to exchange our American dollars to Peruvian soles. Second, we formed groups: girls in one group and boys in the other. Most people agreed to buy ponchos, so that was the first thing girls went to look for. It was incredible how easily we were able to bargain in Spanish and even more incredible when our bargaining strategies actually worked. We spent a large portion of the morning buying souvenirs for our families and admiring the artisanship of the local people. After we left, we drove to a site of ancient ruins atop a mountain; however, our van drove us to the bottom of the path to the site. It took a large effort to climb, considering the altitude, but finally, after many selfies documenting our struggle, we made it to the top. We looked around us and saw beautiful mountains and valleys and decided that just this one time, we would put our phones away and take in the view in front of us. We sang songs and made many memories at the top of the mountain. After some coercion, we climbed back down and drove to lunch at an outdoor buffet where there were even more llamas to pet and feed. After we ate our meal, we went to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. As we looked up from the bottom of the mountain, we saw very large steps leading up to another beautiful hike. It took a lot of effort given the altitude(the altitude or la altura in Spanish became an excuse for our laziness as the trip went on), but we climbed our way all the way to the top. The view from the top was absolutely marvelous and from here we learned why this valley was considered sacred. We hiked back down and boarded the bus once again, ending another amazing day. 

On Wednesday morning we woke up bright and early. We boarded the buses at 6 AM to catch a 7:30 AM train to Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage site. After a surprisingly beautiful train ride through the Peruvian countryside, we arrived at the closest town to Machu Picchu, Aguas Calientes, where we rode a bus up the mountain. Finally, at around 11 AM, we had our passports stamped at Machu Picchu, Peru. We walked up the massive agricultural steps, a trademark of the Inca Empire, where we found llamas waiting for us. From this point we could see the surrounding mountains and the famous houses which made up the emperor’s summer palace atop Machu Picchu. We walked through these houses, in awe of the architectural genius employed in their construction, and even more amazed at the condition they were in. We learned that this site was one of the only places the Spanish conquistadors never saw and it is therefore in practically perfect condition. After our tour of the site, we drove back down the mountain and boarded the train where we were surprised by a fashion show of some sorts. To this day we are not completely sure of why this happened, but about 2 hours into our train ride, the train stopped, music started playing and a man dressed in a tiger mask and rainbow costume started dancing down the car. He was followed by our former stewards who were modeling clothing made from alpaca fur. Even though it was quite late and we were exhausted from our day at Machu Picchu, we managed to dance alongside this rainbow-costumed, tiger-masked, yellow-haired man.

On Thursday, the next morning, we boarded our bus to go to the Misminay Community an hour outside of Cusco. The Misminay Community is a community of natives who are living in a way which combined old Inca culture with modern practices. As soon as we stepped off the bus, they greeted us with a song and dance in their native language, Quechua. As we walked towards their homes, they gave us bracelets which were made by the local children. They included us in a communal dance after which we introduced ourselves and drank tea in their homes. While the women prepared our lunch, the men took us down to a field where we witnessed one of their religious ceremonies. They spoke in Quechua and thanked each of the mountains for protecting them. We watched them plant potatoes and once we tried, we realized how hard the field work was. We enjoyed a lunch of fish, soup, quinoa, and corn and then went out to watch the women as they completed their work. The process to create the simple ponchos we had bought just 2 days earlier ended up being quite tedious. We watched (and helped) them turn alpaca wool into string and then dye this string in a boiling pot of ink. Then, they thought us how to use this string to sew a traditional stitch; this too was a lot harder than expected. We danced once more with them and thanked them for their hospitality before boarding the buses home. The kindness and generosity of the indigenous people, even to Americans like us who have so much more, was eye-opening and heart-warming. The beginning of the bus ride was incredibly silent as we reminisced on our experience, but it wasn’t long until we inevitably started singing Beyoncé’s “Love on Top” once more.

On Friday morning, we drove to a similar area as we did the day before. Instead of observing the life of members in the Misminay Community, we spent a day at the local school with their children. Once we arrived, we were greeted with a song about vicuñas (the Peruvian llama) and presentation the importance of recycling. We were each assigned a Peruvian student, around the age of 10, to create an art project using recycled items. There were a large variety of projects ranging from people to robots to parrots and to dumptrucks. Lunch followed shortly after, where we ate potatoes and peas which had been cooked in an almost underground fire which the school teachers had created. As soon as lunch ended, we decided to sing a song to the children in return for their song and dance. We danced and sang to “Shake it Off” and “Danza Kuduro”, and after taught them “Head Shoulders Knees and Toes”. To end our visit, everybody went down to a court to play volleyball and soccer. It was such an unbelievable experience to meet kids of a different culture and get to know them so well in just a day. It was incredible how happy they were with the simple joys they had in their lives and it almost seem or displeasures back home seem trivial. We exchanged emails and phone numbers to keep in touch, but had to say goodbye and head back onto the bus. We were driven to another house in the Misminay Community to each another delicious lunch, cooked by their native chef. After a break at the hotel, we headed out to the Plaza Mayor once more for dinner where we briefly watched a show on the street. We then continued on to our restaurant where we were served a local dish called “cuy” which is basically fried guinea pig. We again experienced a moment where we realized this was a once in a lifetime opportunity which would be dumb not to take advantage of; so, we all tried a little of it along with our main meal and some Inka Cola. After we left the restaurant, we watched a parade led by children holding signs.  Although it was freezing, it was our last night and we decided as a group that it would be a mistake not to watch this ceremony. It was these moments in which we appreciated the value of our trip which made it special. We headed back to the hotel to get a good night sleep so we could, sadly, wake up early to head on a plane. 

We woke up at 5:00 am on Saturday morning to get on a plane to Lima. Once we arrived at the new city, we went to the main plaza and watched the ceremony of the changing of the guards and the presidential palace. Next, we went to a church beautifully adorned with gold and underneath it, catacombs. We headed to lunch and walked around, realized we had a lot of time to spare. We watched a Peruvian comedy which although it was in Spanish, it featured a lot of local words than even fluent Spanish speakers wouldn’t know. The movie seemed too short as afterwards, we sadly boarded our to drive back to the airport. That night at around 12 AM our plane left Lima, Peru and flew us back to New York. Although we physically could never have this experience again, we knew we would never the places we went, the things we saw, and the memories we made.

Señor Carlos San Juan’s goal in embarking on this trip was to give us, as American students, the opportunity to both use our Spanish skills and truly experience a culture unlike our own. He accomplished both these things, and in my opinion, much more. Before the trip, Peru was just the name of a country in South America with almost no significance to us. Now it represents a rich history of innovative citizens, breathtaking views, and memories with both our peers, and the friends we made. Our trip to Peru was a once in a lifetime experience, which we shared with some of the most amazing and inspiring people, yet our only regret is that we did not realize this while we were there. Our memories in Peru will live on through pictures, ponchos, and Beyoncé’s “Love on Top”, as they have heightened our bonds with the Spanish language and Peruvian culture. It was an experience like no other, and returning home made us wish we could do it all again.

Chaperones in this and previous years' trips included Mrs. De Jesus, Dr. Campos and Carlos San Juan.

Story by Layla Kamshad and Vanessa Nasser
Video submitted by Kara Siegel