Carrie and Kerry's Trip to Peru 09

Video slideshow

2009-07-02T07:33:00.002-07:00

Here is just a few of the many pics from my trip. I love watching this because it brings back all the great memories. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Final thoughts on my trip

2009-07-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

So it's been a month since I've returned from my trip, and I definitely haven't stopped missing it. The journey home was pretty hectic because I got many delays in my flights and I was getting very tired. Seeing my friends and family again was nice, but I honestly felt a little bit of a culture shock returning back to Canada. I had gotten accustomed to the way of life in Cusco and I felt so at home there. Everyone I met touched my heart so much and I can never forget them. If it wasn't for all of these great people the trip definitely would not have been as good as it was. Thank god for facebook and e-mails now that allows you to stay connected to everyone. I really hope that I can see them again sometime in the future.

I think I definitely miss the kids from the center. They were just so greatful for everything and appreciated any bit of love that you show them. I constantly find myself thinking about them, hoping that they are healthy and safe. I got such a huge amount of satisfaction in knowing that I have helped them, even in the smallest way. They taught me so much about how to be thankful for what we are given and how blessed we are to have these opportunities like we do in Canada. Anytime I want to go out and buy something frivolous, I can now think back to my experience and then I remember the things that really matter in life.

Traveling has now become a major part in my life. I cannot wait till I am able to travel again. Who knows where I will end up, I just know that life is too short and I want to experience the world. My independence and confidence has grown so much since being on my own in Peru. I feel like I can tackle any challenges that come my way. I've grown so much as a person and I was so happy to be able to tell my story about this trip to so many of you who were very interested in my journey. Everyone was so welcoming to me when I came back and they were all looking forward to seeing my souvenirs and pictures. I never get tired of telling my experiences or giving people any information about things to do and see in Cusco, so don't be afraid to ask!!

Rainforest Adventures

2009-06-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

Again, a very long delay in this post..but now my days are full of updating everyone in person finally about my trip as well as showing off the way too many pictures that I have developed. It makes me very teary to look at all of them, wishing I could go back right now...but you have heard pretty much all about my trip except the final few days that were spent trekking in the jungle. It was such a different experience than Cusco and it was fascinating to see all the wildlife and greenery.

The day started off pretty rough as I decided to go out dancing the night before. I ran into one of the friends from rafting and we ended up talking until about 3:30 in the morning (we had to be gone by 5:30 from the hotel!!). But, I managed to roll myself out of bed on time mind you and waited for the bus. However they seem to run constantly on Peruvian time and were about 40 minutes late. However, we were picke dup in our own private van which was really nice, only though its about a 6 hour drive the first day. The roads were the scariest thing I had ever been on. You are driving right near the edge of the mountains, getting stuck in slippery mud from the rain, and doing some of the sharpest turns on the constantly curvy road that whole time. I definitely think our van had no shocks either because I felt every vibration and bump from this road....needless to say on an upset stomach from the night before and being exhausted, it was not a good combination. I think I had the driver stop too many times for pee breaks on the side of the road (made me feel very classy.lol).

Anyways, once we finally hit the cloud forest (not the Amazon rainforest yet, just a part of Manu national Park), we started to drive more slowly and were on the lookout for any birds. I did enjoy once we finally saw one, but for me birdwatching is just too slow. I hate the searching for the birds and constant stopping. Our guide also is a huge bird fanatic and goes on to explain about them for 30 minutes each. But it was very beautiful, especially getting to stop on the edge and enjoy a picnic lunch with this fantastic view. The first day was basically driving to the camp, and enjoying any thing we were lucky enough to see. The campsite was a great little cabin with our own beds and nice mosquito nets (thankfully!!)even had a little kitten on site to play with. The food was once again fantastic, and being so tired, we went to bed very early.

The next day was more driving again, but we finally made it to the actual rainforest. You could definitely tell that you arrived because the humidity level skyrocketed. We drove through a small town which was very unusual to see in the middle of nowhere, but they were having a celebration so we had to do a detour through a backroad. This was a bad idea in our big van, and we got stuck in the soft dirt. Well needless to say, the kids around us thought that was hilarious and soon a large crowd gathered to help us silly gringos by pushing us out. We also got to stop at a colca farm where we got to see the actual plant as well as play with another plant who had seeds that you could crush and use like paint. I definitely enjoyed making funny war-paintings on our faces as well as our guides. The amazon was completely gorgeous and I loved seeing all the different types of vegetation. We even got to go rafting once again. This time was very different as there was only four of us and just wearing lifejackets. They said the rapids would be very small, however I really felt like they were sooo big. It was very exhilarating, especially when we could stop and swim in the river. I just kept thinking how lucky I was to be swimming in the Amazon!! After rafting, we took a small boat ride to our campsite, ate and got ready for a night-walk through the jungle. This was very different than what I am used to. We had large rubber boots, our flashlights and thats it as we made our way through the jungle. We had many experiences like eating termites, seeing poisonous snakes and spiders and getting stuck in mud numerous times.

The 3rd day we were up bright and early to go to a clay lick area where we were hopefully to see many birds feeding off of the nutrients. Although we saw many maccaws flying off in a distance, they never came close to us unfortunately. This day was our zip-lining day which is now one of the funnest things I think you can do. We had a little bit of a hike to get to the spot, especially felt difficult with all your gear. We had 4 different stages of the zip-lining, and they were so fast and great views. Our guide took some great pictures of us. The rest of the day was just more exploring and hiking. We got to know our guide very well, and we became very close with him. He definitely made the trip more exciting.

The next day it was time to leave, so we boarded the van once again, but this time we were very crowded. And then a family needed to get into the town with us, so we had people piled on top of each other. I had a little 7 yr old adorable girl sitting on me for a majority of the time. This ride felt a lot more scary. A heavy fog rolled in, and worse when we drove by the spot that a couple days ago a truck rolled over the edge, killing all of the passengers. We had met some people from the UK though and it became very funny when anyone needed to use the bathroom on the side of the road and we all had to pile out and find hidden spots on the road. The drive seemed to take soooo long, but we were eager to go out dancing and drinking with our guide once we were back in Cusco. We met up at our new favourite club where there is live Peruvian music and then great salsa after. I know nothing about dancing like this, but in Peru there are always men willing to teach you :).

The rainforest adventure was truly great. There is lots more that I could talk about from this trip, but I can't possibly fit it all in. It made you feel like Indiana Jones, exploring the unknown. It was very exciting and informative.

Rafting in Urubamba river!

2009-05-29T10:12:00.000-07:00

First off, sorry for the long delay in posts...I was gone to the jungle and then had massive complications and delays for my flights back home. But I am back home now and ready to reflect and finish my blogs about the amazing experience I had.

I had a few free days after the Inca trail because of all the strikes and having to come home early from the trail. This was really nice because it gave me a chance to see everyone from the family house again. I can't get over how close we all became in such a short time. Its these people that I find myself worried about missing the most. If it wasn't for them, I know that my trip would not have been as amazing as it was. So I was really happy that we got to spend some more time with them.

The next day though was the beginning of our 2 day rafting adventure. I had never been before, but like everything else on this trip, I was really excited to try something new. They pick you up from the hotel and it is about an hour's ride to the river and their camp. We met a group of 3 young guys from Toronto and ended up being on the same raft as them for the day. They were really awsome and it was great to meet people so close to where you live. You begin by getting fully dressed in a wetsuit, rain jacket, lifevest and helmet. It felt really weird to walk around in a wetsuit (again which I had never worn before). You receive a quick 10 min safety talk about the basic comands and then have a brief training session in the water and then your off! There were six of us in the raft; Carrie and I, the 3 Canadiann boys and then a shy lady from Costa Rica (I think). We couldn't have asked for a better crew and the guide was awsome. I quickly discovered that I loved rafting so much! Once you get the hang of rowing together and at a strong pace, you get to really enjoy the rapids. Some were getting pretty hardcore (still only class 3 and 4) but it was enough to get your adrenaline pumping. No one fell out although I thought we were pretty close to at some points. The sun felt soo hot beating down on us that we asked if we could just flip the boat for fun. Then we really felt the coldness of the water (the river comes from a glacier in the mountains so it was freeeeeezing). It felt good though. After about 2 hours of rafting we were back at the camp for lunch and then on our way home. We connected so well with the Canadian guys and another man we met from Italy that we all decided to meet up for supper and drinks after. They were really great to spend time with, and I just hope that I can see them again in the future.

The next day rafting was the same river, just different people. We thought that more were doing the 2 days but it was just us. It felt nice though to feel experienced and have everyone ask you questions about what it is like and what to do. We also shared a lot of insight about our Inca trail to others which was fun to hear their amazement that we finished in 1 day less than normal. This day rafting the rapids felt a lot more rough so it was more work to control the boat, but that made it exciting. The guide asked if I wanted to try to be the guide and give commands and steer. I said yes, but quickly realized how hard it really is. On my way back to my seat we hit a big rock and I fell out! I went through like a second of panic, but reacted quick enough to grab onto the rope. That is very frightening especially when you can feel the rocks on your legs and the water trying to pull you under. It was a fun experience though to go through, and it just makes me want to go rafting even more.

Both days were absoluetly amazing and I think i have found a new passion in life. I really want to start rafting more in Canada. There was a man who would take pictures for everyone and then you just buy the CD so if anyone has me on facebook they can check them out because they are pretty sweet. That felt like the perfect way to end my time in Cusco, and we were done early enough to go and see everyone again (I swear I feel like I have done my goodbyes like 4 times already). I'm already trying to figure out my next raftign adventure. Class 5 rapids here I come!!!

the inca trail

2009-05-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

This weekend was probably one of the most eventful few days of my life. Carrie and I had signed up for the famous Inca Trail (a 42km major hike ending at the miraculous Machu Picchu). We did not know what to expect but we wanted a challenge so we figured we´d go for it. Only after it was all paid for did we do more research and find out how challenging it was actually going to be. Everyone kept saying that if you were reasonably fit, you shouldnt have a problem. And they were right, except although I´d consider myself fairly fit, I did not prepare to have a high fever, flu, cold and stomach issues all throughout the hike! It was definitely the best and worst thing I have ever done in my life, although I think it would take a lot to convince me to do it again.
The first day started off very exciting, we were pumped up to begin this adventure and couldnt wait to get going. We had one guide for the two of us but were going to walk with another group for campsites, food, etc. We were then told that there was a farmer strike going on and that the day that we were to return from Machu Picchu, there would not be any buses going. So now we had to condense the 4 day hike into 3 days, which meant almost double the walking on the second day! So alright, I was getting a little bit paranoid and wondering how I was going to be that day. But I didnt want that to spoil the sights of the first walk. 1st day wasn´t bad at all. There was only one steep uphill walk and it was for about 15min. Everything else was pretty flat and just really nice to look at. I could feel a sore throat coming on but didn´t want to think anything of it. That days walking was maybe 5hours or so. The first night camping was absolutely gorgeous. I had never seen that many stars out with no clouds before. If I wasn´t so tired I could have laid down and looked at them forever. But we had to be off at 6am the next day for our massive day of walking (over 25km). The food they give you though is absolutely amazing. It is all fresh, very plentiful and great staff working there.
The second day was the worst day in my life. This is when I started being really really sick (I don´t think I ever had felt that bad before in my life, perfect timing eh?). Anyways, the first 5 hours were straight uphill. I couldnt believe how much my sickness was affecting my walking. I was sooo behind everyone else that I was getting really upset. But it is so hard to walk when you are in pain and extremely weak. The guide was awsome about taking his time with me and he never left my side once. After the intense struggle to make it to the top and dealing with the embarassment of having so many people pass you, I finally reached the top of the hill! This whole incline was from 3000m to 4200m above sealevel so you really noticed that there was a change in the pressure and it was difficult to breathe. After reaching the top you get to make your way all the way down again on these steep stairs. The porters (people who carry all your things for you) were literally running down the mountain whilst carrying over 40 extra pounds; I was amazed. It took me a long time to get down, and you definitely started to feel the weight of your backpack by now and all the impact on your knees and ankles made you really sore. At the bottom is where we would have made camp for the night, but because of the 3 day hike it was only the lunch spot. I arrived about 3 hours behind everyone! I was really embarassed but so sick that it was the last thing on my mind. After only a quick 15 min rest (how fair is it that the healthy people got 3 hours and I get 15min???) we had to walk up another hill to about 3900m! Wow was I feeling the sickness now, I didn´t know if I was going to be able to make it. But something inside me just kept pushing me and I slowly put one foot in front of the other. Once at the top of that hill, you probably guessed, you get to walk allllll the way down again! My legs were shattered by this point and I definitely couldnt see the rest of the group by now. I thought we were almost done but then we hit the jungle part of the hike and had maybe 2hours of walking to the final campsite. This whole day took me about 12hours of straight walking. Mind you, I took many small breaks to catch my breath, a few pictures, etc. The views were outstanding, but I found it hard to enjoy when you were so tired. I fell asleep right away after dinner, hoping to feel better the next day.
The 3rd day I was feeling better, but still had a massive head cold and was really weak from the days before. We had to be walking at 3:30am again straight downhill. I was so sick that the guide had to literally hold my hand the entire time and drag me down the hill so I wouldnt fall and collapse! After the hill though we had breakfast and I finally got to brush my teeth (did I forget to mention that this whole time we were sweating and walking we didnt shower and had no time to cleanse ourselves? ew). After eating I felt a little bit better and was able to keep up with the group for most of the time. Then more uphills started happening and my body was telling me it was time to stop. The final moment of the hike is these really steep stairs that at the end of them is the ¨Sungate, which overlooks Machu Picchu from afar. As soon as I arrived at the top, all my sickness just went away! I was so happy to finally make it after all this time. It was a gorgeous view from there, but we still had about a 40min walk to actually reach Machu Picchu. By this time though I was so sore, tired and exhausted that I found it hard to enjoy this amazing view. Mind you I still thought it was absolutely amazing, but I was just ready to stop walking. The highlight for me was that I was able to the take the very same picture that I have as a poster myself with me in it! I can´t wait to have both of them up by each other as a reminder of what I went through. We had a quick hour long tour of the ruins, and got to appreciate the true immensity of it. It was a breathtaking site, although water there was ridiculously expensive.
Here is my final thoughts on the Inca Trail. Looking back I loved having the opportunity to challenge myself in such a major way and I definitely felt very proud when I was finished. The climatic ending was also a great thing to push yourself forward. However, because it was shortened to three days, that was all you could focus on and I feel the final result was a bit ruined because of how tired you were. I definitely would recommend doing it, but only to people who feel they are in really good shape or don´t mind feeling like you are about to die! It was amazing to see the mountains though and some Inca sites along the way. It was a crazy hike, and now I am paying the price by barely being able to walk. It was a once in a lifetime experience however, and I can now say that I SURVIVED THE INCA TRAIL!!!

Last Day with the kids

2009-05-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

Well Friday was suposed to be my final day volunteering, but I decided to buy a tourist ticket and then go see some of the local Inca Ruins that day. So thursday was my final day, yet I did not know it. I was a little disappointed that I could not say goodbye to these kids that I have become sooo attached to. However, it was a very interesting day. It started off by me spending most of the morning trying to comfort this one little girl who was very upset about being left by her mother. I was holding her in my lap when all of a sudden she started throwing up everywhere. Needless to say I was happy I was in shorts and could wash my legs off. Then, some of the other volunteers were taking their group to the pool for a fun day of swimming and they asked if I wanted to come along. I didn´t have my bathing suit, but figured I´d come just to help out with the changing of the clothes, etc. The pool was surprisingly nice, and there was a shallow end for the kids to walk in. They all just swam in their underwear, and I think none of them had seen a pool before! They were really shy and scared at first, but as soon as the first kid jumped in, they all were hooked. As you may have guessed, I ended up getting soaked in my clothes, and had to take a taxi home while he was getting angry at me for wetting his seat. I was really happy that we could give those kids a chance to have some fun and experience something new. I just wish I could say goodbye to everyone, but I did manage to leave my monetary donation for the project with another volunteer. We think we are going to buy a dvd player and tv and some educational movies, toothbrushes and toothpast for everyone to implement proper hygiene, and more things like clean towels, etc because everything was very dirty there.

So my final thoughts on the two weeks volunteering. Well, it definitely went by sooo fast. It seems like I was just starting there. Of all the projects offered at Maximo Nivel, they all have something different and special to offer to the people of Peru. There are so many great choices that I recommend doing any of them. It made me feel really good to be giving my time to these children, who were so happy just to have some attention and love. The supervisors do a great job, and I respect them so much for their patience, but there are just too many kids. I was happy to be there to individually give the children some attention and help them to work on their shyness. I was afraid for the language barrier and didn´t know what to expect, but it went well. I learned enough to be able to give the basic commands to the kids and sign language always came in handy with the older workers. Peru is such an amazing place, that I think everyone should take the time to come here. The people impress me so much with their hard work, strength, passion for life and pride in their culture. I would definitely have volunteered for longer if given the chance.

Field trip to the park

2009-05-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

On tuesday (this post is a little late, just got internet back!) along with two other volunteers, we arranged to take all the children at the center to the park for a fun day out. It cost each of us 10$ to have a bus be able to take all the kids. The hardest part was getting all the kids organized and helping them walk down the really steep steps, and maneuver through the town in a funny little parade. I was carrying two young children, which was so heavy and on slippery cobblestone. When we arrived at the park, it was such an amazing place. It was all fenced in so it was safe, and had tons of crazy slides, swings, teeter-totters, and fun spinning vehicles. There was even cages with bunnies and birds. I don’t think any of them had been there before, and they started screaming and clapping as soon as they saw where we were heading. It was a very good day though. The kids had a blast doing all the different activities, and we had a nice picnic lunch and snack. I spent a lot of the day with Antony who is really shy and scared about the rides, but after a while I couldn’t get him off, I was so proud of him. He always is the one to stand back in the distance and watch. I’m still sad though about the condition of all the children. Their clothes were very very dirty, shoes were falling apart, the kids were not changed, and one even had diarrhea and still wasn’t helped. I was talking around to people that volunteer there as well and most of the parent’s of the children here were seen begging on the street. I’m thinking now that I am going to use my donation money to buy clothes and shoes for them, however I am not sure how I am going to do that. The other volunteers from Holland said they would come with me and help figure out sizes. We also ran into a group of school kids who were really excited when they heard that we were from Canada. One asked Carrie if we are near Hollywood.lol..They just got so excited and wanted to show off their English and ask questions about if we came on a boat, how old I am, etc. I practiced my Spanish and asked them their ages and birthdays. And I tried to teach them goodbye…one boy just kept saying “Good very much bye”. I got to meet all the kids at the center, and the babies are super cute there. I got to help out by giving them some of the vitamins I brought and had lots of kids fall asleep on me. I unfortunately had to miss my Spanish lesson, but got to buy a lot more souvenirs (I can’t stop myself...I just love this culture). I already know that I want to return to Cusco, fluent in Spanish and hopefully can bring my family or friends to show them this amazing place.my time is almost done here and I’m so excited that I still have so much more to see outside of Cusco city.

Best Birthday Ever

2009-05-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was my 20th birthday and it was one of the greatest days of my life. Me as well as two other Canadian girls (one from Western, and one from Alberta) decided to not do our volunteering that that and book a horseback riding tour. I had never been on a horse but I was really excited to try, especially in the mountains of South America. We got picked up around 9am and were driven really high up to begin the journey. I loved our guide, he just reminded me of a Peruvian Cowboy. He was really awsome and patient and was great at explaining everything. I selected a gorgeous brown horse named Wachya (I think thats how you spell it??). Anyways, we began riding for a few minutes, it was a little bit scary at first, but I got the hang of it pretty quick. We were in a area called Sacsaywaman (think ¨sexy woman¨.lol). We arrived at a temple of the moon ruins, and we got off our horses and got to explore. The view was amazing and we didn´t believe the guide when he said it´d only get better. He showed us around and we entered a cave where the Incans would do their offerings and sacrifices. He also showed us a new area just discovered six months ago where they foudn two mummies, who were believed to be royalty as they were buried on gold plates. It was a very mysterious place, and you could feel the energy coming off of the old volcanic rocks (I´m not even lying..I didn´t believe it at first). After that tour we got back on our horses and rode for quite some time. It reminded me of being in Lord of the Rings. We felt like the only people on earth. The horses were pretty tame, but you could still steer them where you wanted to go. Having that bit of control made it all the more exciting. We stopped on top of the mountain for a snack and to give the horses a break. I cannot even begin to describe the view. I literally had lost my breath. I´m afraid that my pictures do not do it justice at all. One statue of Jesus that we used to think was sooo high up from the city looked like a little speck. We just couldn´t believe it. After the break we were back on the horses for about another hour and a half. The ride down was fun because we again had more control and we got to run with them. That was a little scary at first, and very painful without a proper bra and food in your stomach. But it was such a great adrenaline rush. I now lllooovveee horses and would love to go back on one.

After the riding, I went back home and saw that the house was decorated for my birthday and I even had a cake for desert! It was a really nice surprise from everyone and just shows how great this family house really is. they do become like your family while you are here, and it will be sad to leave. After dinner we had party hats and played scattegories. Iy got pretty heated, but so fun. We went dancing after t a few Peru bars..which was such a good time. We even got free frinks which would never happen in Canada. All in all it was a great birthday that I will never forget.

2009-05-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say sorry for not posting all the time! I really have bee trying, but the internet at our house is always down! I´m getting really frusterated with that, especially since it won´t let me post pictures! Ahhhhhhh...Plus this weekend I was gone..so bear with me and I will try to get this updated as much as possible! And I want to say Happy Belated Mother´s day to my mom! I unfortunately could not reach her on Sunday as I was in the middle of nowhere, and on the worlds worst bus. But I love you and can´t wait to come home and see everyone in just over 2 weeks!

Lake Titicaca Weekend

2009-05-11T10:13:00.000-07:00

So this weekend was one of the craziest and best weekends of my life. I don´t even know if I will be able to explain it in a way that does it justice. Carrie and I decided to book a weekend trip to Lake Titicaca, which is the lake that is the highest elevation in the world. I was really excited when I found out that one lady from my Spanish class was coming with us too! The bus was to leave at 9:30pm on Friday night and we would get there around 4am. Well, lets just say that the bus ride was one of the worst in the world. First, we break down on the side of the road a few minutes in, after thats fixed we get pulled over by the police and searched (one older lady got her bag of cocoa leaves taken away and that was a big fuss). Next two trucks got stuck in the road as they were driving past, so our smart driver decides to take a detour, in which we get stuck! Then we drive through very very narrow roads right along side a cliff. I was actually afraid for my life at this moment as the bus rocked and swayed a little too much. Next, there was a parked car in the way so the men had to stop and try to move it by hand...after that we tried to make it down even narrower street, in which our back wheel got stuck on sum stairs. If that wasn´t enough, we get stuck yet again because of other trucks in the way. Lets just say I was not impressed and hoped that the lake was worth it!

Well we made it to Puno, and had a chance to shower in a hostal and eat some breakfast before the boat tour. The boat was so relaxing, and the views were unbelivable. The sun was really hot because we were such high elevation, so I got a little burnt, but nothing too bad. The first stop on the tour was a small floating island (and made outof the reeds of the lake). There is a small community that lives there in reed houses. It was amazing to see this preserved culture, and they were very welcoming to us. We got to see the inside of their houses, buy some handicrafts, etc. The next stop was another floating island, however we got to take the traditional boat made of reeds as well. That was a surreal moment just floating swiftly along the blue water. After the tours of the small islands, we went to Amantani, a large island that we were going to be staying with a host family. Little did we know that this island´s peak is higher than Macchu Picchu and that we would have to walk almost all the way up just to reach our house. I had such a heavy bag on because I didn´t know that we were hiking, but I made it! The whole island is incredible..we just kept saying that we felt like we were in a movie. Lots of farmland, beautiful hills, tons of sheep and donkey, etc. We got to eat lunch in a small concrete kitchen as the mother of the house cooked us fresh food over a open fire. Everything is grown there, and ground by hand, you could just taste the freshness of it all. We were even given true organic herbed tea. After lunch we hiked to the top of the island called father earth, temple of the sun. I almost thought I wasn´t going to make it. The incline was brutal and the altitude did not help my heart. But I took it slow and we got to watch the sunset from the highest peak. I sat off by myself away from other tourists, and I swear I could feel the earth rotate and that time stood still.I had never had ane xperience like that. After we got back from the hike, we ate dinner, then got dressed for a Peruvian dance party. We got to wear the traditional clothing, and even got our hair braided. We all danced to live music for a couple of hours. I loved wearing the outfit soo much, i would have boughten it if I could! After we slept, we awoke to a gorgeous sunrise, and I had to remind myself of where I was. While I was brushing my teeth, I just couldn´t believe that I was overlooking this incredible view. They had fresh pancakes made for us (and fresh as in they made the flour, etc all that morning). They were the greatest in the world! We had to walk down to the water´s edge, which reminded me how hard going downhill really is.

The next stop, we went to another island, and guess what, more hiking! This one wasn´t as difficult, and I could actually enjoy the views. We got to wander around this island called taquile, and got to hear about all the crazy traditions. Like there is certain hats to wear if your married, or single, and if your looking for someone you wear it a certain way, etc. We spent a couple of hours there, and then headed back to the boat for a nice relaxing 3 hour ride. the ride was great, and we really got to know the people we were traveling with. The whole weekend was awsome..and I thought it could only get better...I was wrong.

We had tickets for a 9:30pm return, which we didnt want to wait around for, so we paid more and got on a 4pm bus. It was an awsome bus, and we each had our own row. We were loving life, until this bus breaks down! We were told we had to switch and so we got off and rushed to get room on the next one out..luckily we got the last 3 seats, because otherwise we were stuck there til 11:30. This bus however, was terrible, packed, and no bathroom for about 6 hours! We knew that the trip was too good to be true and that we had to have something bad happen to us on the way home.lol..But all in all, one of the most rewarding, eyeopening, relaxing, spiritual, weekends of my entire life, and I´m so happy that I decided to book it.

First day volunteering

2009-05-05T15:53:00.000-07:00

Today at 8:30 we arrived at our project site (we had to walk sooo many stairs, very difficult here.lol). The house seemed very nice from the outside, and the staff was helpful and im sure they appreciated our presence. Carrie and I got split up into two different rooms with our own group of kids to watch. She had pretty young children, where mine were about 2ish. The conditions there were not very good, although their intentions are great. The kids' diapers were not changed when I was there, they were pretty dirty, some had peed on their pants and were not given new pants. The worst part is that they had a bucket of water where they would wash their hands before eating...and then after that, the supervisor poured that water into their cups for them to drink! I was so shocked, but didn't want to say anything but I couldn't believe it.The room itself was soo empty, 3 beds and a few really dirty foam letters and that is pretty much it. I had only brought bubbles and some stickers today as I did not know how many kids were there. They loved the bubbles (I never seen kids go that crazy over them, I had to blow them for about an hour.lol). The stickers made them really happy as well, until they started fighting over them. Luckily I had a lot to pass around. Since I didn't have many toys I felt like the kids were getting bored. They had a small snack and a lunch, but then after that, they are just left in the room with one supervisor. I really enjoyed being there though, and my heart broke for these children. I had 6 children, Andre, Antoni, Brian, Yuliana, Estefani, and Rouss. They were very adorable and clung to me the instant I arrived. I didn't really find a huge problem with the language barrier. The children don't speak that much yet, and the supervisor and me just used sign language a lot. I don't know if I'm with the children again tomorrow, but I hope so. We are planning on taking all the children to the park on thursday which should be really fun for them considering there isn't really a place to run around in the house.

On a side note, we had our Spanish lesson today. It is really in depth, even though we only have it for a week. We were already learning verb tenses...and when we did our numbers, they made us do math and honestly that was harder than the language.lol. We spent the rest of the day wandering and went to a really huge market. This market didn't have touristy things, but anything else you could imagine. The best part is their movie selections. We got 3 for 10 soles, which is about 5$ and these movies are mostly bootlegged. But any movie or show you could think of, they had it. One girl bought the 5th season of greys which isn't even done yet. I bought the new wolverine movie which is in theatres still.It was great although we are sure most things there are stolen.lol. We are getting used to walking around by ourselves now, and it is nice to have that sort of freedom. Today I also ran into my residence advisor that I mentioned earlier was in Cusco. I was just done my lesson and I see her walking into the office! How weird is that?? Our nights are really nice and realaxed, mostly watching movies. I love this house though, amazing food, awsome people, and great entertainment...except for the cold showers and not flushing toilet paper down the toilet and having to put it in the garbage bin (still not used to that!)

Pisac market and first day exploring

2009-05-04T14:08:00.000-07:00

On Sunday a group of people at the family house took us to a market in Pisac, a small town off of Cusco. The walk to the bus stop was a great opportunity to see the city on foot. I still cannot get over how gorgeous everything looks with the mountains. The bus ride to Pisac was one of the nicest rides I have ever been on. We were constantly turning and taking curves up the mountain and in very remote areas. I cannot possibly begin to describe how it looked, it was one of those you have to be there moments. We got to see a lot of the farm-life, with very unique agriculture methods, and I saw my first llama, unfortunately we could not stop for a picture. When we arrived at the market, it was very busy with all the booths and people hounding you to buy. One of the travelers from New Zealand was willing to walk with us and show us around since it was our first time. We didn´t buy anything yet, but it was nice to see the different types of souvenirs and decide what we will purchase later. There were a lot of children around, most just sitting down as there parents try to sell things. I got a couple pictures of women carrying their babies in a blanket on their back, which is a typical method of transporting your child. The ride home however was not as fun. We were jammed into a bus (very very packed), standing up for about 45 min. The smell was unbearable with no air circulation. I began to feel nauseous and almost fainted, so I had to push my way up to the front to get some air. Looking back now it is a funny way to spend your first night in Cusco, but definitely not enjoyable, especially around the sharp turns. We are planning on going back next Sunday if we do not decide to go on a weekend trip to Lake Titicaca.

Today (Monday), we woke up early to go to our orientation and pick our schedule for Spanish class. At 5pm today we were going to visit our project site, which was for aa girls orphanage aged 9-16 in which they are trained and get to work in a bakery as a means of income, and they make lots of crafts. Although we loved the idea of this social project, most of our donations are for younger children, and that is what we had our hearts set on. So we talked to the coordinators and we are now working with newborns to age 5 at a malnutrition clinic, where mothers can drop them off and they learn about good food, receive vitamins, and get proper examinations. We are very excited about this, and will go visit the orphanage tomorrow morning. For the rest of the afternoon we wandered the streets and got to see the famous central square with the unbelievable cathedral and some more markets (i actually bought things this time). There was even a McDonalds (it is painted black however, because I guess people were protesting about it for some reason?). Its been a fun day exploring, and no problems with altitude sickness yet, so we are very fortunate, and are excited about meeting the kids!

no pictures uploading and update from cusco

2009-05-03T11:04:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, just wanted to say that although the blogger is working, it is not letting me upload pictures onto the blog..i'll try to work it out, but if not, then i'll wait to post pics when I get home onto their corresponding blog.

We arrived in Cusco safely and was picked up from the gate. we had a nice taxi ride to our house, so we got to see a lot of the sights of cusco. It is absolutely gorgeous here, nothing like I imagined it. Beautiful mountains and scenery surround the small city. There is a lot of evidence of poverty here and stray dogs, but still, very quaint and breathtaking. We got to see our maximo nivel headquarters and where we will be doing our orientation.Then we went to our house where we are staying. They are at full capacity with all young travelers, some even being here since January. Everyone was very nice and welcoming, there is another canadian who is doing the same thing we are from Milton, so that was nice. Everyone invited us to go to Pisac market with them, which is an hour and a half bus ride from Cusco, however only $1.50 US! (I think I'm going to like the traveling here.lol). We slept for a bit to try to get rid of our exhaustion, and are looking forward to getting out and seeing the city and getting to know our roommates better.

Lima airport

2009-05-02T22:31:00.000-07:00

Well here we finally are here in Lima! It’s been such a long day. We woke up at about 5:30am to get to Toronto airport. Everything went fine for our first quick little flight to Newark. It was exciting to see the Empire state building from the plane, it was very tiny, but still cool. We had a bit of time before we boarded for Lima, and once we did, we were stuck in the plane before we left the gate for about an hour and a half just sitting there. Our first mistake of traveling by ourselves was sitting in the wrong seats and had to deal with the whole awkward situation of people asking us to see our tickets because we were sitting where they were! O well, we ended up by a nice older man from Toronto who is also traveling to Cusco with his wife. It’s always fun to meet people on the plane and he was really interested in our trip. The flight was only 7.5 hours, but it felt soooo long. I watched tons of movies and shows and played games on the individual screens where you had options of what you wanted to do, I was very impressed. Also, Carrie and I couldn’t get over the good food on the airplane. After all this time though, we made it to the airport at 12am..our flight to Cusco isn’t until 5:40am so we have a lot of time to waste. Carrie started and finished one of the twilight books, and has two others to keep her occupied. I think she is obsessed!

A few minutes in and we already had a couple adventures..our first experience was being welcomed to Peru by a few workers wearing complete scrubs and facemasks. They claim it was a health check, but they just walked up the aisle and back..apparently because they can sense if we have swine flu?? And then our bags didn’t come to the very end, and we were getting a little restless thinking that they got lost along the way. It is crazy the amount of people holding signs to pick other people up, again all wearing facemasks for fear of the flu…I made my first purchase with Peruvian money..two diet cokes! Which taste terrible, you would think they are made the same way? And the final adventure, I left my jacket on the plane and when I realised it, I had to run around talking to other people and finally getting sent to the closed Continental airline office in the airport, which someone just happened to be in and guess what..they had my jacket! I’m very relieved because that is my only one that is good for being rain-proof.
Besides that, we are excited to get this adventure on its way..it definitely feels real now, and after thinking of all the fun drama that has happened so far, I can’t wait to see what will happen the next few weeks. Lets just hope I don’t lose anything else and we survive the night in the airport!!

Why am I doing this....

2009-04-26T14:22:00.000-07:00

Well my goal to stay off the blog before I leave has been a failure. I leave on Sat at 5:30am to head to the airport, and my excitement is getting the better of me. I have something major to do every day this week up until Fri at 5pm, so this week is going to be very hectic, but the end payoff is worth it! I cannot believe that something that has been in the planning phase for almost a whole year is finally coming into existence. I don't know how I will feel once I am home from the trip, but I can assure you that my life will be forever changed.

There isn't too many that I know who have had the opportunity to do what I am doing, nor the desire to like I have. There is my one close friend Nikki whom I have mentioned before who has the same passion I do for helping those around the world that I do and then some. She's SUCH an inspiration to me, and I'm so happy that we were able to find eachother in university, because it makes such a big difference to be able to talk to someone and hear their experiences and work together on finding solutions for our global concerns. I'm very sad that I will not be traveling to Haiti with her and her boyfriend (who is also a good friend of mine) during the Christmas holidays. However, I have a position as an athletic therapist for my university's varsity teams during the 2009/2010 season and I could not turn that down at this moment in my life. Anyways, as I was saying, there aren't too many people in my life who understand my urgency to go on a trip like this, especially at my age. Well, here are my reasons for wanting to do this:

People don't realise how blessed you are if you are born in Canada. We have so many opportunities to thrive in this country, be it the health care system, good education and job opportunities, a land free from discrimination (in most aspects, although always room for change), and the ability to practice whatever faith you are a part of without fear of persecution, etc. I myself did not see the true beauty of being born a Canadian, until I began to research and get involved with refugee services. Especially right now, since the family I work with from Ethiopia are in danger of being separated as the mother might get sent back to the states without her husband or 1yr old baby boy. I couldn't bear to have this happen, and unfortunately will not find out if they are allowed to stay until after I get back. This is a very emotional thing for me and cannot stop crying for the thought of the pain they are going through, and had to do my goodbyes this weekend. Not knowing if this was the last time I would ever see them again really got to me. My studying has become just a thought to me when all I can do is worry about this truly amazing family that I have been blessed to have gotten to know. Please pray for them and hope that they can stay.

So what has all of this taught me? What is the point of being so lucky as to being born here, if you cannot reach out and help those were were not as fortunate and have to live a life of fear and desperation in poverty? Even as I am getting caught up in purchasing new things for this trip and the excitement of packing, I try to stop and realize what I am getting myself into and my true reasons for going. Yes the sites and adventures that I am goingwitness are going to be a thrill of a lifetime, but nothing compares to being able to lend my services and love to those children in need. People always ask me why I need to go to Peru to do this, when there are so many children in need right in your neighbourhood? There really isn't an answer to this, but I just have this drive and passion to go to those developing countries and immerse myself in their way of life. These children have no other options and live on the streets everyday as tourists come in and out awkardly avoiding the poor begging children on the sidewalks who are just trying to earn enough money for food and survival. This is why I'm going and bringing lots of extra monetary donations to distribute...I want to show these kids that they are not simply a passing thought in my mind. I want to show them that there are people who care about them and who want to make a difference in their life. Even if I am only there for two weeks and some say that it's not long enough to make a change...if I can make them smile for those two weeks and give them some small gifts that they can enjoy, then thats two weeks that are better then the past two weeks before I was there and that is all I need. There is a great african proverb that really inspires me to try to do anything to make a small change and it goes, "If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a single mosquito buzzing in your tent". If everybody gave up trying because they think they aren't important enough to make an impact, then nothing would get done.

I always wonder what it will take for people to wake up and see all the people in need around the world. Although I cannot travel to every country that needs help (as much as I would love to) I plan to take it one step at a time, and this is just one more dream to accomplish for me. People can be cynical all they want, but I believe in what I am doing and I believe in those who are doing humanitarian work around the world. You people are true heros and I only hope I can bring as much joy to these children as you do wherever you are.

Final Thoughts Before Departure

2009-04-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

So I am almost at the 2 week countdown and I am beginning to feel a little overwhelmed with emotions. There is the incredible excitement, and sense that something truly great is about to happen; there is a bit of fear that everything goes ok and that our planes and pick ups are on time. Packing has been a nightmare so far. I really have no idea what I am supposed to be bringing because the weather changes so much, I need things for the volunteering which will be pleasant weather, then hiking clothes for Machu Picchu, warm hats and gloves for nighttime in the Andes, clothes for white-water rafting, and then clothes and bathing suits for the Amazon heat. It is so strange to picture me in all of these different climates in just under a month. I am so excited to experience all of these great adventures. It has always been my dream to see the Amazon (ever since a Magic School Bus episode.lol) and I can't believe I get to cross another thing off of my Top Things to Do Before I Die. I'm especially excited for the children. Carrie and I have been going over our donation bags and we have so much stuff, I can't believe it! We don't really have a plan of attack for distribution of them, It will all depend on how many kids are there. I have heard of the difficulties in distributing care packages to groups like an orphanage because there is the threat of people fighting for things, some kids getting less than others, etc. So we don't know if we are going to do mass distributions or go and give things to street children or what. I do want to visit the hospital and other orphanages I researched so maybe some of our things can go there. Also we have the money donation to distribute. This will all be determined after a couple days being there once we know how the 2 weeks are going to be scheduled.
I have been posting things on my facebook, and my CA (floor supervisor) from my first year in university just messaged me saying that she will be in Cusco the same time I am! How incredibly random is that?? So we are hoping to meet up there some evening. She has been there for a couple months last year, so she knows her way around a bit, so hopefully we can visit the markets and touristy sites on our off-time together. It certainly will be nice to see a familiar face. But I still can't get over how small of a world it really is.
Also, my 20th birthday will be celebrated while I am in Peru. I really want to experience their traditions for a birthday party, so I hope that we will be able to see the celebrations. I don't want to seem selfish and ask for all the special treatment, but it's a once in a lifetime experience that I don't want to miss...although I read somewhere that one of the traditions is to get a raw egg cracked on ur head as a sign of people liking you?? I don't know if thats correct, but bring it on!!!
My mission is to not blog until I am in the transfer at the airport. I still have 4 exams to study for, tons of important meetings for a research study I am in, as well as a 3 day intensive athletic therapy training sessions all within the 17 days until I go!!! Needless to say, my stress level is rising and I can't focus on school work for the life of me. But I will say goodbye for now; next time you will hear from me, I will hopefully be in Lima or our transfer spot in Miami!!! hasta luego!!!

35 days to go!!!!

2009-03-27T07:08:00.000-07:00

So my countdown is officially getting underway, and I couldn't be more excited! Only 35 more days...wow...it seems like only yesterday I was booking my flights all the way back in Sept! A lot has happened since booking this trip, some good and some bad, but no matter what I know that this trip will be a life changing experience for me. I am a little nervous, and scared that everything is going to work out. It was definitely stressful having to book my own flights, a separate volunteer time, and then a separate tour company. Making sure they were all coordinated was very difficult and having the times and locations for pick-up, etc was really hard. Every day though of the 27 day journey is accounted for, except for one. I have from 9am to 11pm on the 27th of May free in Lima. Now this is a little difficult considering I will have all my luggage with me and be exhausted, but a friend of the family is currently in Tarma, Peru as a missionary. Her and her fiance (a Peruvian native) are working on setting up an educational center called Centre Ruhamah for children to help them with school, but also learn the right trades to help them secure jobs in the future. It is a Christian based program, so there will be many opportunities for them to learn more about their faith and get closer to Jesus. It is a very exciting project in the works. I'm hoping that she will be able to pick us up for the day and show us around Lima as we will not have an opportunity to see the sights there. It was pretty ironic that she was in Peru, as I didn't know she was there until after I booked the trip...what a small world!! I feel myself getting a little bit anxious for the trip to begin. It always goes away once I'm on the plane to my final destination though. I've still been looking at different places to visit on the weekends, and I hope that the 500$ CA that I raised will be enough to help out the different organizations. I believe I have finally collected all of the donations I can, but am still working on finding learning games and activities to help them with their English. My mother gave me two great aerobic CDs for children, with awsome lyrics and music to help get the children moving and having fun!! I really hope they love everything that I'm bringing and can't wait to see the smiles on their faces. There isn't much more to post on the blog until I leave, so be sure to check back in MAY where I will hopefully be able to update everyday on what I have done, seen, tasted, etc. for now I need to try to focus on finishing exams, then I can worry about the dreaded packing!!!

Plans for the future...

2009-03-07T15:55:00.000-08:00

My trip to Peru is coming up very fast now...less than 2 months to go (55 days exactly). I couldn't be more excited...I wish I could start packing already. I have begun to purchase the necessary things that I need for my trip, like a new backpack, safety things, shoes, rain jacket, etc. The extra little things sure do make the cost go up dramatically...but it will all be worth it to see a smile on those children's faces. I have been researching a lot and have found numerous other places in Cusco that I want to stop off at and visit. There is a lovely orphanage called Santa Teresa, and they house orphans that have a disability of some nature. Most have cleft palates, or burns, or a mental disability. I have seen blogs about groups of surgeons that go every year to help out at this place as well as local hospitals to train the local doctors and educate people on ways to take care of their special children. I hope to bring some of the money that I raised to buy new equipment or anything else that can possibly make their lives a little bit better. I plan to just go with the flow when I'm there and take each day at a time to figure out my best plan of attack for donations and services and teaching. It will be a little difficult since I am very organized (you should see the itinerary binder I have made :) and like to plan things out. It will certainly be an advernture and a once in a lifetime experience.
Even the joy I have found simply planning and purchasing donations is so great that it makes me wish I could do more. I hope to earn enough money this summer to travel to Haiti for 2 weeks (and possibly a few days in Dominican Republic) with my two good friends Nikki and Alex. Their blogs are listed in my sidebar for you to enjoy. Nikki truly is an inspiration to me and I admire all that she has been able to accomplish for these countries in need. She has been to Dominican twice already, Ethiopia, and will soon be traveling to DR again for two months in May. She is an amazing friend and has such a huge heart that I will be so happy if I can travel with her and see the impact she has had on the children. Alex is Nikki'sboyfriend and he has begun to travel just as much as her, accompanying her to DR and Ethiopia. I met them in first year and lived with them in second year, so we have become very close. I'm sure it will be a great experience (hopefully I have permission to go..fingers crossed!!!). Haiti has always been one of the places I wanted to visit. It was the first country in need that I ever learned about growing up, and my heart breaks even thinking about their situation. Let's hope it all works out and I will keep you updated!
For now, I just want to continue to thank those who have supported me in this journey and all those who havehelped donate. It would not be possible if it wasn't for you!

Valentine's Day Fundraiser Big Success!!

2009-02-20T12:52:00.000-08:00

On Valentines day, my family and I helped organize a ladies' brunch for my mother and her friends. They were asked to simply bring a donation and the money collected is going to be donated to the orphanage that I am working at in May. We definitely went a little bit overboard on the decorations and food, but it turned out great! Pretty much everyone R.S.V.P'd and we were able to raise just over $600 Canadian to give to the children. That will convert to roughly over 1100 sol in Peru and I am hoping that that will be enough to help them purchase some of the many necessary things for the orphanage. The ladies were wonderful and very supportive of my trip. They were able to ask any questions and I provided a lot of information about where their money is going to be used. It was really fun getting to talk about my trip, but it made me that much more anxious to go. The ladies enjoyed all the food and champagne, and since my family organized the brunch, all of the proceeds were able to do directly to the children. It was one of the best Valentine's Day I ever had.
Only 70 days until I am on the plane and the trip coming up very fast. I just got my immunizations yesterday and bought new hiking boots and a windbreaker to bring with me on the trip. My next mission is to find a bag large enough to hold all of the donations as well as a backpack for me to bring along on the trekking adventures. I am getting very excited and nervous at the same time. There is still so much to do and get organized before the trip, but I'm looking forward to every minute of it.
I'd just like to thank all of those people who have been involved in helping me with my dream for Peru. It has not gone unnoticed and I appreciate everything. You know who you all are, and I will be forever grateful for what you have done for me. I'm sure the children of Cusco will love it as well!! Thank you

3 months to go!!!

2009-01-21T19:53:00.000-08:00

So the trip date is fast approaching and there still is lots to do!! This picture is of the many donations I've received so far from friends and family around Christmas. I also have received a large amount of monetary donations that I will be using to buy more supplies and give the extra to the orphanage for them to buy the necessary things they need that they can purchase from Cusco.
The things that were donated are: pencil crayons, craft paper, supplies like glue, scissors, stickers, stencils, soaps, shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste, hair ties, musical isntruments, note pads, stuffed animals, socks, diaper rash cream, toy cars, and much more!!! Some ideas to still buy are bubbles, balloons, inflatable balls, skipping ropes, more toys for boys and older children, etc. I'm sure that the children will be very excited when we arrive with all of these great things and games for them to play. If anyone has any other ideas that are not mentioned, feel free to suggest things I can bring, or helpful hints on how to maximize our packing to bring as much as possible.
There is still a lot of planning to do and it's almost time for immunizations and to purchase all of the necessary things that we need, but every passing day I find myself getting more and more excited to go. I know it will be the experience of a lifetime and even though it has been stressful at times, it will all be worth it. I am still continuing to ask anyone who has available items or cares to donate to the children, that it is not too late to contribute. Any amount will help. I will continue to keep you updated on our plans, especially as we get closer to the departure date which is rapidly approaching!!!!

Gifts for the children

2008-12-23T12:50:00.000-08:00

Keeping with the gift giving season of Christmas, my friends at home decided to have a holiday party to all get together and catch up after being away at University. They also decided that as a gift exchange they all were going to bring things for me to bring on my trip to give the children. They really got into the spirit of things, and now I have a lot of things that I can give the kids. They brought a lot of craft paper and pencil crayons and fun things like stickers and cards and games. They also brought a lot of toothbrushes and toothpaste and soap for them as well, including some musical instruments. I'm sure the kids are going to love all of the things, and I'm very happy and proud of my friends for stepping up and donating their money towards a great cause. I just hope other people get inspired from people like this and try to donate little items to any cause. They went to dollar stores where a small amount can go a long way.
The trip is approaching fast, and there was a lot to get organized. Albeit it is very stressful trying to organize something like this, Carrie and I couldn't be more excited for the experience of a lifetime! We are now going to begin planning fundraising opportunities to raise even more money for our trip. Please remember, if you are interested in making a donation, use our secure pay-pal button on our blog. Thanks for all your support, and Happy Holidays!!!

Project Details Finally Arrived!!

2008-12-02T20:32:00.001-08:00

We have been anxiously awaiting the details of our trip to get e-mailed to us. Today we finally got our confirmation of our trip as well as with some more general information on what we were going to be doing. Although it didn't tell us as much as we were hoping for, it definitely got us excited for it and when we should have been studying for exams, we have now been looking at things to do in our free two weeks after the orphanage. Here is what we know so far about the trip:

May 2nd, 09: flight leaves Toronto airport at 9:30am--> arrives in Newark airport at 10:58 am with almost a 4 hour layover. We then leave Newark at 2:55 and finally arrive in Lima at 9:49 pm!!

* we have to sleep at the airport for a while while we wait for our next flight to Cusco
May 3rd: Leave Lima at 5:40am (uh oh) and arrive in Cusco at 6:55am. Here we will be met by our in-country coordinator who will bring us to our host-family where we will be staying for the duration of our volunteering.
* we are blessed with the opportunity to have free Spanish lessions for 2 hours a day during our first week, we also get to participate in the Tandem Exchange program where we are partnered with Spanish speaking students for free conversation practice.
* we are volunteering in a childcare project (it could be an orphanage, street children shelter, community center, etc..depending on the day and area of most need). We will be working a little over 4 hours a day teaching English, organizing games and activities, teaching hygiene and helping them eat and dress, but mainly showing love and compassion to these children.
* we are responsible for our own travel to and from the project which costs about $0.25 US which should be an interesting and great opportunity to show our independence.
* after our two weeks, we are looking into visiting the famous Machu Picchu where we will be able to do lots of hiking, see the sites, as well as go rafting in Urubamba River. After that we hope to travel to the Amazon to witness the differences in the culture as well as the vast wildlife.
* There is a great website for anyone who wishes to travel to Peru and book some amazing tours. I contacted them personally and they were more than happy to accommodate us with a unique and personalized tour which we should be expecting sometime next week. They were very friendly and cared about saving us the most money possible. The website is Best Peru Tours
* There was a small mix-up with our return dates, so we are unsure of the exact day that we are coming home, but it should be around the 29-30 of May. We are very excited about this trip and we can't wait to share more details with you as we receive them!!! Now we are focusing on gathering as many items as we can for the children as well as fundraising for our trip in order to make our dream possible.

Facts about Peru

2008-11-30T13:04:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to let everyone read some of the stats and facts about Peru and the lives of it's citizens to help open people's eyes to the type of conditions they are under.
* total population of peru is just under 28 million
* Fifty-four percent of Peruvians live below the poverty line
* unemployment rate in the Lima metropolitan area is 9.6 percent and is estimated to be much higher in rural areas.
* Twenty percent of the families are extremely poor and do not have enough food to properly feed their children (considered extreme poverty and survive on less than U.S $1 a day)
* Many families live without adequate sanitation or a source of safe water, and more than half of the population lacks access to health care services.
*Peru is one of South America's biggest producers of coca - the raw material for cocaine. The UN children's fund, Unicef, has found that most of the pickers in the coca-growing areas in the north-east and south-east are children
* % of under-fives (2000-2006*) suffering from: underweight, moderate & severe: 8
* Children with chronic or acute malnutrition (1997): 24.5%
*no access to public health services : 30%
* maternal mortality (per 100,000): 261
* infant mortality: 31/1000 births

I recommend looking at this site if you are interested in any facts about countries to see statistics about poverty, health, and wealth issues: Compassion-Poverty Map

Hope For World Vision

2008-11-28T13:04:00.000-08:00

During our research on Peru, we decided to look at some children that we would be able to sponsor through the work of World Vision . We fell in love with one boy named Julio Anderson. He is one year old boy whose life we could save with only $35 dollars a month. This money would go towards providing him and his family with proper nutrition, clean water, health care and an ability to have an education as he gets older. We would love to be able to afford to help him out monthly, and then when we are in Peru in May, we are allowed to visit him personally to spend a day with him to see how the money from World Vision goes to benefit Julio and also the community that he lives in. Please keep Julio in mind, when you are deciding whether to donate to our mission to bring happiness to the children of Peru. It is not that much money, but it can make a huge difference in their lives. Thank you, and we appreciate your interest in our cause.

In the Beginning...

2008-11-27T20:20:00.000-08:00

Ever since we first met eachother, we've always shared a passion for wanting to work with children and to show them love and compassion that they may not receive from others. It was a long process in deciding where we wanted to do our humanitarian work during the summer. We had it narrowed down to many different places around the world, including Thailand, Costa Rica, India, etc. This Peru trip stood out to us at Rustic-Volunteer-Travel for giving us the chance to do all of the things that we wanted to with the children. The children are ages 0-8, which is exactly the age group that we wanted to work with because they are also the ones who are in the most need of supplies (like school supplies, toys, hygiene products, clothes, etc...). We hope to be able to bring each child many of these items to help brighten up their day with the help of donations from all of our supporters.
After doing a lot of research on it, we decided that we were going to book the trip for May and chose doing 2 weeks at the orphanage in Cusco. Once we are finished, we plan to spend the next couple days traveling to some of the major areas of Peru, like the capital city, Lima, the Amazon, as well as the most famous Macchu Picchu with hopes of capturing the true Peruvian experience!
We are so excited to have the chance to help these children who are so much less-fortunate than we are. We are hoping that it will be an experience of a lifetime for us and to show us the many things that we may take for granted in life. It means so much to us to be able to teach these young kids basic life skills that will help them build a solid foundation for the rest of their lives.

Here is a brief description of some of the things we will be involved in as volunteers at the orphanage:
teach English, help kids to dress properly and reach school safely, organize games, teaching arts and crafts, playing music, teaching mathematics, world affairs, hygiene, and nutrition, help the children complete their assignments, assist in the care of the children who cannot yet attend school as well as lend a hand through food distribution, kitchen work, and garden maintenance, help in cooking and day trips.

All we are waiting for is our final confirmation from our coordinators in Peru to tell us the exact details about the children we will be working with and give us the details about our itinerary's during these weeks of volunteering. The only hard part is the waiting now!!