James McKnight: Peru

Part 1- Orientation in Lima

I left for Peru on the 4th of July on a hot Nashville day, and was hit by the first cool air I had felt in months when I stepped out of the airport in Lima.

For the first few days of orientation, we explored the old and new parts of Lima as we went on scavenger hunts, toured museums and churches, and toured a local university to compare education systems in the United States and Peru.

Paso

One of the major parts of the culture in Peru is dance. We actually learned and performed two of the more common dances which were the Marinera and the Festejo. We also learned about Paso, which is Marinera, but one of the dancers is on horseback, and the horses are trained to walk and trot a certain way in order to “dance”. We were able to experience Paso on one of our outings from Lima after a lengthy 2 hour drive.

Part 2- Homestay in Trujillo and short trip to Cajamarca/Pacasmayo

When I stepped off the bus at 7:00 am after a long 10 hour night ride from Lima to Trujillo, I was tired and nervous, but excited to meet my host family. They came to the bus station holding a big sign which said “Welcome James! Make yourself at Home!”. I was immediately exposed to their love of the “selfie stick” as we posed for at least half a dozen selfies in the first thirty minutes of my time in Trujillo. For whatever reason, I was immediately comfortable with my mother, Elisa, father, Kike, and brother, Sebastian, who was also 16 years old.

First Selfie before we left the bus station

During my two week stay, I became accustomed to having small meals for breakfast and dinner and eating close to half a chicken at lunch. I also learned to get used to the erratic driving habits and constant honking as my stay continued. My family was very active in showing me their city and towns surrounding it as they took me to a beach called Huanchaco, ruins of a pre-incan tribe (the Moche) called Chan Chan, and multiple museums about the local history.

When I arrived in Peru, I had no idea what to expect in terms of food. I soon learned that the common staples were rice, chicken, and potatoes in terms of food, and fruit juices (mainly passion fruit and peach) and Chicha Morada, a very famous Peruvian drink made from purple corn which was also enjoyed by the Inca. Yogurt was typical for breakfast. My favorite dish was Aji de Gallina with a glass of Chicha. Aji de Gallina consisted of shredded chicken on top of two large slices of potatoes which were covered in a chile sauce called Aji. There was always a side of rice as well, which was normally prepared with garlic. My host family also exposed me and encouraged me to try exotic foods such as grilled plantains with homemade cheese from the jungle, cow heart, and of course, the famous cuy, or guinea pig.

We had interesting conversations about the dramatic price differences in our respective countries, food, pets, family trees, schools, and daily life in general. I connected with my host brother through music and was surprised to learn that songs such as “Wiggle” by Jason Derulo were very popular as it had been in the states almost five years earlier. I also learned that they loved Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber, but mainly listened to the genre of Reggaeton.

Our group and some friends at the Colegio

Colegio Rafael Narvaez was the school my host brother went to as well as the primary meeting location for my travel group and where many of our daily activities took place. By the end of my trip, I knew my brother’s grade and the campus pretty well by the end of my trip, as my mom was in charge of their version of the mother’s club there.

Plaza de Armas in Trujillo

My brother, Sebastian, and I in the Plaza de Armas in Trujillo

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During our two week homestay, my group went on a three night trip to Pacasmayo and Cajamarca. My personal favorite outing was when we went to the mountain city of Cajamarca, which to me looked like a smaller Cusco but without any sign of a tourist. We went on a hike through the beautiful “Bosque de Piedras” (forest of rocks) which featured incredible rock formations and revealed hieroglyphics and a perfectly straight water canal formed by the Inca.

We were also able to experience the Inca Baths which were hot springs used by the Incan emperor himself.

Bosque de Piedras

After Cajamarca, we journeyed to the beach town of Pacasmayo where we did two days of community service by cooking a delicious meal of Lomo Saltado (more or less a steak fajita) for the local soup kitchen on the first day and repainting the outside of the building the second.

Soup Kitchen service day

Exchanging school shirts

At the end of the homestay, my brother, Sebastian, and I exchanged shirts from our own respective high schools. To me, this moment truly represented the cultural exchange in which I immersed myself for two weeks. I truly believe that my family learned just as much about my lifestyle as I did theirs during my stay.

Part 3- Cusco/Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu

After departing from Trujillo, we embarked on a long 10 hour bus ride to Lima. After barely catching our flight in Lima, we were off to Cusco where we would begin our journey to Machu Picchu. While in Cusco, we visited many famous Inca ruins including those at Sacsayhuaman, which had a beautiful view of the entire city of Cusco. Another highlight was seeing a church which had been built by the Spaniards on top of ancient Incan ruins, which symbolized the oppression of the native tribes in Peru at the hands of the Conquistadors.

After two days of tours, it was finally time to head to Ollantaytambo where we would catch a train to Aguas Calientes. We arrived in Aguas when it was completely pitch black, so we had no clue that there were enormous mountains just yards away towering thousands of feet above us. When I woke up and looked outside, I literally jumped because the view was so shocking and unbelievable.

Machu Picchu was more breathtaking than I had imagined, even with the historical spot teeming with tourists. It was a fantastic grand finale to a trip that has truly changed the way that I view the world.

Thanks

I would like to take a moment to thank the Wilson family for giving me the opportunity to embark on the trip of a lifetime. Two years ago, I never would have dreamed that I would have not only woken up in a new country, but with a new family as well. I would also like to all of the Spanish Teachers for making this trip happen, organizing the flights, and arming me with my language skills which helped me tremendously throughout the trip.