Iwas extremely privileged to travel to Peru this summer on the very generous Wilson Language Grant. This was my first trip outside of the United States, and I can say with certainty that it was the most amazing trip of my life. I quickly became friends with my eleven other group members from across the country during our initial meeting in the Miami Airport. We had a wonderful 3 day orientation in Lima, where we visited fantastic sites such as the Plaza de Armas and the Church of San Francisco. We als
o got to experiment with the language and get to know the Peruvian people. Afterwards we made a long eight hour bus ride to Trujillo, where we met our host families that we would be living with for two and a half weeks.
o got to experiment with the language and get to know the Peruvian people. Afterwards we made a long eight hour bus ride to Trujillo, where we met our host families that we would be living with for two and a half weeks. My host mother, Nora Ponce de Leon, is a 71 year-old former school teacher who was very kind and shared with me some of the history of Peru. My 28 year-old host sister Maria Theresa (we called her Mari Theri) was full of energy and was always willing to do things with me along with her boyfriend Paul.
We had additional trips during the homestay, such as Pacasmayo, where we fed undernourished children at a soup kitchen and painted a worn out building, and Cajamarca, where we explored the city and enjoyed the hot baths where the Inca emperors once bathed. I also took an additional trip to Pacasmayo with my family to celebrate the 19th birthday of
a family friend, and I got to meet Peruvians my age at the party. After a tearful farewell to our families, we headed to the beautiful city of Cusco.
We visited fantastic old Incan sites in Cusco, including one of the great wonders of the world, Macchu Picchu. And of course, we finally saw the animal we had been waiting to see the entire trip, llamas. The trip ended sooner than I expected, and I had to say goodbye to my group once we arrived in Miami. (By the way we had an unexpected stop in Colombia because the plane's weather radar malfunctioned).
I would like to thank the Wilson Family, Mr. Gioia, and the Experiment in International Living Program for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime.
We had additional trips during the homestay, such as Pacasmayo, where we fed undernourished children at a soup kitchen and painted a worn out building, and Cajamarca, where we explored the city and enjoyed the hot baths where the Inca emperors once bathed. I also took an additional trip to Pacasmayo with my family to celebrate the 19th birthday of
a family friend, and I got to meet Peruvians my age at the party. After a tearful farewell to our families, we headed to the beautiful city of Cusco.We visited fantastic old Incan sites in Cusco, including one of the great wonders of the world, Macchu Picchu. And of course, we finally saw the animal we had been waiting to see the entire trip, llamas. The trip ended sooner than I expected, and I had to say goodbye to my group once we arrived in Miami. (By the way we had an unexpected stop in Colombia because the plane's weather radar malfunctioned).
I would like to thank the Wilson Family, Mr. Gioia, and the Experiment in International Living Program for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime.
Me parece un viaje increíble. Tengo mucho celos!
ReplyDeleteSr. Kamm