Clarke Allen Peru

My First Weekend (Friday arrival - Sunday) 

At first, I was nervous about traveling to Peru all by myself, but I quickly grew to love my opportunity. In most programs, the first thing the students do is meet their host families, but in Peru we did not see them until 3 days after our arrival. When I arrived in Cusco, Peru; all of the students spent the first two days or so resting because it is difficult to adjust to the altitude in Cusco. In Nashville we are about 500 ft above sea level, but in Cusco, we were at 11,000. All of the students spent the first weekend together in the Sacred Valley, where we began to admire the Peruvian landscape for the first time. In the Sacred Valley, we visited llama farms and some ruins in the town of Ollantaytambo. I vividly remember the face in the side of the mountain, which the Incas worshiped. On our way home, we also got to stop by the ruins at Moray. Moray was unlike anything I had ever seen before because today the ruins are still used for research. My first weekend was just the beginning of the fun and experiences I was about to have.

Moray

Ruins in Ollantaytambo

First Week (late Sunday to Friday)

Sacsayhuaman

After my first weekend, I went home to meet my new family and move into my new home. My family included a host mom and my 5 year old host little brother. They greeted me with big hugs and a kiss on each cheek, which is customary in Peruvian culture. I remember watching Spanish spider man shows with my new little brother my first night. When the new week began, so did my Spanish classes. Each day I would go to school in the morning, go home for lunch, and come back for my afternoon activities. In the first week, we were able to visit a couple of really cool places in the afternoon. After one morning of classes, we visited the old temples at Sacsayhuaman right in Cusco, where I admired the skilled architecture of the Incan people. I also learned a lot about the history of Cusco and the civilization the Inca people built. The next day, in the afternoon, the head of the program took all the students out to eat in the main plaza (Plaza de Armas). We went to a restaurant with live dancing and music, and one band even chose me, out of all students, to go up and dance on stage. The first week enabled me to learn more about Cusco and where I was staying.

Plaza de Armas


Second Weekend: Machu Picchu

When most people think about Peru, the first thing that comes to mind are the famous ruins/town of Machu Picchu.​ My fellow peers in the program and I got to spend an entire weekend in the famous mountains. We took a long bus ride, and then a train up to the town of Machu Picchu, where we spent the first day at the hot springs watching the championship of the Copa de America. We had to get rest because the next morning we were waking up early to take a bus to the actual ruins. The second I arrived at the ruins, I was blown away by the beauty and history of Machu Picchu. For the first couple of hours we just walked around with a tour guide, but we went on two hikes in the afternoon. My friends and I all walked to the sun-gate, which is the highest point on the Inca trail. It was really scary to be up so high but amazing to think about how the Incas built it in the first place. Machu Picchu is a place that I will keep with me for the rest of my life. There is nothing in the world quite like it.

Machu Picchu

Second Week - Departure

After I got back from Machu Picchu, I went back to my daily routine of class in the morning and afternoon activities. One afternoon I went to the local cathedral in Cusco and learned about the mixture of Incan and Catholic religion in Peru. The church was filled with ancient relics and paintings from the early Peruvian days. Another afternoon, my friends and I took salsa classes with local students. I already knew how to salsa, therefore I was able to show the rest of my class up. Lastly, the day before I left, we all went to Maras where we saw the famous pools of salt. It was really interesting because the locals still rely on the pools for their salt. The second week really flew by but ended with a big-going home dinner that all my friends planned for me. I ate some of the local flavor, which included guinea pig and alpaca. It was hard saying goodbye to all my new friends and family.

Maras

Last night in Cusco

Conclusion

The two and a half weeks I spent in Peru changed me in a way I could have never expected. I got to live in a unique and interesting culture different than mine. Not only did my knowledge of the Spanish world increase but my abilities to speak Spanish did as well. When I lived in a Spanish environment, I had to speak Spanish to the locals in order to get around. I saw places and met people that I probably will remember for the rest of my life thanks to my great opportunity. I am truly grateful for the Wilson family and the ability they gave me to improve my Spanish and my cultural understanding. Studying abroad enabled me to mature as a person and as a Spanish student. I will never forget my great times in Peru.