Peru Epic Service Adventure 2025
June 28, 2025
The Beginning
At 7 AM, we begrudgingly made our way to the downstairs of our hotel. Here we ate breakfast and all met together to plan for the upcoming day. Later that morning, we begin our way to the airport to complete the final leg of our journey to Cusco. While waiting for our flight, we walked around the airport, got some snacks, and played card games like Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza. We boarded our flight, and an hour and a bunch of scenic laps around Cusco later we arrived.
We picked up our bags, made our final phone calls home to family, and said goodbye to our phones for the next 17 days. We left the airport and made our way to lunch in the main square of Cusco. We enjoyed a delicious meal, including some Alpacca, and continued to get to know each other better. After, we hopped back on the bus and made our way to the Alpaca farm. We hung out, learned about, and fed our new friends, Esmeralda and Johamine.
The final part of our day included our 1 hour bus journey to the lodge in Caicay and finally settled down into our rooms and took showers for the first time. We had our orientation, played some games, and finished out the night with a family style dinner around the table finished off with some tea, tired but excited for the next day.
By Andrew & Ellie
June 29, 2025
We all woke up to the freezing cold and went to breakfast at 8:30 to eat scrambled eggs and toast, washing it all down with papaya juice and hot chocolate. After about 30 minutes we met outside for a group meeting where we were told about the rest of our day, then playing a game of cat and mouse (basically duck duck goose) to practice our quechua. we packed up out stuff and journeyed out to our bus headed to the Pizac market. In the vibrant city, we were surrounded by a vast amounts of colors and citizens. We traded in our American dollars for the Peruvian currency; soles. Then from there, we grouped up and discussed how we should be safe in a bustiling market. We split up into groups of boy & girls, and went our seperate ways. Many of us bought jewelry, type of different fabrics like blankets and clothings, and art.
At 12 we all met up and walked to lunch, which was empanadas. Once we got to the resturant, we talked about how empanadas are made. While we were watching the empandas, we saw cuy being cooked. The empandas came in two different types: ham and cheese, and cheese, onions, oregano, and tomato. After eating, most of the group played a game of Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza while the others continued to shop. We walked back to the bus and had a quick lesson about treating the dogs in Peru since there was one following us. Then we left to go back to our hotel after kicking said dog out of our bus. After about 30 minuted drive back, we had a little bonding exercise about comfortability. From there, we went to the little game room and played pool, ping-pong, and foosball. There was so much fun and laughter while bonding with each other, everyone had a great time.
At 3:30, we came into the meeting room and had basically a group bonding session where we talked about goals and group expectations. After that was about 15 minutes of free time before we came back in and talked to the director of our Amazon rainforest adventure and asked him question and got details of our next day. Following up from that was another break for us to pack, and then dinner. We were served chicken quinoa soup for our entree, then the main course of fried chicken, rice, and a small salad. Timothy and Andrew were the only people that actually finished their food, since the portions were so big. From then, we were picked one by one by group leaders to check up on our well being. Finally, we split up into our rooms, ending our day.
By Luciana, Muriel, and Timmy tuffknuckles.
June 30, 2025
The travel to Manu
We woke up at 5:30 am, although it sounds early, we could get up. After having a sustainable breakfast we hopped on the bus to start our 8 hour journey to the Amazon Rainforest.
Tuvimos varias paradas durante el viaje, la primera fue en una parte de los Alpes donde habían tumbas antiguas donde nos contaron sobre cómo los incas momificaban a los muertos y sobre su creencia de los tres mundos y que animal los representa, la vida o este mundo es representado por el puma, luego el siguiente mundo es representado por el cóndor y el último por la serpiente para luego volver al primer mundo.
La segunda parada fue en un pueblo donde pasamos a los baños y nos contaron un poco más de cosas, luego paramos en la segunda entrada más alta a la reserva del Manu y en esta nos registramos y fuimos al baño de nuevo y un poco más de historia.
We arrived at the lodge out of breath from our short hike, but ready to see what awaited for us. We walked on the grounds and saw the multiple lodges where we would spend our time for the next couple of days. After settling into our new homes, we gathered as a group and talked about the start of the trip, ate a delicious dinner which consisted of salad and chicken, and then listened to a presentation about Manu. After, we got ready for bed to recharge ourselves for the next day.
By Wesley & Gigi
