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
July 1, 2025
Conserving and Learning with Reynaldo
We started the morning with an early wake up to the sound of birds. After we woke up we had breakfast and then we had to figure out our rubber boot situation. Once we figured it out, we started our journey to the rainforest on the boat. We started our walk through the lush and muddy forest. It felt like every step we took our boots would come off because the mud was so deep and wet. After a ton of hiking which felt like forever, we arrived to a wooden shack, which had 6 wooden log boats. When we stepped onto the wooden boats, they tipped a little at first, but then it was alright. The reasons we were on the boats was to get a closer look at the exotic birds and the monkeys. Once we returned to the shore, we started our walk to Reynaldo’s house, not the famous soccer player house, but Reynaldo is famous in his town for trying to teach others how to live a sustainable life.One way that he conserves is fueling his stove with natural gases from humans(toilet). Reynaldo also raises cuy(guinea pigs) and we got the chance to see them. Ellie adopted a guinea pig that she named Antonio. All of us had the opportunity to try the fruit of the cacao and oranges fresh from the tree. Once we left, the walk back felt very quick compared to the walk up. On our boat ride back, Ellie got ejected from her seat, but all was ok. She was then sent to the back of the boat. Once we returned to the Manu Learning Center, some people took showers because they thought that they were going to get trench foot (we think some of the boots had holes in them) but all was ok. When we got back, we played a game of spoons with the Aussie researchers, who were playing a very spirited game before we joined. After, we had dinner, had a chat about what we were going to do tomorrow, and went to bed.
-Gabby y Brennan
July 2, 2025
Exploration in the Amazon
Hola from the Amazon,
This morning we started off bright and early with a 5am wake up, hoping to see some birds feasting on clay walls by the river. We made our way down to the river bank and waited patiently, but to no avail. Despite not seeing any birds up close, we were able to learn a lot about their habits and importance of them along with how to identify each species from far away with their unique calls. Also, many of us indulged in some incredible conversations about the wildlife of Australia with our fellow lodge mates, Australian university students.
Upon our return, we ate some breakfast and got ready to head into the Crees Forest to set up our butterfly traps. With much help from our good friend Lulu, we successfully set up 3 different traps at 3 different heights that we will check on again tomorrow.
We came back, and had the greatest lunch of our lives. We ate steak kebabs, an avocado and mango salad, and a traditional rainforest delicacy. After lunch we had a 2 hour nap and then had a lesson on different species and families of butterflies from one of the biologists here at the lodge. We then played some games outside including mata gente and a very intense boys vs girls game of steal the bacon.
At 6:30pm we ate dinner and then got ready for our night walk in the woods hoping to see some wildlife. We saw some spiders, moths, an Amazon tree Boa. Our guide also find a new species for the area and we named our new friend Pedrito, and our other caterpillar friend Edgar.
By Ellie y Andrew
(P.S. mom and dad – I miss and love you very much)
July 3, 2025
From Flies to Butterflies
We all woke up at 7:00 to eat breakfast. We had fruits, eggs and bread. After breakfast, we went on a walk to see the butterfly traps. Unfortunately we did not see any butterflies but we did learn about the different types of flies. We learned about how long something has been decomposing by the amount of flies in the area.
We had a pretty long break when we got back, and played some board games until it was lunch time. We had some Amazing Guacamole with the taquitos, it changed Lulu’s perspective on guacamole, second course was basically a side character so it didn’t matter, then third course we had a stew. After that, we had a siesta. Some people napped and some people just relaxed until we had a lecture on reptiles and amphibians.
During the lecture, Ellie fell asleep on Lulu but she had a come back and knew all the answers when we had a quiz. Then, we went for a long night walk. We came back and had our dinner, which pretty much ended our day.
This morning (July 4th), some woke up at 5:30 to go see the birds eat off the clay wall for the last time while others slept in till 7:30. Once the others arrived, we had breakfast and went for a walk to check any traps for any reptiles or amphibians. We came back, had a 2 hour break and ate lunch. We will be leaving our lodge today, and heading back in the direction of our town this afternoon.
By Lulu, Muriel, and Timothy
July 4-5, 2025
The Journey to Calca
Yesterday we left Manu Learning Center and we arrived at the cloud forest. To get to the lodge, we had to walk 15 minutes down hill and then cross a very unstable bridge that was over a river and rocks. Once we arrived at the lodge, we drank maracuya (passion fruit) juice and we got the lay of the land. After we got settled we had dinner which was corn soup, beef and green rice, and pineapple for our dessert. After we finished dinner we played a Peruvian card game called burro, and we also played spoons. We went to bed after we finished playing and we woke up relatively early. For breakfast we had omelettes, bread and oatmeal in a cup. Soon there after we packed our bags and we left the lodge. To get back up to the van we had to walk back up the steep hill that we walked down yesterday. We had a 6 hour ride to Caicay where we got our larger bags. We had lunch and then we made our way to Calca which is where our Homestays will be. When we arrived in Calca we settled in to our hotel, and we got to call home. Once everyone finished calling home we went to dinner and we explored the town a little bit. At dinner we talked about meeting the homestay families tomorrow and we took a picture with Zari who was the owners daughter. After dinner we walked back and explored the town a little bit more and then went straight to bed.
By Gabby y Brennan
July 6, 2025
Primer día en Calca:
To start off our first full day in the town of Calca, we woke up and enjoyed eggs, bread, yogurt, and tea. After breakfast we went outside and waited eagerly to meet the people we would be spending the coming days with. We introduced ourselves and proceeded to walk to a Inca archeological site while bonding with our host families. After visiting the site, we walked back and proceeded to have lunch, with our new families, which consisted of chicken, meat, and rice. After, we stopped back at the hotel briefly before walking through the town to arrive at our next activity: pottery. There we painted bowls and shaped new ones with our teacher Luciano. Some of us requiring multiple attempts to perfect ours. We walked back and prepared for dinner which was hamburgers. To finish the day we explored the lively markets of Calca and talked over the day ahead and after proceeded to a much needed night’s rest.
By Ellie y Andrew
July 8, 2025
The working day / El día de trabajo
Today we woke up at around 6 a.m. to get ready for the eventful day of work ahead of us. Once we were all dropped off by our host family’s at the meeting spot, we got into a van to take us to Kajllarakay to do meaningful work. Al estar en Kajllarakay estuvimos trabajando, unos estuvieron pintando, otro con picos y palas, tuvimos descansos a los largo del tiempo (English translation: While we were in Kajllarakay we were working, some were painting, others with picks and shovels, we had breaks throughout the time).
After doing all the prep work, we got to the main project, putting the metal stands for the water coolers. As a team we had to move the heavy metal objects from where they were painted to the 2 locations where they were to be installed. Though the work was laborious, it was extremely rewarding because we could visually see the impact we had on the community. After our day of meaningful work, we ate a delicious lunch that was well filling, and bonded as a group. Luego de la cena llegamos al parque de calca a esperar a encontrarnos con nuestra familia y el resto de la tarde y noche hasta el día siguiente lo estaremos pasando con los miembros de las familias. (English translation: After dinner we arrived at the calca park to wait to meet our family and the rest of the afternoon and night until the next day we will be spending it with the family members).
By: Gigi & Wesley
July 10, 2025
….We Back
Hola,
Long time no see, but we are backkkkk! Today we started bright and early and made our way back to the indigenous community of Kajllarakay. We were greeted by a traditional welcome of singing and music and then were split into 3 groups and went with locals to help with their daily needs. We hucked corn, destemmed Haba bean pods, and separated potatoes.
After, we got to see a Paccha Mama celebrating ceremony. We hiked to the top of the mountain with beautiful snow covered peaks, gave our intentions to 3 cocoa leaves, and placed them in holes to be with Pacha Mama. We finished our ceremony with a group dance and made our way back down the mountain to enjoy a traditional lunch with the very potatoes we separated. The specific lunch is known for being cooked in the ground!
Upon our return to Calca, a group of us attended a Zumba class led by one of the host dads, Luis. We danced, jumped, and spun, to Spanish music as well as a traditional Peruvian dance song. After class, we made our way to the main plaza to treat ourselves with ice cream, and went back to our Homestays for a cozy night in.
By Gigi and Ellie
July 11, 2025
Last Day in Calca
Hello everybody (again),
Today, we started off at 9am in the plaza and made our way back to the Señor de la Valle school to finish the work we started on Wednesday. We finished painting the ramp and ladder, and continued making the foam steps. We made friends with some of the students as well as the staff and shared the similarities and differences of our lives in America vs. theirs in Peru.
When we finished our work we went back to our Homestays for lunch and a short rest. For our afternoon activity, we went to one of the homestays and customized t-shirts. We started by stenciling a design of our choice using a special kind of paper and then painted said design onto the shirt.
We rushed back to our Homestays to get ready for our final dinner together. We all made our way to the pizzeria and shared our gratitude to our families for opening their homes to us for the past week!
We spent our last night at home with our families and started preparing for our next adventure: Machu Picchu!
By Ellie and friends
July 12, 2025
Ollantaytambo el pueblo más MÁGICO
El día de hoy nos despertamos algunos temprano, por mi parte y la de mi compañero nos despertamos al rededor de las 7 para pasar un rato más con nuestra familia, desayunar, ir de compras y finalmente por las 10:45 ir al punto de reunión donde estaríamos todos y finalmente despedirnos de las familias para ya empezar nuestro viaje de este día.
We said goodbye to our families and took our last photo with them. Then we had to pack up our bags into the van. The car ride took over an hour and thirty minutes. We stopped at our restaurant where we dropped our stuff off. Next we were given a tour of Ollantaytambo, the city we were in. The tour guide was named James, who was born in Ollantaytambo. Tim and Lulu bought a Peruvian poncho, which actually seemed kind of warm. Andrew bought a hat which was made out of Alpaca. Atse We had a lunch full of a variety of food including steak, chicken, soups, and CUY (the Peruvian name for Guinea pig)! After lunch we continued to explore the town and its markets further until it was time to walk to the train station. We boarded a train which would take us to Agua Caliente, the busy town closest to Machu Pichu. Here we arrived at our hotel briefly before leaving for a dinner. Tomorrow to Machu Pichu!!
By: Wesley, Tim & Andrew
July 13, 2025
Machu Picchu!!!
Today we woke up at 6:30 in a hotel in Aguas Calientes. We quickly packed up all of our stuff and went to breakfast. It included: scrambled eggs, a variety of fruits, yogurt, and some bread. After, it was time to get in line for the bus to take us up to Machu Picchu. The line was very very long but here and there we popped into shops to buys snacks. We hopped on a bus, took a 20 minute ride and then reached our destination. Machu Picchu! Once we walked up a couple flights of stairs we took in the amazing view of Machu Picchu and learned about the history. Machu Picchu was used as a training place for shamans and it is one of the new 7 wonders of the world because of how well preserved it is. After we learned about Machu Picchu we went to see the Inca bridge which had a beautiful view of the mountains. Once we looked at the Inca bridge we left Machu Picchu to go to lunch.
At lunch there was a variety of foods that we could choose from because we went to a buffet. After lunch we picked up our stuff from the hotel before walking to the train station. We arrived to the train station early so we had time to explore the local market’s nearby. We got on our train which was an hour and 40 minute ride to Ollantaytambo. Once we arrived we said goodbye to James who was with us at Machu Picchu. We got into our car and started our ride to Cusco, the ride was going very quickly until we hit traffic. We were stuck in traffic for around 2 and a half hours before we arrived to Cusco.
By: Brannon & Gaby
July 14, 2025
Last full day as a family
On our last full day of Cusco, Peru, we woke up bright and early for breakfast at 8:30. After breakfast, we gathered in the downstairs area of our hotel and talked about our energy levels for the day before leaving the hotel around 9 AM. We hiked up about 150 stairs and 2 hills before making it to a beautiful viewpoint where we over looked Cusco’s beautiful city plaza. Our amazingly humble and young group leader, Johan told us of the history of Cusco and battles between the Spaniards and Incas. After the interesting conversation concluded, we headed towards the main plaza. Some exchanged money while others looked for spots to eat and shop, until we met back at the main plaza where we dispersed to find a lovely place to eat. Timmy, Andrew, and Brennan went to the same restaurant that Maren chose for dinner later that night. Lulu, Muriel, and Wesley split up from Ellie, Gigi, and Gabi to get Starbucks! Lulu, Muriel, and Wesley sat in the main plaza where Muriel got scammed in her boot cleaning. Ellie’s group went and bought one million dollars worth of Alpaca stuff. The whole group met up around 1 at the cathedral and headed back towards Niños Hotel. We had an hour rest break, which most people packed or wrote in their journal. After that we had two hour meeting and discussing the importance of our service projects. After that we went to a Chinese restaurant. “I’m so fat, I’m already excited for dinner tomorrow” said Lulu during the dinner we shared with Ronny. We enjoyed amazing Chinese cuisine. We finished our dinner and sat there having such a pleasant time with our best-friend Ronny. Once we finished our amazing meal, we headed towards the hotel. At the hotel, we had a group discussion on the goals we made at the beginning of the trip. The discussion was very bonding, Lulu had a small baby fit. We wrote letters to our future selves and talked about what we were leaving behind, what stuck with us, and a moment that rocked our world. It was an emotional and lovely last night together.
Written by Speaker (Lulu) and Timmy tuff knuckles (Timmy).
