Perú 2015

¡Fuimos a Perú! We went to Peru!

We went to Perú! Perú is the land of the ancient civilization of the Incas. This great country had so much to offer. It was an incredible educational opportunity and the experience of a lifetime that I was able to share with 15 adventurous students and parents from Walled Lake Northern.

"Lima, Cuzco and the Amazon" June 25, 2015 to July 3, 2015

Our Itinerary:

• Day 1: explored Lima, the capital of Perú; enjoyed being oceanside and hanging out at Miraflores mall and plaza in downtown Lima for dinner and shopping/exploring
• Day 2: toured Lima, the "City of Kings" with a local guide to see the Lima Cathedral, Plaza de Armas, church of San Francisco, the Presidential Palace, the Larco museum
• Day 3: took a flight to Cuzco, the ancient capital of the Incan empire; visited the city and surrounding areas including the temple of Korikancha, the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, and the Incan baths of Tampu Machay; engaged in a LEAP activity to learn about Incan religious beliefs with the activity Pago a la tierra! (I pay the Earth!)
• Day 4: Cuzco - continued the journey on the Incan Trail with excursions to Pisac, Ollantaytambo, the Valley of Urubamba, the fortress of Ollantay; then visited a local Peruvian school in a remote village of the Andes mountains and spent time with the first grade students; Peruvian students' parents made us a potato bake (dressed later with amazing fresh aji sauce) in a natural clay oven brick oven created on the spot just for us!
• Day 5: Macchu Picchu - traveled through the Sacred Valley to the lost Incan city of Machu Picchu high up in the Andes mountains and deep in the jungle - lots of walking and climbing was involved!
• Day 6: Eco-Amazonian Lodge - took a flight to the town of Puerto Maldonado in the Amazon basin, the biodiversity capital of the world; we took a motorized canoe ride 2.5 hours across the Amazon pretty deep into the jungle; took a 5K jungle walk with a local guide and stayed at the Eco-lodge
• Day 7: visited Ox Bow Lake and Monkey Island and experienced a variety of animals, especially monkeys, and bird species
• Day 8: journeyed out of the jungle back to Puerto Maldonado and flew back to Cuzco, and then to Lima and spent some time there for dinner.
• Day 9: flew home from an amazing experience!

Highlights