Tuesday September 1, 2009:
The trip home was a bit of a marathon affair. Our flight left Cusco at about 5:00 pm on Monday. We had a 6 hour layover in Lima before our flight to Los Angeles. The boys found that the Lima airport had all the trappings of home - MacDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, Papa Johns, etc. They managed to fill the time eating lots of junk food.
The flight to Los Angeles was uneventful, though it is always difficult to sleep on overnight flights. We all noticed that LAN flight service is much superior to that of Alaska Airlines. We arrive in Los Angeles at about 7:00 am expecting another 6 hour layover until the flight to Vancouver. We lucked out however as there was an 8:50 am flight that was not full and they were able to accommodate all of us.
As a result we arrived in Vancouver at about noon instead of 4:00 pm. Other than having to change the logistics of rides home, this was great.
I must admit that wearing the Scout uniform throughout the trip helped us make some friends and eased our way through airline checkins, security, customs and immigration. AFter all, who can you trust more than a Scout.
It is good to be home in our own beds, with North American plumbing and family. Stay tuned for the date of our potluck dinner and slide show.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Last Day
Monday August 31, 2009:
Brian McKendrick´s anniversary today, so happy anniversary Alyson.
Today we pack up and then have some time before our flight out of Cusco late this afternoon. I know several of the boys and adults will be doing some last minute shopping for gifts.
It´s hard to believe that we have been away for over two weeks now. The time has just flown by. This will be our last post on the blog. Perhaps one of the boys will upload a few pictures now that we finally figured out how to do it on this computer.
Look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow when we arrive in Vancouver. Our flight, Alaska 703, is supposed to land in Vancouver at 3:45 pm on Tuesday September 1. Hope everyone remembers to pick us up.
Brian McKendrick´s anniversary today, so happy anniversary Alyson.
Today we pack up and then have some time before our flight out of Cusco late this afternoon. I know several of the boys and adults will be doing some last minute shopping for gifts.
It´s hard to believe that we have been away for over two weeks now. The time has just flown by. This will be our last post on the blog. Perhaps one of the boys will upload a few pictures now that we finally figured out how to do it on this computer.
Look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow when we arrive in Vancouver. Our flight, Alaska 703, is supposed to land in Vancouver at 3:45 pm on Tuesday September 1. Hope everyone remembers to pick us up.
Free Day
Sunday August 30, 2009:
Today was the first free day since we left Lima. The boys slept in a bit, but due to the many early days we have had, they do not sleep in as much as they do at home.
We organized a hike up to a local archaeological site at Sacsaywaman. We found it was a bit too pricey to go into the site ($25) so we just hiked around the edge of it and found a great viewpoint for pictures of Cusco. Cusco is actually over half a million people, so it is a big town.
After the hike, the group split up into those who wanted to do a bit of shopping, those who wanted lunch or those who just wanted to hang around at the hostel.
Sunday is parade day in Peru. As a result, the main square, Plaza des Armes, is closed to cars. There were marching bands, groups of teachers and nurses marching around the square, and school kids dressed in their uniforms everywhere. The festivities start just after mass at the local cathedral. Lots of music and even firecrackers.
The town is noticably less busy on Sunday. Some of the stores are closed and even the number of tourists is lower. This made for very pleasant strolling the streets and markets. Several of us strolled through a huge local market where many Cusco residents buy their food. You can find beef, pork, chicken, guinea pig, vegetables, fruit and anything else you need. There is very little refrigeration, so I don´t think we would ever shop there.
A couple of the kids have stomach problems that will hopefully resolve themselves before we leave for home on Monday afternoon.
Today was the first free day since we left Lima. The boys slept in a bit, but due to the many early days we have had, they do not sleep in as much as they do at home.
We organized a hike up to a local archaeological site at Sacsaywaman. We found it was a bit too pricey to go into the site ($25) so we just hiked around the edge of it and found a great viewpoint for pictures of Cusco. Cusco is actually over half a million people, so it is a big town.
After the hike, the group split up into those who wanted to do a bit of shopping, those who wanted lunch or those who just wanted to hang around at the hostel.
Sunday is parade day in Peru. As a result, the main square, Plaza des Armes, is closed to cars. There were marching bands, groups of teachers and nurses marching around the square, and school kids dressed in their uniforms everywhere. The festivities start just after mass at the local cathedral. Lots of music and even firecrackers.
The town is noticably less busy on Sunday. Some of the stores are closed and even the number of tourists is lower. This made for very pleasant strolling the streets and markets. Several of us strolled through a huge local market where many Cusco residents buy their food. You can find beef, pork, chicken, guinea pig, vegetables, fruit and anything else you need. There is very little refrigeration, so I don´t think we would ever shop there.
A couple of the kids have stomach problems that will hopefully resolve themselves before we leave for home on Monday afternoon.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Final Day - Quillahuata
Saturday, august 29, 2009:
Woke up to today with a whole lot to do. We finished the shelves for the chicken coop, finished the roof, hung and painted the doors on the coop and run and did a general clean-up.
The 47th Cusco Scouts showed up early today and joined in with the boys. It is quite interesting in that this scout group is all girls just slightly younger than our boys. There was an awful lot of giggling all day long. None of the girls had ever worked on a project like this or knew much about farming, so they matched our boys in that that regard.
Just before noon we finished the chicken coop and everyone went off to get the chickens. Well this was a real hoot. The kids had a hard time catching the chickens in an enclosed room and when Scott managed to catch his chicken it peed all over him. This of course caused a lot of laughing and jokes at his expense.
Lunch was a traditional Peruvian barbeque cooked in a rock pit. We had chicken, potatoes, green beans, yams and other things I can´t name. It was fantastic!
After lunch we had the ceremonies to wrap-up the project. We then proceeded into some ice-breaker games led by the Peruvian Scouts, again with a lot of giggling and a short soccer game.
It was then time to go. As we left on the bus, one of the Venturer´s said "I think that we have really done something good for this community". This was great to hear.
Back in Cusco we enjoyed a night of freedom on the town.
Woke up to today with a whole lot to do. We finished the shelves for the chicken coop, finished the roof, hung and painted the doors on the coop and run and did a general clean-up.
The 47th Cusco Scouts showed up early today and joined in with the boys. It is quite interesting in that this scout group is all girls just slightly younger than our boys. There was an awful lot of giggling all day long. None of the girls had ever worked on a project like this or knew much about farming, so they matched our boys in that that regard.
Just before noon we finished the chicken coop and everyone went off to get the chickens. Well this was a real hoot. The kids had a hard time catching the chickens in an enclosed room and when Scott managed to catch his chicken it peed all over him. This of course caused a lot of laughing and jokes at his expense.
Lunch was a traditional Peruvian barbeque cooked in a rock pit. We had chicken, potatoes, green beans, yams and other things I can´t name. It was fantastic!
After lunch we had the ceremonies to wrap-up the project. We then proceeded into some ice-breaker games led by the Peruvian Scouts, again with a lot of giggling and a short soccer game.
It was then time to go. As we left on the bus, one of the Venturer´s said "I think that we have really done something good for this community". This was great to hear.
Back in Cusco we enjoyed a night of freedom on the town.
Day 4 - Quillahuata
Firday, August 28, 2009:
Breakfast was a real hit today - bacon and eggs, very much like at home.
Today was a very productive day on the project. We finished off the walls for the chicken coop, constructed several of the nesting platforms for the chickens, leveled the floor and finished the fence. Tomorrow, the scout group from Cusco will be coming to work with us to finish the project.
Two more home visits today - kids heard about spousal abuse, illness, alcoholism, poor food, bad sanitation and large families living in small spacess. We had a good chat about this around the dinner table tonight.
The group concluded that perhaps we should do some ongoing fundraising for Peru´s Challenge to help deal with these matters. We will discuss this further at our first Venturer meeting this fall.
Several of the kids had upset stomachs and other gastro-intestinal problems today. The worst of the trip so far, though they seem to recover within 24 hours given Gravol, antibiotics and Tylenol.
Final soccer game against the locals today and we tied 1-1.
Breakfast was a real hit today - bacon and eggs, very much like at home.
Today was a very productive day on the project. We finished off the walls for the chicken coop, constructed several of the nesting platforms for the chickens, leveled the floor and finished the fence. Tomorrow, the scout group from Cusco will be coming to work with us to finish the project.
Two more home visits today - kids heard about spousal abuse, illness, alcoholism, poor food, bad sanitation and large families living in small spacess. We had a good chat about this around the dinner table tonight.
The group concluded that perhaps we should do some ongoing fundraising for Peru´s Challenge to help deal with these matters. We will discuss this further at our first Venturer meeting this fall.
Several of the kids had upset stomachs and other gastro-intestinal problems today. The worst of the trip so far, though they seem to recover within 24 hours given Gravol, antibiotics and Tylenol.
Final soccer game against the locals today and we tied 1-1.
Day 3 Quillahuata:
Thursday August 27, 2009:
Up again with the roosters and donkeys. Why the donkey has to get involved, and very loudly at that, is a major issue with everyone.
Today we worked on the walls of the chicken coop, prepared the roofing materials (beams, strapping), dug the holes for the fence posts for the chicken run and helped to locate some plumbing so that a new line could be added to the new bathroom being built at the school by Peru´s Challenge.
Some of the kids went on a home visit with Peru´s Challenge and a social worker. What they saw was very eye-opening. The home they visited was a single room for a mother and six kids. There was only one bed, dirt floors and a cooking fire with very little ventilation. There was virtually no food in the house and the mother was quite ill with seizures likely caused by a fungal infection of the brain. Dr. Roy Purcell with our group met with her separately to look into her treatment.
We had another soccer game with the town today and lost quite badly. They seemed to bring in some ringers from another nearby town.
the weather in Quillahuata has been great. The mornings are sunny and warm. In the afternoons, the wind kicks up and some clouds have rolled in now and then. Evenings are down to about freezing. During the soccer game on the first day we had a short thunderstorm and rain that lasted about 20 minutes, but that is all the rain we have had on the trip.
Up again with the roosters and donkeys. Why the donkey has to get involved, and very loudly at that, is a major issue with everyone.
Today we worked on the walls of the chicken coop, prepared the roofing materials (beams, strapping), dug the holes for the fence posts for the chicken run and helped to locate some plumbing so that a new line could be added to the new bathroom being built at the school by Peru´s Challenge.
Some of the kids went on a home visit with Peru´s Challenge and a social worker. What they saw was very eye-opening. The home they visited was a single room for a mother and six kids. There was only one bed, dirt floors and a cooking fire with very little ventilation. There was virtually no food in the house and the mother was quite ill with seizures likely caused by a fungal infection of the brain. Dr. Roy Purcell with our group met with her separately to look into her treatment.
We had another soccer game with the town today and lost quite badly. They seemed to bring in some ringers from another nearby town.
the weather in Quillahuata has been great. The mornings are sunny and warm. In the afternoons, the wind kicks up and some clouds have rolled in now and then. Evenings are down to about freezing. During the soccer game on the first day we had a short thunderstorm and rain that lasted about 20 minutes, but that is all the rain we have had on the trip.
Day 2 Quillahuata
Wednesday August 26, 2009:
We were up with the donkeys, roosters and dogs and just about anything else that can or will make a noise once the sun comes up. This is around 6:00 am.
We laid the foundations today. The foundations consist of large pieces of granite brought in by truck along with mud. By the end of the day, we were awfully dirty from the mud.
The kids also cleared the soccer field of garbage, rocks and sheep dung. The field is used to graze a couple of sheep every day, hence it never needs to be mosed. The kids also managed to find a little store in the town of about 40 sq ft that sells Coke and Inca Cola, so they were fine for the rest of the week. There was also a short trip to see the local farmers ploughing the fields with cattle.
Rolfino and Juan, the local construction experts hired by Peru´s Challenge, are great to work with despite the fact that they do not know a word of English. We have developed an understanding of what is required as well as some basic construction words in both Spanish and English that seem to work. In any case they keep us hopping.
We were up with the donkeys, roosters and dogs and just about anything else that can or will make a noise once the sun comes up. This is around 6:00 am.
We laid the foundations today. The foundations consist of large pieces of granite brought in by truck along with mud. By the end of the day, we were awfully dirty from the mud.
The kids also cleared the soccer field of garbage, rocks and sheep dung. The field is used to graze a couple of sheep every day, hence it never needs to be mosed. The kids also managed to find a little store in the town of about 40 sq ft that sells Coke and Inca Cola, so they were fine for the rest of the week. There was also a short trip to see the local farmers ploughing the fields with cattle.
Rolfino and Juan, the local construction experts hired by Peru´s Challenge, are great to work with despite the fact that they do not know a word of English. We have developed an understanding of what is required as well as some basic construction words in both Spanish and English that seem to work. In any case they keep us hopping.
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