The 24 hours went by faster than I thought possible. I spent my time in the Lima airport getting dinner and splurging on an airport massage. It was a great decision! I boarded my plane from Lima to Houston a little after midnight. The plane ride was exhausting. I don't know if I slept or not, I tried. I was able to see the sunrise over the Gulf of Mexico. That was a sight!
I had a five hour layover in Houston. I was ready to be home! I caught up on phone calls, emails and prepared for staff development that I was co-leading in two days. Once on the plane, heading to Minnesota, I got very anxious to be home with my family. I took many pictures of the Minnesota landscape as we approached the MSP airport. I was so happy to be home, and incredibly grateful for the cultural exchange that I will forever cherish.
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I woke up not feeling the greatest. I was dizzy and my fingers and toes were tingly. I knew that I was fighting a small case of altitude sickness. I captured some balcony pictures, and knew that I had to see the city of Cusco. We walked around town and headed toward a cafe and plaza that Max recommended. On our way, we saw incredible murals and passed an intiguing museum. We decided to check it out. It is called Qorikancha. It was originally an Incan temple, but the Spanish built a cathedral around it. The Iglesia De Santo Domingo had beautiful paintings and sculptures. What a fantastic find!
From there, we walked a bit further to the Plaza de Armas Cusco. We ate on the balcony of a cafe and overlooked the park. We weren't able to stay too long because we were both taking a flight back to Lima. For me, the next 24 hours would be spent on a plane, or in an airport. My husband, family and friends all encouraged me to extend my trip to go see Cusco and Machu Picchu. I am so glad I listened to them! We traveled on a train for three hours to Aguas Calientes. From this quaint town, we rode a bus up the switch back to Machu Picchu. It was a beautiful day and we were smart to pay for a guided tour. I never would have been able to fully appreciate how sophisticated and well-constructed this city was and continues to be. We enjoyed a late lunch at a restaurant with a really interesting bar, and did some shopping in the market. We made our way back to the train station for another three hour ride. That night, Max met us at the hotel. It was his birthday so we had to celebrate with him in Cusco!
Our group's final session was painting Pucara bulls. We learned that people placed these on their rooftops or in their homes facing the front door. They are meant to protect the home. I painted my bull to resemble Peru's flag. This afternoon I ran a few errands and happened upon a few things that were fitting for the Fourth of July. In the afternoon, Rich, a fifth grade teacher from NYC, and I headed to the airport to head to Cusco. We were going to Machu Picchu in the morning. We arrived at the hotel by complimentary shuttle. We were staying at a fancy hotel. When I got to my room, I chuckled at the art above my bed. Corn is such an important part of Peruvian culture.
We went to the hotel restaurant and found ourselves listening to traditional music. We called it an early night. Our tour bus was picking us up at 4:30 a.m. This morning we shared our host community experiences with the group. It was very interesting to hear about the similarities and differences of our experiences.
We then had a shout out circle. It allowed an oportunity to publicly acknowledge someone who made a difference during this adventure. It was a heart-warming activity that I will definitely use in my 5th grade classroom this year. After lunch at the hotel, we took a bus ride to Pachacamac. It was an interesting museum and archaelogical dig site. It had more security than the other ruins we had been to and we were impressed with Pacific Ocean views. After this field trip, we went to Cala, an oceanside restaurant. The crashing waves were captivating. When we returned to the hotel, Jose Luis and Rocio joined the Peru Crew on the rooftop. Phil had accidentally taken his room key with him back to Lima. Jose Luis would return it for him. We said good bye to our new friends. Tomorrow everyone will be parting ways. Our morning session we met with alumni TEA teachers and created posters with our guiding questions. We were given an opportunity to have adiscussion with the panel, and then participated in a gallery walk to provide answers for our colleagues' guiding questions. This activity provided a lot of support for our Global Education Guide.
We went to the Inka Market to shop a bit in the afternoon. I bought some souvenirs to bring home. Phil and I walked back. I somehow found my way to Kennedy Park where all of the gatos hang out. It was great! I sat down on a bench and a cat sat in my lap. Another cat approached me too and they looked like they were ready to fight. I tried to scoot the cat off my lap, but he was not impressed. I had to stand up and let it fall off onto the bench. This morning was hectic. I overslept and needed to pack. I was unable to check in online. When we arrived at the airport, I was told that I did not have a ticket back to Lima since I did not check in online. Maria Eugenia helped me out and I was able to claim my spot on the plane after all.
The plane ride was quick and easy. We joined the other Peru Crew travelers at the Lima airport and made our way back to the Radisson. After check in, I took a long, hot shower with awesome water pressure. I also did my laundry again. I had time for a quick nap. In the afternoon, we visited the Cultural Center. We went to an exhibit featuring the Shining Path. The pictures were disturbing. What a horrible time in Peru's recent history. When we got back to the hotel, we decided on taking a "C" tour. We walked around Miraflores for the best churros, chocolates and coffee. I especially enjoyed the chocolate museum. We had dinner at Alfresco. I had sea bass with thyme. It was outstanding. We enjoyed hearing each other's stories. It felt great to be reunited again. |
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