ICEP Peru 1 Trip Report 2016 Tuesday, June 28 th On the 28 th, the group steadily rolled into camp over a 45 minute period. Once all participants had met with a camp nurse, we got into introductions. After tearful goodbyes from the parents, the group moved into their accommodations at Chimney. The evening was spent getting to know each other with a stroll around the lake, followed by presentations by the participants. Wednesday, June 29 th A lot of pre-trip information had to be covered prior to the departure. Informative sessions were broken up by teaching basic games that the participants could use when working with children. The group started to form an identity for itself. The last of the presentations were completed and allowed enough time for a 2 hour packing circle before bed. Thursday, June 30 th This was the last morning at camp before the group flew out to Peru. The group moved out of the accommodations and stored gear they were leaving at camp. Lunch was at 11.30am to allow for a 12.30pm departure from camp. The group travelled on a yellow school bus to JFK with ICEP Uruguay. The group arrived at the airport early, allowing 5 hours in the airport to play cards and do CCR s (leadership packets). At 11.45pm the group was finally in the air on the way to Peru. Friday, July 1 st The group arrived in Peru on Friday morning at 6.45am after a 7 hour flight. We were greeted by Richard and Jess, our Lima Y hosts. The group got in a bus and transferred to the Lima YMCA. The morning was a mixture of orientations and walking tours. Once oriented with the area we had a couple of hours of down time, during which the group packed up for the first service project. We walked a few blocks to an orphanage where the participants ran games and played with the kids. Following the visit, the group continued exploring the local area and visited a local market for supplies. The evening was filled with a salsa dance lesson, where it was discovered we all had a ways to go to perfecting our dancing skills. Saturday, July 2 nd After an 8.30am breakfast, the group packed up the bus headed for Azpitia. The bus ride took two hours. On arrival the group got to walk around the Azpitia YMCA before lunch. We ate at the YMCA restaurant for every meal. The meal portions were generous and the participants really enjoyed trying new food. The afternoon was spent working on an environmental project at the YMCA. The Y had a 5 year plan to build new accommodations, another ropes course and a dining hall for group retreats. The group helped lay sod over two days. Good progress was made on day one of the project. In the evening everyone sat around a campfire and relaxed. That night we were introduced to Danny, the main group host. Sunday, July 3 rd The group had a late night the previous evening, so getting up was a struggle. After an 8.30am breakfast the group got into 3 hours of environmental service to finish up the grass project at the YMCA. There was a feeling of success once the group completed the last square of grass. After lunch the group trekked through the town of Azpitia and up to a vista to get a different view over the area. The walk was topped off by everyone getting a fresh fruit drink down the road from our accommodations. With the free time before dinner, the group played volleyball and spent some time doing a low ropes activity called the Mohawk Walk. The group really worked well together to complete the activity. After a full day and a late night prior, the group relaxed with a movie. Monday, July 4 th Today was to be our last day in Azpitia. Our morning activity was to be spent helping out with a new environmental project. The project was to sand down and help paint the low ropes course shelters. The kids were ready to get going and help out. After a small miss understanding with the camp manager it was discovered we still had some sodding to do. Half the group started laying grass the fastest that any group possibly could, while the others went off to help with the new project. Both groups did an amazing job and managed to finish right on time for lunch. We had a chance to clean up our cabins and re-pack, and then we jumped on a bus to take us back to the Y in Lima. After a hard couple of days at work, the bus ride was a quiet one. The night activity was our second salsa lesson. The group got right into it, making new friends with our fancy dance moves.
Tuesday, July 5 th Heading into the day we all felt so optimistic; little did we realize it would be a dark day-- the day the travel stomach finally hit. This was an adventure not only for the leaders but also the participants. The day s plan was to have a late breakfast after conversation classes with the students at the YMCA school. Most of the participants felt well enough to go into classes and meet the students. Our participants enjoyed not only the education portion of the class, but also the casual conversations they were able to have with the students. While some participants were off at the clinic because of upset stomachs, the others starting working on a fundraising project. The project was to make friendship bracelets, which was an excellent project for teens who have grown up going to summer camp. Wednesday, July 6 th The alarm went off this morning at 7am. The group was set to head to Independencia, a lower income area of Lima. Those who were feeling up to it loaded into vans and headed off to the project. A quick stop was made at the community Y building where we would be staying to drop off our belongings. Our project for the next few days was to help build a cement retaining wall for a YMCA sponsored school at the top of a nearby hill. The participants listened to instructions and then got straight into mixing concrete by hand and transferring rocks up the hill and then down into the wall. This was an extremely physical task for everyone. That night the group travelled out to a local mall for dinner. We went to a restaurant named Planet Chicken. It was decided that it was a participant s birthday so we could sing and wear cool birthday hats. On return to the room where we were staying, we spread out mats on the floor and got into a good long chat. Thursday, July 7 th We woke up at 7am. It wasn t the most comfortable sleeping arrangements, but the group enjoyed all being in one room. After breakfast, we all jumped in the vans and headed up the hill to the school house to continue on the wall. The participants were thrilled to see that the dog they had made friends with the previous day was back and ready to hang out with them again. In the afternoon, there was a program being run in the school house. Our participants got the chance to spend time with the children whose parents were busy attending the program. The younger children played hide and seek, while the older kids got involved in teaching our participants how to play street soccer. That night we went out to the local mall for dinner at Planet Chicken again. This place was a real highlight for the group as we got to celebrate a participant s birthday again. Friday, July 8 th We were a bit sore this morning from all of our work the previous couple of days, and heading off to the service project was a little difficult mentally. That is until another van showed up with the now healthy participants who had been staying back at the Y because of illnesses. This was a real morale booster. Having the group all back together was great. We continued mixing concrete by hand and finished off the wall shortly after lunch. The crew that had not had the opportunity to play with the local kids the day prior was able to stay back and learn the game of street soccer, while the others returned to the house to pack up. The evening back at the Y was spent showering and playing sardines for hours on end. Saturday, July 9 th In the morning, the group loaded up into the vans and headed for the coast. The group spent the morning picking up trash that had been washed ashore. After a trash sweep, the participants had the opportunity to put their feet in the Pacific Ocean (many for the first time). In the afternoon the group returned to an orphanage down the road from the Y. It was nice to see that the children there were excited to see us again. They really wanted to play Duck, Duck, Goose. Our evening was very relaxed at the Y. We warmed up our vocal cords and sang karaoke. Sunday, July 10 th Sunday is traditionally a relaxed day in Peru when people spend time with their families. The Y is closed for classes, so we had space to run around. The morning activity was making Peruvian cuisine. The participants learned how to make sushi and a chicken and rice dish. As part of our relaxing day, we were able to pick up clean laundry. There s nothing better than fresh clean clothing! Because we had the Y to ourselves, we played 3 hours of Nukem. We discovered that volleyball may not be our sport and instead, played a good amount of knock out. It was nice to have the group spend some time all together without others around so they could bond.
Monday, July 11 th We were up early and ready for a day of adventure in Lima. The first stop was downtown Lima where there are many statues and sites to see. We watched the changing of the guards of the parliament house, followed by a tour of the Catacombs. Lunch was a real treat. We had heard from past trips that we should be prepared for the Chinese buffet. Today was the day. The group ate so much food that on return to the YMCA, some people slept for up to 4 hours. That night the group got their salsa on and is now starting to look like professionals. Tuesday, July 12 th Before breakfast today the group went upstairs to the ACJ (YMCA school). The participants were spread out between classes again and had conversation classes. One of the volunteer teachers happened to be having a farewell party with the children. Our participants were able to join in with the games and enjoy cake. YUM! In the afternoon, we returned to the local orphanage to play games with the children who were getting to know the participants. The farewell was hard. Our evening was filled with learning how to play the Peruvian box drum. The drum was entertaining for all and a fun instrument to play. Wednesday, July 13 th Continuing on from earlier that week, our participants started the day by making bracelets that they would sell to raise money for the orphanage that we had been visiting down the road from the Y. After bracelet making, the group played a quick game of Nukem before lunch. The afternoon was spent in Miraflores. The group visited a mall that had been built into the side of the cliff and spent a good amount of time in JFK Park. There is a church next door to the park that feeds and cares for all the stray cats in the park. Our participants fell in love with the cats and spent hours playing with them. Thursday, July 14 th Today was to be the last day of service before heading up to Cuzco. We visited two new orphanages. The orphanage we visited in the morning was for children with severe disabilities. It was eye opening for the participants to spend time with these children and learn ways to adapt activities for them. After lunch we went to an all-boys orphanage and played soccer for a good 2 hours. The boys were full of energy. That night we packed for Cuzco and had an early night. Friday, July 15 th Waking up at 4am was rough, but we knew it would be worth it because we were headed to Cuzco. After waiting an extra 30 minutes for our flight, we were on our way. Flying up through the snow-capped mountains was incredible. When we landed in Cuzco, the group was thrilled by the opportunity to finally see blue skies and the sun. Lima, while interesting, is completely covered by clouds in the winter. After settling into our hotel, the rest of the day was spent sleeping and allowing our bodies time to acclimate to the higher elevation. There was a market right next to our hotel that the participants found quickly and the first of many shopping sprees began. Saturday, July 16 th This was a big day of exploring. We were up early to meet our tour guide for the day. The first stop was Sacsayhuaman ruins. We were able to explore a few of the small caves and slide down the natural slides. Our lunch spot had a beautiful view over the entire city of Cuzco, and the lunch itself consisted of 4 courses! It s fair to say that by the end of the meal, the participants were struggling a little. After lunch we continued our tour of ruins in Cuzco city by foot. We learned about the architecture and history of the area. That night the participants discovered their new favorite place Bembos, a wonderful ice-cream shop we would return to almost every day we had in Cuzco. Sunday, July 17 th This was a relaxed day in the city. There was a national religious holiday happening, so many places were closed. In the morning we visited a museum before heading out into the square to watch a parade. In the afternoon the participants had an opportunity to shop in the local markets. We visited a larger market further away from our accommodations and then called it a night. Monday, July 18 th We had another early wake up for the group today. We packed overnight bags and jumped onto the bus. We headed for the highlands, where we met some locals who were kind enough to show us some of their traditional trades. This was all very exciting. The group was able to dress in traditional clothing and try using farming tools. We continued on from the farm up to a church where they served us lunch. The food was delicious! We continued on our way after thanking the community and visited more ruins before getting on the train to Aguas Calientes. Pulling into the train station was a little
disorientating as it was night time and you couldn t tell where you were. All we knew is that there were large mountain shadows surrounding us. The participants were even able to see the Southern Cross, many for the first time. Tuesday, July 19 th The group almost didn t sleep the night before for two reasons. The first reason was that everyone was much too excited to sleep, and the second reason was the fact that we woke everyone up at 3am to ensure we were first in line for the bus to Machu Picchu. The group was determined to be first through the gates and to the sunrise. It was an effort, but the reward was well worth it and a definite highlight of the trip. We walked around the ruins of Machu Picchu, learning about the history of the Inca s and the reason they abandoned the area. We stood by the sun temple as the sun came up and took the time to appreciate our surroundings. Needless to say, everyone took A LOT of photos. After exploring the ruins, the group was pretty tired from the early morning. We boarded our train in the early afternoon and began our travels back to Cuzco. Wednesday, July 20 th The group headed out today to spend some time with children in local orphanages. At the all-boys orphanage our group discovered that the kids were very good at soccer and could play it all day long. After a 2 hour stint of non-stop soccer, the group headed out for lunch before visiting children in a hospital in the afternoon. The participants were separated out into different areas of the hospital to help with different jobs such as filing and playing with the kids. That night the group joined together on the roof in a cuddle puddle to stargaze and enjoy one another s company before they head off to homestays in a few days. Thursday, July 21 st In the morning, the group revisited the all-boys orphanage where they played soccer for another two hours. The participants were really getting into the game and enjoying themselves. It was nice for those participants who struggled with Spanish to be able to connect with the children in a different way. This was to the last afternoon that participants were able to explore Cusco before heading home. They all went out to the square to get the daily Bembos ice cream and to pick up a few more things from the markets. That night s dinner was paired with entertainment. The stage performance also happened to be interactive, so our group got involved. Our children were able to get up on stage with the other dancers and show off their new moves; the three salsa lessons had definitely paid off. Friday, July 22 nd The group was awake for another early morning of travel. We packed our bags and were on our way back from the blue skies of Cuzco to the clouds of Lima. Traveling was easy as the participants were getting used to moving around as a group and being aware of themselves and their gear. In the afternoon the group repacked all of their belongings and got dressed up to meet their homestays. The participants were definitely nervous waiting to meet the families who so kindly had offered to take them in for the week. All went smoothly. Many of the homestays families had brought gifts with them to welcome the participants, and after the leaders met the different homestay families, they left with the participants. Saturday, July 23 rd Sunday, July 24 th Monday, July 25 th The participants all arrived at the YMCA between 9 10am. They were all eager to share stories of what they had been up to over the past couple of days. It was really nice that the participant s homestays siblings were able to spend time through the day joining us in activities as well. In the morning we returned to an orphanage in Lima for children with disabilities. The group was able to spend more one-on-one time with the children, as there were more participants in our group today. In the afternoon the group hung out at the YMCA playing sports with their siblings and bonding as a large group. At 6pm everyone headed out to their homestays. Tuesday, July 26 th The participants once again arrived at the YMCA between 9 10am. We got on a bus and headed down to the swami markets. The participants went out exploring with the help of their homestay siblings and returned with goodies to bring home. The afternoon orphanage visit was cancelled, so ICEP groups Peru 1 and 2 were able to meet up for a combined
game of soccer in the park. The participants found some local kids who joined the game as well. There may have been 40 people on the pitch, but everyone had fun. Wednesday, July 27 th In the morning once all the participants had arrived, the group headed out to the Lima Zoo for the morning. The participants enjoyed walking around checking out all the animals together. That afternoon the ICEP group and the homestay siblings all went to the movies together before parting ways for the weekend in their homestays. Thursday, July 28 th It was also Peru s Independence Day. Friday, July 29 th Saturday, July 30 th The participants arrived back at the Y a little later today as they had to pack everything up for the trip home. Once back the Y, the group quickly went out to a market to collect any last food items they wanted to bring home, as well as any last alpaca sweaters. We had a big group dinner with all the homestay families before having to say our long goodbyes and leaving for the airport. It was obvious that the homestay had been a highlight for the participant, and everyone struggled to say goodbye to the new friends they had made. We got to the airport late in the evening and waited to board the plane early the next morning. Sunday, July 31 st We landed back into JFK at 9am. It took us a while to clear customs as our group was all seated at the back of the plane. We all got through and found our bags and got on the bus back to camp. The bus ride back was pretty quiet as the students were all tired. We arrived back at Camp Becket and all raced to the showers before dinner. That night the group got into the debrief and started to finish up all program related tasks. Sunday, July 1 st The participants were so excited to be waking up at camp in the Berkshires; they were back in a familiar environment. The day was spent wrapping up the program tasks and taking extra time with one another before having to part ways so soon. Monday, July 2 nd Today the group was up early, and everyone packed their gear one last time. We walked over to the Chimney sign barn to meet everyone s families. We shared a slideshow with the parents and tried to explain the great time we had just had over the past month.