Ollanta
After a breakfast of pancakes and fruit, students loaded their bags and boarded the early morning bus to Ollanta. Students enjoyed a delicious lunch upon arrival at a local cafe, a nice break from traditional Peruvian cuisine. Students also enjoyed a spirited game of cards throughout the meal. Following lunch, students checked into their rooms at the youth hostel located in the center of the plaza, a convenient spot for tourists and travelers. The students explored the town and experienced more of Peruvian culture. The cobblestone streets and tiny shops kept the students busy until dinner. Well worth the wait, dinner was chicken with tomato sauce or mashed potatoes with vegetables. After dinner, students headed back to the hostile for a well deserved rest.
Students arose the next morning to a traditional Peruvian breakfast of bread with butter and jam. They then boarded a bus to a weaving workshop where they were taught the ways of ancient Incan dying and weaving. Students spent their time practicing their own weaving and purchasing authentic alpaca products woven by the people of the workshop. They then explored a market a few blocks from the workshop and enjoyed a delicious lunch cooked for them by Percy, the Putney Peru coordinator. When students arrived back at the hostel, they enjoyed free time until dinner. Students celebrated Adri’s 17th birthday with a delicious meal of pasta, chicken, and ice cream and then headed back to the hostel to collect their freshly washed clothes.
Putney students awoke excited to go white water rafting. They boarded the bus to the river after breakfast and were soon greeted by rafting guides. Several wetsuits, helmets, and crocs later, students split into groups and rafted down the river, enjoying the Incan ruins and beautiful mountains along the way. Leaving them hungry but happy, students enjoyed a lunch of grilled chicken and mashed potatoes cooked by their rafting guides. Soon after, students boarded the bus to Qenqo and upon arrival were greeted with much enthusiasm by the local children. Students capped the night with a movie and dinner. Everyone enjoyed the excitement of the weekend but are happy to return to their community.
-Michaela K. and Sophie R.
Qenqo
After waking up, we indulged in scrumptious, fluffy, dulce de leche sauce-filled pancakes, or hotcake/flapjacks (depending on where you are from), with fruit. BUT LO! As the ever-turning circular object with spokes (wheels for the layman) continued to precede indifferently, the man, the myth, the legend, Percy from Cusco bestowed upon us four tasks of increasing difficulty. Painting a marvelous, majestic, magnificent, motivational, man/woman-made mural. This was the most simple, yet most artistic task. The women among girls did this task. The second task was more arduous and more daunting than the last, for you see, several men and women had to carry 40.90 repeating kg adobe bricks up a steep hill, much to their woe. However, the pinnacle of man, Percy helped with the undertaking. The third task, harrowing to even speak of, brought several young adults to the ever-rising community center to bring cement up a towering ladder. El Presidente, Florentino, oversaw this endeavor as he danced to classically-trained Post Malone. The final task saw three young, brave souls carry more adobe up a steeper inclined plane, much to their chagrin. Lunch was nigh and Lulu and Gracie were the resident culinary experts for the day. The ever gracious and present Ida made most of the meal with her mother and newcomer chef, Percy. We saw what these four created, and it was good. A spectacular quinoa soup with a main dish of fantastic meatballs and a side of mashed and bashed potatoes with the whitest rice ever beholden by man. The two energetic speed-demons John and Dabney decided to climb to the sacred lake of Qenqo, said to hold powers beyond belief. Adam took the burden of leading this expedition. They arrived halfway through lunch after what seemed like a fortnight. They were changed by the lake. How? It’s impossible to say but they arrived more serene, more touched by the celestial beings of yore. After the luncheon, the time of freedom had arrived. Several went to catch and battle mythical and psychic beasts too horrendous to name here. Others did something even more taxing and treacherous; they played an ancient, heart-pounding, fear-imbuing, death sport with humans too small to be considered fully grown: This sport was called… soccer, fútbol in the native tongue. One child by the name of Wilfredo showed his superior skill at the adventurous activity. A rejuvenating meal was right around the corner as soon as Dabney and Lucy, the current silverware and dishwashers, had finished their jobs. The bells struck six of the clock and the cleaners were done so the cooks, temporary and otherwise finished their duties for the day. A garlic smell came from the kitchen reminding us all of our grandmother’s cooking in the old country. Stupendous indeed. The tables were set and dinner was served. The servers came and brought about a dish with cylindrical rice with the usual depression at the top and a medley of chicken, peas, carrots, onions, and potatoes. The final course was set. A red gelatin with a cream sauce. Most were ready to depart after the final meal but Julia and Ellie stopped them in their tracks. A meeting was scheduled and could not be stopped. Julia and Ellie uttered the words and we all knew what to do “Highs and lows with an optional shoutout”. The night was over and we all departed. People flew to their rooms; nothing would stop us from slumber. The day was over but we were all prepared for the next. Sugar plums didn’t dance in our heads but instead, Peruvian children welcoming us to the day ahead.
Come, stranger, for I have a tale to tell, a tale the mightiest of men have ne’er dare speak before.
‘Twas a cloudy Thursday that morrow in happy Qenqo when the Putney travelers (often confused with “tourists”) rose once more to seize the day. As to break our fast, we dined upon unfertilized chicken offspring with yeast product–commonly known as “eggs with bread.” Three tasks were bestowed upon the hardy travelers: manifesting adobe bricks (using non-mystical means, most naturally), harvesting only the finest of haricots-verts, and using the strength of their backs and the sweat of their brows to transport dirt from one pile to another.
Lo! Stranger, ‘tis with no light heart that I speak these words. After toiling in the thin air for what seemed like many a moon, the travelers worked to teach English. Lunch had arrived like the angel that saved Isaac from his father, and the travelers satisfied their bellies with delicious and plump chicken with yellow rice.
The travelers dispersed to work on their independent projects. Only the bravest of travelers dared play games like “500”. As for the final feast, the travelers relished meatloaf patties with rice.
So, stranger, that is the tale I have to tell.
-Cody and John S.
On Friday morning we woke up, had a breakfast of eggs and toast, and prepared for our last day of service. We split into three groups; one group picked beans, one group peeled potatoes, and one group painted a mural. After finishing our final service projects, we had a traditional Peruvian feast of corn, potatoes, and cuy (guinea pig), or for those who were less brave, chicken. In the afternoon we had our despedida (goodbye party) with the locals. Florentino, the president, gave a speech, followed by some music and dancing. Then, we all received hand woven braclets as tokens of the villagers’ gratitude. Finally, we played a intense game of soccer, mimicking the world cup with the teams being Croatia and France. Then, we went to bed after a dinner of steak, rice, and potatoes.
On Saturday, our final day in Qenqo, we got to have a late breakfast of pancakes, chocolate sauce, and fruit. Then, we spent the majority of our day packing, cleaning, and finishing our independent projects. For our final dinner, we had pasta and chicken and got an early night sleep to prepare for the journey to Machu Picchu.
-Sarah & Adam