Peru! A Marvel in itself.

Peru truly is a marvel in itself. My experience thus far has been very rewarding… a lot of firsts for me: first time visiting a foreign country for more than 1 week, first time traveling to South America, first time living with a host family, and first time having to take local transit to work. Much of my stay has been in the coastal city of Trujillo, located an 8-hour bus ride north of Lima. The host family I am living with for the duration of my stay has been more than accommodating. My host parents Javier and Aida have 3 children (Javier Jr. – 19, Aida – 24, and Lucia – 23) who are very much into learning more about the American culture and improving their English skills. In return I hope to learn more about the Peruvian culture and practice my Spanish. Already I have become immersed and have fallen in love with Peruvian cuisine. I have yet to try guinea pig, which is considered a delicacy here. However, I can now say that I have eaten the heart of a chicken. In the words of my host father, “Es muy rico! Si?” -> translation “It is very rich tasting… right?” Lunch is the biggest affair of the day, much larger than breakfast or dinner with a soup as an appetizer, followed by the main course, and usually Jell-O or gelatin for dessert. It amazes me how everything revolves around lunch. Even work schedules are devised such that family members may go home and break bread with the rest of the family and talk about their day. In the states, you’re lucky if you get an hour break for lunch and don’t have the luxury of going home to a cooked meal.

During the week I commute to my volunteer site in Delisias (a small rural town located on the outskirts of Trujillo) to work in a small medical post with a general physician. Much of the community of Delisias is very poor. There is a clear division between the rich and the poor with few in between. The doctor I shadow even mentioned that within his 15 years of experience as a doctor, his monthly salary totals to 3000 Soules that is equivalent to $1000/month in the U.S. Though this is way below the poverty line by our standards, an earning of $1000/month is a comfortable wage here. To put things in perspective, to commute to work everyday I pay 4 Soules roundtrip for a 30-minute commute. This ends up totaling to $1.30 in the U.S. You can’t even purchase a gallon of gas for such a price!

The patients Dr. Mario see range from infants, toddlers, teenagers, and adults. Usually Dr. Mario performs routine checkups consisting of looking in the ear, looking up the nose, looking in the mouth to check the pharynx, and listening to the sounds of the heart and sounds of the lungs. The most interesting case that I observed was an individual whose chief complaint was an open sore on his skin which turned out to be tuberculosis. I could not even fathom such a disease just because of the rarity in the U.S. All in all I have extremely enjoyed my experience volunteering in Peru; this is probably one of the most rewarding summers ever… EVER! It has been very interesting deciphering Peru, from navigating the bus system in a country where honking is commonplace and traffic laws are essentially non-existent to understanding the difference in health care delivery between at home and abroad. Peru truly is a marvel in itself.  

Justin Stiller             

Peru-Trujillo

This is week four and I have loved every minute here. Coming to Peru I had expectations, as everyone does going to a new place, and I can honestly say that it is very different than what I thought Peru to be like. Everything from the people, food, and culture is a new experience. Growing up my grandmother (my mom’s mother) took care of my siblings and me and with her I was able to learn Spanish as at young age. As I got older I (obviously) learned more and I always had a desire to travel to South America. With my mom being Ecuadorian and my father being Puerto Rican, I am able to adapt well to similar cultures and be thought of as one of their own. So my time in Peru has been eye opening, educational, and fun!

                  While in Peru, I have had many opportunities to give birth control immunizations to mothers by working with the obstetrician, Dr. Jorge; as well as work with kids with the pediatrician, Dr. Juan. Working with Dr. Juan I have continued to be able to listen to kids heart beats and lungs, examine their mouths, ears, and noses. My passion is helping and serving others and one day with my use of my medical degree, my focus being in pediatrics. I consider myself a kid at heart on that is care free, fun, and always filled with joy. Being able to work with kids has been amazing and one of my fortees! I am thankful and blessed to have such a gift, because kids are definitely not the easiest to handle at times. Working at the clinic in Moche with my roommate Sonam has been an experience I would have never been able to get in the states. Everyone at the clinic is so friendly and open/willing to teach and help us. It makes for a very comfortable learning – fun environment to come to and work in.

                  While living in Trujillo, I am living with a host family. The family consists of the following: Maria (mom), Fautso (aka Nelson, dad), and Nelson (son/ my new brother). The best thing about living with my Peruvian family is that Maria reminds me so much of my Ecuadorian grandma that I cannot help but love it here. Maria has been nothing loving, caring, and fun! She is my Peruvian mother, which is such a joy and blessing. As for as my host dad, he is something else. He likes to joke around all the time which is great because it keeps us laughing. They love to spoil their new daughter and it feels good. Getting to know both my Peruvian parents has been a great. The time I have gotten to spend with them gets better and better. I am going to be very sad when I have to leave. Peruvians care deeply about those who are family, and with only being with my family for only 4 weeks, I am like their daughter; always have been and always will be.

                  Trujillo, as if it is not beautiful enough, I have been able to travel to other places in Peru. This past weekend I had the opportunity to go to Huaraz. I was super excited to go and see how wonderful it is and everyone has said it is. When we arrived in Huaraz, I got pretty sick from the altitude. I got better as the trip went on, which was a blessing. On Saturday we went up to the black mountains. There we  saw where the Inca culture people live, how they make purses, carpets, their day to day products that they sale for a living. The process is so awesome and unremarkable. We continued our day riding horseback up a trial to just hike to a wonderful waterfall. We then saw some ruins that are made out of stone where village people use to live. After sightseeing we stopped for lunch and then headed straight over to the hot springs. I shared a coza (a small private bath). The water was super hot but felt so good. Being in there for only five minutes I was already sweating. The weekend continued to be filled with fun. On Sunday we did the six hour hike. The view was so incredible. The hike up was exhausting mostly because I got altitude sickness. But it turned out to be a great day!!

                  My time here in Peru has been quite amazing!! I only have two weeks left here and it has gone by too fast.

                                                                        SOMOS PERU!!! <3

Kristi Jamison

Working in a Clinic

I was placed in a pediatric and maternity clinic in the town of Moche. In order to get there, we have to take a micro and then a cambi. The first day, Rachel came with us to show us how to take it. I was so scared of using the public transportation alone the next day. Looking back on those thoughts makes me laugh because it is acutally really easy and a fun way to get to work in the morning.  The pediatric/maternity clinic has been the perfect clinic for me. While working with the obstetrician, Dr. Jorge, we have observed check ups for many pregnant women and have talked to women about their birth control options. My favorite part of working with Dr. Jorge has been giving the birth control injections myself. He spent the first day teaching us how to give the shot and now I am able to give them on my own. Working wtith the pediatrician, Dr. Juan, has also been a wonderful experience. I have gotten to see what different ear infections look like, hear irregular breathing patterns, and check the hearbeats of the children. We see patients from newborns to about twelve years old. I have enjoyed every minute of working with the children, learning so much along the way.

In the midst of all of the education, I have made some amazing friends. I only knew three other students coming on this trip before I got here. In the past two weeks, I have had so much fun, and I know it wouldn't have been the same without all of the people. We have bonded over the experience and have had a blast doing things on the weekends and after work. I would have to say one of my favorite things to do here has been walking to the mall after class and getting a Zambito (chocolate covered ice cream!) and drinking Inca Kola. My favorite weekend trip has been surfing in Haunchaco. We have all had an awesome time just hanging out and enjoying this new experience.

I can't believe I only have another ten days left in Trujillo. It is going to be so hard to leave my host family and everyone at the clinic! I'm looking forward to enjoying the rest of my time here...Ciao!

Sonam Tanna

The Mountains of Huaraz, Peru

This past weekend, half of our group went on a trip to Huaraz, Peru, a city that is 10,000 feet above sea level. Huaraz lies in a valley surrounded on two sides by the Cordilleras Blancas (White mountains) and the Cordilleras Negras (black mountains), both of which are part of the Andes Mountain Range. The white mountains, named after the permanent white snow caps at their peaks, were the first thing I noticed when I stepped off the bus. I've never used the word 'majestic' to seriously describe anything but that's the one word that kept popping in my head every time I looked up at Huascarán, the tallest tropical mountain in the world.

We arrived in Huaraz at 7:30am, and immediately began to look for a hostel, which turned out to be harder than we thought. But after a few hours of searching, we walked up the shadiest looking alleyway in Peru to knock on the door of Alpes Huaraz. We expected a serial killer to open the door, but instead one of the nicest peruvian guys I've met so far let us in and gratiously welcomed us into his beautiful home. 

After some relaxing and napping, we explored the city of Huaraz. The lifestyle there was very different from that of Trujillo. The people were more laid back, and never in any rush. The streets were lined with vendors, kids, and all kinds of colorful shops. One group of Peruvians even set up a volleyball net over a street, and they were bumping and setting like pros (they can't spike though). Every time a car would come by, they would simply raise the nets to let the car go under. 

After some more exploring, we visited a few travel agencies to plan our hikes for the next two days. Saturday was a lot of fun and a great experience, but hopefully some one else will talk about the sites we saw that day. I want to focus on the hike we went on Sunday morning. The travel agency we signed up with provided transportation to take us to Parque Nacional Huascaran. The van picked us up at our hostel on Sunday at 6am and we arrived at the national park three hours later. 

The first placed we stopped at was Lake Llanganuco, which is located near the base of Huascaran. The monstrous glacier mountain feeds Lake Llanganuco, and the water is a stunning turquoise color. It's hard to capture the beauty of Lake Llanguanuco in a few words, so hopefully the picture below will give you an idea of just how magnificent this lake was.

After a few more minutes in the van, we started our hike. During the first hour or so, I stopped several times to take pictures of the amazing scenery around us. However, soon I realized that the higher up I climbed, the more breath taking (this was probably partly due to the higher altitude) the views became. The climb became steeper and the weather became much cooler as we climbed towards the peaks of the mountains. Fortunately, every time the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, the temperature instantly rose about 10 degrees, providing both warmth and a boost of morale. 

The goal of our hike was to arrive at Laguna 69, a small lake/pond located at 15,000 feet above sea level. After hiking on rocks for about 12 miles and climbing vertically for half a mile, we finally arrived at the bluest lake I had hever seen. This beautiful lake was surrounded by the glaciers of the Cordilleras Blancas but it was still warm enough to walk around in a t-shirt if the sun was out. Arriving at the laguna was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and once again I can't describe the beauty of the place in words.

For me, the hike down from the laguna was mentally one of the most difficult things I have ever done. At peak of our hike, I was hit by altitude sickness; I had a splitting headache, nausea, dizziness, loss of appetite, and I barely had enough energy to take pictures of the wonderful sights in front of me. However, we were on a tight schedule so I had to climb down sooner than I wanted to, and there was little time to rest. With some help from Erica and Jackie (thanks by the way!), I managed to stumble down the mountain and make it back to our van. I think that the fact that I was ill and yet still had the time of my life on that hike is a testament to just how astonishing that national park is. 

Overall, I would say that my experience in Huaraz was incredible. In Illinois, we get excited if we see a hill that's over 50 feet tall so it was definitely very exciting to look up at the horizon and see the majestic snow capped peaks of the Cordilleras.   

Thanks for reading!

-Davel Patel

HuanchacoPau'mericaHuanCHAco: Trujillo, City of Sounds

The title will make sense by the end of this post; that is my promise. To begin, though, I'd like to take you through the last day or two in the hopes of painting a better picture of what a day in the life of an Imaginations volunteer here is really like. For this volunteer, at least. The day begins at 6:30 A.M. when my alarm goes off and I rush out of bed to avoid succumbing to sleep once more, as I don't want to be late, despite the elasticity of "Peruvian time." The day begins at 6:35 A.M. for Nic, program coordinator and my roommate, when my alarm goes off once more because I hit the snooze button by accident (sorry Nic). I turn on the shower and stare at the water for a few seconds in anticipation. Water is heated electrically here, but whether the water is warm or not depends on how full the water tank is and the pressure it produces. It is like a game of roulette; you never know what you'll get. More water pressure means hot water, and lack thereof means that the morning just got interesting. Today began interestingly. After the shower, I headed down to my typical breakfast of oatmeal (read: water with some pieces of oatmeal in it), an orange (in season/so good), bananas and yogurt (also liquidy but delicious), and bread. I hope you like bread.

I leave the house promptly at 7:40 A.M., always chuckling at the irony of my being exactly on time for an event that has no real schedule, as work simply begins whenever the doctor wants to show up that day. I catch the micro(bus) a few minutes away from my house, climbing aboard to the incessant chanting of the person whose job it is to collect money and jabber absurdly pointless yet fascinatingly catchy phrases to hurriedly command anyone who will listen .When climbing on it's, "sube sube sube sube," (up up up up) and when getting off it's, "baja baja baja baja" (down down down down). No matter how urgent his voice, or how desperate his tone, no one ever moves any faster or pays any attention to that guy. The best part of the bus ride, aside from the fact that the roof is usually at around 5 1/2 feet and I'm 6 feet tall, is the melodious advertisement of the money-collector guy. They make the big bucks for their ability to advertise which parts of town the bus passes through, including Huanchaco, UPAO, and America Avenue, among others. No matter who you are, how close you are to the bus, or in which direction you're headed, these guys are certain that YOU are interested in THEIR bus. You just might not know it yet. So they help you by shouting and pointing to you as the vibrant yellow and red bus that clearly says "HUANCHACO" on it passes by, just so you don't miss it. Man am I going to miss that bus.

Taxis are too complex a subject to broach, so I won't even go there. Honks. Just honks everywhere. For too many different reasons. Always.

Anyways, upon arrival to the posta medica at Villa Del Mar, I meet with Jackie and we wait for the doctor to arrive. Once he gets there we jump right to work. Oftentimes he just points to us when a patient walks in and we have to take the patient history. In Spanish. Oftentimes frantic, rushed Spanish. It sounds pretty urgent, even when we have no idea what it means. The doctor usually steps in at this point and asks a few questions, then has us take vitals or probe whichever area is painful to try to figure out the problem. Our first day there was a guy who was hit in the chest by a bull's horn and wanted to know if his ribcage was broken or just bruised. Yeah, welcome to Peru. There are plenty of babies with fevers and coughs, along with a few UTI cases and the occasional bronchitis. Today, however, a guy came in with an infected toenail that needed to be removed. It looked pretty bad, but I thought it was good that he'd be referred to someone that could remove the nail for him. At least, I thought that was what was decided upon in the rapid Spanish exchange. But then the guy took off his shoe and sock and put his foot on the table a few inches from me, and the doctor got out a syringe and a pair of pliers, and then I'm pretty sure my heart didn't beat again for about 8 or 9 minutes. As it turns out, removing a toenail is a very simple process. And apparently about as uncomfortable and painful as one would expect. Honestly though, I think this guy got more anesthetic than a woman in a surgery we sat in on in which her back tumor was removed while she was awake (and in which the doctor got a phone call from his mother. And answered it). So it could've been worse.

Once all the patients are treated we are free to go. We got done a bit early today, so Jackie and I decided to hop on the Huanchaco micro (the only way to travel) to head out to the nearby beach town and walk around. We had pre-lunch lunch (it makes more sense when you're here) at a seafood place, and it was pretty good. We walked on the beach and saw the fishermen and their millenia-old boats coming in to shore, and we discovered what it is that they catch: crabs. Better yet, they sell them right when they hit the shore. We were debating buying some, but practicality beat novelty and we continued on our way. Getting back on the micro to Trujillo I was greeted by a busload of escolares (schoolchildren). One boy in the front moved over and motioned for me to sit down. People here usually move over to block the seat in order to signal that they don't want anyone sitting next to them, so this was an exciting development to me. His name was Pedro, and he is a 9-year-old whose favorite subject is math. We chatted for a while, and he is now the coolest person I've ever met on a bus (though there wasn't much competition).

45 minutes after my pre-lunch lunch, it was time for lunch. Today we had cream of squash soup with popcorn and chicken with rice and mashed potatoes (butter may or may not have been more abundant than potato in the dish). No complaints about any of the food so far. After lunch is siesta until about 4, at which point we have our medical classes. I can't really explain what we learned in class today, but I can say that it precipitated Davel's having to lie down shirtless on a couch while people poked him. So it was worthwhile in my book. Then it was time for dinner, and then a chunk of the group jumped on the bus to Huaraz, a city in the mountains, for the weekend. And such is Peruvian life.

The cacophany of high-pitched sounds produced by a bus full of school children, the unhappy grunts of patients lying awake during intensive surgeries, the delicate cough of a newborn with fever, the clear yet somehow mysterious cries of the micro money-collectors, the awkward silence when patients realize that we don't speak enough Spanish to fully appreciate their concerns, the lapping of the waves as the fishermen glide onto shore, the obnoxious ringtone slicing through the silence of the operating room, the chattering of the car horns becoming little more than background noise... it's a beautiful place where you'll never feel lost.

The sounds will guide you home. Just don't miss your micro.

Blake Thomson

A trip of Firsts

¡Hola de Trujillo! There's so much to say about our trip so far, but I'm going to stick to all of the medical opportunities that have been available to us! The doctors and nurses are so glad to have us and are extremely helpful. In the past two weeks, I've seen 4 different surgeries, performed check-ups on and listened as doctors diagnosed patients, given shots, and seen all kinds of amazing things.

The first day working in the clinic I was completely taken by surprise when the doctor, after examinating the patient, looked at me and asked me why I wasn't doing the same thing. I immediately grabbed a stethescope and rather nervously started to check the patient's heart and lungs. I had no idea what I was doing though and after the patient left, I asked the doctor what I was supposed to have heard because to me, everything sounded normal. He smiled at me and said that I was exactly correct. Later, while we were meeting with other patients, he showed me different sounds that different ailments can cause in a patient's breathing and heart sounds.

My first surgery experience was really cool! I got to dress in scrubs and everything! One of the surgeon's spoke english and explained exactly what was happening as he did it. They encouraged us to take pictures so that we could remember what was happening later. 

Going out into the Peruvian country side was a great experience because I got to see inside the lives of those less fortunate than I am. I helped vaccinate a few families against Hepatitis, swine flue, and tetanus. Later in the week, I walked to homes and helped examine water for signs of mosquitos and/or dengue. It's interesting to think that countries need to do that and it reminds me of how fortunate I am to be living in the United States. 

I'm so excited for the weeks to come!


Jacqueline Fitton

Surfing Trip

So we all went surfing in Huanchaco on Saturday, and it was amazing. Huanchaco is this great beach town about 30 minutes from Trujillo. The instructors were great, and every person that went stood up on their first day! No one in the group had any real surfing experience, so that was pretty amazing. Their slogan was “If you don’t stand up on your first day, you don’t pay.” So we all paid, but it was absolutely worth it. The class, wetsuit rental, and surfboard rental came to about $12 each. It started with a long lesson in the school about the basics of surfing and practicing how to position yourself and stand up. From there we walked down to the beach and got started. The water was freezing at first but the wetsuits really helped, after a few minutes we were all pretty comfortable in the water. There were 5 instructors for the 10 of us who went surfing, so we all got great advice and were able to ride a lot of waves. We were all starving after surfing all day, so the only thing on our minds now was to get food!

After surfing we went to a great little restaurant with some of the surf instructors. They told us it was their favorite ceviche place in all of Huanchaco, and they weren’t lying. The ceviche was incredible. It was my first time trying it, and I was a little reluctant at first, but it was delicious. Peru is known for its ceviche, and many locals are very proud of it. It is fish that hasn’t been cooked, but has been marinated in lime juice. The lime juice actually cooks the fish, and gives it a great texture and flavor.  The entire meal for 15 people was 170 soles, which is about $56. Can’t beat a meal like that for $3.75 each. From there we walked around Huanchaco for a little while and went to some shops, then headed back to Trujillo to go home.

Overall it was another amazing day in Peru, and I look forward to many more like it coming up!

-Will LeSuer

Cusco, The Sacred Valley, and Machu Pichu in Two Pages or Less

While my Peru trip has been very similar to experiences I have had in the states, to my fellow peers in the program, and to the experiences of Americans in a far away country, I like to think I have a different perspective to this crazy trip we call Imaginations Peru.  For example, I have been in Peru now for approximately six weeks; I have worked in a small clinic and for a short time, a hospital. I have been able to experience culture shock, reverse culture shock in Cusco, and then feel at home once returning to Trujillo. I have been part of the pilot experience and have gotten to see the program and its volunteers grow, including myself. However, since there will be many posts after mine describing the wonders of Trujillo and weekend trips, I think I will give my perspective on my personal trip between the two session of Imaginations; my trip to Cusco and Machu Picchu.

My first session of Imaginations finished promptly on June 25 and by June 26 I, as well as four of my fellow volunteers, started out our haphazard eight day journey to Cusco, Aguas Calientes, and Machu Picchu. We bought our tickets the first week of the program, and while I was excited I was also worried about traveling with people I had just met off the plane. However, by this point we had all become close over our experiences in Trujillo, and I was ready to dive head first into a personal travel experience. Our journey started with an eight-hour bus ride from Trujillo to Lima, followed by waiting in the airport for six hours until our flight at 5 a.m. to Cusco the next day. By the time we arrived in Cusco, we knew all of us were ready to sleep in our quaint but functional hostel, and then later attempt to explore the city. The first time we went out into the city, we saw young children in traditional clothing with a llama, asking us to take their picture. We thought it was a great opportunity, but blindly took the pictures before asking the cost; which ended up being S/. 10 per picture. While we were glad to give them the money, in the future we asked what the cost was and set a more reasonable price of 1 to 2 soles.  The rest of the day was spent exploring the absolutely gorgeous Plaza de Armas and shopping through the infinite tourists alleys for gifts to friends and family. Over the next two days we explored the city of Cusco and met up with other members of the first session group who had decided to leave for Cusco earlier. If you go to one place with old friends in Cusco to have a drink and chat, I would recommend Norton’s Rat, a English-style pub which has a TV set religiously to the sports channel, a bar which can easily sit twenty, darts in the back, and flags from all over the country, including a huge Arizona flag.

On the third day of our trip, we decided to try and set out for Machu Picchu, which is a very tiring and slightly complicated journey. The only way to get to Machu Picchu is to first travel to the city of Aguas Calientes, and to travel to Aguas Calientes you must first take a bus to Ollantaytambo, then a train the rest of the way to Aguas Calientes. While it used to be possible to go on a train straight from Cusco to Aguas Calientes, at the time of our trip they had changed the railroad schedule making it impossible. Once you reach Aguas Calientes, you must also plan how you would like to go to Machu Picchu and purchase your ticket to enter. We decided to attempt the trek of Huayna Picchu. Huayna Picchu is reached by going through the Machu Picchu ruins, and is a nearby mountain that, once you climb to the top, gives a spectacular view of all of the ruins enshrouded in clouds. However, only the first 400 people are allowed the trek up Huayna Picchu, so to make sure we would be in the first 400 it was recommended we be waiting for a bus to Machu Picchu at four in the morning. While it all made for a tiring day (Huayna Picchu is a very steep uphill climb including a small cave and ladders) we would not have traded the experience for the world. Watching the ruins appear behind the clouds in the early morning made the experience unforgettable, and truly made me glad I had spent the time and effort to see one of the seven wonders of the world. Only six more to go, right? 

While discovering the ruins of Machu Picchu was interesting for many reasons (the history, the endless maze of rooms and ruins to explore, the free-roaming llamas) Machu Picchu was the icing on the cake, but was not the only archaeological experience to be had in the region. Once we returned to Cusco, we took part in a city tour and also a Sacred Valley tour, traveling to all types of wonders including Ollantaytambo, Pisac, Pukapukaraa, Saqsayhuamán, Q’enqo and the ever-elusive twelve sided stone of Cusco. However, to see these ruins one must first purchase a boleto turístico del Cusco, which for students costs S/. 70 and for the rest of the tourist population S/.130. I was kicking myself for forgetting my University of Arizona catcard! While in Cusco, we also found very cheap horseback riding that took us to a lovely landscape and to one of the less known temples of the moon, which according to our local guide is still used today. We were most impressed by the horses’ handler, who had been riding and raising horses his entire life but unfortunately was in a riding accident that made it impossible for him to ride anymore. You could tell how much he cared for his horses, which made the experience all the more endearing.

While the daytime tours and trips around Cusco are enlightening, the nightlife of Cusco is its own adventure. There are many, many nightclubcs in Cusco, but I have a few recommendations for those who will travel to Cusco soon. To just dance, you absolutely must go to Mythology. The place is always full of tourists and locals alike, and they play an interesting mixture of salsa and American music; truly a fun fusion environment. For a more laid-back place, Indigo is hard to beat. They also have amazing Asian fusion, including teriyaki alpaca and the most delicious curries. They also have sports available, swings for chairs, and board games to play while you wait for food or a drink.  While there are literally tons of other places to try in Cusco for dancing and fun, we were only able to try these places and kept going back because of their fantastic and friendly environments. However, a place I was dying to go to and never made it was Mama Africa, a more reggae scene that was supposed to be the perfect place the hang out with friends or try your dancing. It will go on my myriads of things to do once I make a return trip.

And so, I will end my experience of Cusco and Machu Picchu, greatly summarized for reading’ sake. If you have never been, you must absolutely go. The scenery, the food, the nightlife, and the history have been blended into an experience like no other in Peru.  I was sad to go, but I cannot wait to plan my return trip.

Susan Olds

Chris Duff's Volunteer Perspective

Perú no ha sido nada brevemente de atontamiento hasta el momento…sorry: ‘Peru has been nothing short of stunning so far’. Having volunteered in Honduras three times prior to this trip, the biggest difference between Peru and Honduras is the general population here is considerably better off and not nearly as disconnected with the rest of the world. I came down here expecting no internet, no gym, and no basketball. However, all 3 are readily available in the city where we are staying! This is not to say Peru is like America. While some people are relatively well-to-do, the majority is certainly very impoverished and has access to very few amenities. We’re in Trujillo; it's in northern Peru with a population of about 1 million. Not exactly a tourist hotspot, we Americans tend to receive quite a few stares and attention. Even though it's winter down here, I can usually comfortably wear summer clothes, but if there is any sun, it's only around from 11-6 or so. Rain is essentially non-existent in this country as well.

This first week had just been orienting ourselves with the country and visiting tourist attractions, but we started work this past Monday! We spent the first day in Lima, their largest city with almost 10 million people. One of the most striking aspects of Peru is their way of driving. Even though Honduras was pretty nuts because of the highly treacherous mountain roads, the larger Peruvian population makes driving a relatively crazy experience for foreigners. There aren't any speed limits, and street lights or stop signs are few and far between. Driving in the lane is also pretty much up to the driver. So at intersections, cars will basically just nudge forward through the turn lane, even if there is incoming traffic. The same goes for switching lanes. They just honk at each other to let people know they are budging through and they aren't going to stop. Pedestrians don't have the right of way either. Cars do not slow down (just honk, haha) even if you are in the middle of the street. Completely unregulated, Americans would have a tough time adapting to the Peruvian driving style I think.

As far as politeness, I'd say Peruvians are not as 'bullrushed' to get through the day like many Americans. When 5-6 of us were buying some waters at a grocery store, a woman in front of us with multiple items invited us to go ahead of her since we had fewer products. I can't recall a time I've ever seen that in the States. Also, when we were touring an old mansion in Trujillo, a local woman offered to give us a tour (and she did) even though she didn't work there nor was she looking to be paid. When I’ve been working at one of the hospitals, doctors will sometimes just leave a room where they are treating a patient to go converse with someone else, even if it’s likely not a pressing matter. The medical patients do not seem to mind; I think it could be generalized that Peruvians are a more patient people than Americans.

In Honduras, a lot of the prices were adjusted for American dollars, so it wasn't much cheaper for things, if at all. In Peru, almost everything is considerably cheaper. Maybe 50 cents for a big bottle of water, 8 dollars per night at a hostel (in the nice part of Lima), etc.

When we went to Trujillo, we split up into groups of 2 or so to live at our home stays with host families. 10 of us total, 4 from Illinois, and the others from Arizona. All of the families are pretty well-off and have nice houses in the middle of the city. In mine, there is an older husband, his wife, and their three kids (2 daughters ages 24 and 22, and a son that's 19). The parents and daughters work in the medical field. All but two of the host families are related to each other in some way. The oldest daughter in my home stay speaks decent English, otherwise my roommate and I are forced to work on Español fluency. My family has a servant as well that cooks and cleans for them. They are very engaging in conversation, and we often sit around the dining table talking about whatever comes to mind. Many Peruvians, including my host family, are well-versed in world affairs and [American] pop culture, such as knowing aspects of American politics and listening to Lady Gaga, haha. In Honduras, many people basically only knew things that concerned their immediate community.

Eating is a significant, and often elongated, affair in Peru. They prepare everyone's dish the same down to almost every detail and use natural ingredients for most everything. Breakfast is the smallest meal (generally bread with a couple of other side dishes), lunch is *massive,* starting out with a large bowl of soup many times, followed by a big entree generally consisting of rice, potatoes, and some kind of meat as a base (sometimes a dessert as well). Just today, there was an initial plate served with many pieces of fish, a husk of corn, and a small potato. While eating it, I thought it would be the entirety of lunch. Then I remembered, ‘I am in Peru’. After eating that portion, a larger plate was served to each of us with heaps of rice, yuka, and a large serving of even more fish! Dinner is smaller than lunch, but still a decently sized meal. I find the Peruvian meals to be tastier in general compared to Honduras, perhaps because there is so much effort put into preparing the richest (my host father always says, ‘Es rico, no?’), most savory and delectable dishes around. There are also siestas here, and most shops are closed from 1-4 due to it.

The landmarks in Trujillo are pretty old compared to American standards with some buildings from around the 1500's or so. We also went to an ancient Moche temple (civilization from around 100 AD!) and it felt so eerie to be walking on the same ground where there were human sacrifices and priests drinking blood, from not so long ago in the grand scheme of things. After that, we went to a Chimor palace, from around 1000 AD. To me, seeing that palace made the trip worth it already. I took some pictures, but they really don't do it justice. Imagine a house 30 acres large! No roofs necessary, just massive adobe walls forming gigantic plazas and incredibly long hallways where armed guards would watch over the royalty in the past. Oh, and a big lake...inside of the palace, hahaha. I might not have enough money yet, but when I do, I'm going to buy one of the palaces (the biggest one is twice as large as the one open to tourists), refurbish it, and use it as one of the most amazing getaways of all time…or at least I can dream!

We also learned how to cook some Peruvian dishes at a culinary school, including the 'pisco sour' drink. It's basically Peru's national alcoholic beverage. It uses pisco (similar to tequila), lime/lemon juice, syrup, and egg whites. Made well, it's one of the best drinks I've ever had, almost like a margarita.

Last weekend we went to one of the home stay houses with all of the other families for a soirée basically. They all brought special (read: terrific drinks) dishes and we danced quite a bit. Definitely not the standard ‘bump-n-grind’ of America down here (for us younger folks I mean). I just salsa'ed and waltzed around with all the old matrons of each household, much to their delight to dance with such a gallant young stud...at least, I think, hahaha. One guy even brought his accordion and some of us (**Erica Lopata**) sang songs as well. Much different from the average American party...it was a lot of fun though. After that, bars...in which a number of them have live entertainment and home-brewed drinks as well.

Earlier this week, we went sandboarding, which is basically just snowboarding on sand dunes. It was a lot of fun, except there were no lifts to get up the dunes...such a tough leg and cardio workout...

We are all split up on which hospitals/clinics we are working/shadowing at. 4 of us (including me) work alone! Tons of first-hand clinical experience to be had. So far, I’ve worked in pediatrics, internal medicine, obstetrics, and emergency medicine. The doctors here are very willing to allow us volunteers to jump right into the clinical aspect of medicine and often give us many examining responsibilities. The workdays are only 4 hours and in most afternoons we take medical school level classes, learn Spanish, and work on setting up a one or two day event at the end of the month almost exactly like one of the brigades I worked on in Honduras.

Overall, this trip has been stupendous so far and further reaffirms my commitment to becoming a jack-of-all-trades doctor to treat people all over the world who need it most! One person, one village, one community at a time.

Hasta luego, americanos!

Chris Duff

Session 2 Orientation

Today our second group of volunteers finished their orientation to Trujillo and will begin their work at various medical clinics and schools in and around Trujillo. Orientation is a time for our volunteers to get acquainted with the history and layout of Trujillo. As well as have some fun with each other and their host families.

Our orientation began with a city tour of downtown Trujillo viewing the Plaza de Armas, the colonial and present center of the city and the cathedral nearby. We took a tour of Casa Urquiaga and Casa de la Emancipación, beautiful examples of the colonial and republican (19^th century) architecture of Perú. These houses hold special significance because they belonged to the aristocrats of the time and one of them was where Perú’s Declaration of Independence was signed. We also visited Iglesia la Merced, the first colonial church in Trujillo used by the Spanish. The church has survived many earthquakes and remains very well intact despite being 500 years old. Our tour concluded with a visit to a local market where everything from fruits and meat to clothes could be purchased. Truly a unique experience as to how most of the world buys their food everyday. That evening we had a welcome dinner at Canana where we watched a showcase of Peruvian music and the marinera dance style, Trujillo is often referred to as “the capital city of marinera”.

The next day we took a tour of Huaca del Luna, a temple of the Moche culture currently being excavated since 1991, and Chan Chan, a pre-Columbian mud city abandon by the Chimú culture. Our day ended with a trip to Huanchaco beach, a city about 20 minutes from Trujillo.

Our third day began with a cooking class where we learned to make Papa a la Huancaina and Lomo Saltado as well as Pisco sour, a favorite drink of Perú. Later that evening the volunteers host families threw a party with music and dancing for the volunteers to welcome them to Trujillo. One of the host dads even played the accordion, with several people showcasing their singing abilities.

Our orientation concluded with a morning of sandboarding just outside Trujillo. For most it was their first time ever riding a board down a mountain but within minuets of the first run everyone wanted to go again from further up the hill. Despite sand getting everywhere, the volunteers seemed to have a good time and were sad that we had to leave so soon.

With our orientation complete, our volunteers are ready to begin the exciting work at their clinics as well as prepare for the medical campaign at the end of their program.