Adios, Peru.

London, Ontario – After nine days, six flights, two trains and more than 12,000 kilometres over two continents, Team Esperanza has completed its service learning activities in Urubamba, Peru – three months later than anticipated.

It was the team’s second attempt, following February’s foiled foray that left us stymied at the border because of four inches of snow in Atlanta. If we hadn’t made it, we wouldn’t have had the tremendous opportunity to partner with two great organizations: Nexos Voluntarios and Villa Marcello school.

John wouldn’t have consumed 26 Inca Kolas, nor would Ellie and Cassandra F. have thrown back 10 litres of peach nectar – even posing with two boxes of it atop Waynapicchu’s 2,600-metre summit. Carling’s sunburned skin wouldn’t have thirsted for 250 millilitres of aloe vera cream and Sam wouldn’t have polished off one whole bottle of shoe shine on her dust-covered sneakers.

Instead, Anisha and Alison – who proudly wore one sweatshirt every day of the trip – ended up doing two loads of laundry in a stream. (The shirt, however, did not take the plunge.) At NeVo House, Joanna prepared 100 brown bag lunches and Yoel once got away with using his ‘special defence’ as Jared hung him upside down.

At Villa Marcello, Vivek and Mike finally celebrated a 2-1 victory in the daily lunchtime schoolyard futbol game – after three days trying. Then, basking in their glory, they realized they had beat a team of eight-year-olds. The school’s grade six class also put on one traditional Andean play, much to the delight of the Canadian visitors. Meanwhile, Nina led games of ‘pato, pato, ganzo’ (‘duck, duck, goose’), to many giggles.

The team completed the school’s second floor over four days, passing and lifting thousands of buckets of sand, gravel and cement for the one and only, Maestro. At one point, Doris caught a record seven buckets at a time; by the end, however, only three survived intact.

During reflection, the team spent one night of stargazing in Maras, 3,200-metres above sea level. The experience left 20 mouths agape in wonder at the 360-degree panorama of mountains and countless tiny jewelled beacons in the sky. Esperanza’s members took roughly 10,000 pictures – led by Shannon, sporting two cameras, slung like six-shooters at her side. The blank pages of Jessie’s journal were also soon tattooed by more than 14 pages of memories – by the second day.

At Machu Picchu, the team counted 13 llamas, including two babies. Of the team’s 20 members, 16 reached Waynapicchu’s summit at 2,634 metres above sea level in one hour, enduring thousands of steep, narrow Incan stairs, a dark cave and lungs and muscles that screamed endlessly. Zero bananas survived the trek, covering our bags and three sandwiches per person with sticky goo.

Cassandra C. led the charge in singing 12 consecutive Disney songs on the bus, which was designed to accommodate 18, but held 21. At the time, 16 were asleep and uneager to hear songs of any type. Two flimsy green plastic stools introduced to the van to get people off the floor fell apart in mere moments. Seven weight jokes were immediately directed at Douglas, under whom the plastic legs quivered.

Looking for alternatives, four Esperanzites spent four Soles for one tiny moto-taxi – you do math.  

Welcome to Peru: on the last day in Urubamba, several faces contorted in horror upon being presented with cuy – paws still attached. After six squeals from Jared, everyone knew just how cold a local shower could be; the whole week, there were only three warm showers total. And there were no clean clothes left.

There were unlimited smiles shared and several colourful traditional blankets, bags and Inca Kola t-shirts purchased. Kelly’s potato chips expired in 1996 and there were zero times there was enough sleep. There were, however, many more friends and countless memories made.

With 20 hours of layovers, the team spent time playing five different card games, including euchre, which Deanna was just learning. There was also one impromptu game of hide-and-seek in Atlanta, and another in Lima where the team spent 56 minutes looking for Sunitha, who had asked nine people for help after passing the team, and the security checkpoint. None spoke English.

Always in demand, Larissa was the team’s one member fluent in Spanish

Last roll call through letters A-T: “Start us off, Kelly.”

20 outstanding people and one phenomenal team: Esperanza, (Alternative) Alternative Spring Break 2010.

Managua, Nicaragua: Departure, Day 8

 

Buenas! Michele, one of the team leaders here, with a wrap up of our amazing adventure. This morning we were on the bus by 4:30 am, tired and a bit sad that our time in Nicaragua was ending. After travelling to the airport and clearing security (several times) we hopped on board for our 4.5 hour flight to Atlanta. There we met our fellow UWO ASBers travelling home from Costa Rica and spent our layover time swapping stories and grabbing a bite to eat. The Atlanta to Detroit leg was uneventful (other than the small child who kicked my seat and drove Chris nuts with his squeaky toy for two hours). Hugs all round when we said goodbye to Victoria and David, travelling to Windsor from the airport. The rest of us found our bus and tried to nap as we took the two hour journey home. We cleared Canadian customs easily since David wasn't there with his load of cigars and some people (Darren) didn't have a darned thing to declare. I think I made up for the shortfall. A sigh of relief from me when we landed at Elgin Hall. We had arrived with everyone safe and sound (and only one shortlived mild illness).

I'd like to end the blog by commenting on how proud I was of everyone in Team Nicaragua. Each and every student in the group was a true ambassador for Western and for Canada. They showed our Nicaraguan friends that we are a caring, compassionate and giving people. They went beyond the call of duty on several occasions donating their own clothing, medications and money to ensure basic necessities for those who did not enjoy good fortune. They were professional in their work and treated the patients with dignity,respect and genuine interest. They expressed their gratitude to the ISL team that hosted us and never once complained about the long hours, the hot weather, or the cold showers. We can all be proud of these global citizens, our students, and people I have had the honour to befriend.

No Words.

Machu Picchu, Peru.

Nicaragua, Day 7

 
Hola! Pablo, Pedro and Chloe reporting as our final day in beautiful Nicaragua comes to an end. A rowdy chorus of "All You Need is Love" can be heard from thenext room as our team clebrates our final night in Nicaragua with a lively Karaoke party. It's been an incredible journey and it's hard to believe we'll be on a plan home tomorrow.

Our day began with the usual early morning, vaguely aware we were putting on our purple scrubs for the last time. After a hearty breakfast we visited a local hospital to drop off some medical supplies and received a quick tour of a Nicaraguan hospital. We spent the rest of the morning at a seniors' clinic in Masaya. All of the patients were delighted to see us and were grateful that we stopped by. One of our favourite patients announced that he had no problems. That was an easy case (heh, heh, heh). Another patient rattled off a long list of ailments and as we were puzzled over the diagnosis, his nurse arrived and declared that he had none of the above. Another patient came in just to give us some mangoes and then left. After a week in Nicaragua, the generosity of the locals never ceases to amaze us.

 

After lunch we went to see a volcano! We drove and climbed to the top of a steep hill and as we peered over a cliff into the volcanic crater a gust of sulphurous gases blew in our direction and we began to gasp for air. Just as we feared we would breathe our last, the smoke cleared to reveal a breath-taking (no pun intended) view. The more adventurous half of our group then proceeded to explore the surrounding hillside wile the other half remained on the cliff to enjoy a volcanic photo shoot submersed in toxic gases. As this latter half travelled down the cliff, Chloe scraped her elbow on some volcanic rock and it bean to bleen. Shilpa, being the concerned individual she is, cried out in alarm "OMG, am I bleeding too?" causing the rest of the group to stareat her in bewilderment. As we waited for the other half of the team to return from their Lord of the Rings roleplaying on the Nicaraguan hillside, Ashley cam running down the hill. We feared the worst; that someone had been blown into the volcano. Luckily everyone was ok and Ashley just enjoys running. Phew, that was a close one. Secretly some of us had hoped it would be a reason to stay in Nicaragua longer.

We returned to the hotel for our final reflection and had a specially prepared traditional Nicaraguan dinner, and then same some karaoke. Pablo has ditched us to sing Celine Dion. We will wrap this up as we have to leave for the airport in T minus 4 hours and we have yet to sleep or pack.

Group Blog, a.k.a. our GLOG.

Urubamba, Peru – The day began as usual…amazing.

With a lack of whipped cream in the sky, we arrived at the school. The sun was high – and so were our spirits. Three crucial members down, we went off to compose the final notes of our service learning ballad.

The following represents a summary of our day in a haiku:

Concrete mix galore,
Work complete, Amigos made;
Guinea pig…goodbye.

Yours truly, Choco! Bum!

Detour to Cuzco.

Cuzco, Peru – Last night, hemmed in by the serrated tips of mountains that surrounded us, tiny white lights danced in the blackness overhead. The Milky Way seared a bright scar across the sky.

In Maras, we had climbed to 3,200 metres above sea level for our nightly reflection session – but under the stars, away from ambient light.  Sporadically, comets arced across the tableau as many of the team layed on the on their backs, reflecting on the enormity of our world, and our universe.

Unfortunately, the altitude took a grip on Jared and we needed to bring him into Cuzco for medical attention. In the middle of the night, the streets in the countryside were predominantly silent, except for large packs of dogs that would follow in the wake of our taillights. Bouncing down steep stone streets, I was impressed by the city’s massive churches and impressive plazas.  Even in the darkness.

The streets here, too, were quiet. And after a night’s rest, it’s hoped that what ailed Jared is too

Hanging from trees. Day 6

May 6^th, 2010

Hola again from sunny Nicaragua. We have had a change in pace today. Our time dedicated to the patients in Nindiri was shifted to a day of cultural learning and site seeing. We began our day 500 feet above ground in a rain forest canopy zip lining from tree to tree, sometimes in super chico (ie. superman) style, and sometime upside down. Today our true colors came out as those who have a deathly fear of heights showed their bravery by spending most of their time above ground and loving every second, even though they knees were about to give out any second.

 

The instigators of the group (ahem, Dave, Taki, and Mandy) decided to shake a suspending bridge whenever Michele was on it with them. On our final run, before we were given the opportunity of placing our feet on solid ground, and while many were still upside down, our canopy guides thought it would be hilarious to shake the metal cable. We have some awesome videos to come. Then, Louis, our wonderful tour guide, decided to bring us to the Laguna Apoyo.

    Our afternoon was spent at a craft market in Masaya, the capital of Nicaragua folk lore and culture. All of us managed to enjoy our afternoon sipping passion fruit juice while shopping for souvenirs. This is when we realized that we have some talented bargainers in the group. We called our shopping spree short in order to visit Granada, the first city of Nicaragua. This is a colonial city built by the Spanish colony. It is a very conservative city, and it boast of producing three Nicaraguan presidents. This city is also right beside Lake Nicaragua, where some fresh water shakes call home. After Granada, we went to a high end restaurant close to our hotel, enjoying each other’s company. We engaged in various interesting discussions like the afterlife and aliens.

    Tomorrow, our day is going to be dedicated to a senior home in Masaya. We just found out today that due to a lack of resources, we may not have sufficient medication of our patients. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s adventure.

Faces of Peru.

Urubamba, Peru – Buenas dias from Peru! This is Shannon, one of the ASB Peru team members guest-blogging for today.

After spending only three and a half days here in Urubamba, one thing that immediately became apparent is the friendliness and kindness f the people here. Curious stares soon turned into smiles and “Hola” as strangers passed us in the streets. From our homestay hosts to the Nexos Voluntarios staff, there is a genuine warm that radiates from them, shown small but significant ways. Although conditions here may no lead to an easy life, it seems that people here still take the time to find pleasure in life, whether dancing in the park or jus spending time with each other.

Each peson on the team has a set of goals that we want to accomplish during the trip. Mine is to make an effort to talk to the people here, whether it’s a simple greeting or conversations in limited Spanish. The results have been wonderful and sometimes surprising, from talking to vendors in the local food market to meeting a woman in traditional costume herding her cows by the side of the street.  There is so much to discover about the people here, that one week is not even close to enough.

Today marks the halfway point of our ASB Peru trip. There are so many more new experiences to look forward to, and every day gives a few pleasant surprises.

Still waiting to taste that guinea pig!

Hasta la vista, Shannon

A Turn for the Worse.

Urubamba, Peru – What had otherwise been a great day suddenly took a turn for the worse for me this afternoon – literally.

Playing an impromptu game of futbol, I rolled my ankle, which left me writhing in pain as blood seeped from my hands and knees. Suddenly, the ‘glory’ of an earlier goal became insignificant as I wondered how I could continue to help the team on its last day of construction tomorrow, and hike Machu Picchu the next.

The morning began wonderfully, with the students performing a dress rehearsal of a historical play that teaches about poverty and terrorism in Peru. It was a pretty special experience, not to mention cute; however, watching nine-year-olds wearing yellow masks fall to the ground shaking their legs as though they were being shot was mildly disturbing – despite the historical accuracy. All in all, it was an inspiring way to begin the day: after watching them, how could you not want to work on their school?

And work we did, carrying more than 1,500 pounds of cement in 100-pound bags across the lawn and up to the roof. At 2,800 metres above sea level, it is easy to become winded. Carrying, mixing and pouring left us covered in dust, which trailed us like puffs of smoke everytime we moved. Grey globs of dried cement clung to our legs. But, we finished one of the classroom floors and felt a tremendous accomplishment at what we had achieved in a few short days. One more day to go for Team Esperanza to leave its mark.

At the end of the day, we handed out donations we had brought for the students and walked many of them home, ambling hand-in-hand as we scattered throughout the village. Dogs and bulls pushed by, and citizens watched with curiosity. Common themes emerged from a number of these experiences, including the hospitality and graciousness of the children’s families, their desire to point out local plants and animals, and to ask questions about us. Naturally, linguistic differences presented a few challenges, but the act of being together spoke more words than any of us could.

Eagerly gathering back at Vila Marcello as the sun set over the hills, we absorbed the warmth of another day full of experience.

Hola!

Urubamba, Peru – Hola, me llamo Alison Curcio y soy…the student team leader for Team Esperanza. I’m still working on the Spanish. Today is day two of construction at Villa Marcelo. The excitement level was still high this morning as we lined up our sunburned bodies to hoist more clay bricks onto the roof. But so far the highlight of my day is not the 212 buckets of dirt and sand we lifted before lunch. Today, I made a new friend.

Se llama Juan Carlos y tiene siete años. (His name is Juan Carlos and he’s seven.) I met Juan Carlos when he grabbed me by the hand and pulled me into his grade three classroom. The third grade teacher has been away sick for two days, so he kids are running the show. They still come to school, even without a teacher, and spend the day drawing, reading, and chasing each other around the classroom. Juan Carlos quickly hijacked my camera to take pictures and look at them in the camera display. He dragged me around his classroom and the school courtyard, wielding my HP, like a seasoned member of the paparazzi, to take pictures of his friends. This continued until he had filled my memory card and I had to explain to him (using my limited Spanish vocabulary) that he had to stop.

During our lunch we returned to the grade three classroom to hang out with the kids. One boy asked if we could all sing a canción. (After asking him to repeat himself three times, I finally figured out that he wanted a song.) We taught the kids “Head and Shoulders” in English, and then had them teach us the Spanish words for different body parts so that we could piece together a roughly bilingual version of the song. Next, Juan Carlos stood proudly in front of the classroom and led his classmates in a Spanish song, complete with choreography (in exchange for which we had to sing for them in English). The songs and dances continued for a while until the bell rang to end the school day. With an “adios” or an “hasta mañana,” the kids left to walk home.

Despite the language barrier, there is a universality in singing, dancing, and playing games that has allowed us to connect with the kids at Villa Marcelo. Whether it is by sharing a song, playing a game of fútbol, or letting a seven-year-old run rampant with your camera, there have been so many different ways to communicate and make friends