Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!
Here are a few things to know and expect:
- Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
- We typically receive 2-3 blog updates per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
- Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
- Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
- Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.
Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.
For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.
-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team
Click here to jump down to the most recent post!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 7
Hi!! Today we woke up and had an amazing breakfast before going on a walk into town and visiting a local market. There, we saw lots of Peruvian culture, food, and were able to practice our Spanish speaking skills! We then headed back to the hotel for lunch, and shortly after we were trained by local medics on how to properly care for the children we will be volunteering with! We were able to practice things like measuring blood pressure and height for each other. Later, we went on a walk to a local museum where we saw Incan artifacts and even mummies! We then explored the town some more and headed back to the hotel for dinner. We then played games and bonded with our small groups!
Tallulah and Mary Laughlin
BLOG POST FOR JULY 8
Today at GLA was exciting all around! We started the morning with another great breakfast from Isabella before prepping ourselves for the clinic the next day by listening and conversing with a medical professional who’s working to help us here in Peru. We had our lunch with a nice break time before leaving for our special cultural event with a local priest who showed us how they practiced some of the older traditions that are here in Peru. We went on a small expedition to make offerings and wishes to Mother Earth while being blessed in return! After coming home and eating dinner, we participated in bonding activities with each other and our counselors to better know each other and what we want to achieve. Finally, we went out for crepes and other sweets at the end of the day before returning home to rest for the next day.
– Nico
BLOG POST FOR JULY 9
Today we participated in a clinic! We shadowed local medical professionals, and assisted them in working with patients. There were multiple stations in which we participated: Triage, Toothbrushing, Education, General Medicine, Pharmacy, and Dental. We rotated through two of these stations, one before lunch, and one after. After the clinic, we played a competitive game of soccer! We had an amazing time, and headed back to home base shortly afterward. We had a break, where we went to the Three Monkeys coffee shop! We all got something amazing to eat or drink, including croissants and coffee. Dinner was next, with everyone enjoying their meal. For our final activity of the day, we went to the grocery store and picked up a few snacks! We had a great time exploring the store and walking around. We returned to home base, tired, but with more information about Peru, its people, and its culture. (And also more snacks!)
– Drew
BLOG POST FOR JULY 10
Today we started the morning with a great breakfast before heading out on a long bus ride to our clinic location outside of Cusco. From the highway we could see one of the glaciers that helps fuel the water supply! After we arrived and helped set up at a local church, everyone started their stations! Today there was triage, toothbrushing, pharmacy, dental, doctor, and OBGYN. After a lovely lunch we rotated stations so we could get to know everyone. The location today was inside a beautiful valley! After the ride back to home base, we had a guest speaker who talked to us about climate change (glacier specific) and how it is affecting the local communities in terms of their health and future wellbeing. Then we had a great dinner and talked in our mentor groups about our three core values. Then some of us went on an adventure to find churros and ice cream! Today was a great day filled with a lot of laughter and knowledge! Can’t wait to see you tomorrow!
-Lucy
BLOG POST FOR JULY 11
Wow, today was such an amazing today! To start off, we had an exquisite breakfast from our beloved local chef, Isabel. We were then prepped to go on an amazing crusade to the CEDNA Cooking Center! There, we connected with other local chefs who assisted us as we made delicious meals, involving meat, vegetables, dessert, and more! After we returned from our cooking adventure, we then got to learn more about the musical culture within Peru. We even tried using pan flutes! Then, we had an exciting and stimulating debate, where we expressed our ideas and logic behind different experimental Peru-based issues that ultimately grew our understanding. I can’t wait to see what’s next for us!
-John
BLOG POST FOR JULY 12
We had a bright and early breakfast today which was delicious! After a tummy turning car ride we finally made it to the rafting place. Rafting was fun and followed by an amazing lunch of chicken and rice! We came back and all rested then went to the main room and played cards! We had a great dinner and then hung out in the main room.
-CiCi
BLOG POST FOR JULY 13
This morning we had our third day of clinics. We had a busy day with lots of patients and played with the kids, as well as making bricks with some construction workers nearby. Once we got back we split into mentor groups to go to the Plaza de Armas, where we got a comforting taste of home of McDonalds and Starbucks, walked around, and shopped in some stores. We returned to the hotel for a small dinner and free time before bed.
-Emma
BLOG POST FOR JULY 14
Today we woke up bright and early for our last day of clinic. We went down to have an amazing breakfast and then left for clinic where we helped in a soccer field. Cici, Lauren, Elle, and I left the clinic to visit a school to teach them how to brush their teeth and apply fluoride! We then went home and had a dance class experience where we learned four different Peruvian dances. Then, we had dinner and began to pack up for our two night trip in the mountains!
– Annie😚🌞
BLOG POST FOR JULY 15
Early this morning, we journeyed from Cusco to the Sacred Valley. Our first stop was at Andean Colors, where we learned methods of dying alpaca wool using natural ingredients, like plant leaves and insect blood. After grinding ingredients and dying yarn in boiling water, we crafted our own bracelets using traditional Andean weaving techniques. We also got to feed the alpacas and llamas! At lunch, we tried cuy (guinea pig), which was spit roasted in an oven.
We then traveled to the famous Maras Salt Mine, which has existed for over a thousand years, dating back to pre-Inca civilizations. The mosaic of salt terraces stretch over a beautiful valley where local communities still harvest the mineral today.
We made it to our hotel in Ollantaytambo, where we enjoyed a delicious dinner of alpaca steak. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!
Hannah
