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
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BLOG POST FOR JULY 24
First day in Peru! The group had a successful and exceptionally smooth arrival day. Everyone had the chance to relax, get settled in at our homebase, and briefly explore our new home, Ollantaytambo. In the evening we had our first chow circle (nightly meeting), a delicious dinner, and an awesome game of mafia. We are looking forward to learning more about the days ahead and get a good nights sleep after a long day of travel!
Hasta mañana!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 25
Our journey in Peru is off to a fun and adventurous start! We began the morning with orientation to learn all the in and outs of the program ahead, with a break to play a really fun game in a field nearby. We even had time to hike across the river to play soccer with some of the locals! After lunch, we headed into town to explore Ollantaytambo. First, we explored a traditional Incan house and learned about different Incan tools and practices, while also getting to see protected Guinea pigs (or cuyes). From there we explored some nearby ruins, and had time to shop at the local artisanal markets. We ended the evening with delicious burgers and a great get-to-know-you game with our mentors!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 26
Our third day in Peru started with traditional Peruvian pancakes. Afterward we treked up to a traditional Peruvian community where we wore customary Peruvian clothing and learned a dance. Next we were guided through the Pacha Mama ceremony in which we held coca leaves and learned about the cultural respect for nature. After the ceremony we started our work with the community by painting and transporting soil. Once we returned to the home base our group split up with one group going to play soccer and one who explored the market. Finally we ended the night with dinner and mentor group meetings.
Jackson & Elisabeth
BLOG POST FOR JULY 27
Our fourth day in Ollantaytambo started with our bus ride to Patacancha’s nearby quarry where we searched for rocks in order to continue to build the community up. We formed assembly lines and handed off rocks to each other for a couple hours. We then sat down all together and enjoyed a traditional lunch prepared by the locals. Lunch consisted of chicken and vegetable soup, traditional corn patties, and arroz chifa (fried rice but with quinoa). After traveling back to home base, we took a short hike to nearby ruins to learn more about the ancient Incan civilization. After returning, we split up with a group going to play soccer and others resting from the long day. We then ended the day with chicken and vegetable kebabs and mentor groups.
Donovan and Aviv
BLOG POST FOR JULY 28
Day five in Peru!! We began the day early with breakfast and a briefing of the Lares Trek we will embark on tomorrow! Then we took a bus to service and helped stomp mud into bricks, sand wood for the community center, and transport gravel. Then we enjoyed a trout and lentil lunch, a common Peruvian dish. We then came back to home base and changed into our bathing suits! After an hour uphill hike we finally made it to a swimming reservoir where we played volleyball and enjoyed the sun and the beautiful view. The downhill walk back was very rewarding. We then split up with one group going to the market to buy supplies for the Trek, and another group resting from our long day. We enjoyed steak and fries for dinner before ending the day with an evening trip to town! Everyone is getting excited for the upcoming Lares Trek!!
Eva and Caleb
BLOG POST FOR JULY 29 & 30
Days six and seven in Peru! The group greeted Wednesday at an early 6 AM to depart for our Trek. Upon boarding the bus at 6:30, we drove for about 45 minutes until we stopped at a grocery store to pick up coca leaves and toys for those who live in the mountains that we planned to hike. This short rest was followed by another 3 hours of driving, where we would reach an astonishing altitude of 14,500 feet. Finally, we had arrived at the starting point for our trek; we were exhausted, and confused by the fact that it was very hot out. The first portion of our trek featured mostly uphill climbs that required focus and music to conquer. This lasted for about 3 hours until we had reached our destination: lunch. Following lunch, the crew was tasked with another difficult session, where the biggest challenge seemed to be the thin air. However, it soon became worth it as we reached our camping site and admired the views. The majority of us immediately went to bed after a short dinner, wearing our hiking clothes to stay warm. The following morning many of us woke up around 5:15 to watch the sunrise, which we would soon find out to take another full hour to be completed, despite the orange and pink colors in the sky. We then packed our bags before having breakfast at 7, where we enjoy omelets and instant hot chocolate. It was now time to continue our expedition to the summit, tackling increasingly thinner air and steeper terrain, until we had finally reached the peak at 14,700 feet. The views were incredible, we truly understood the good fortune that we had to be able to be here. After resting for another 30 minutes, we embarked on our 3 hour-long descent to our favorite destination: lunch. After a nutritional meal, the crew head back to Ollantaytambo to rest, as we all felt drained. Tomorrow we will visit Machu Pichu, which we cannot wait for!
Sawyer and Jesus
BLOG POST FOR JULY 31
Our morning started with eggs and toasts for breakfast which we quickly downed before heading to aquas calientes. we boarded the train at 9AM arriving around 11:30. We were then greeted with a delicious lunch fueling us before our bus ride and tour of machu pichu. The bus ride was 30 minutes long, full of amazing views of the sacred mountains surrounding machu piccu. We met up with our tour guide Jaime at the summit, and began our 2 hour tour with panoramic photos of the ancient city. Throughout our tour we learned about the core Societal values of the ancient Incas, the discovery and excavation of the ancient ruins, and Incan engineering. We finished our tour and took the bus back down to aguas calientes where for an hour before heading back to ollantaytambo. Our day concluded with a delicious dinner, chow circle, and short mentor groups before bed.
-Nick and Stella
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 1
Our day began with another lovely breakfast at 7:30 so we could leave for our second to last day of service at 8:00. We started at the local quarry where we loaded rocks into a truck to be used for later construction. Then, upon arriving in the Patacancha community, we were split to tackle three various tasks. One group made cement for the floor, another continued sanding wood, and the final group layed bricks to form a wall. After working, we had a spaghetti lunch before returning to home base at 2:30 for a group debate on tourism and the addition of roads on the natural trek paths. We were divided into 4 groups this time and played the roles of various environmental, economic, and local groups to spark differing opinions. Some of us then went to the pitch to get a game of soccer in, while the others went to a relaxing spa for massages. Finally, we had lomo saltado for dinner before ending the day with another movie night.
-Riley and Fiona
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 2
On our last day in Ollantaytambo, we went to our final day at patacancha and our final day of service. We rotated between a few jobs for two or three hours, and then had a tea break.
Afterwards, we got to see the weaving process from the very beginning, from wool into string and finally into woven clothing or decorative pieces.
Then we played soccer and volleyball against the locals, followed by a traditionally cooked meal to close out our day there. We said our goodbyes, and left back to our lodge.
We went into town when we got back, and some people tried cuy or alpaca burgers. We then headed back for dinner. After, we held a group talent show, with guitar singalongs, magic tricks, and an nsync dance number, concluding our time in Ollantaytambo.
-Cam and Maya
BLOG POST FOR AUGUST 3 and 4
Monday, our last day in Ollantaytambo. We woke up, finished packing and prepared to leave for Cuzco. However, our trip was delayed by two hours and so we went back into the town to do some last minute shopping. We then embarked on a long drive, where we would stop for both lunch and a quick visit to the Maras Salt Mines. Following this, we finished our drive to our new hotel in Cuzco, we got settled in and enjoyed a nice traditional Pollo à la Brasa meal. We then went to explore the city and find a place to have dessert. The next day (today), we ate our continental breakfast and prepared to leave for White Water Rafting. After getting geared up, we split up into groups and enjoyed our hour and half long rafting adventure. We then relaxed and enjoyed lunch at the rafting lodge, before heading back to Cusco. After dinner we explored some of the city and got some pastries for dessert.
Donovan, Sawyer, and Aviv
