When I got up this morning (Sunday) I was really feeling badly... slight fever and can't breathe at all out of my nose. I decided I wanted to go home! I missed my family and I didn't think that much of Cuzco. I made a bunch of phone calls to arrange my flight back to Lima and then to arrange my flight back to the states. I made it to the Cuzco airport at 1:30 PM and hung around until my 3:15 PM flight to Lima. I landed in Lima at 4:30 PM and I had a ton of time to [View Full Entry]

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We got up this morning at 4:30 since we needed to leave the house at 5:30 AM for a 6:30 AM flight to Lima. I said my goodbyes last night to the other volunteers. What a wonderful group of people!!! The plane was VERY, VERY small!! There were 8 rows with one seat on each side with a very tiny narrow aisle that you had to hunch over to walk down. So that makes 16 passengers on this plane. On each seat for our flight were earplugs for us to wear!!! And we needed them!! It was like being on a [View Full Entry]

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What an Emotional Day!!! I guess I didn't prepare myself for how tough this day would be. I spent the day at the Wawa Wasi and the kids knew it was my last day and they were so sweet. When my car came to get me they all gave me lots of hugs and kisses and said goodbye. My Wawa Wasi Mom gave me a big hug and she wrote me a note thanking me for coming. I will treasure it! Oh, she told me today that one of the sweetie boys who I've come to love so much does't have [View Full Entry]

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I got to make up my trip to the Wari Ruins and Quinia today.... It was just 4 of us plus Pancho and our driver Alejandro so it was very nice. Diane was sick the same day as me so she went as well and so did Marie Claire (who broke her foot) and David. We first went to the site of the last Battle of Independence which is called the Battle of Ayacucho. This is where Peru finally won its independence from Spain in 1824. Very cool and fantastic views! We also went to the town of Quinia which was [View Full Entry]

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Professor Riveria who was a friend of Guzman at the University came to speak to us today about the Shining Path (SP). 14 Years ago yesterday he was captured in a house with 4 women in Lima. That day stands as the fall of the Shining Path movement. 69,000 DEAD 15,000 STILL MISSING 2,500 COMMUNAL GRAVES REPORTED OF THE DEAD 45% WRE QUECHAN INNOCENT PEASANTS WHO WERE POOR AND LIVED IN THE HIGHLANDS AND 50% WERE FROM AYACUCHO This violence caused millions and millions of dollars in damage to the infastructure of Peru including the destruction of bridges, schools, and public [View Full Entry]

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Today instead of going out to the Wawa Wasi I went out to the Countryside to work in a Kindergarten. These people are even poorer (if that´s possible) than the children in my Wawa Wasi. My pole barns are in better condition than the school! There were about 13 kids either 3 or 5 years of age. They all spoke Quechan but were just learning Spanish. The same goes for La Professora (the teacher). We took a little field trip out behind the school to look at the Vaca, Torros, Burros and Garrilla.... cows, bulls, burrows and chickens. The kids named [View Full Entry]

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12:30 PM My toys at the Wawa Wasi were a big hit! Essentially they were dollar store, very cheap plastic trucks and a ball. My kids would have turned up their noses but these sweeties were constantly saying, Muchas Gracias Senorita Christina. Betty (Wawa Wasi Mom) really loved the framed photo I gave her of her and her Wawa Wasi kids. She gave me a big hug and was quite proud. They really don´t have many pictures of themselves as printing is more expensive here than in the States. Her daughter kept asking me how much it cost! I feigned ignorance... [View Full Entry]

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Well, it´s the beginning of the 2nd week. I can´t believe that Í have been here a week already. It has flown by! There are three of us leaving on Saturday - Kelly and I are flying to Lima and then Cuzco to see Machu Pichu and Heatherly is flying home to Detroit. I know when I booked this volunteer trip, 2 weeks seems like a long time but it really isn´t. It takes a week to get into the groove. As soon as I get my rhythm with these kids it will be time to go. I´m sad to leave [View Full Entry]

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Well, Pancho and his two sons picked up eleven of us at 8 in the morning and we made the 2 hour trek up into the mountains. I thought that Tunis Mills was rural... HAH! I have never seen anything like I saw on this trip and I don´t think I ever will again. I´ll say upfront that I´m glad I did this trek but I would not do it again!!! After 2 hours we made it to the small village we were starting from which was at 13,000 feet. We all felt the altitude immediatley after getting off the bus. [View Full Entry]

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Well, when I woke up in the morning I was feeling much better! However, Kelly (from Atlanta) and Andrea (from California) were both sick. It seems like we are dropping by twos! I didn´t go to my Wawa Wasi placement and instead we went to the Maximum Security Prison. Children under the age of 4 live in prison with their parents. When they turn 4 they must either go to relatives (if they have any) or they go to the orphanage. Really, Í don´t know what is better... growing up without a parent or living in a prison and then being [View Full Entry]

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