Peru Update #1

June 14th-24th

I have been having the most incredible first 10 days of my trip, it is hard for words to capture it. I arrived last Saturday and have been going non-stop since. I am currently in the program International Medical Aid with a group of 9 other students and have already made incredible friends. In the past week and a half I have:

• Toured four important archeological sites outside of Cusco including Saksaywaman, and Quenco and learned about the Incan history of the places. That day we also visited an alpaca farm to see llamas, alpacas, and guanacos and learn about traditional weaving.

• Watched celebrations, dancing, and concerts in the streets. June is the month of festivals in Peru and practically every other day is a holiday. A highlight was watching all the high school dance groups in a competition or presentation in the Plaza de Armas.

• Done rotations in four departments in the clinic. My favorite day was working in pediatrics as it really lit up my passion for the field. I also worked in general medicine, wound care and injections, and ultrasound -- all of which were fascinating experiences I learned a lot from.

• Done a hygiene education session at an elementary school to teach 6-7 year olds about washing hands and brushing teeth. This was such a fun experience, we sang songs with them and the kids were so excited to practice what we taught them and show us the steps. There was a line of kids out of the classroom waiting to hug us.

• Had group Spanish lessons to practice grammar, conjugation, and prepare for our outreach clinics.

• Explored Cusco with my friends -- going out to eat, walking in the markets, going dancing, and watching interesting local events like Miss Peru 2025.

• Did a lunch huatia in the hills outside of Cusco. A huatia is a Peruvian style of cookout gathering where you build an oven in a field out of mud bricks, heat it for hours until the bricks are hot enough that they sizzle when you spit on them, fill the oven with potatoes and collapse it, burry it for 30 minutes so the potatoes cook with the hot bricks, and dig it up to eat them. The potatoes were so tasty and it was such a fun experience cooking with tons of families out in the field.

• Spent the day at rainbow mountain and the red valley with the new friends I've made. This was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, the area sits at the foot of a glacier and wild alpacas are grazing in the valleys below. I had such a fun time hiking through the incredible scenery and spending time with my friends. At the top of the mountains there were hawks flying above everyone, llamas in sunglasses, and an incredible view in every direction. The red valley (just behind the rainbow mountain) was amazing and we were practically the only ones there.

• Went to a local soccer game at the big stadium and watched the Cusco team win a game!

• Attended lectures on disease burden in Peru and practiced physical examinations and clinical skills to prepare for a community outreach clinic.

• Watched the biggest festival of the year in Cusco called Inti Raymi, the festival of the sun. This is a tradition dating back to the Incas and they still celebrate it in the same way with dances, prayers, and characters chosen to be the Inca king, queen, and all sorts warriors, shamans, dancers, and messengers. It was one of the biggest gatherings of people I have ever seen and the performance was spectacular.

This has already become the best trip I have ever been on -- the things I've learned, the people I've met, the adventures I've had -- I know they will last me a lifetime. I'm so excited for all the experiences I have ahead of me on this journey!

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