Tomorrow, August 4, I will have officially been in Peru for one month! I cannot believe how quickly time has flown by. I only have two more weeks until I start classes at PUCP (Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú), and until then I am busy with language classes and a few more excursions in and around Lima with the entire Holy Cross group.
Late last night we arrived back from our final orientation trip. As a group, we visited Puerto Maldonado, Cuzco, and Puno. It was an incredible week and I cannot believe how much we did in only seven days.

La Plaza de Armas in Cuzco

Our trip began in Puerto Maldonado, which is in the jungle in southern Peru. For a few days, we stayed in bungalows, two hours down a river from the actual city of Puerto Maldonado. Here we did excursions in the rain forest, I ate my first termite and suri (a type of worm), went fishing, and swam in Madre de Dios, the river we were staying on. The wildlife was amazing and it is incredible how much biodiversity exists in Peru.
After our stay in Puerto Maldonado, we headed west to Cuzco. Although it is hard to pick favorites, I will admit I really loved Cuzco. It is touristy, but for obvious reasons—it was the capital of the Incan Empire and offers endless ruins, including the most famous: Machu Picchu. Luckily the schedule committed and entire day to Machu Picchu. It is one of the Seven New Wonders of the world and is one of the most beautiful places I have been in my life. Machu Picchu is in the middle of nowhere and it is clear why the Incans chose this special location. As a group, we took a train and a bus to get to Machu Picchu, but I am hoping I will have time to do the Inca Trail later this year, which is a four-day hike from the bottom of the mountain to Machu Picchu.

Me in front of Machu Picchu

Our final two days were spent in Puno. Like Cuzco, Puno is also in the mountainous region of Peru. Our first day we went to Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. First, we visited the Floating Islands, which are made of layers of reed, and literally float on the water. The people were incredibly kind and there rich history is still alive. There house and boats are amazing and made from nothing but reeds, nylon string, and hard work. After visiting the floating islands, we took a boat two hours east to Taquile. On Taquile we were able to witness celebrations of San Santiago and have lunch in a local restaurant where I had trucha, a local fish from Lake Titicaca. It was one of my favorite meals thus far and, believe it or not, it rivaled some of my favorite fish restaurants in Boston and Cape Cod! We were on Lake Titicaca for hours and still only covered a small corner. It is hard to believe how big this lake really is. At times on the boat, I felt like we were on the ocean!
Unfortunately, I have Spanish homework to do…but hopefully it will all pays off in two weeks when I start my classes at the University. In the next couple of days, I will be busy narrowing down the classes I want to take this semester. Although I am slightly nervous to start classes and the challenges classes will bring, I am positive this semester will be incredible and unlike anything I have done before.
Ciao, Peter

I arrived in Peru, eight days ago, and to the relief of my parents, my family and of course, myself, there were no problems; no delayed or canceled flights, no lost luggage, and I made it through customs without them tearing apart my luggage.

In Huacachina

Last week, we (the 6 holy cross students and one of our advisors) visited Ica, Laguna Huacachina, Nazca, Pisco, and Paracas. Everything was amazing! In Huacachina we went sand boarding; it was one of the most incredible things I have ever done. We were sledding down huge sand dunes on “sand-boards” and driving up and down the enormous sand dunes in a sand buggy. As far as I could see, there were just miles and miles of nothing but sand dunes. The next day in Nazca, we took two small planes up to see the Nazca lines. These lines were constructed by the Nazca culture thousands of years ago, sometime between 700 B.C. and 200 B.C. and it is incredible how long they have lasted and in such great condition.  There are endless geometric shapes like trapezoids, but most impressive are the lines that outline animals such as a spider, a monkey, and birds. On our final day, we took a boat, in Paracas, to see the Islas Ballestas, which are home to an array of animals including penguins, sea lions, dolphins and pelicans.

In the Parque del Amor in Miraflores, Lima. This is a famous statue, "El Beso" ("The Kiss") by Peruvian Artist Víctor Delfin

Finally, to top off a fantastic weekend of travel, we arrived back in Lima on Saturday, July 11, to celebrate my 20th birthday. That night we had a party at my house before heading off to the discotecas. My Peruvian “parents,” Selma and Augusto, prepared carne asada, rice, and macaroni salad, followed by a delicious cake from a local bakery. I also met the new Peruvian Foreign Language Assistant (FLA) for Holy Cross next year, and had a chance to meet up with a friend who graduated from Holy Cross in 2008 and is spending her summer in Lima.

Today, July 13, after a week of relaxing travel, we began our Spanish language courses that will prepare us for the writing, listening, and speaking skills we will need to use all year both inside and outside of the classroom. As much as I do not want to be in school right now, I am excited to improve my Spanish! Over the next couple of weeks, the six of us will work with our two professors Monday through Friday who will help us improve in all aspects of our Spanish communication. It is great to have such a small intensive course to help us brush up on anything we need help with. Talking to students who are part of exchange programs through other Universities, they are jealous of Holy Cross’ language and cultural immersion program, which includes these Spanish classes in addition to travel in Lima and around Peru in order to better acclimate us to Peruvian culture.

The past week has flow by and we have done so much I cannot believe it has only been 8 days! I’m off to bed now after a long day—I have to wake up early tomorrow for Spanish class and then I am off with the group to Centro de Lima (the downtown of Lima).

Ciao, Peter

Six days from now, I will be on a plane flying to Peru. I cannot believe how quickly my “summer” has gone by, even though summer only started a few days ago. It is starting to hit me how long I am going to be away from home—longer than ever before. Nevertheless, I am very excited to head back to Peru, one of my favorite places! I have been anxious to get back to Peru since I last visited four years ago, and studying abroad in Peru has something I have been set on for years.

My culture and language classes start a couple days after I arrive, on July 6, and classes at the University being in mid-August. I am a bit nervous about the switch from English to Spanish next week, but I am sure I will adjust quickly. I have been in touch with my Peruvian family, and they seem very nice.

Last night I had my “going away party” with family and friends. It was great to see my family and friends, many of whom I will not see for a year or more. Now, all I have to do is pack…for a year.

Ciao, Peter