In life there are opportunities that come by only so many times; my trip to Peru is one of those. From the beginning I knew it would be an experience I’d never forget. Just getting permission to go on the trip was a Hail Mary pass since I was the very last one to join after the International Coordinator closed the sign-ups. Luckily the stars were shining on me that day when I met with Judith to sweet talk my way into the trip and almost beg that she take me with her. After much prep I was ready to depart to Peru. It started with what seems like a blur right after finals and driving home to Memphis, then flying almost 24 hours with 3 connecting flights the very next day. As soon as we got to the hostel in Cusco, I took what would have been the greatest nap in my life if it wasn’t for the Charlie Horse I caught mid-sleep. That night we ate some of the best grilled chicken I’ve ever had.

The second day we toured some of the surrounding archaeological sites around Cusco. It’s amazing that the Incans were able to build such massive stone structures on the tops of mountains. Not only were they amazing builders, but also they had a very deep sense of their connectedness with the universe and nature. They believed that Cusco was the center of the universe, so they built walls, which are still standing, in the shape of a Puma which is one of the most sacred animals in their tradition. Their holiest site was a temple ground dedicated to the sun, moon, and other natural phenomenon. Today, the temple ground is a cathedral that the Spanish built and has a very beautiful park at the bottom of it.

After touring around the city, we were ready to work on our service project the next day. We built mud-brick stoves for families in a village about an hour’s drive east of Cusco in the Urubamba Valley. The stoves had chimneys which allowed the smoke to clear the room and leave through the roof. I first realized how important this is to the people living in the village when I walked into the house as the family was cooking. Now I love the smell of a barbecue, but this was seriously too much. If I stayed in the room any longer I might have passed out from lack of oxygen. It’s amazing that the families can put up with the smoke. In fact, they actually suffer from the extreme smoke and have serious lung infections. Our group used our engineering expertise to build as many stoves as we possibly could. Almost every stove we built had its own unique situation. One stove I built used human hair instead of straw as temper for the mud. I am very proud of what a group of engineering students from Tennessee were able to do in three full days of work.

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After work, we got to explore the city of Cusco. My favorite area was the Plaza de Armas. At night this place was so beautiful with all the Christmas lights set up in the square surrounded by two massive Cathedrals. The Plaza was a serious spot in the city where it seemed like everyone loved to congregate; maybe it was the bars and nightclubs nearby. It was seriously a very different experience from any one that I’ve had in America. I don’t know too many town squares where so many people just like to go and hang out.

The last day, we all took a trip to the Sacred Valley and explored more ruins and shopped at a local market in the city of Pisac which is in the valley between two huge mountains. Alpaca! Alpaca! Alpaca! I don’t think I can get enough Alpaca clothes. It’s some of the softest material I’ve ever felt and it wicks away moisture which is very important for the people living in the highlands especially during the rainy season. Between hats, sweaters, socks, and blankets, everyone on my list this year got alpaca for Christmas. The last ruins we all visited before leaving was the Temple of the Sun at the top of the city Ollantaytambo, which was founded by a revolution because the King’s daughter fell in love with a common Incan man and ran away with him after the King forbade the wedding. Like almost all Incan cities, they decided to build Ollantaytambo on the side of a mountain with terraces for farming. From the Temple of the Sun, you can look across to the other mountain side and see the grain storages and right beside the storage is the face of Viracocha (the Incan Creator God) which is the rock formation next to the storage.

Half the group left the next day and the other half, myself included, stayed behind an extra day to see Machu Picchu. It was very mysterious looking in the morning with the clouds covering much of the jungle mountain. It looked like Jurassic Park. Even with the enormous crowds that visit Machu Picchu, it was amazing. The city was built as a university for Incan students which is perfect for us! After much hiking and amazing picture taking we got back on the train and headed to Cusco.

With all the amazing experiences I had, one thing that is most memorable to me aside from all the amazing food, was just how genuinely friendly everyone in Peru was. Maybe there’s a reason for all the dogs living in the city because even man’s best friend needs a best friend. Overall this was a trip that I will never forget, and one day I’d love to go back to Peru and enjoy one of the friendliest environments I’ve ever experienced.