Day 11: Lima City Tour

Today we slept in a bit...which was nice after coming home late from youth group. We hit up the mall for lunch at La Lucha, our favorite Peruvian place with great sandwiches & burgers & fries.
Today we acted like tourists and toured Lima with Daniel, Saúl & Tavo. We started in Plaza de San Marti, walked the pedestrian street to La Plaza de Armas & saw where the President lives. We then headed to the river and saw where Daniel & crew used to pass out bread & milk to the homeless kids.  We headed over to the Cathedral and took a tour of the Catamcombs. Our last stop was the water park where we watched a water show to music, like the Bellagio in Vegas. It was pretty cool...and luckily not super cold.
Our day ended with Pizza Hut...such a sweet family moment around the dinner table.
Tomorrow we have a few more sites to see before we head to the airport for our overnight flight.  Lots of emotions but they're all good ones!!

Day 10: Touring & Time in Las Lomas

Today we took a mini tour of the artsy area of Lima, Barranco. We walked around, saw the beautiful buildings, and then walked down to the beach. It's mainly a rocky beach and with a high surf, the waves sure did crash against the rocks.
We headed back to the apartment,  grabbed our donations,  and headed up to Las Lomas. As there was a neighborhood celebration/festival going on, we moved to the upper court for fun times with the kids before Amana. So Saturdays are Amana club & Youth Group. So, the PV kids participated in many Amana games before they went in for bible studies & worship.   The kids passed out books, Play-Doh, qnd hats to all the kids afterwards.  The looks on their faces were priceless!!
We then packed up & headed down the hill for dinner & Youth Group. It was good to see the soccer players. Everything was in Spanish, but Tavo translated the message for the kids. Athe the end, pastor had the kids & I come up and said a blessing over is all.
Needless to say, the kids were celebrities as we went to leave tonight, taking pics, signing shirts, etc.... But how cool to watch these teenagers from different countries,  different languages,  different backgrounds come together and bond so quickly. They have made such an impact on my kids...forever.  Something that can't be taught in a classroom,  that's for sure!

Day 9: Sea Lions

So, a surprise excursion we offered the kids was the chance to swim with sea lions. Needless to say, they were super excited!! We hopped on a boat and went off to the Cavinzas & Palomino Islands. As we approached the islands, you started to hear them, bellowing like cows, then you started to smell them, then the rocks we thought were rocks started to turn in to sea lions...thousands of them...The noise was unreal...we sat in awe over the amount of sea lions... Kids jumped in their wet suits and into the frigid, artic cold water they went. A bit of a shock but they got up towards the sea lions, but goggles on and see all of them swimming underneath them on the clear water. Amazing!!
Headed back to the house, changed & only made it to soccer tonight, didn't make it up to the school...and I heard they were looking for us...:(
Tomorrow is our last day up there with the kids, so we plan to make the best of it!!

Day 8: Black Market & Volleyball

We had a comparatively slower day today. We slept in a bit and then went shopping at the Black Market. Basically an indoor mall with stall after stall after stall of imports. At first we thought they were knock offs, but the prices were the same at home. But the kids got a few things.
We then piled in the van & headed off to Las Lomas. Today was volleyball practice. Just as the boys have soccer Club, they are starting a girls volleyball club. Just in the beginning stages, it was fun for the kids! We played & hung out for a while.
For me a proud moment was when the kids of Las Lomas started up a Four Square game on their own...a game we just taught them...made my heart swell.
Our evening fun was back to the Mall for a great Italian dinner. I let the kids wander a bit...they wanted ice cream, of course. It was good for them to have some down time.
All in all, another fantastic day watching the kids engage & chat with the kids of Las Lomas. Such simple acts of kindness can go a long way.

Day 7: Olympic Sports Camp: Closing Ceremonies

Wednesday was our last day at our Sports Camp. We went to the market in the morning to buy fruit as prizes. We bought over 60 pieces of fruit for $8.00!!
Today we played some repeat games and some fun new ones. We started out with Four-Square, then Tug of War, Over & Under and then we did a couple new ones.  We tied balloons to a string and then on to the kids' foot. Goal was to stomp on the balloonsame of the other team. Last person standing with their balloon, wins. It took forever to prepare and only 5 min to play, but watching the smiles on the kids faces was priceless. We then played hot potato with water balloons. The next new game we titled "Dress like a Gringo". The kids did a relay game where they had to put on our clothes (Shirt, shirts, shoes) and run down to a cone & run back. Take them off, pass it to the next person, and sit down. I've never heard such laughter and seen such smiles! Watching the little ones put on our big feet shoes and try to run in them was priceless!
Last game of the day was Dodge ball. Another fun game!
At the end of it all, each kid received a medal as well some fruit. Such great reactions from all the kids!!
It has been so great, moving...watching the kids improve in their Spanish, engage with the kids, and bond...so heart warming!
We headed down the hill to watch soccer for a while, grabbed ice cream, and home we went.
Exhausted, but happy hearts from such a great few days!!

Day 6: Sports Camp 2.1

Today's morning routine was pretty much the same...breakfast, market, Olympics... Our fun addition was discovering the ketchup for the scrambled eggs, and the panini press for grilled cheese!! It's the simple things....
Another fun surprise came from the kids when they came home from the market...I was surprised with flowers....awwwwww... love those kids!!
Today we had more kids show up and had 12 on a team, thus 48 kids, plus some others running around! Today we did the Hula Hoops game & the Pass the Orange game again. Our fun was teaching the Peruvians Four Square. I think they got it, but may need to play again. We did Tug of War...which was more popular than we expected.  Our day ended in soccer fun and we put the 'gringos' as the goalies.  :)
After Camp, we headed to the mall, an outdoors setting,  had an amazing dinner at La Lucha, grabbed some ice cream, and headed to see a Ice Age 5, in Spanish. That was a new experience for the kids!
Tomorrow is our last day of Olympics Sports Camp. And we've got some fun planned, so stay tuned!!

Day 5: Sports Camp 2.0

After breakfast today, the kids headed to the market around the corner to bargain for supplies for the game. We talked about bargaining,  taking small bills/coins, and divided up the list. They were done in 20 minites!!
We headed up to Las Lomas. It's about an hour drive, one way, depending on traffic. It was fun to watch the kids slowly trickle in. We created 4 teams of 6, which grew to 9, for a total of 36 kids. The PV kids all took a team, and some paired up. We played a variety of games from egg pass with spoons, Hula Hoop pass, pass the melon (over/under), pass the water, and ended with volleyball. We had a variety of prizes at the end of the day for the 1st and 2nd place teams.
Afterwards, we went down the hill to watch the 1st and 2nd Division soccer boys practice.  Boy, are there some talented kids!
We watched for a while til it was ice cream time and off we went!
It was humbling to watch my PV kids interact with the Peruvians.  At first, most of my kids were pretty shy about engaging, afraid to try out their Spanish skills, but as the time progressed, they took more risks and put themselves out there.
Will be exciting to see how the week progresses!!

Day 4: Pachamanca

Today we said good bye to our Sandy oasis and headed the 4 hrs back north to Lima. This time we got to see the scenery in the daylight and learned of the land [turf] wars. Apparently evert Peruvian, under the law, is entitled to own a piece of property.  So once you've lived on that property for 2 yrs, you would receive a title. The problem comes when more than 1 person makes a claim on the same piece of property. We actually saw a couple disputes along the way.
But our highlight of our day was the Pachamanca. Back in March, we had a tour director named Sally. Well, she is from the Highlands but happened to be in Lima this weekend as well and her whole family invited all of us to lunch at her family home. The meal they prepared for us is the Pachamanca,  which is basically like a luau where you bury your food in the ground with hot stones and let it cook for hours. We arrived just as they were taking it out and saw all the corn husks/tamales, pork, chicken,  and oodles of potatoes. The smell made all our stomachs rumble with hunger. What a special treat for me & my students to be invited into a Peruvian home and experience such a cultural tradition. It was amazing!!
We arrived back to the apartment and plotted out our Sports Camp Days. We are staying at another apartment that Voices4Peru rents, with 3 bedrooms,  3 bath townhouse,  kitchen,  etc...it's nice to have a home base that feels a bit like home. We have this whole routine going with timing of showers, to cleaning up breakfast, etc... It's good!!
So our next 3 days we are hosting a Sports Camp up in Las Lomas in Ventanilla.  So, I had the kids pick games, figure our what supplies we had and what we needed, and what the prizes were going to be that day. They did an awesome job getting organized & creating a plan!
We ordered pizza and watched some Olympics!
All in all, a successful day!

Day 3: Huacachina

We arrived to this sandy town late late last night so the kids woke up to this oasis in the desert. We went into the main square to exchange money, lunch & some swimming at they hostel before heading to the dunes. We then jumped in a 14 passenger dune buggying, strapped ourselves in, and off we went. One of the funnest things ever!! We laughed, some screamed...sooo much fun!! The kids tried their hand at sand surfing...most on their bellies and a few brave ones stood up. We started with a bunny hill, then a bigger one, then an even bigger one...Kids had a blast!!
We had ano awesome BBQ dinner back at our hostel/lodge and a quiet evening to chill. Tomorrow we head back to Lima, a 4 hrs drive north.

Day 2: Las Lomas

Today we headed up to Ventanilla and to Las Lomas to see the school where we will be volunteering next week. We did an overview of the area and stopped at a make shift cemetery.  As there is no designated place to bury the dead, the community created their own. Also, they deal with the mafia coming in and stealing the organs and fatty tissue from the corpses and selling them on the black market. That was a bit of an eye opener for the kids.
We then headed up the hill to the school, ate lunch inside, and then headed out to play. What started out as 3 kids coming to see what was going on, quickly turned in to 20+...Kids,  adults, etc.... It was soooo cool to see my PV kids playing with, interacting with, socializing with the Peruvians. Proud teacher moment. Parents should be proud too! We played soccer, basketball, volleyball, and taught them Four Square . We then headed to watch soccer practice.  A tradition when the boys arrive is to shake the hand of all the men and kiss the cheeks of all the girls.  Needless to say, lots of kissing occurred!
After an amazing, but a tad chilly day, we headed home...eyes opened, ready for next week!

I'll post some pics when I get back to stronger WiFi. Otherwise go check out the PVHS Roamin Spartans Facebook or Twitter pages for now.

Day 1: ORD - IAH - LIM

If you've followed this blog before, you know we took a trip to Perú in March where we donated 37 suitcases to an amazing organization, Voices 4 Perú. This non-for-profit is run by a PV Alum, Daniel Klopp, who has been living in Perú for over 15 yrs.  During our March trip, we met up with Daniel and his team and donated all the suitcases full of clothes, shoes, medical supplies, sidewalk chalk, school supplies, soccer balls, etc... The students were so moved by the experience that they came together and wanted to go back and volunteer at the school later in the summer.  Fast forward to Aug 4 - that's where we are headed.  I am taking a small group of amazing teenagers: Abbey, Cole, Joslyn, Porter, Reece, and Taryn.  We will be volunteering at the school and doing some fun Olympic-themed activities with the kids.  We are, again, taking donations, but not as many as last time!  We are also planning to start a library so we have a variety of books with us.  It has been pretty powerful watching the kids throughout this whole process...and we haven't even left yet. :)
So, keep watch on the blog - I will try to update it daily and share our experiences as we go to a place unlike our own, to give hope where hope was lost, to spend time - a valuable resource, and to reach further...to go beyond...

Until the next post....

Day 12: Our day in Barcelona

And then there was one...group left...

All the other groups left this morning while we opted to stay another day. I had planned this extra day from the start with one goal in mind: La Sagrada Familia.  2 yrs ago I went in for the first time and vowed all my other trips would go in. So to assure the time to go in, we added a day to our trip...today!
So we got tix on line and off to the Sagrada Familia we went.  Was cool to see what has been added over the last 2 yrs...it amazes me everytime.  The pictures don't do it justice but they work.
We then headed to the beach, had a 2 hr lunch and tried to find a spot in the sand. But about a million of our closest friends had the same idea on a Sunday, so I made a home base & off the kids went.
After dinner, we headed back to the hotel with lots of laughs & reminiscing.
We are currently getting packed up for our flights home tomorrow.
While we hado an amazing, unforgettable time, we are ready for home.

Day 11: Barcelona

Today we had a city tour of Barcelona.with our local guide. We first stopped at La Sagrada Familia,  Gaudí's unfinished masterpiece.  It was cool to see what has been added since I was last here 2 yrs ago. As the kids & I are staying an extra day tomorrow,  we booked tickets for Sunday morning to actually go in. Wait til you see the pics!!
Next stop was Parc Güell,  another Gaudí creation. The park wasn't super crowded so we actually got a group pic at the lizard/dragon.
We drove thru town a bit towards our last stops: Olympic Stadium and Montjuic view point. We actually got to hop off the bus and take pics at the stadium & of the Calderon.  The view from Montjuic was impressive! We even got a pic of all the kids from all the groups.
We headed back to Las Rambles for lunch & free time. After lunch we headed to the Picasso Museum,  just as it started to rain,  we found it...and the line around the block. So we skipped it and shopped some more before meeting with the entire group for dinner. The weather throughout the entire trip has been hot, but the last few days we've had to deal with scattered showers...ugh... so we're praying for good weather tomorrow.

Day 10: Barcelona

We got up a bit early today, walked across the street to the Atocha station & caught our high speed train to Barcelona.  Took almost 3 hrs to get there.  We sent the luggage to the hotel, and off to center city we went. Had time for lunch & shopping on the Rambles before we headed to the Gothic Quarter. From there,  the kids did a bike ride excursion around the area & down to the beach.
Back to the hotel went,  had dinner, and while the boys watched the Spain Eurocup match, the girls & I went looking for ice cream. Found it...but also stumbled on some games & fun!
Tomorrow we'll get to see Barcelona on our city tour...and we are excited!!

Day 9: El Escorial, Segovia, and an extra stop

Today was one of my most favorite optional starting we do because of all the places we visit.
We hopped on the bus & headed north out of Madrid to our first stop: El Escorial. Nestled in the hills, it's one of the official Royal Palaces in Spain. It's also where almost all the Kings & Queens are buried.
Next up was an extra stop: Valley of the Fallen.  This was an addition to our itinerary because the Alhambra was closed, EF added this in for us. It's where the Dictator Francisco Franco is buried. Steeped in history, this creepy church was fascinating for all.
Last stop is the beautiful town of Segovia.  Known for the largest Roman aqueduct and it's castle, the weather did not cooperate for us at first. So we grabbed lunch and by the time we started the tour, no more rain.
Kids enjoyed the day as it was such a variety of places, all full of rich history.
Back to Madrid we went, got a little shopping in after dinner before heading back to the hotel.
We have to get all packed up as we're catching a train in the a.m. to our last stop: Barcelona.

Day 8: Córdoba, Don Quixote, and Madrid

This morning we left Granada and headed north. Our first stop was Córdoba, famous for its Mezquita. We toured the beautiful red & white striped arches of the mosque which surrounds a Christian Church in the middle.  Fascinating,  that's for sure!
Back on the bus after lunch, heading back to Madrid. We made a stop at a Venta,  or Inn that Cervantes would have referenced in Don Quixote.
More bus time and we finally reached Madrid. Checked in to our hotel and off to dinner we went.
Busy day tomorrow so stay tuned!

Day 7: Gorgeous Granada

We left the Costa del Sol and headed to the Sierra Nevada mountains & Granada.
We went straight to the Alhambra, the last Moorish fortress.  We toured the beautiful gardens, the guard towers, but due to some odd changes by the Alhambra dudes, we couldn't go in and see the Lions. (FYI...not real lions, just a famous fountain surrounded by lions.) While we were bummed, it gives us a reason to go back.
After lunch, the kids participated in a Scavenger Hunt activity and enjoyed it!
We grabbed some helado, shopped, had dinner & then went off to a flamenco show in the caves.  Always a fantastic evening! Fun to see Sue, Charlie, and Caroline get up & dance!!
Tomorrow we head back to Madrid via Cordoba. Can't believe it's Day 7...we're over the half way point...wow...and we still have some great stuff to go!!