Day 11-12: Travel Day

We started out the day saying good-bye to Las Bananas & Huacachina. So glad we did the Dunes yesterday in the sun as today, there is not much sun out.  We make a mall & Starbucks run, and then head down the road to the seaside town of Paracas.  We make a quick stop, head  down the boardwalk to see the Pelican man.  How hilarious to watch the kids sit by the pelicans as the dude feeds them!!  hahaha!!  We spend the next hour plus on the road, do a lunch stop, and then continue on to Lima.
Back at the apartment, it's time to get ready to fly.  Showers, packing, cleaning, and pizza dinner.  We passed out gift bags to the boys who did so much for us this past week.
We head to the airport at 10:30pm, to find a looooooong line.  All checked in and head up towards security where the boys are waiting to say good-bye.  And, one last surprise!  A few of the soccer boys come to say good-bye at the airport....awwwww......
Needless to say, tears were shed, smiles around, memories & friendships forever!

Good flight up to Panama, and got lucky as the gate they arrived in Panama, is the same gate to go to Chicago.  Only had about an hour and a half in Panama...which is super easy when it's the same gate lol    :)  Safely landed in Chicago - all the luggage arrived - shuttle showed up to pick them up & home they went.  Due to construction on 88, the driver chose to go home via I-80, and so the kids passed through Peru, Illinois....which made them giggle & reminisce over their amazing week!!

Thank you, Grupo #2, for everything you did this past week!  You have made beautiful friendships between yourselves, but you have shared a piece of yourself, and your heart with a community much different than your own.  Thank you for coming to Peru and helping this small community!  You will not be forgotten! 

Day 10: Friday: Surfing the Dunes!!

Had a nice quiet start to our day, breakfast, chilling in the hammocks, a little shopping around the lagoon.  Delicious lunch at Las Bananas, more chillaxin' until our 3pm Dune Buggy Adventure.  We all piled in the buggy, buckled in and off we went! What a blast!  Up and down and around the dunes we went - lots of laughs, some screams!!  We stopped at a great lookout for some pics and then did some small hills as a practice run for the big ones!!  Next up, the big ones!  Despite some scratches & bruises, the kids loved the adventure!!  Needless to say, we had sand in all sorts of places.  Back to the Bananas for a shower and some chill time before our BBQ dinner.  Again, a story to ask the kids, but maybe THE BEST dinner ever in Huacachina!  I don't think we all had ever laughed that hard!
Played some games after dinner - taught Victor how to play spoons - what a blast!
Such a fun day....really don't want it to end.....

Day 9: Thursday: Let's head south!

Today we headed to the Green Coast of Lima and to Miraflores.  Appropriately named Green Coast for the green grass covering the hills as well as the money & wealth in that area.  We parked at Park Kennedy, or the Cat Park, grabbed some Starbucks and headed to the Inca Market for some shopping.  Lunch at La Lucha - famous sandwich shoppe.  On our way out of town, we stopped at Love Park, a beautiful mosaic tiled park on the cliffs overlooking the ocean.    Miraflores is such a difference from where we've been working all week....good for the kids to see the extremes.
We spent the rest of our day heading south to the small desert oasis of Huacachina.  It's about a 4.5-5.0 hour drive south.  We arrived around 7:30 to our hostel, after an entertaining ride....you'll have to ask the kids for the whole story!  Got checked in and ordered some pizza for dinner and chilled in the courtyard. It was a bit chilly, but tolerable.  Tomorrow we're off to surf the dunes!!

Day 8: Wednesday: Last day

Today was a bitter sweet day as it was our last day in Las Lomas.  After delicious lunch and some Metro shopping, we headed up to begin our day.  We had LOTS of kids show today, so the giggles, laughs, and smilIes were abundant.  Limbo has been a crowd favorite.  Did some dodgeball, Dress like a Gringo, the ever popular sharks & minnows, a new favorite obstacle course, and beach ball volleyball...until Jose stepped on it and popped it. lol
While the kids were playing and dancing, I organized bags for donations.  Each kid out today ended up receiving a bag of goodies:  clothes, soap, toothbrushes, book, toys, pencils, etc....   Watching their eyes light up when they got their bag.  So sweet!  Thank you to our PV & Riverdale communities for their donations. 
Sadly had to say our good-byes....but better "see you soon".  Some tears, some photos, lots of smiles....Great job this week, Gringos!  You brought many smiles to many many faces!!
Had our last dinner and then went to our last practice - got some group pics.  My soccer studs did an awesome job again....and Messi even scored a goal!!!!
We are excited for our adventure to the south, but boy, those Peruvians will forever be in our hearts!!

Day 7: Thankful Tuesday

We had an extra special morning today, got up a bit earlier, and headed to Pachacutec.  This is outside of Ventanilla, but in the opposite direction than Las Lomas.  It's a poorer area, made up of mainly people from the Highlands of Peru, who have moved into the city to find work.
Our first stop was the Wawawasi day care that we have visited in the past.  This time, they were expecting us, and only 1 burst into tears when we walked in the door.  We brought a suitcase of diapers and a suitcase of baby wipes as most of the kids are under 2 yrs old.  The moms pay 3 soles ($1.00) per day to leave their kids for the day while they work.  We took some toys & Play-Doh and were able to play with the kids for about 20 minutes before lunch showed up for the kids.
Our next stop was another neighborhood, the discapacitados, or the handicapped people.  On about a 2-3 block area, there are many handicapped people in wheelchairs or with walkers, who live and there is a sweet lady who helps to take care of them as their families don't.  As we had many blankets left over, we decided to bring them a whole bunch.  They were so sweet, and many of them had come out of their houses to greet us. They were so appreciative and just grateful for some simple blankets as it's winter here in Peru.  Warm hearts all around!
Up in Las Lomas, the gringos decided to hike up the hill to the antenna.  A few of the kids took them, and while it was a hike, it was great for them to see an overview of the entire community.  They returned tired, so we stalled on games, and then kind of had a chill day of games.  We played some music, organized a few games, and then got out the sidewalk chalk and the Picasso's went to town!!!
Tomorrow is our last day in Las Lomas......saaaaaddd......

Day 6: Monday: Games contd....

Today was our 2nd day of camp, but we had few kids there.  Not sure why - was a quiet day...could have been the weather....or the fact it was a Monday...
We did some dancing, musical chairs....and added some new games.  We did the Limbo....and they loved it!!!  We also did an obstacle course.  The kids created multiple obstacles for the kids to do and...they loved it as well!!  Of course, we had to play some favorite oldies:  Sharks & Minnows, added a new twist on tag and did line tag (where they could only run on the lines), and ended with some good ol' fashioned Tug-of-War:  Gringos vs. Peruanos!!  The Peruvians beat the Gringos pretty easily, but we called in some reinforcements and were able to defeat them!!!
After dinner, we headed to practice, but it was a short night as the older kids didn't practice today as they had a game yesterday.  My Super-Star Soccer Studs played again, showed off their moves, and were welcomed at practice.  It's cool to see the gringos jump in and participate with the Peruvians...totally immersing themselves into the culture.  #proudsenorita

Day 5: Sunday: Futbol

We rearranged our planned itinerary as the 1st Division Team of Club Deportivo Dan was planning for the League Championship today.  They already qualified for Copa Peru as winners in Grupo A, so they played the winner of Grupo B, to see who would be 1st & 2nd seeds from Ventanilla.  Copa Peru is a tournament that bring together all the districts in and around Lima to compete to go onto the national level.
Before we even headed up, we watched France defeat Croatia 4-2 in the World Cup game.  (we were all rooting for Croatia!)
The stadium where they boys play is right in the heart of Ventanilla and many fans from our time were waiting a drum & a horn when the doors opened. Gotta love team spirit!!  It was great for the kids to be there for a truly local experience.  We were up at half, 1-0, but the other team tied the game.  It ended up going into penalty kicks and we lost 2-1 in kicks.  Not how they wanted it to turn out, but 2nd place and a great trophy is something to be proud of.  Excited to see what happens in  a few weeks when they go on to Copa Peru.
We headed back to Lima and had dinner at Papacho's, a great burger, fusion place.  Some gelato, and we called it a night!
Day 2 of Camp tomorrow, so we gotta work on our Obstacle Course Plan!!

Day 4: Saturday: Lobos & Youth Group

Today we were up bright & early and headed down to the Port of Callao to catch our boat.  We're going swimming with sea lions today!!!  We had to take a water taxi to our boat, and the kids sat up by the captain for some great views!  It took us about 1:00-1:30 to get out to the island where all the sea lions (lobos) are.  They estimate over 5,000 lobos live on these Palomino Islands.  Donning wet suits and life vests, off they went into the tepid waters.  The lobos were barking and it sure did smell - I guess that makes sense with how many were there.  They were swimming all around them in the water - so cool!!  Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience!!!
Back onto the boat, change of clothes, and some snacks and back to the port we went....but not without stopping near Poop Island (appropriately named)... to look for penguins.  We saw oodles of penguins today!  Humboldt penguins were everywhere!!!
Made it back onto land, safe & sound, back to the house for a quick shower & change before heading for Awansa, Dinner, and Youth Group.  We made it in time to participate in the games during Awansa, and they sure love it when the Gringos participate!!  After dinner, we came back up for Youth Group.
Needless to say, it was a long day...but a great one!  Excited to cheer on the Soccer Boys tomorrow!!

Day 3: Friday: Let the Games begin!!!

Today was the first day of our Campamiento...and we were blessed with beautiful, sunny, blue skies!  As most Peruvians only attend school for a half day, due to resources & funding & space, many then find themselves with nothing to do in the afternoon... but look for trouble.  So, we offer a positive outlet for that and do a sports camp from 2-5ish.  The kids & I planned out games for the rest of the days last night, prepped our supplies, and were ready to go today!
The kids were awesome!  We did some preliminary 4-Square - a game we taught them a few years ago, and they still remember.  We fired up the music to draw the kids down/announce that the gringos were here.  Did some Macarena, YMCA, Hokey Pokey, & Chicken Dance - classics, but awesome to watch the Peruvians dance to our songs. 
Also, on the game list today was musical chairs, Sharks & Minnows, Duck-Duck-Goose. We then got the balloons out and put them into teams and they had to race around a chair with a balloon between their legs, then we had them run down & sit on a chair to pop the balloon!  We ended the day with volleyball, but with a beach ball.  As much as many complain about it, they actually like playing with a softer ball.  We played for a bit before heading down to dinner & soccer practice.
Every Mon-Wed-Fri, the 3 teams practice soccer, so we typically go and watch and sometimes our Gringos like to participate.   Today, Sydney & Roger got to play with the Dan Juniors team  We then went up to the soccer stadium to watch the 1st & 2nd Division teams prep for their big game on Sunday.  On Wednesday, they won their division in the Ventanilla District, so on Sunday, they play in the final to see if they'll be the 1st or 2nd seed from Ventanilla in the Copa Peru tournament taking place in a few weeks.  We rearranged our weekend schedule so that we can go watch the big finale on Sunday - Let's Go Club Deportivo Dan!!!!!!!!

Day 2: Thursday: Tour & Lomas

What a busy first day!!  Left the house around 10:30, made our Starbucks run, and headed up to Ventanilla. Quite a bit of traffic, no surprise!  We made a pit stop at Metro and then off to see the town.  Our first stop was an overlook in Mi Peru district.  It was a bit overwhelming to see the mass of houses & structures packed in such a small place.  We then headed to Pachacutec, a poor area with horrid roads.  I guess there was some embezzlement when the roads were constructed and weren't done properly.  We stopped at the neighborhood cemetery, an odd stop on a tour, but hearing about the mafia and their practices there was an eye-opener for the Gringos.  Our last stop was the Bahia Blanca - White Bay.  What a beautiful day - the sun was out & was even a bit warm!
We had a delicious lunch and then headed up to Las Lomas  There were only a few kids out when we arrived, but they started trickling in.  We showed the students around, but they were quickly absorbed by the kids and out playing soccer and all sorts of games.  We got some kites out and the Peruvians went crazy - they don't share real well.  The ended up climbing the hill behind the school to fly them better.  New friendships were created - old ones renewed - and lots of smiles & laughter today!

Day 1: July Group has arrived!!!

Bright and early Wednesday morning, the July Peru group met the shuttle and headed east towards O'Hare for their flights to Peru.  This group has 4 kids (Breanna, Maddie, Roger, & Sydney), and Mom Teresa.  They arrived in plenty of time for their flight to Panama, connecting to Lima.  The first flight was 5.5 hours, and they had a 1.5 hr layover in Panama...and saw some of the World Cup.  The last flight down to Lima was about 3.5 hours.  All the luggage arrived safe & sound and they made their way through customs and found Srta, Daniel, Jheisson, and Victor!  We whisked them away in the Jeep & the Van and they were quickly introduced to Peruvian traffic - never will I complain about 53rd traffic again!!!
Arrived safely at the Townhouse, got their Welcome Gifts, ate some Papa John's pizza, chatted with Daniel, Jheisson, and Roly. The boys left and Roger is staying at Daniel's place, while all the girls stay here at the Townhouse.  Time for rest & showers & unpacking.
Welcome to Peru!!  Excited you are here!!!

Day 11-12: Sunday/Monday....the long trek home

After breakfast, we packed up the bags, hopped in the vehicles, and started our trek home.  We made a quick stop in the beach town of Paracas.  Of course, the sun was out and it was beautiful in Paracas.  We stopped to see the pelican man, watched him feed the pelicans - hilarious!  Made a lunch stop, and then continued onto Lima.  Back at the townhouse, we showered, and packed up the bags for the airport.  Had our last pizza meal, and then off to the airport we went.  The airport was super busy - looooooong line at Copa, but all went well at check in.  Gave gifts to Daniel & staff, and sadly said good-bye.  Arrived home safe & sound, minus a sprint in Panama.

What a great week it's been here in Peru!  Thank you to Melissa, Cecilie, Sydney, Ava, Allie, and Tomas, for everything they have done for the community of Las Lomas over the past week.  You have left a beautiful impression on the hearts of many and I know they have left a beautiful impression on your own!  Continue to reach further and be the change!!!

Day 10: Saturday: Sand Surfing Survivors

We had a nice quiet start to our day.  After breakfast, a group went hiking up the dunes for a birds-eye-view of Huacachina. Another group went out shopping around the lagoon.  We met back up for lunch at Las Bananas, and then for our sand dune adventure.  At 3pm, we all loaded up in the dune buggy, and off into the dunes we went.  There is sand for miles and miles and miles - crazy!  It was quite the adventure going over the hills, listening to the laughs from the back of the buggy!!  Our driver finally stopped and the kids were able to practice surfing the dunes on some small hills before we hit the big ones.  We drove into the reserve a bit farther for the big ones.  There were 3 in a row, and the last one was apparently a doosie!  One went head over feet, another one just slid and ate a bunch of sand.  Needless to say, they were all covered in sand and had sand in all sorts of locations.  But, the kids had a great time!  Another new adventure they've never done before!  We had a BBQ dinner back at Las Bananas.  It was quite chilly today, a bit overcast.
Sadly tomorrow is the last day in Peru - boy, where has the time gone?!?!

Day 9: Friday: Shopping & Road Trippin'

Today we headed downtown Lima and did some shopping at the Inca market.  Great place for souvenirs!!! We then went to the infamous La Lucha for lunch - my favorite place!!  They serve amazing sandwiches & fries!!  We then loaded up in the vehicles and headed south.  Our last adventure lies 4 hours to the south of Lima:  Huacachina.  It's basically an oasis in the middle of sand dunes.  The drive is pretty basic, and we arrived at Las Bananas, our hostel for the next 2 days, around 7ish  The girls were in a room with 6 bunk beds and the boys had their own room.  There are many backpackers who stay at Las Bananas, so it's cool for the kids to see how a hostel works, and to meet people from all over the world.  We ordered some pizzas & just chilled the rest of the night.
More adventures tomorrow - stay tuned!!
*not many pictures from shopping & riding in a car all day lol

Day 8: Thursday: Lima & Las Lomas

Today we took a city tour of Lima.  We headed downtown to the Historic center of Lima. We took the kids to the Catacombs, which was a new experience for them all.  We visited the Cathedral as well - it is quite ornate and colorful.  We grabbed some delicious churros and headed to the main square to see the Presidential Palace.  We caught the tail end of the changing of the guard. It's so cool to see the colonial structures around the city. Such a difference from Ventanilla & Las Lomas.
We then headed up the Hill for our last day at the Voices4Peru school.  We took up a bunch of fleece that we had cut strips to make tie-blankets.  We had 25 kids show up and many of them remembered how to tie the knots.  What a fun activity to do with the kids!  They were so sweet about it and so excited to show off their blankets when they got done.  We then spent out last few hours playing games with the kids, dancing, playing musical chairs, Sharks & Minnows, and Duck Duck Goose.  We then sadly had to say good-bye to all our new friends.  Amongst the tears, were happy tears from all the sweet memories we made over the week.  Beautiful to watch the friendships made and to listen to all the spoken Spanish.  Such memories & friendships we will treasure for a lifetime!!

Day 7: Wednesday

Slept in a bit - tired from the workshop the night before.  Made a Starbucks run and up to Ventanilla we went.  Made a pit stop at the market to buy Hula-Hoops & dodgeballs.    Started with music again - that seems to draw them in.  Lots of little kids today, so we did some Duck Duck Goose (Pato Pato Ganso), Musical Chairs, Hokey Pokey, Chicken Dance and some awesome YMCA led by Sydney & Ava.  We got the Hula Hoops out and passed those down the line, did an Over/Under with the balls, but they really wanted to play Sharks & Minnows, but man, they don't like to lose.  Last 2 games were Dodgeball (Matagente) and then Tug of War!  It was a great group of kids today, just not a lot of sun.
Dinner & then off to watch soccer practice.  Wasn't super cold tonight....well, it wasn't as cold as Monday.  We still needed blankets to keep warm!!
We have enjoyed our time up in Las Lomas and tomorrow is our last day....saaaadness will reign in the kingdom tomorrow......