Machu Picchu

"Machu Picchu? What's that?" Most of us discovered that we had all been asked that question before arriving in Cuzco. However, to give credit where credit is due, Machu Picchu is one of the newer additions to the Seven Wonders of the World. We all woke up at 6 a.m. and started in on our journey to see this world wonder.

After a 20 minute bus ride to a 2 hour bus ride to a one hour train ride to another 20 minute bus ride we finally arrived. Indescribable would be the best way to describe Machu Picchu, however, I'll describe how breathtaking this place really is. Once we started our 2 hour tour we were informed, by our tour guide Esmerelda, that Machu Picchu is really made up of three mountains, Huayna Picchu (Young Mountain,) Machu Picchu (Old Mountain) "Happy Mountain" (though no one can quite figure out why it's called Happy Mountain). In the middle of the three is a village where the Incan people used to live and they were actually quite an advanced group of people. There was a system in place similar to the aqueduct system in Rome where they brought water from the nearby river to the town for people to use and to help with irrigation. Actually, "town" may not be an appropriate term considering there may have been more than 1,000 people living there at one time. Our tour comprised of walking to the top of Machu Picchu (8,000 feet above sea level) and overlooking the Incan city, then slowly making our way down to see houses, temples and different statues. Cool doesn't even begin to describe how amazing this experience was (when people say that going to Machu Picchu is a life changing experience, they really mean it!). Esmerelda also told us that this city is now referred to as the Lost City of the Incas because during their construction of the city all of the people fled for some reason, and no one is sure why. Towards the end of our tour and after our last group shot at the bottom of Machu Picchu we looked up to see the top of the mountain, where we had been, and the city where these people lived almost 600 years ago. To be able to walk around a piece of Peruvian history, I'm sure we would all agree, was really a life changing experience. So the moral of the story is, add Machu Picchu to your to-do list and we ensure that you will not be disappointed!

-Molly a.k.a. the freshman

Beginning of the Goodbyes

Can you believe it's Sunday, already? Well I barely can. The trip has flown by and we only have minimal amount of time to enjoy the rest of what Peru has in store for us.

This morning was gorgeous, a great way to end the final leg of our trip. Bridget, PG and I headed into Plaza de Armas to go to mass at the cathedral at 10 am. Unfortunately, Luis, our hostel owner, failed on us and told us the wrong time, so we missed mass. We desperately tried to get into the cathedral, but every time the guard stopped us, telling us only people from Cuzco could enter the cathedral, and we would have to wait and go by a different entrance. Ourtraged, we gave up, sat on a bench outside in the plaza and enjoyed the weekly parade.

As the afternoon approached, we decided it was necessary to people watch in the plaza. Random people come up to you asking you if you want anything from postcards to jello. Its interesting to see the different types of tourists in the plaza. Marcia, Bridget, Chris Flores, Molly & I all sat on the bench, soaked up the sun and people watched away.

Later, we ended up eating a "quick" lunch, on a terrace overlooking the plaza. We were able to overlook the parades that precede the June Festival of Cuzco. Residents were dressed up in their bright costumes and danced throughout the streets. After waiting patiently for food and drinks, we departed to the Casa de Mantay.

Our last trip to the Casa...
I had a couple of items still to give to the casa and we all wanted to buy things from the workshop at the Casa, so we headed there after lunch. When we arrived, we were all shocked; the Casa was.. well, calm and ... Quiet. The Casa is always bustling with woman, filled with a childs laughter or even more so, either Abraham, Justin or Diego screaming and running around. Although, today, the casa was quiet. That soon stopped, as we entered Justin came running and Pilar greeted us.
We were able to buy bookmarks, bags, key chains; all the leather items that are handmade by the woman in the casa.
Soon after, all the mothers & children that were home came outside to say our last goodbyes. It's interesting to reflect how on the first day some of the mothers gave us dirty looks and now after a week it's all smiles, hugs and of course, laughs. We look some last pictures of all us and the wall and then sat on the steps inside the Casa to chit chat. One of the mothers sang for us in Quechua, which was amazing. We knew our journey was coming to a close and it was time to say goodbye. After saying "ciao" seven times over & taking one last look we said goodbye to all the mothers and children, especially Justin, Pilar & Raquel with whom we had all formed a special bond. The experience at the casa was humbling, significant and touched a piece of our hearts.

After leaving the casa, it was time to do what I do best.. Shop! Raquel suggested this market for us, but of course, you need to be super specific in Peru, because she landed us in an open air Food Market. Since I'm still battling my sickness, this was not the great for my tummy and I quickly stayed away. Fortunately, another market was close by and we were able to buy everything from jewelry to alpaca sweaters to trinkets.

Time was flying by, after shopping for a few hours we headed back to the hostel to change for dinner. Since tomorrow we are headed to Machu Picchu, we are having our final farewell dinner tonight.

- Melanie

Aguas Calientes

This morning, after a bit of a late start, and yet another crazy bus ride we were off to the "aguas calientes" or natural hot springs up in the mountains. Part of what we were able to donate to the casa was this outing, where for once every member of the house (mothers, kids, employees etc.) was able to enjoy time outside of the property and a change of scenery. (This is so rare in fact that no one remembered to bring keys to get back into the Casa, since there is always someone there to let you in...leading Sergio to have to scale our newly painted wall to let us back in later that day.)

It wasn't until the bus pulled up to the Casa that we truly realized that every single child was coming, babies and all. Luckily we had decided to have our own bus, which allowed for some peace and quiet over the rough, winding roads of the drive up the mountain. After an hour and a half we reached the indoor pools of natural water, and were humbled to see the majority of madres and their kids wearing bathing-suites we had donated. We accomplished the challenging task of tiring out the majority of kids by playing in the pool all day, and some even learned how to swim!

Again we were reminded at just how young the mothers are, when watching them cannonball and play in the pool, just as young girls would do, often times leaving their baby under the supervision of anyone around to allow some time to themselves. Imagining myself in their position really opens my eyes to what a struggle it must be to completely care for a child at such a young age. We were able to have time with Raquel to sit down and ask all the questions we had been wondering throughout the week. She revealed that 15 year old mothers are certainly the most difficult, as it is hard to be completely selfless during that age in a girls life. She also said that over 25,000 rape cases were reported last year, the majority of which resulted in pregnancies (in the "machismo"-dominated world of Peru, rape cases that do not result in pregnancy are generally not prosecuted, since a baby is the only generally accepted evidence of such a crime). Therefore, it is safe to say that thousands more occur and are never reported, or since they do not result in pregnancy there is no "evidence" and all charges are dropped.

A picnic lunch was packed for all 13 mothers and their kids, along with all the employees. Cooking alone for such a number of people is a full time job, which we have learned from working in the kitchen throughout the week. There is never a time of day where something isn't being prepared, as the babies eat every couple hours, and over 30 people are present for all other meals. The mothers were responsible for feeding their child while also trying to eat lunch themselves, as all the kids were running wild after their swim. I truly don't know how they do it since most of our group was already asleep on the warm bus, worn down from such an exhausting day.

I admire not only the bravery of the mothers, but also the dedication of Sergio, Raquel, and people like Pilar (a former madre at the casa, who is now a full-time manager there), who work day in and day out to keep the Casa functioning. Thanks to them these girls have the ability to carry on with day to day life the best they can, learn to care for themselves, their children, and begin receiving an education. I'm so glad that not only were the kids able to enjoy a day out of their ordinary routine, but the mothers and co-workers too! I hope we tired the kids out enough that they all sleep through tonight!

-Bridget McNulty

Roughing It 102

You'll all be happy to hear that all of our luggage safely arrived to us earlier this week (poor Molly was the last one to get hers on Wednesday, while the rest of us got ours Tuesday). So luckily, yesterday we were able to enjoy an ENTIRE day free of worries about clothing, towels, toiletries, etc. We all finally smelled clean, could take a shower and put on clean clothes, and didn't have to wear the Peruvian underwear we bought earlier upon hearing that our luggage might not make it back to us for a few days (for the record, a large here is more like a small in the U.S.).

But our carefree day soon came to an end, as it became more and more obvious that Peruvian cuisine (or more precisely, the microorganisms living in the cuisine) didn't agree with all of us. Throughout the day yesterday, many of us had upset stomachs, and Melanie even began vomitting towards the end of the afternoon. By the bus ride home from the Casa, she was pale, and had to be let off early because she was getting sick. We were all a little worried, but after we got her in bed and comfortable, she seemed alright - so five of us went to dinner, while Chris F. ordered a pizza and stayed behind to take care of Melanie and Marcia (who was also not feeling well). We ate as fast as possible (although this is often hard in Peru, which runs on "latino time" - meaning that sometimes it can take an hour or so to get a meal after ordering it). By the time we got back later that night, Melanie had taken a turn for the worse, and we decided to call a doctor to the hostel. She took one look at Mel, who was pale and had been completely unable to keep down food for over 12 hours, and said that she needed to go to the hospital NOW.

Immediately, we all sprung into action. I called our insurance company to make sure they would cover Mel's medical expenses, while the others raced around to get a bag full of clothing and toiletries together. Chris F. and Luis (the hostel owner) carried Mel down the long pathway to the nearest street, where a car was waiting (our hostel sits near the top of one of the hills of Cusco, which means we have a fabulous view of the city, but also means we have to climb hundreds of stairs each day to get to and from it). Although she immediately felt better after an IV was administered at the clinic, Mel still had to undergo lots of tests to determine exactly what was wrong.

Meanwhile, the rest of us returned to the Casa this morning, worried about Mel but also concerned that we wouldn't finish the work the Casa needed done. We set to work right away, in the kitchen, nursery, and the outside wall, where I continued to paint the ten white angels over the purple background while Chris B. helped clean up spills and chalk lines, and make sure I didn't get 'napped. Chris F. was charged with the task of taking ProGo a bag of clothes and toiletries, since she was not going to leave Mel's side and still had no idea how long she'd be there.

We finally recieved a call from ProGo in the afternoon, telling us that Mel had a microscopic parasitic infection of her intestine, most likely from something she ate, or maybe even from brushing her teeth with tap water (side note: since then, we've all been brushing with bottled water). She'd need to stay at the clinic for another day or so to recieve antibiotics, but would eventually be fine. We were all completely relieved that she was ok, but also extremely skeeved out (Where did she get the parasite? Were the rest of us going to get it? Could it be from the food at the Casa?).

We decided to put the incident out of our mind, and just continue with the work at hand. After lunch, we presented the madres and hijos with a special surprise - delicious chocolate cakes from the local bakery, which are a rare (expensive) treat. We thanked them all for their hospitality and friendship, even if it was only for a short week. They thanked us for our hard work and help, and for showing our support for the Casa again for a second year. And we all enjoyed the rich chocolatey treats together, and just enjoyed each others' company for a while. It was really nice to see the mothers and kids enjoying a special treat, and really sobering for those of us who indulge in chocolate a little too often - I think we all began to realize how fortunate we are, and I hope that the next time we all eat a really good piece of cake, we'll think of this time at the Casa.

After the cakes, it was game time - time to bang out the last four angels on the wall, get the little ones down for a nap, and watch the toddlers and older kds who had just returned from school. The older boys played with the remote-controlled helicopter donated by Kevin Concannon, one of last year's volunteers from Bryant (they loved every second of it, even when the helicopter got stuck on the roof and Mark, one of the oldest boys at the Casa, had to climb a ladder to get it).

By 4:30 the angels were done (if only we could share photos - but unfortuantely the internet connection here is not fast enough to upload them). The older kids were tired out and ready to start their homework with the tutor, the babies had napped and were fed again, and we were all exhausted (as usual). But we were all grateful that Mel was ok, the rest of us weren't feeling sick (yet), and the work was finally done at the Casa.

- Katie Gorham

Purple Rain

Today has served to be yet another wonderful experience for our group. As you are well aware, yesterday we begin the big project of painting the outside wall of the entrance to the Casa. The color chosen by the owner, Raquel, was a deep shade of purple. Both Raquel and her husband, Sergio, have long waited for the wall to be painted. The concrete wall was covered with graffiti and certainly did not reflect the nature of life inside the wall. Cinnabon, Chris F, Bridget, Marcia, Katie and I took on the role of serving as the painters for the day along with Sergio. It took all day, but eventually we finished the 1000-foot wall. Sergio and Cinnabon were the two paint rollers, but Sergio was smart enough to wear a Spanish firefighters suit and escaped all falling paint. Cinnabon was not as fortunate and needed a half hour in the bathroom to remove the "purple rain" from his arms and face.

In the kitchen, Molly and Melanie worked to make the meal for the day, which was a chicken dish, served over potatoes with a green peanut sauce. We all ate with the mothers and their children, and then continued on with our tasks for the day. Cinnabon and I worked in the kitchen to clean the dishes (a daunting task, to say the least) while Katie went outside with Molly to paint ten white angels onto the freshly painted purple wall (ten to signify the ten years the Casa has been open). Chris F took the younger boys outside to play, while Melanie, Bridget and Marcia all lent a hand in the nursery.

Throughout the day, the madres of the casa could not stop talking about us taking them to the park. It was a chance for them to get away from their children for a while and just be kids (which is what they really are). In the afternoon, we took them to the park to play a soccer game. They were so excited to have the opportunity to just run around. One of them bought us a soda (that Cinnabon says tasted like bubble gum). They were so full of energy that most of us ended up sitting down while they played. After much grumbling, we had to head back to the Casa where things got out of hand. The younger boys, apparently missing our absence, took to chaos and we were smothered by them. Carlos, Diego, Abraham, and Justin took pictures, wrestled, and laughed with us while we were waiting for our bus.

Unfortuntely, Melanie was feeling sick, so the busride was not a pleasant one (the driver did not help). We decided to call it an early night. Chris F and Marcia stayed with Melanie while Cinnabon, Katie, Bridget, Molly and I went to a local restaurant to eat. There was pizza, steak, fettucine, spaghetti, garlic bread and nachos. It was a great meal, and a good time for us to relax. We headed back to the casa for the night and prepared for the next day at the Casa.

- Professor Patty Gomez (aka PG, ProGo, Peeg, etc.)

Painting starts... Day 2

Today was the day - today painting started. Ooo how to describe it.... A MESS. For some reason painting looks way easier than it actually is. The task today was to paint the outside wall; it was just a cement wall and definitely did not represent how lively the Casa is on the inside. So first step, primer. Now who would have thought that so much mess could come from just moving brushes and rollers up and down a wall? Well, we definitely found out first hand, especially Marcia (sorry Marcia, but you were a mess). I did not know that it was possible to get paint all over yourself as well as everyone around you. After a grueling 3-4 hours of two coats of primer we were done with step 1.

Afterwards it was lunch time and to be honest it was a good time, not just because of the great food but because we were all sitting together at the table: all of us from Bryant but also all of the madres. To me this was wonderful because we were actually getting the chance to interact little by little with them. This was only the start of how special this day was to me and I am pretty sure to everyone else too.

After a lot of cleaning and some playing time with the kids, it was time to really get involved with the madres and, in a way, a chance to let them know that we were there for them as well. Everything started with a little session of kick around with the balon (soccer ball). Then as more of then madres kept coming out from the workshop and the kitchen and wherever else they were, the kick session turned into passing around the volleyball. But then Pilar stop the game and we began another game, we passed the ball around and whoever had the ball shared something about themselves.

This is where things got a little interesting - this is where we all got a little more info as to why things in the Casa are the way they are. There were madres that were 14 years old and their kids were already 3 years old (you do the math). Even though we all knew how it is here at the Casa, it was at this time when we all saw a whole other reality: the madres are actually just girls. As we all looked around at each other there was an unspoken unanimous understanding: none of us would ever be able to handle the responsibilities these girls have at such a young age, which they never asked for in the first place. Nevertheless, however any of our lives turn out, I can say for myself and everyone else here that the respect we have for these girls is indescribable. And we are all really grateful that we have the chance to be able to lend a hand to those needed.

Either way we are reminded of how good we all have and an eye-opener that although we all may complain how bad we have it, there are people that have it worse.

-Chris Flores

1st Day at Casa De Mantay!!!

Today, Bridget, Chris F., Molly, and I woke up an hour too early (7am rather than 8am) and we had to make Molly google "what is the time in Cusco" to finally realize the true Cusco time. After our 30 minute bus ride we FINALLY.... got to visit the Casa! Katie and Professor Gomez returned to the Casa once again for the second year, while for the rest of us, it was a new experience. When we arrived to the Casa, we were greeted by a kind women named Pilar, who is the oldest mother from the Casa, as well as Fisco, the resident dog.

Let me tell you, the Casa is impressive, big and beautiful. This past May 5th, it celebrated its 10th anniversary founded by Raquel and Sergio. It is painted with bright and vibrant colors, (where some of the rooms had been painted by the previous Bryant group) and has a courtyard. Katie and Professor Gomez commented on how there had been many improvements to the house within a years time, such as newly painted rooms and a grassy and paved courtyard.

As soon as we were greeted by Pilar, she took us for a tour of the Casa. Professor Gomez, Chris F. and I helped translate. Pilar told us how there is currently 13 mothers at the Casa, with one named Faustina who is expecting a child in june. When we think of mothers, we think of women who are usually older than 20. However, one thing that was shocking for me and I am sure for others, was that the "Madres" (mothers) are actually 13-18 years old and 90% of them had been sexually abused or raped. Also, these mothers are usually from rural areas where it maybe taboo to speak about sex at an early age.

By being at the Casa, Pilar told us how by the time these mothers are 18 (which is when the mothers leave the Casa), they will learn to inependently live on their own by working, cooking, cleaning, and of course, taking care of their child. These women receive daily schooling as well as counseling. I thought I understood what living independently meant, but after volunteering and meeting the women today, I learned that the lives of these women are really difficult and that they must grow up really fast to accomplish tasks that most of us do not do until were much older than 18.

During, the tour Pilar showed us the schoolroom, the kitchen, laundry room, bedrooms, (where I found it interesting how both the mother and child sleep together to strenghten their bond), nurseries, and workshop. The workshop was impressive because it is run by one of the owners of the Casa, Sergio where the mothers work 3 hours a day to create accessories such as pencil holders, makeup bags, purses, and other items such as bookmarks. These accessories are then sold to several stores in Cusco called "Trinidad Enriques" and recently to buyers in the United States. I felt that the workshop was a good way for the mothers to learn how to deal with work among other tasks. Also, Molly brought up a good point of possibly being able to work with the Casa in helping them sell on a bigger international scale...... hmmm International Business?

After the tour, I helped take care of babies in the nursery. Let me tell you, I lack mother genes because the children did not want to eat food no matter how hard I tried to feed them. Then after the nursery and a delicious lunch, both Chris's, Bridget and I efficiently cleaned the kitchen. I washed the dishes, Cinnabon dried the dishes, Chris F. dried the dishes and then threw them across the room to Bridget who put them away. Meanwhile, Professor Gomez and Katie went to the market with Raquel to buy some painting for the walls, as well as a new TV and a DVD player. Also, the rest of us made some bonds with some of the children and took them to play at the park. I had a super cute child named Carlos, Molly made a best friend with a little boy named Diego, while Melanie watched over another boy who was quite rebellious and laughed at her when she fell (Sorry Melanie, I had to write it in).

Anyways, I want to end this long blog by saying that the first day at the Casa had been a truly great and tiring exprience. Taking care of small children is harder than it looks but it was a lot of fun. We're all looking forward to tomorrow where we will paint the outside border walls purple and draw cute angels (or at least we'll try to).

- Marcia

Roughing It 101

Interview question number 1= How do you feel about roughing it for ten days?

Hypothetical example number one: Let´s say you get to La Guardia International Airport, Queens, New York no problem. There is one big group, and three coming alone. So far so good. The final member of the group, the one with all the information, she gets stuck in traffic. So what do you do? You wait. She arrives, you convene, and it is time to move onto checking in your luggage. First, while in line, random passengers try an tell you what you need to do, ¨go to the machines.¨ American Airlines employees follow. Voices raise, American Airlines argues, and we wait. Things get squared away, we move onto ticket booth C in order to get all checked in. American Airlines employees mumble under their breath. You go through security no problem. You´re not roughing it yet, this is fine. Stop one, Miami for a brief period of time. Flight lands, everything is okay. You´re tired, but you´re going to Peru afterall, so relax. Next flight, Lima. If you are long-legged, it might be a problem. Don´t get me wrong, Lan Peru is an awesome airline, however the leg room is not adequate and your foot may get run over numerous times by the beverage cart. 5 hours later, Lima. Baggage claim. You wait, and wait, and wait, and wait. Everyone grabs their luggage around you, and you keep waiting. The baggage people tell you there is no more luggage coming through. Dilemma, what do you do? Next stop, help desk (mostly for lack of a better name). Your luggage is lost. All of it. Everyone. American Airlines has gone on strike, it never made the transfer from AA to Lan, so they´ll take you´re information. You´re in Lima, no luggage, you smell, you´re tired. What´s the next step?

Reality: See above.

Solution: Proceed to Lima airport bathroom and wash body with hand soap, brush teeth with donated toothbrushes, share women´s deoderant all around. Take hour flight to Cusco, arrive, hike up 70 stairs at altitude, reach the balcony of your hostel and have your breath taken away. Forget about missing luggage, overtired feelings, an all that went wrong with the morning. Sip tea with the seven students you came with.

Present: Reality is slowly starting to set in. We´re exhausted. For many of us it has been more than 24 hours since our last sleep. We´re in the process of taking showers, contemplating our luggage situation, which by the way might not arrive for atleast 24-36 hours. We don´t have clothes to change into (except a lucky few), jackets, showering supplies, nothing. But th9is place is incredible the the journey is the destination. It´s all about the adventure. We all answered yes to interview question number one; would you?

-Christopher ¨Cinnabon¨ Brida

Today is the Day

We blog to you from cloudy, overcast, Southampton, Massachusetts. In a few short hours (24 to be exact) we will be touching down in Cusco, Peru which is where our official journey begins. Our flights are scheduled to leave La Guardia International Airport tonight at 6:45PM, Miami at 11:55PM, Lima at 4:35AM and then landing in Cusco, Peru at 8:25AM.

Before we go, we just wanted to let you all know to keep posted here throughout our journey as we will provide updates regarding our excursions, our service, and our other adventures. Thank you to everyone who supported us through this process. The day is finally here!

In nerves and excitement, here we go!

Fundraising Updates!

Since beginning our fundraising activities a few weeks ago, we've been working hard to raise money for the Casa. So far, we've raised about $1,600 through various events and collecting donations online and on campus. Thanks very much to everyone who showed support!

Our final two fundraisers will be an online silent auction, as well as a program called SmartRaise.

The silent auction can be accessed here, (the auction ID is CasadeMantay, and the password is Bryant) and has many giftcards from generous donors like AMC Movies, Chilis, Stop & Shop (also known as Giant food stores), Aldo Shoes, and many more! The silent auction will begin today, and run until May 17.

SmartRaise is a fundraising website where shoppers choose a particular cause, and a percentage of their purchases are donated to the cause. The website can be accessed here. Shoppers register as "supporters" by clicking "sign up now", choose a cause to support (search "Bryant University Community Service Trip to Peru"), enter contact information, and begin shopping through partner sites (places like Target, Barnes and Noble, Dell, and more)!

We're still hoping to reach our goal of bringing $2,500 to the Casa by the time we depart on May 23, and we need your help - so please take a few minutes to access these two sites and pass them along. As always, thanks for your support!