Sun, sports and swimming

1st Grade three-legged race

We've had a lot of sports competitions in school in the past few weeks since we are now in autumn here and the weather is a little cooler and better for sports competitions and such like.  Every child in the school is put in a "house" of which there are four and they compete in their house teams for the rest of their time in the school.  There is often a lot of fierce competition particularly at sports events and the primary gymkana two weeks ago was no exception! 


So on Tuesday morning, all the kids doned their sports kits and the teachers their hats and suncream and we took to the patio in the middle of the school for some very competitive games.  There was a three-legged race, an obstacle course, relay races and some crazy games involving giant red balls and balloons!  Everyone had a great time and although unfortunately my house (Macgregor) lost quite badly we all tried not to take it too seriously and we certainly all enjoyed a day free from lessons!

I never did figure out the aim of this game

Last week the competitions carried on with the Interhouse swimming gala.  We all set off in a convoy of coaches from the school at 9am to a pool in Barranco - the bohemian heart of Lima (so I'm told anyway although I can't remember seeing any artists or musicians around).  The children spent the day competing in races to win points for their house and the teachers spent the time cheering wildly for our own teams.  After the races the children had a few hours to splash around in the pool and the teachers got competitive with bottles of water - the aim of the game was to sneak up on someone and pour as much of the bottle of water down the back of their t-shirt before they had time to turn around and get you back!  The fun and games ended with the P.E teacher, Miss Erika, who was particularly good at dousing people in freezing water, being dumped in the swimming pool, clothes and all much to the delight of the childen!  

Not my photo (courtesy the music
 teacher but great glasses! 

Another celebration in the school (Peruvians like parties!) was on Friday - Dia de las Americas or Americas day.  The 14th of April is the day when the countries of central and south america celebrate peace and unity between them and remember their pledge to help and support one another.  Its a great day of carnivals and celebrations and a chance to put the dark past of many of these countries behind them and look to a brighter future.


Every class in primary decorated a flag from one of the countries latin american countries and we had a special assembly with a presentation about each country and its culture.  One of the pupils in the school is a national competior in the folk dancing competition and she treated us to a brief demostration of a Peruvian folk dance called "la marinera" which is known as the national dance of Peru!   We then sang the "Himno de las Americas" (Anthem of the Americas) while the children all waved their flags and then we all marched around the patio in the middle of the school to the anthem banging our drums and cymbals.  It was a lovely day and enjoyed by all.

The Shanty Towns of Lima

Just after we came back from Cuzco, I had the chance to accompany a school group from 5th year secondary to a shanty town on the outskirts of Lima called Pachacutec.  The shanty town was named after the Inca warrior Pachuacutec and it is one of the newest shanty towns in Lima although it is certainly not the only one.  In fact up to half the population of Lima lives in the many shanty towns in the desert that surrounds the city.  Many of the people that live in these areas do so because they have arrived as refugees from the countryside of Peru because of terrorism, natural disasters or war or have arrived in the hope of finding a job and escaping the poverty they lived in in the provinces.  Unfortunately, the dream of a better life in Lima is all too often just a dream and the majority of those who arrive end up living in the shanty towns: many in extreme poverty.

The shanty town of Pachacutec

The community of Pachacutec is estimated to be around 250,000 people and is growing all the time as more and more people arrive.  There is often no space to build more houses so wooden houses are built on the sides of steep sand dunes or further and further out into the inhospitable desert.  Although the majority have electricity (70%) there is very little water or sewage services.  Usually water is brought into the shanty town a few times a week by a big lorry and the sewage is buried on the outskirts of the town.  The town is made of poorly constructed shacks made of anything that can be used to make walls and a roof: cardboard, corrugate iron, plastic sheeting and wood.  Because of the extreme poverty in which the people live, crime and drug abuse is rampant as well as other social problems like domestic abuse, high infant mortality and teenage pregnancy.

No roads and very little electricity or clean water

Every year a group of senior pupils from the school go out to Pachacutec to bring luxuries that many families cannot afford such as school books, pens and pencils for the children and warm clothes and shoes for the winter.  This time we brought school equipment for the children in the small Sunday School.  Through the hard work of some missionaries, there is a small but growing church and Sunday school in Pachacutec.  


To get to Pachacutec we had to cross the city of Lima which, with all the traffic, was a bit of a difficult experience.  Eventually we reached the outskirts of the city and the shanty towns.  Often there was no road just a dirt track and so the going was slow and bumpy!  We drove along the dusty track through the shanty towns passing wooden shacks and dodging stray dogs.  Finally, we arrived outside the small wooden church where the Sunday School children were waiting for us.  As soon as the bus came within sight the children ran out to meet us, waving and shouting hello, desperate to see what we'd brought them.  It was a very humbling experience.

The Sunday School children of Pachacutec

Some of the San Andres pupils played organised games with the children for a little while before handing out  school books, notebooks, pens, pencils and other stationary to each child.  I was so humbled to see how happy the children were with so little.  Since the building was full, I was standing outside and I got talking to a little boy beside me called Aaron.  He told me he was 9 and lived in Pachacutec with his brothers and mother.  The family didn't have much money and although he went to school, he didn't have any books or anything to write with.  He wasn't part of the Sunday School and asked me if he would still get something.  I had to admit that we'd only brought enough for the children of the Sunday school and he looked so sad and hopeless.  After we'd finished giving our gifts to the Sunday school there were some left overs and Aaron did get his books too.  He was so grateful and wanted a photo with his prizes.  It brought tears to my eyes to see such genuine gratefulness for so little.


Our time at Pachacutec came to an end too fast and all too soon we were back in the bus and heading back along the bumpy, dusty track to Lima.  I couldn't help thinking that I was the lucky one escaping back to my idea of civilisation where I had so many things these people had never seen: running water, a permanent and stable roof over my head and many of the other things that I take for granted all the time.  Those I'd met in Pachacutec didn't have the luxury of escaping their situations.  I will probably never realise just how fortunate I am but that day I saw a depth of poverty I'd never seen before and will never forget.  I learned so much from the experience but most of all I realised that what I have is not mine to hoard: it has been given to me as a blessing from our Heavenly Father to share with whoever might need it.  Around us is always someone is need, someone to whom we can stretch out a helping, loving hand.  

Just one of many sprawling shanty towns
which stretch as far as the eye can see

Land of the Incas - Machu Picchu

Aguas Calientes

The next step of our journey took us to Aguas Calientes - a stepping stone on to Machu Picchu.  We arrived in late at night in the dark and were met at the train station by our guide.  He took us on a mystery tour of this tiny town through narrow, windy streets and empty markets to our hotel for the night.  

We had just settled in when we heard a really loud roaring noise as if a tsunami was heading right for us! Mum opened the door to the balcony and in the light of the moon we could just make out a very swollen and fast running river right outside our door.  There had been a lot of rain and some flooding in the weeks before.  The noise was incredible and I was pretty glad I'd brought my ears plugs!

The next morning we were up before dawn and headed to the bus station where we boarded a bus heading up through the mountains to the lost city of the Incas - Machu Picchu. It had been my dream for a long time of someday visiting this ancient city high up in the Andes mountains so it was a very special day.  As the bus winded its way up through the trees and mist further into the mountains I had to pinch myself to make sure it wasn't all a dream!

Myself and Ruth above the Urubamba river

At the entrance to the site we met our tour guide, Ernesto, and we joined our tour group for our 2 hr guided tour of the city.  One of the most unforgettable moments of the trip was as we stood looking over the city, the thick blanket of mist swirling around the ruins began to lift and we caught our first glimpses of Machu Picchu! It was an amazing moment: one minute we stood in a white cloud, the next there the city was, spread out in front of us and far below us the deep ravine through which the Urubamba river flows all the way till it meets the mighty Amazon river!

Ernesto showed us the most important parts of the ancient city such as the temple of the sun (the Incas worshipped the sun and moon gods) and the temple of the three windows as well as where the rich nobles lived and where the ordinary folk lived.  Most of the ruins are made out of huge pieces of stone many weighing 3 or 4 tonnes! I could hardly believe that they dragged the enormous stones up the mountain from a quarry far below all by manpower. They built terraces to stop soil erosion and protect the city from earthquakes and they farmed yucca, potatoes and coca leaves.  Without a doubt the Incas were a very advanced race.  The disappearance of this civilisation only serves to preserve the mystery and fascination surrounding them.

Machu Picchu emerging from the mist

Ernesto explained that, because of the amount of work it took to build just one building, its no surprise that Machu Picchu is an unfinished city. Whatever made the Inca people flee their beautiful city we'll probably never know but their ruins allow us a glimpse into their life and culture many centuries later.  Some people think they left in a hurry because of the threat from the Spanish army that had destroyed other Inca cities: they wanted to wipe our their culture and race and replace it with their own. In leaving their homes behind the people of Machu Picchu protected a very precious part of their culture and because of their actions it is still there for us to explore today. (thank goodness for that!)

Ernesto explained that Machu Picchu lay abandoned for centuries till an American called Hiram Bingham stumbled upon it while looking for the lost city of the Incas - El Dorado - or Utopia.  He mistook Machu Picchu for the lost city and brought it to the attention of the world.  Well, if it was once lost, it is certainly lost no more! Even though we visited in the rainy season when there are supposed to be few tourists, it was pretty busy!

The narrow path above the ravine

After our tour ended, we had a few hours of free time to explore.  We watched the llamas and alpacas who live among the ruins, we took some photos of the city and sat taking in the amazing view.  Its really hard to explain how magnificent this place is.  Its somewhere you just have to see for yourself I think.  We then decided, on the advice of Ernesto, to walk to a bridge along a trail through the jungle that surrounds the city.  What he didn't tell us was that the track was a very narrow path clinging to the rock face thousand of feet above a deep ravine! yikes! It actually turned out to be a lovely walk. We saw butterflies and hummingbirds although we didn't cross the narrow bridge at the end of the path.

One of the few llamas living at the site

On our way back we heard thunder in the distance and saw dark clouds on the horizon and decided it was probably time to head back down to Aguas Calientes. We boarded the bus down the mountain and left Machu Picchu behind in the mists of history.  During a relaxing lunch in Aguas Calientes we watched the rain pour.  Boy were we glad we made it down on time!  The rain was actually a welcome sight for me since, living in Lima, I hadn't seen rain since I'd left Scotland 3 months ago.  This is something I thought I'd never say but its true, I miss the changeableness of the Scottish climate!

That afternoon we wandered through the markets buying some last minute souvenirs before catching the train that would eventually take us back to Cusco. So ended our day in Machu Picchu: one of the best experiences I've ever had and a day full of memories I know I will never forget.  I only wish I'd had had more time to hike the Inca trail from Cusco to Machu Picchu on foot.  Maybe next time...

Me above Machu Picchu - living a dream

Land of the Incas (Part 1)

Before I forget I thought I'd write down the experiences I had in Cuzco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.  My mum and sister, after some persuasion, finally decided to visit Peru and we decided that since this was a once in a lifetime trip we'd visit as many of the must see sites of Peru.  I'd always dreamt of standing on a rock above the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu looking down on the ruins of a city and a nation of which there is but a shadow now.  So we headed south of Lima to Cusco.

Cusco main plaza with the cathedral

Cusco was the site of the historic capital of the Inca Empire and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983 by UNESCO.  The city lies at 11,200 ft above sea level.  As soon as we stepped off the plane and walked up the ramp into the airport we felt the effects of the high altitude.  Just walking at a quick pace left us pretty breathless and tired so, the first day we took the advice of our guide and took things easy.  We sipped mate de coca (coca leaf tea) which is supposed to be an excellent cure for all sorts of things including altitude sickness.  To be honest it tastes awful but it really does work.

Mate de coca

We spent the afternoon walking around the many market stalls of Cusco where you can buy all sorts of beautiful souvenirs and pretty coloured cloth and embroidery.  There are lots of street sellers in Cuzco selling everything from silver jewelery to puppies and chickens! Although this is quite a novelty at first,  it quickly becomes quite a nuisance because they do keep nagging on at you till you either manage to out run them or give in and buy something.  There are also ladies who wander around in traditional costume carrying all sorts of interesting things in a blanket on their back - I saw baby alpacas, lambs, babies and puppies.  I was silly enough to stop and start talking to one of these women when all of a sudden she plonked a lamb in my arms and out of nowhere her friends gathered round and demanded a photo.  The catch was that they expected payment and were not happy with a few coins!  They nearly cleared out my purse as I made a mental note never, ever to stand still long enough to attract their attention again.