Day Two

This first day on the ground in Ollantaytambo was extraordinarily busy and exciting for the students. We arrived yesterday in the late afternoon having made the trip to Peru without a hitch, and the ride from Cusco was breathtaking. We were greeted by our intrepid guide, Jason, and our in-country director Adela, who helped us to get settled in to our lodgings for the night.
After a scavenger hunt in town--looking for the Inca Gates, the Mercado, and the puente inca, the train station, etc...--we had a wonderful meal on the main square.
This morning, we woke up to the sounds of chickens and spent time early talking about living with our homestay families and navigating through the experience effectively. We were then picked up by the rafting guides and were treated to a great float down the Urubamba River, where we were able to see Incan ruins and the remnants of flood damage from this winter's floods. We returned after lunch and spent time discussing our goals and objectives for the trip and were challenged to stretch ourselves.
Our host families arrived thereafter and we were escorted to our homes by them. Tomorrow we will spend our first day in Anco Pancha, where we will be working with the community. We all feel so lucky to be here and hope to take full advantage of this opportunity to learn and serve together.