Peru is known in equestrian circles around the world for its caballos de paso, or riding horses. These creatures are bred and trained for an extremely smooth ride. We visited a ranch in Lurin for barbecued chicken and a chance to meet these animals up close. Actually, “ranch” is…
There is so much to learn about Peru. Nestor Vergara taught us about the social and economic realities of life in the marginal areas that surround Lima. He moved here from the rain forest city of Iquitos to pursue a college degree and explained how he and his wife…
Villa Maria is an hour’s bus drive south of Miraflores, where we have our lectures, workshops and Spanish classes. It’s often referred to as a pueblo joven, or young city, because it didn’t exist fifty years ago. In fact, most of the populated areas in the “cones” that occupy…
We began our Lima study program at Catedral del Buen Pastor (Cathedral of the Good Shepherd), our venue for lectures, workshops and Spanish classes. The host families helped each student find their way to Good Shepherd using public transportation, a small but significant feat given the complexity of Lima’s…
We returned from our 19-day adventure in the Andes and were warmly welcomed to Peru’s capital city by twenty-three eager host families. Several of the families who live near the Lima airport met us there while the others gathered at Catedral Buen Pastor (Good Shepherd Cathedral) in Miraflores. Our…
One of the seven wonders of the modern world. UNESCO World Heritage site. Best-preserved Inca city in South America. Probably the most-visited tourist destination on the continent. There are many ways to describe Machu Picchu (“old peak” in quechua). For the Inca people, this was a sacred place, somewhere…
We said goodbye to the host families in San Jeronimo, Huacarpay and Lucre and prepared for the last leg of our adventure in the Andes — an exploration of the Sacred Valley. We began in Pisac, touring the vast archaeological site high above the valley. Then we hiked down,…
In the early 16th century, the Inca Empire extended over all of modern-day Peru as well as parts of Colombia and Ecuador to the north, Brazil to the east and Bolivia, Chile and Argentina to the south. Twelve million people lived in what was called Tawantinsuyo, the…
The music of the Andes is distinct for its use of native wind instruments — including quenas (flutes) and sikus (pan flutes). Early versions have been found in archaeological sites dating back thousands of years. Charangos (lutes that resemble a small guitar) and other stringed instruments…
How many trees can a group of SST students plant in two days? 246. We ventured up to the town of Acopia to meet our host, Luis Delgado, founder of Yachay Wasi (House of Learning). Yachay Wasi is part of an international movement to plant a billion…
