Day 06: Field Trip!

The contrast I have experienced between today and yesterday is astounding. Going into Chanchajalla and witnessing the poverty there really affected me and ultimately changed my outlook on the trip as a whole, but following it up with a day of sight-seeing and leisure definitely put the nail in the coffin. While I was eating Peruvian chocolate, soaking in the beauty of the Ballestas Islands, and climbing to the top of a sand dune, the thought of all those people served as a lens by which I viewed the events of the day. The sand dune excursion sticks out from the rest, however. As Ryan and I finally summited the top of the mountain, I was met with a view equally beautiful and magnificent. Before me lay the repeated word entire valley of Ica, bordered on one side by the Andes Mountains, and on the other a never ending desert. Right below us lay, however, the city of Chanchajalla. It had to take a day devoted to myself to ultimately realize that this trip was not about myself at all. While making bricks, I was concerned with how many I was making to impress my friends. Whenever I woke up in the morning, my first thought was to be the first in the shower and at breakfast. I wanted to be the first to reach the top of the sand dune, but once I did, I soon wanted to put myself last and the Girasoles boys first.

-Roman


Today was one of the most exciting days I've yet experienced. Starting with an extremely early morning with a wake up time of 5:30 and a late breakfast delivered by a taxi, moral was incredibly low at first. We traveled together to the Paracas port where we hopped on a two hour boat ride to tour the Ballestas islands. We heard riveting information about "guano" (aka a fancy word for bird poop). We learned of its importance as a fertilizer and an important part of the penguins food chain. My personal experience with it? It's NOT fun to get pooped on the head with guano. Though I felt nauseous for a bit, the view was incredible. We got to see baby seals playing in the water and adorable penguins waddle around on the rocks. After the boat ride, we drove to the Helena chocolate factory: the Peruvian Kilwins. Following our first shopping experience, we had our first taste of America...PIZZA! I can honestly say that Peruvian pizza far exceeded my expectations. With satisfied bellies, we took on the 450 ish feet of sand dunes in Huacachina. As we were scaling the side, I had one main thought running through my mind: no amount of track practice has prepared me for this. Yet, there was instant gratification as we summited the top and could see what beauty God had created. Achy muscles and winded lungs vanished at the sight of what we had just accomplished and the splendor that lay before us. I found myself never wanting to leave and I'm sure everyone else can relate. We ended our adventurous day with an incredible bible study taught by Mr. Bartel in which we grew even deeper in our faith but also bonded better as a class. Already I can say that this trip has been the trip of a lifetime, and I (as well as my classmates) will hold it my heart for the rest of my life.

-Victoria