June 18, 2023
Allillanchu (hello in Quechua) from Peru!!! Today was our first full day in Peru. After a long travel day, everyone was ready to get up and explore the city and start learning about native cultures and the NGO we will be working with. In the morning, we heard from Alejandra, the founder, and other members of the Llama Pack Project about the mission of their program. She taught us about the positive impact that llamas have on the local ecosystems and high Andean communities. Later in the day, we had a brief introduction to the native language, Quechua. We learned a few words and phrases, as well some of the history of the language and its roots in nature. We concluded our lesson with participating in an indigenous ritual, in which we held three coca leaves and blew on them towards the mountains closest to us— this is a way of saying hello and thank you to connect with the nature surrounding us. After that, we all headed to downtown Urubamba to explore the city. We ended the night with a group discussion and some stargazing, as we prepared for our full day of exploring and learning tomorrow at historical sites.