Tuesday, June 12, 2012

From Andy Webster

Email here is very sketchy. I'm writing at 4pm EDT. We had a great time on the river.  Water was cold but wet suits served us well. Everyone remains healthy and happy.  Off exploring town now.

1 comments:

Unknown said...

From Andy Webster:

Just returned to hotel after late dinner and lengthy chaman ceremony. I am completely tired (still adjusting) but it was a REALLY good day.

Steph is writing a post now, so this might be a little repetitive. After a hearty breakfast, we walked to our outfitters and drove to our river entry. We had four large rafts and excellent guides. The current was fairly strong, but no substantial rapids for the first hour as we learned directional and safety commands, practiced synchronizing strokes, and engaged in warfare with each others rafts. Our wetsuits kept us just warm enough, though the water was bracing. The weather was clear and the sun strong. As we rafter further down the river, we had breathtaking views of the sharp peak known locally as Veronica, home of sacred mountain spirits known as apus. The second half of the journey featured Class 2 and 3 rapids, racy enough for some thrills while remaining within the safety bounds of novice rafters. Jack, Brandon, and Shareef ended up in the river at different points but were quickly hoisted back aboard. After the final rapid, we reached our pull out spot, where lunch and dry clothes awaited us.

In the afternoon, we divided into small groups and were assigned to different parts of town to explore and map. On those maps we had to document five interactions with local people. It was a bit awkward, but a good challenge. Sumeet and Jack met some young kids playing soccer and asked them about their favorite players, with some coaching from Catherine, whose Spanish is stronger. Steph, Max, and Mike met a woman who was doing laundry in a stream next to the road, and they ended up meeting another relative and being invited inside their home.

Tonight we enjoyed a late dinner, followed by a lengthy ceremony with a local shaman. It amounted to a blessing on our group and prayers to the local apus (plural in this case), conducted in Quechua with translation by Adela, our local coordinator. We are now settling in for a good night's sleep. Tomorrow we explore some local Incan ruins and move into our homestays. We are weary but in good spirits. The students have been simply wonderful--engaged, open to new experiences, communicative, and energetic.

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