Trekking in Colca Canyon

As part of our Christmas holidays, Tom and I decided to undertake a 3 day trek in Colca Canyon.  I know what you're thinking, the words 'Sophie' and 'trek' don't belong in the same sentence, but neverthless I thought I would give it a go.

Our guide, Marcos, picked us up at 3am on Tuesday morning.  We then travelled for 3 hours by bus to the canyon, where on arrival we were fed a breakfast of bread, jam and coca tea.  It was a cloudy morning, but warm.

It is difficult to put into words what a geological marvel Colca Canyon is.  It is so vast, with rocky, uneven landscape, dry stony land interspersed with areas of green, thriving plant life.  Running through the bottom of the canyon is Rio Colca, the Colca River.

There are two main communities within Colca Canyon, named Chivay and Cabanaconde.  Historically there is some rivalry and tension between the two, and different native languages are spoken, as well as Spanish.  Our trek began in Chivay.  Aside from Marcos, there were 5 of us in our group, a German couple and an Italian man.  As we set off walking, Marcos told us about the condors, which are native to the canyon.  They are enormous birds, who can fly at 50km an hour and have a wingspan of 2 metres.  At first we didn't see any as it was so cloudy, but as the morning progressed and the sky cleared, we were lucky enough to see one.

We trekked downhill, which sounds easy, but I can assure you it wasn't!  The ground was rocky and incredibly uneven and steep in parts.  The path wound around and around as we descended.  The sky cleared and as midday approached, the burning sun made the walk even more challenging.  After around 4 hours, we reached the river, where we crossed over.  My legs were like jelly and my calves were throbbing.  I hoped that it was time for a rest, but it was not to be so.  We then trekked uphill for around half an hour, where we eventually arrived at an eatery nestled in the plant life in the mountainside.

After a delicious lunch of soup, followed by fried meat and onions with rice, chips and half an avocado, I managed to squeeze in a 10 minute nap before we continued our trek.

The remainder of the day's trek took around an hour, deeper amongst the trees and plants.  Marcos educated us about the different plants within the canyon, including one called 'old man's beard', which is a fine stringy plant, a bit like hair, which the local people use as part of their Christmas decorations.

We eventually arrived at our hostel, which was very basic.  Our room had no proper floor and contained only a bed and a wooden chair.  After a delicious evening meal of soup, followed by alpaca steak, rice, chips, avocado and tomato, we sank into bed underneath the thick woollen blankets, and slept, at times disturbed by the rain hammering on the tin roof.

In the morning, we breakfasted on pancakes with manjar blanca, a type of caramel very popular in Peru, and sliced bananas, washed down with a cup of coca tea.  We then departed for our second day of trekking, again downhill.

Marcos told us some more about the plants in the canyon.  There is one where the top layer can be peeled off, it is a strong papery layer, and many of the local people use it as a cigarette paper.  Under that first layer, if water is rubbed into the plant, it produces a lather and can be used as soap.  We also learnt about another plant which contains a thick, white, poisonous substance that can cause a very nasty rash on the skin and is fatal if ingested.

Despite having paused many times to survey my surroundings on the first day, I still could not believe how incredible Colca Canyon is and what a fantastic view one has, wherever you happen to be observing from.  Looking around, I could see the deep crevices within the mountainside, the waterfall cascading down against the rocks, into the swirling river below.

We trekked for 3 hours before reaching the river, where we crossed and then were once again required to climb uphill a short way.  We walked along the mountainside, into greener and greener areas.  Coming to a set of cobbled steps, we wound our way along, eventually entering a lush, green paradise, with palm trees and flowers surrounding a tranquil pool, against the backdrop of the canyon.  We had arrived at the oasis! 

I ached and felt like I wouldn't be able to move for some time.  Tom took my boots and socks off for me, we changed into our swimwear and lay on the grass beside the pool, sipping a cold beer.  We lunched on soup (again!) and fried vegetables, rice and avocado, then lay beside the pool again.  However, an ominous looking grey cloud was gradually approaching, and in the distance we could hear the rumbling of thunder.  Just as we made it into our accommodation, a small hut built from concrete and bamboo, the rain began to fall.  Lying in our hut, listening to the thunderstorm outside, we fell asleep, exhausted.

In the evening, we feasted on yet more soup, spaghetti bolognese and chocolate mousse.  We had certainly been well fuelled for our trekking.  Then an early night, in preparation for a 5am start in the morning.

Those of you who know me very well will probably be surprised that I managed to trek as much as I did.  By the third and final day, I ached in muscles that I didn't even know I had.  The final trek was uphill, to the top of the mountain, and I just couldn't face it.  Tom and the rest of our group departed the oasis just as the sun was rising, and an hour later I followed, travelling by mule.  At first I was a bit nervous, having never ridden a mule or a horse, and the path was very rocky and steep in parts.  However I soon relaxed and for the first time was able to properly absorb the view.  My mula bonita grew tired towards the end, pausing some moments to rest, but she served me well.

When I arrived at the top, Tom was already there.  Without me to slow him down, he had climbed to the top in just over 2 hours.  I was very proud of him.

Walking along a path through some fields, we came to Cabanaconde, where we breakfasted on scrambled eggs, bread and coca tea.  After viewing the plaza, the bus collected us and drove us to the aguas calientes (hot springs).  Here there are 6 pools of differing temperatures, set within the canyon.  Relaxing into the pools, one of which was 38 degrees celsius, we felt our aching muscles begin to ease.  After a traditional Peruvian buffet lunch, we boarded the bus home, soon falling asleep on the way.

It has been one day since we returned to Arequipa, and I am still so tired and aching all over.  A 3 day walk in amazing surroundings may not sound like such hard work for some people, but for someone as un-outdoorsy as me, it felt like an achievement.

Merry Christmas

It's Christmas Eve, the sun is shining and it's 21 degrees in Arequipa. I finished teaching on Thursday and don't have to go back until January 3rd and after 3 months of solid teaching it is a well deserved rest.

Christmas in Arequipa is very different to Christmas where I'm from and to try and find out a bit more about Christmas here I produced a lesson plan about cultural differences between England and Peru.

Christmas Day is the day of rest for the people of Arequipa. Christmas Eve is the day for celebrating. For many the day begins with cleaning the house, which seems sensible as this is what we would do in England if family were coming round, however the reasons for cleaning the house are more symbolic here. You have to remember that Peru is a very Catholic country and the true meaning of Christmas is still focused on the birth of Jesus, and the reason for cleaning the house is to welcome Jesus into the home.

After the house is clean and tidy it is time that many will start to put up their decorations, adopting the Christmas tree, which has become common in all parts of the world, and also focusing mainly on the nativity. The nativity is extremely important in people's homes and, if a family has the space, a whole room may be devoted to it.

Festivities start at about 9pm around the nativity scene. Here families will talk about the messages of Jesus and about other massages of good will whilst enjoying hot chocolate and panettone. At 12am the sky lights up with fireworks and champagne is toasted to welcome Christmas. After the fireworks have finished everybody will start to exchange gifts from under the Christmas tree. Once finished, everybody will sit down to a large Christmas dinner of turkey with all the trimmings of common vegetables in Peru.

Peruvians never take a holiday and if there is money to be made they will work. Since Christmas is the only time they take off it is common for drinking and dancing to continue until the early hours of the morning until, most probably the time that many people in England would start getting up to start the day. The reason for staying up so long is that it is the only time of year that a family will get to spend together enjoying each other's company.

I hope that I have given you a little insight into some of the traditions of the people of Arequipa. Sophie and I are missing our families very much. Instead of deciding to have the traditional Christmas we have opted for some meals that we love such as a fry up for breakfast, "toad in t'hole" for our main meal with loads of gravy and curry for our evening meal.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Tom and Sophie

Manantiales

One of the things I have found here in Peru, is that there are so many people in need, from orphans to one parent families in extreme poverty.  I can't help everyone, but I do want to help where I can.

I learnt about a charity called Put Them First from a friend.  In addition to a school and community libraries, they also work with a local refuge centre where single mothers who are desperately trying to make ends meet, can send their children during the working day.  This refuge centre is called Manantiales, and in addition to my volunteer work for Traveller Not Tourist, I have also commenced volunteering here.

Manantiales was established by a Peruvian lady, Lucia, who runs a local bakery.  There are 2 lovely Peruvian ladies who work there full time, Miriam and Marisol, but volunteers are much needed to assist with looking after the children.

On my first day I arrived at 9am.  I was greeted warmly at the door by Marisol, and followed her into the play area.  The area is small, but nicely kept, with a tiny adjoining kitchen. Whilst the area is small, it provides such a huge benefit to the families that send their children there.  That day there were 7 children present, sweet children all under the age of 3, who played quietly and without any fuss, until mid-morning when they were given fresh fruit juice.  I then played with the children until lunchtime, when I assisted in feeding them a homemade lunch.  When the children first came to Manantiales, they were malnourished, but by providing them with hot meals every day they soon became much healthier.  Afterwards, the children were changed and put to bed to sleep until later in the afternoon.  My working day ended at 1pm once the children were tucked up in bed and sleeping peacefully.  Their parents would collect them soon after they awoke in the afternoon.

As part of volunteering at the programme, volunteers all make a donation which goes directly to providing food for the children.  So thank you to those who contributed to our fundraising in England, as this is where some of the remaining funds have been donated to.

More information about Put Them First and Manantiales can be found on the following websites:
http://putthemfirst.com
http://www.manantialeseneldesierto.com

Weekend in Chile

I can hardly believe that we have been living in Peru for 3 months, but it's true. Consequently, we reached the end of our 90 day visas and this meant leaving the country and crossing the border back in, in order to renew them.

To accomplish this, we decided to visit Chile for the weekend. After all the hours which Tom has been working, we were both looking forward to a relaxing weekend away. We took a Cruz del Sur bus down to Tacna, a 6 hour journey. On arrival, we were approached by a local man who asked us if we required bus transportation to Arica, which we said we did, so we followed him to his office where we were given immigration forms to complete and were told that the price would be S/.20, which is the guide price we had been given from others who had previously made this trip and also internet forums.

We then followed him to the departure gate and boarded the bus. By the time the bus set off, we realised too late that we had been conned. The S/.20 we had given him did not cover our bus fare at all. The man was in fact no way related to the bus company. So we ended up having to pay the actual bus fare in addition. S/.20 is only £5, but that amount of money can buy both of us 2 meals.

There was nothing we could do about what had happened, so we focussed on the next stage of our journey. When we reached the Peruvian border, we expected to show our passports and immigration forms and pass through with no issues. However, the official was asking for some paperwork which we did not possess, something we should have been given when we first entered Peru. This caused some consternation. We were also required to complete more immigration forms. In the end, we were fined S/.31 just for being one day over our 90 day visa limit and for being unable to present the forms given upon entry to Peru.

Eventually we were permitted to pass through, and once again boarded the bus.

Upon reaching the Chilean border, we were required to complete yet another immigration form. Aside from that, our passports were stamped and we passed through with no problems.

Arriving in Arica, we were somewhat disappointed. The journey so far had been stressful, but we had consoled ourselves with the prospect of a nice weekend in Chile. However, Arica appeared to be a tacky, rundown seaside town. Like Morecambe, but worse.

After walking for what felt like a long time beneath the hot sun in the humid climate, unable to find our hostel, we came across a restaurant where we cheered ourselves up with a tasty meal and a beer. A very kind gentleman who worked there telephoned our hostel to obtain directions for us. Thanking him and leaving, we wandered further into town, to another bar where I ordered an incredibly strong and almost undrinkable pisco with cherry.

As darkness fell, we were tired and so decided to check in at a hostel down the street, rather than make our way out of town to our pre-booked hostel. We then ventured back into town to check out the local nightlife. Amongst other things, we saw a Michael Jackson impersonator, dancing and miming along to Billie Jean. Undoubtedly the highlight of our evening. After Tom drank an enormous pitcher of beer and I had slowly sipped a Tom Collins, we purchased a waffle stuffed with cheese and meandered back to our hostel.

We were awakened early in the morning by what sounded like serious building works taking place outside our bedroom window. We arose, ate breakfast and walked to the bus terminal, determined not to be taken advantage of again.

The journey back across the border went smoothly. Upon arriving at the Peruvian border, we were permitted to have 180 day visas, rather than just the usual 90 days, which was great news and meant that we would not have to take this trip again! Once at Tacna, we purchased seats on another Cruz del Sur bus and settled down for the final part of the journey home. For those who have travelled with Cruz del Sur, you will be familiar with the usual game of bingo they like to play. Taking the opportunity to test out how good our Spanish was, we decided to take part, and Tom won! His prize - a free ticket from Arequipa to Tacna. Not a journey we intend to make again!

So whilst the weekend in Chile had not been what we had hoped or expected, we at least now have experience of crossing the border, were granted the 180 day visas we wanted and Tom won his first game of bingo. I'm sure our next visit to Chile in several months time will be much more enjoyable.

Just Another Day in Arequipa

Despite having lived in Peru for 3 months now, every day I still find myself intrigued by the way of life here and the differences between Peruvian culture and the culture back home in England.

Walking to catch the bus to the orphanage on a morning, I pass the local street vendors selling 'desayuno' (breakfast) which usually constitutes of meat such as the English folk would eat for their evening meal. However, this is not what Tom and I usually breakfast on, we usually partake in coffee and fresh bread from our local bakery, such as many of the locals do.


Upon embarking the bus, often I have not even taken a seat before the driver takes off and whizzes around the corner, jumping a red light or narrowly avoiding another vehicle pulling out in front. More people board the bus as the cobrador shouts out at great speed the place names the bus will be stopping at on its route. There is no limit here as to the number of people you can cram onto a bus. Often the cobrador will be stood on the bottom step, hanging out of the door, passengers squashed together like sardines in a tin.

Traffic signs and signals are more just for decoration here, as drivers make up their own rules of the road, blasting their horns with great frequency. This can mean a number of things, including 'get out of my way!', 'I'm coming through!' or 'watch where you're going!', amongst other things.

Tom and I often eat out for 'almuerzo', a traditional lunch of Peruvian soup, containing pasta or rice, potatoes, meat and chunky vegetables followed by a second course which usually consists of rice as an accompaniment to trucha frita or pollo broaster. This is all washed down with a glass of chicha morada. Many of the local people also eat out for lunch, often we are the only gringoes in the restaurant. These set menus usually cost around S/.5.00, equivalent to approximately £1.20.


After lunch, we sometimes take a walk around Plaza de Armas and the adjoining streets. The plaza is impressive, with a fountain in the middle and beautiful flowers, bordered by buildings made of sillar, the white volcanic stone. Many people sit here on an afternoon, particularly locals, enjoying the sunshine.

On our walk, we pass local people working, their ways of earning money sometimes very different to what we are accustomed to. There are men with old fashioned typewriters, charging people for the service of typing letters for them. Occasionally you see someone with an antiquated set of scales, where people can pay to weigh themselves. There are women selling seeds, so people can feed the many pigeons lurking around the plaza.  Others are selling fruit on the pavements by the side of the road. 

However there is also a different side to working life here, many people work in shops and banks and restaurants. The mining community is very prominent here, and some of the mine owners are very wealthy, a contrast to the folk making a poor living by selling their wares in the street.

After a large lunch, a walk and the heat of the midday sun, we often find ourselves tired and wander home for a rest. Mid afternoon is prime time for a shower, as the water in our apartment is solar heated, so once the sun goes down so does the water temperature. This is common for a large proportion of properties here.

Arequipa holds a lot of charm, and as we walk under the clear blue sky and feel the hot sun, I feel really glad that of all the places in the world, we chose to come to Arequipa.

Torneo de Fútbol

The football tournament that Tom and I decided to initiate took place on Saturday. As usual, it was a hot and sunny day in Arequipa. All of the TNT volunteers, some of the children from Flora Tristan school and some local people attended.


The tournament took place at a local 'cancha'. Opposite the football pitches was a grassy area where we set up the TNT stall and the food, drink and ice cream stands. Here people could purchase these items or just sit in the shade and watch the proceedings.


Apart from one leg injury, the children had a great time. In addition, we generated local awareness of the charity and also built up relations with a local hostel to help promote the work that the charity is doing. 


Thank you once again to all who contributed to our fundraising back in England, to help this tournament happen.

Teaching English in Peru

I am now into my second month of teaching English in Arequipa and I would like to tell you about my experiences of working, both good and bad, in a foreign country.

The college where I teach is a reputable language institution renowned for having good teachers whose first language is English.  It also has built up a partnership with a local university where I also work.  The pay is better than most in the area and my hourly rate is S/.11.50 (£2.65) an hour at the college, and S/.13-15 at the university, which seems low but is enough to pay for rent and support food and living for two people.  I teach between 30 and 35 hours of classes a week, which doesn't include time lesson planning and any extra marking.  My school is one of the better, but by no means perfect, places to teach in the area. 

Working as a foreigner is always risky business.  Most schools in Peru operate an 'under the table' policy when it comes to paying its staff and foreign teachers are recruited as 'volunteer teachers' on holiday visas.  It is rare for a school to hire a foreign teacher legally.  However it seems to be common practice here and it works fine.  All the authorities are aware of what goes on, and I imagine it saves a lot of paper work!

It has been a difficult first month trying to learn the ropes of being an English teacher.  The course that I did before I came out could never have prepared me for the approach that one school might take.  My school focuses much of its attention on grammar and it is common in class that the students will probably be able to tell me the rules quicker than I could find it in a book.  Grammar, as English speakers, is something we take for granted and having to learn your future perfect continuous from your past simple and your zero conditional from your reflexive pronoun is something that seems unnatural.  It is, however, sinking in much faster than expected and in class I am of course the expert.  English is my first language and I can see straight away if something looks wrong without any knowledge of the correct rules.

I have enjoyed the challenge that has faced me with teaching so far.  I get on well with my students and I am starting to find out what works and what doesn't in class.  In terms of learning on the job, I still feel as though I am a student myself and I am always looking for new ways of presenting material and open to hear people's ideas and what they do in class.  A good way to do this is to look on the many forums dedicated to teaching English as a foreign language.

The students I teach are mostly university students with the average age being 18.  The school where I teach is relatively expensive to go to so I find that most of the people that are at the school are from some of the more affluent families.  The students and I get on well and generally I have found Peruvian students to be quite open to try new things and they are not afraid of speaking out in class and getting things wrong.


To sum up, my first month has been hard but enjoyable.  If there is any advice I could give to a teacher starting like me for the first time it would be that the first month is by for the hardest and after that you seem to find a rhythm.  I think the main thing to decide after that first month is that teaching English is something that you enjoy and if you can weigh up the positives and negatives and still want to do it then carry on!

Thanks for reading,

Tom

Volunteering at Casa Hogar Orphanage

In addition to teaching at Flora Tristan School, I am also volunteering at the orphanage that TNT is affiliated with. On Wednesday, I worked my first shift at Casa Hogar Orphanage. The orphanage is situated in Villa Selva Alegre, a 20 minute bus journey out of Arequipa city centre. It is run by the director, Lilia, and 2 other Peruvian ladies, called 'Tia' by the children (which is Spanish for 'Aunt'). The three of them live there 24/7 and receive no pay, only their food and accommodation. They have given over their lives to looking after these children.

There are currently 19 children living at the orphanage. Generally, only children under the age of 5 are admitted, however if there are brothers and sisters who need housing together, then they are accepted into Casa Hogar.

I arrived with Anna, TNT’s Volunteer Coordinator (who is sadly leaving in a few days to return home to the US) and a new volunteer. We were welcomed by Lilia with a kiss on the right cheek, as is customary in Peru. I was also greeted by a toddler running towards me and wrapping himself around my legs, shouting 'Tia!'.

The room I entered was small, with some bookshelves and a couple of tables. This is generally where the older children do their homework . Climbing the stairs, I found myself in a small area, with a dining room to the right, a kitchen straight ahead, and the children’s bedrooms to the left. The kitchen seems so small when one considers how many mouths there are to feed. The bedrooms are small, with one for the boys, one for the girls and two for the babies. Up another flight of steps are the Tias’ living quarters and concrete sinks where all the clothes are hand washed. In addition, there is a concrete area which serves as the only outside play area that the orphanage has. Absorbing my surroundings, it came as no surprise to me that new, more spacious premises are being sought.

On a morning, the older children attend school, so there are the babies and toddlers to care for. I spent my first morning getting to know the toddlers, 3 boys, joining in playing with them. They are old enough to commence pre-school, but the feeling is that the children should be protected from outside influences that they have no control over, for as long as is reasonable. As such, Lilia asked that I introduce something educational in my time with them.

Today was my second shift. When I arrived, the children were eating breakfast.  After much encouragement for them to clear their plates, I presented the toddlers with some crayons and pictoral representations of the alphabet. It seems funny that I am attempting to teach the alphabet in Spanish! As one would expect, the toddlers' short attention spans meant they soon tired of this, so we played upstairs in the outside play area.  While the boys were happily playing, I was called to assist with the babies and changed a nappy for the first time in my life. Approaching lunchtime, I bottle fed a 5 month old baby boy, who fell asleep in my ams. This concluded my second shift.

Lilia asks that the volunteers come to Casa Hogar with an open heart, as it is so important to give these children some love, something they have been lacking in their time before coming to the orphanage. I was very touched by this, and hope that in my time there I can help the children feel loved as I did as a child.

Flora Tristan School Scholarship Scheme

The students who come to Flora Tristan School to learn English all attend local public schools. Not all of these have a particularly high standard of education and many classes hold up to 40 students. This further reduces the quality of the education they are receiving, as they cannot all have the individual attention they deserve when they need it. As the families in the community are all very poor, they cannot afford to send their children to private school.

Li, the School Coordinator, has done a lot of fantastic work on setting up a scholarship scheme, to enable one student a year from Flora Tristan to attend private school. Students who have the highest attendance rates at Flora Tristan and who work hard and are committed to their own education have the opportunity to be put forward for this scheme, funded by Traveller Not Tourist.

Next week, one of the students, Elizabeth, will be sitting the entrance exam for the private school. The exam consists of questions on Spanish, English and Maths. If she passes, then she will join the private school in the new school year, commencing in March.

To enable Traveller Not Tourist to fund the scheme every year, money needs to be raised regularly, not just as a one-off. As such, Tom and I have decided to use some of the funds we raised in England to hold a fundraising event here in Arequipa. As well as contributing to raising funds for this first year of the scheme, it will create local awareness and therefore hopefully generate funds for each year to come.

Work has already commenced on the fundraising event. On Saturday 26th November, we shall be holding a football tournament (football is incredibly popular here) for both adults and children. There will also be food and drink for sale, face painting for the children and a raffle. Traveller Not Tourist will of course have a stand, providing information on what the organisation does and also advertising the Spanish School and Tour Operator which they run.

So many thanks to those who contributed to our fundraising back in England. The donations you have made will help provide the opportunity of a much brighter future for Elizabeth and other students like her in years to come.

Lake Titicaca

This weekend, Tom and I visited Lake Titicaca. We took the night bus to Puno, which is 6 hours from Arequipa and boarded the boat at Puno dock around 8 o'clock on Saturday morning.

Lake Titicaca is the world's highest navigable lake at 3,811 metres above sea level. The inhabitants living on the lake have been there for thousands of years.

For the first part of our trip, we visited the floating islands. There are 46 of these islands on the lake and approximately 800 inhabitants, so you find several families sharing each island. The islands are built using the reeds which grow in the lake. The roots of these are bound together and layers of reeds are then criss-crossed along the top of these roots. It's amazing to see how something which doesn't look so strong can hold not only body weight, but the homes of these people. Their homes are also built out of reeds, elevated slightly to avoid flooding when it rains.  Reeds are also the material used to build their boats. It can take around a year to build one boat.

On one of the islands, the locals gave us a demonstration of how the islands are built and then showed us around their homes. They have beautiful hand made tapestries and embroideries on the beds and the walls, which really adds something to what would otherwise be a very basic and plain home.

Afterwards, we took the boat to the island of Amantani. This took 3 hours, which gives you some idea of how enormous Lake Titicaca is. It was very cold and cloudy, and we did have some rain, weather we are not accustomed to after the blue skies of Arequipa!

Here, we were introduced to Olivia, who would be our 'mama' for the duration of our stay on the island. Amantani stands at around 4,000 metres above sea level. The paths are steep and rocky, and this combined with the altitude made it a testing, even though short, walk to Olivia's home. Olivia, however, having lived on the island all of her life, nimbly climbed the paths, even wearing loose sandals and the heavy traditional clothing. She showed us to our bedroom, which was very basic and cold, wooden flooring, heavy blankets on the bed, and a candle as there is no electricity.

Once we had left our bags in our room, we went to the kitchen, which is a separate building, to eat lunch which Olivia and her mother had prepared for us. Their cooking area is tiny and as there is no gas or electricity, they cook on a stove over a fire. First we were served with a local soup, containing quinoa and vegetables. It was very wholesome and warming. Next we were served with a dish of various types of boiled potatoes, a salted cheese and a slice of tomato. Again, this a dish native to the island. Finally, we drank a cup of muña tea. This plant grows on the island and has a peppermint aroma. It is incredibly good for digestion and also aids altitude sickness.

After lunch, Olivia took us to the Plaza de Armas to gather with the other visitors to the island. From there, we were guided to the top of the island, a height of 4,185 metres. This was an intense hike in cold conditions. It is a venture which I would have found particularly trying at any time, but was even more of a challenge at such altitude and with such a nasty cold as I suffered with. As such, it took some time, but I'm proud to say that I made it (with much encouragement from Tom). It was a spectacular view from the top, of not only the island and the lake, but also other mountains and Bolivia.

By the time we got back down to the Plaza de Armas, it was dark and raining. Olivia guided us home, sure-footed and confident even in the wet and pitch black. Dinner was waiting for us, another soup with potatoes, followed by a comforting vegetable stew with rice and another delicious cup of muña. After the hike and the meal, we were very tired and so needed a rest before the evening's activities.

In the evening, Olivia came to our room and dressed us in the traditional clothes worn by the people of the island. I wore a blouse made of thick white material with green and red flowers embroidered on the front and the cuffs, a full skirt made of very thick red fabric and tied high around the waist, and a multicoloured striped thick band which was wrapped around my waist like a belt. The outfit was completed with a black shawl with pink flowers embroidered at the ends. Tom wore a huge, heavy brown poncho made of very coarse fabric such as the local men wear over their clothing. Once dressed, we followed Olivia, who once again easily navigated in the dark, to a local communiity building for a 'fiesta'. It was very basic inside, with seating around the edges. A band formed from musicians on the island played traditional music and we danced with the local people. It was enjoyable but also tiring after such an exhausting day, and relatively early on Olivia took us home to sleep.

Early in the morning, after a very cold but otherwise comfortable night, Olivia's father knocked on our door to awaken us for breakfast. Again this was served in the kitchen, and consisted of homemade bread made in a style native to the island, and a cup of cinnamon and clove tea. Then Olivia took us to the dock, we said our goodbyes and boarded the boat.

The next stage of our trip took us to the island of Taquile, an hour away from Amanti. Here, we had to hike to the Plaza, another intense and tiring walk, very trying on the lungs. Weaving is a very important trade on this island, and we were shown examples of the work done by the local people. It is something done by men as much as women. In fact, when a man wants to impress a woman here with the intention of perhaps marrying her, his weaving is used as an example of his skills and what a hard worker he is and how he can be relied upon to provide for the family.

We then walked back to the port, thankfully downhill this time. Once on the boat, it was a 3 hour journey back to the port at Puno. The end to our trip was marked with pouring rain, cold and wind. However, it had been an enlightening experience and so interesting to see the culture of the 'real' Peru. It was also rather nice to see how some Peruvians way of life has remained like those of their ancestors, despite the modern world not so far from them.

Flora Tristan School Performance

As a way of bringing all of the students together, a school assembly was arranged for Friday 30th September. The first part was for each class to perform a song to the rest of the school, which they had been given the whole of September to practise. My babies class performed first. The song I had prepared with them was 'If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands'. They became quite shy upon realising that they were being asked to perform in front of the rest of the school, and most did not sing, but they clapped their hands at the right points in the song! Each class was quite shy about singing, but they all did it, and we teachers were all proud of them.

Once all of the classes had performed, the school coordinator, Li, made presentations to the students with the highest attendance rates during September. Each of these students received a card with their name on, acknowledging their efforts to come to school and learn English, and also a small goody bag. This went down very well with the students, and I really believe will encourage them to continue attending regularly, or in other instances, to increase their attendate rates.

Li and the volunteer coordinator, Anna, confirmed that the holding of an assembly at the end of the month will become routine. I feel this is really great for the school, as it is an opportunity for all of the students to get together and be rewarded for their efforts, and will introduce some more structure into their school lives. I believe that reward has a stronger effect on the students than punishment, and think it's fantastic that the school are taking this positive approach.

Casa Hogar - The Orphanage

In addition to the school the organisation, Traveller Not Tourist, also has an orphanage in the city where it sends many volunteers.  Sunday 25th September was our first experience of the orphanage since arriving in Arequipa.  Some of the volunteers decided to organise a fun morning out at the swimming baths which gave us the perfect opportunity to meet the children and see the work that goes on there.  The Casa Hogar orphanage is roughly a twenty minute bus journey out of the town centre.  The orphanage was set up (and is run) by a charity organisation called Instituto de la Caridad Universal del Perú (The Institute of the Universal Charity of Perú).  The orphanage is run by full time local volunteers who only get food and board for their work there, no wage. It works with the government who sends them children, but money and resources have to come from donations.  The orphanage has around twenty children under the age of 10.  The youngest is a 2 month old baby girl that was left on the doorstep at just 12 days old!  The living quarters are extremely small and cramped. They are currently fundrasing for a new place, one which will be larger and suit the needs better for the children and carers.  We are hoping that with the money we raised in England we can organise an events day in Arequipa to raise awareness and generate further funds.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks for reading,
Tom and Sophie

Arrived safely in Arequipa!

On Thursday afternoon, 1st September, Tom and I departed for Peru.  Our trip began with a flight from Manchester to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Santo Domingo, then to Panama City where we were almost refused entry to Peru.  Minutes before the flight to Lima took to the air, we were given permission to fly and ran across Panama airport to board the plane.  Upon arriving at Lima airport, we took a taxi to a hostel in the city centre, where we spent our first night in Peru.

The following day, we took the Cruz del Sur night bus to Arequipa.  After 16 hours, we awoke to find blue skies and snow capped mountains awaiting us.  Arequipa is known as the 'White City' due to the volcanic rock in its architecture, which makes it a beautiful place to be.

On Monday, we visited Flora Tristan school and met the other volunteers and the students.  The area is a deprived area on the northern outskirts of Arequipa.  Many of the inhabitants are still without waste water disposal and have only recently been supplied with running water.  Some of the children attend school, but others do not.

Our working day commences around 2.30pm, when we take a 45 minute bus journey to the school.  The purpose of the school is to provide English lessons to the young people of the community.  English is seen as a valuable asset, as tourism is an important source of income to Arequipa.  A good grasp of the English language also acts as a gateway to further career opportunities.

Around 20-30 students attend the school, although not all of them attend every day.  The school is split into 4 classes.  Tom will be working with 2 classes; currently beginners aged 5-8, then from next week an advanced class with young adults.  I am working with the babies class, aged 2-5.

We are very excited to start making a difference to this community.  Thanks for reading!

Sophie & Tom

£330 raised so far

Thank you to all that came to our fancy dress farewell disco this Saturday.  We managed to raise another £250 making a total of £330 raised so far.  The money will go to help out the school and orphanage Sophie and I will be volunteering for in Peru.  An update about how the money has been spent will be posted on the blog in the near future.  Thank you to all that contributed.

Fund rasing

We have currently managed to raise £80 to go towards the orpahange and school Sophie and I will be volunteering at, thanks to those that sent us the money after seeing my article in the Keighley News.  We are having a fancy dress farewell leaving party on the 30th July being put on for us by the Wednesday Leisure Club.  Hopefully this will raise even more.

Keighley News Article

I have had my article published in the Keighley News and on their website which can be viewed by clicking here

Hopefully this will bring in some sponsors and create awareness about what me and Sophie are doing :)

Where we are going

So a little information about where we will be going to.  We will be travelling to Arequipa, which is in southern Peru, and we will both be working at a school there through a volunteer program called 'traveller not tourist'.  At the moment we plan to stay for at least a month.  I will try to do a bit of fundraising which will extend our stay there helping people for as long as possible since we will have to pay for accommodation and costs of living.

The school is called Flora Tristan and here is what the website says about it:

"Teaching at our school (Flora Tristan Magical World of English)
We are working with a very deprived community on the outskirts of Arequipa. The community is a group of people who "invaded" a peice of unclaimed land a few years ago. They then successfully petitioned the local authorities to give them legal ownership of the area. Many of the inhabitants are still without electricity and waste water disposal and they have only very recently been supplied with running water. Some of the children go to school, others do not. Some of the children work getting sand and rocks for building materials by throwing stones at, for want of a better word, a cliff on the side of a mountain. Their stones dislodge rocks and sand which falls down. Obviously this is a very dangerous occupation. Due to lack of education and access to contraceptives, there is a high rate of teenage pregnancy in "pueblos jovenes" (young towns) such as Chachani. There is also a high rate of domestic abuse, absent parents (particularly fathers), malnutrition, unemployment, child labour and, obviously, poverty.

Our objectives in this project are to improve the lives of the children there by spending quality time with them, keeping them off the streets and providing them with a stimulating environment and resources which they can utilise to improve their motor skills, concentration, confidence and social skills (and we hope to take some of the pressure off their parents while we are at it!) We teach English as the main source of income in Arequipa is tourism and the majority of tourists/travellers here speak English so we are providing them with a very desirable skill."

Thanks for reading.

Tickets booked for Peru

Me and Sophie have booked our tickets for Peru and I have been busy finding hotels on arrival and generally looking at as much information as I can about Peru.  We will both be updating this blog as we go along but probably more once we get to Peru on the 2nd September.  I will try to keep things short but sweet.


Thanks for reading


Tom