First Days in Ollantaytambo

Hello, this is Ross Wehner writing at the end of a few very hectic and busy days. The students will post blog entries tomorrow, with pictures, but I wanted to bring everyone up to date. Today we hiked nearly eight miles -- and about 2,000 feet of vertical elevation gain -- to an Inca quarry high on the rim of the Sacred Valley. We began at the banks of the Vilcanota River and climbed along an Inca highway through stands of eucalpytis and the native molle tree. The entire group made the exhausting climb to the quarry in order to see the stones that were cut by the Incas and left mysteriously on the ground -- probably as a result of the Spanish conquest in 1533. We started at 8 a.m. and arrived back in the village around 5 p.m. and headed straight to their host families for dinner and sleep. This is the student´s second night with the host families and all seem quite cheerful and content, despite mostly lumpy beds and cold showers. The familes here take the responsibility of taking care of an additional ¨child¨very seriously and drop all farm chores to make breakfast and conversation with the students. This is planting season here in the Sacred Valley so many of the students in the coming days will make the hour-long march into the mountains above to labor in the fields. The students also made their first appearance at the local elementary school yesterday, where they will be helping to build a ¨children´s park¨for the kids. Cindy, Fred, Craig and I have just reviewed the final plans for the park and everything seems to be proceeding smoothly. Tomorrow the students will post an update with their perspective. All is well here in Ollantaytambo,
Ross, Craig, Cindy and Fred