By Dean and Vincent
We started our last day in Peru with breakfast at 8:00, which was fruits and juice; soon after the chefs came out with homemade bread with jam and butter and eggs.
We finished packing our bags and left Niños House at 10:00 to go to Sacsayhuamán, an archeological site. Before we could go into the archeological site we were captivated by the wild llamas and dogs in a territorial battle. The tussle was drawn out for almost 10 minutes when the dogs ran into an area that the llamas couldn’t reach.
After that we learned that Sacsayhuamán was one of the most powerful fortresses in the Inca empire. In the Inca capital of Cusco, it was a place for administration, social, political and religious power. The fortress was created with 80-ton rocks that some believe were there before the Incas ever arrived.
Sacsayhuamán was said to have been built in 1438, roughly a hundred years before the fall of the empire, but that is still argued between academics. A notable event during this period was a significant battle behind the mountains, led by the eighth emperor’s son against the Chanca people, with the formidable Pachacuti offering a significant challenge. A century later, the arrival of the Spanish marked a turning point.
After we learned this information we moved further into the fortress to reflect on our trip. We shared something that we would take away from the trip and also shared our appreciation for each other through two unique activities. First, we sat together and were given a ring we each made on day three, that was made by one of our peers. Then we said one thing that we appreciate about them before giving them their ring. Next, we stood a circle and faced the other way with our eyes closed. We were all given a number by Rebecca, and when called we were tasked with tapping our friends on the shoulder and to telling them how we felt about them and what we appreciated about them after this time together.
After the reflection, we went back into town to go to a museum. Inside the museum there were ancient Inca textiles, paintings, weapons and we even got to see the Inca mummies. The picture on the wall shows a special Inca wall with designs sticking out from it and a part that shows how high the water is. Then, we went into town square to do a little last minute shopping before we fly home.
When the short shopping spree finished we went back to the Niños House to have our last delicious meal before getting on our three flights home. We ate spaghetti for lunch with many different sauces and additions of trout, chicken or vegetables. When our delicious meal ended, we packed up our bags into a bus and drove to the Cusco airport. In the airport we said goodbye to Rebecca and waited to board our flight, which seemed like forever. We’re sad that the trip is coming to a close, but can’t wait to get back to New Jersey. It was such an eventful last day!
