Planes, Trains, and a Whole Lot of Mountains

Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay in updating the blog. The past four days have been very exciting. Thursday and Friday started out much differently compared to the previous days of our trip. Just as we started getting used to our one hour bus naps and asking for directions on dirt roads, we started to prepare for our last clinic destination; a 10 minute drive from Casa de Retros Betana, the retreat we had been staying all week. Previously we had volunteered at orphanages, Shalom church, and Peru Children’s Charity. When we arrived at Escuela de Talentos on Thursday, we were greeted by Mesa De Reino, a non-profit organization. We were scheduled to evaluate 24 patients for the day. All of the workers at Escuela de Talentos were very helpful with organizing the patient schedule and translating for those who were unable to speak Spanish. Nick (AKA “the trouble-maker”) and Ben (AKA “the spy”) worked together, with their main focus on patients with wheelchairs. Altogether, we were able to see 17 patients before lunch. During our lunch break on Thursday, we played soccer with Peruvian students who attended the school in which we were working. We enjoyed a tasty lunch with the chef himself and managed to see seven more patients before heading back. On Thursday night we enjoyed our last night out and walked along the peninsula, Municipalidad Distrital de la Punta.

The girls and two brothers with muscular dystrophy

Patient at Escuela de Talentos

  Friday came quickly and we could not believe that it was our last day working as student physical therapists in Peru. While waiting to get started for the morning, we were entertained by a sassy girl with down-syndrome. She was kind of like a sour patch kid, first she was sour and would tell us where we were allowed to sit, and then she was sweet, showering us with hugs.

While treating patients with various diagnoses from muscular dystrophy to cerebral palsy, we could hear students playing guitar, singing, and dancing to celebrate the anniversary of Callao. At the same time, the celebration felt like it was for all of us: for all of our long bus rides, language barriers, sore throats, runny noses, and all that we had accomplished the past two weeks. Every moment has truly been an eye-opening and rewarding experience. To give parents hope, to see the children smile, and to know that our actions did and will continue to make a difference in the lives of others, made all of the hard work worthwhile. Thank you for all of you prayers and support, we could not have done all of this without you! The next four days will be spent relaxing, touring, and getting ready to head back home to good old Pennsylvania.

All of us at the center of Cusco

On Friday night we spent our time packing and preparing for our flight to Cusco in the morning. The view of the Andes Mountains from our plane ride, hostel, and travels to Cusco were breath-taking.

We were able to get our first taste of Alpaca meat, browse the markets, navigate the narrow cobblestone roads, and enjoy the architecture at the center of Cusco.

Cusco

So far, it has been a great experience to see another part of Peru outside of Lima. On Sunday morning, we finished some last minute souvenir shopping before hopping on a bus ride that would take us to our train to Machu Picchu. Our bus driver let us make a pit-stop to take pictures of the Andes Mountains and to take selfies with the llamas. It was impossible to nap on the bus when a new view popped up with every turn on the steep roads. The train ride to our hotel in Machu Picchu was just as beautiful, with sky lights and windows all around for viewing the mountains, river, and farmland. Once we settled into our hotel, we explored the markets and ate our last Peruvian dinner. Ben decided to order a Peruvian delicacy: Guinea Pig. The guinea pig was smiling on his plate, confirming that my choice to get a dish that didn’t look me in the eyes was perfect. Later, we put on our swim suits, walked over bridges between the giant mountains, and hopped into the hot springs at Agua Calientes with the night sky above us. Tomorrow will be an early start so that we can see as much of Machu Picchu as possible before heading back to our hostel in Cusco. It’s crazy to think that tomorrow is our last full day in Peru. These past 16 days have truly flown by.

Erin