Andahuaylillas

We have made it to Cusco! Our last few days in Lima were very eventful and the change of scenery to Cusco was just what we needed. We arrived Friday morning/afternoon where we were greeted with lots of sun and beautiful mountains in the background. We also got to exit the plane through the back and right onto the tarmac, which I have never done before! We then hopped onto a tour bus where we were taken to a small town called Andahuaylillias which has a population of 5,00 people. It is like going back in time. The roads are all cobblestone and the people are dressed in traditional attire. We are staying at a Jesuit Retreat House in the town where we have been fed great food and have been well taken care of. Our house does not have heat in the house, however, we are provided with an abundance of blankets and have been doing just fine! During the day, the temperature is about 60-65 degrees, however, at night it drops down to about 30 degrees. Layers are a must!

We have spent the last day or so exploring the town and were taken on a tour of the churches along the Baroque Route. The church in Andahuaylillas was beautiful with a lot of gold and silver. We have also had a chance to walk around the town, which takes about 5 minutes, but is very relaxing. I am looking forward to the Andean ritual that we are going to do and continuing to get to know the Cusco area!

As we have begun the last leg of our journey, I want to tell myself to keep an open mind and be willing to embrace the cultures that we experience in our time here. While Andahuaylillas is like nothing I have experienced before, I am excited to get to know what a typical day looks like here. We have seen a lot of mothers walking around with their children with them or on their back, and I would like to know what their day to day activities look like. As far as education goes, I would also like to know what their school is like. We will be visiting a Fe y Alegria school, which is a Jesuit school in the town. As we have visited a couple of these in Lima, I am interested to see what the similarities and differences are. I wonder what the goals of this school are and if they are similar or different to those of the Fe y Alegeria schools in Lima.

I am also interested to learn about the teachers in these schools and whether they are locals who have grown up in the Cusco area or if they have come in from somewhere else to teach the students. Being in a small town, I am intrigued to see what kind of access they have to resources and how those resources are being put to use in the classroom. As I sit outside the Jesuit retreat house writing my blog, I am listening to a man play guitar and the drums while looking out over the mountains! I am excited to see the school here in Andahuaylillas and continue our journey!

View from my bedroom at the Jesuit Retreat House: