Flooding and disaster in the Sacred Valley and Ollanta

While the world’s focus has turned to disaster relief in Haiti, the Sacred Valley in Peru was hit hard last week with flooding and heavy rains that destroyed much of the infrastructure and community that Kelsey, Jarrard, and I came to love last summer.

Pictures and information on the flooding can be found here.

Awamaki is raising money to help re-build the road, bridges, homes, and fields that were destroyed in the storms. Please consider making a donation to support the Ollantaytambo community at the Awamaki website, or contacting the organization to see how you can help.

Pictures from the flood here and below:

Read Full Post »

On the way home…

I have officially left Ollantaytambo and am embarking on my journey home. We arrived in Cusco at our gorgeous hotel this morning, and will spend three days here before I fly home on Wednesday and Kelsey and Jarrard head off to Arequipa and the Amazon.

It´s really too close to everything to have any clear thoughts about leaving, but last night we had a great send-off. We started with a despedida, or goodbye party, at our friend´s house. There was chocolate cake like you can´t even imagine. It was delicious. We ended the party in the Plaza, hanging out and telling stories with the police on duty. It was quite spectacular.

I went to Cusco last week and bought paint and canvases and got a chance to finish one painting and start another before a five-day monsoon started and we had to leave. Below are some photos of the paintings. Even though I bought a lot of beautiful things as mementos of my trip, I have a feeling that my 16 sole canvas might be my favorite thing crowding my suitcase.

We met up with Jacob for lunch at Jacks, a popular gringo establishement that serves such items as ¨big juicy hamburgers.¨

My painting of the valley looking down towards Ollantaytambo.

My unfinished sketch of the train tracks going toward Machu Picchu.

Me and Kelsey with our host family. They gave us gorgeous flowers with an unpronounceable name.

Our first farewell party, hosted by our host family.

The calendar we had band-aided to our wall for eight weeks.

At the party hosted by Awamaki volunteers.

Me and Jen giggling in the rain.

There´s not a lot to do in Ollanta on a Sunday night but take silly pictures of yourself.

This guy was hilarious. He kept asking Ann Marie if she was from laska. I mocked him in two languages.

Cheesing for the photo with the Ollanta police. They loved us.

A Morehead reunion in Cusco for lunch at Jack´s.

Read Full Post »

Pictures from Denise

Denise McCarthy, another Awamaki volunteer, came to school with us last week and took pictures of us teaching, playing volleyball, and clowning around with the kids. Below are some of her photos. There are more of Kelsey and Jarrard and Jacob, but the internet is slow, and the pictures of me downloaded first. I swear I´m not totally egocentric. I´ll try to download the rest later. Thanks for the photos, Denise!

Looking at the camera, not at his paper. Great.

Explaining the colors.

When you finish, you get a sticker and a circle drawn on your paper.

Writing an example for them.

Listening to me? Maybe. Maybe not.

Toiling away, in hopes of getting a sticker.

No, that´s not quite right. Yellow is not blue.

This is so typical. The kids are cute and I am annoyed.

Trying not to let the sixth graders show him up.

Volleyball, getting intense.

Read Full Post »