Evergreen School’s Global Studies Program New destination: Peru

Overview

The Global Studies program started in the 1987-8 school year with a year-long study of the British Isles, culminated in a three-week trip there in the summer of 1988.  I was hired that same year to lead the second year of the program: the study of China, and a three-week trip to China in the spring of 1989. During the first five years of the program, the country of study was determined by the team of teachers who led the trip. Thus, we went to five different countries in the first five years of the program, including Japan in 1990, the Soviet Union in 1991, and Indonesia in 1992. At that point we realized that this was madness, having to create a new year-long history class each year, as well as all the international contacts necessary for an in-depth itinerary (and back then there was no internet) for a three week trip abroad.

The teachers involved in the program decided that we would limit the options to China and Indonesia. The students in the 7^th grade would research the two options. We would bring in guest speakers, show slide shows, watch videos, and then the students would vote on the country of study for their 8^th grade year. Later we incorporated Power Point presentations by the 7^th grade students to convince each other of their next year’s country of study and trip destination.

Indonesia usually won the debate; we went to Indonesia in ‘92, ‘93, ‘95, ‘96, and ’97, with trips to China in ‘89 and ‘94. Six weeks before the 1998 trip to Indonesia, the government fell into chaos with the death of their long time president and dictator Suharto. So in 1998 we diverted the destination to Thailand. 

We went back to China in 1989 and Thailand in 2000. With the outbreak of the SARS virus in China in 2001 (once again, just a few months before the trip), we again had to divert the trip destination, this time to Peru. We went back to Thailand in 2002 and China in 2003. 

One of the goals of the Global Studies program was to expose the students to a culture very different from their own by taking the students to a technologically developing nation. The feeling at that time was that Thailand was become too modern for our liking, and so we gave the students the option of Vietnam. The first trip to Vietnam was in 2004.

A major component of the itinerary was our pen pal school visit. Because of the nature of the “7^th grade election,” we never knew when we would return to a country. Eventually we set up a rotation between China and Vietnam, which had the advantage of removing the contentious debate and allowing us to maintain bi-annual contacts abroad with our travel agents and pen-pal schools. So the trips to China were in ’05, and ’07, and trips to Vietnam were in ’04, ’06, and ’08.

A major component of both the history and itinerary of the China years was the study of Tibet. In both ’05 and ’07 we spent a good portion of the year studying about Tibet, as well as a week of the itinerary there. With the growing protest movement in Tibet came the real fear that we would be unable to visit it. China’s economy had been growing at an unprecedented rate. Without Tibet as part of the itinerary, modern China became less attractive. So we dropped China as a country of study, and went exclusively to Vietnam in ’09, ’10 and ’11.

In 2009 Evergreen School created a committee of interested teachers to search the world for another country to add to the program. Starting with 36 countries on every continent, we narrowed our choices to Turkey and India, eventually deciding on Turkey as the country of study for the 2011-12 school-year.

With the conflict in Syria and growing citizen unrest in Turkey, our itinerary options for traveling there were limited, and so we returned to Vietnam in 2013, 2014 and 2015. 

During the 2013-14 school year, we started the process of searching for a new country of study. We hired a global education consultant (http://global-weeks.com/) to help us with this process. After developing the country criteria and 4 countries that met this criteria (Ghana and Tanzania in Africa, Brazil and Peru in South America) a group of 8 teachers and administrators met, dividing into teams and presenting information on each country.

Criteria

1          connection to the US (historically, politically, etc)

2          cost (international flights, 4 week tour)

3          curriculum - how accessible

4          diverse experiences (religious, cultural, geographical)

5          economic diversity (developing economy)

6          health requirements

7          small group rural experiences

8          other unique opportunities (significant historical/religious sites, etc.)

9          security

10        service learning opportunities (what organizations working in the countries)

11        traditional cultures

The outbreak of Ebola on the western coast of Africa narrowed our options, and finally Peru was decided as the next country of study and destination for the Evergreen Global Studies Program. Evergreen School sent the two Global Studies coordinators, myself and Eli Keltz, to Peru in the summer of 2015 to scout out the possibilities.

After an exhaustive search, we decided on two options for coordinating our 2016 itinerary to Peru. Vamos Expeditions (http://www.vamosexpeditions.com/) runs adventure travel programs, primarily in Peru, and The Andean Alliance for sustainable Development (http://alianzaandina.org/) is an NGO working on community-led development in the highlands of Peru.

I went on this trip to Peru with Eli Keltz, my co-coordinator for the Global Studies Program. I have been leading trips with him since 2011. After the trip to Vietnam in 2013, we submitted a proposal to the administration to make Eli a co-coordinator. Eli and I work very well together. He has added so much depth to the Global Studies Program. He is the force behind developing further the service component of the program. He also has a strong background in developing "rite of passage" activities, which is really what the Evergreen Global Studies Program is all about, as we prepare the students for high school and greater responsibility as global citizens.

Beginning of the Trip to Peru: summer of 2015: Lima

Lima is the capital and largest city of Peru, located on the central western coast, with a metropolitan area population of ten million people. It was founded in 1535 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro.

Our original intention was not to include Lima in the student itinerary, but after visiting the city and seeing the options available, we decided to include it in our tentative itinerary.

Student Led Itinerary Program, or SLIP

An important and essential part of the itinerary is what we call Student Led Itinerary Program, or SLIP. We have used this program in major cities like Istanbul or Hanoi. During the school year, students get together in small groups and research city options, planning the logistics for their daily schedule, which includes budget and transportation. Sometimes we include certain requirements, like having to use four different modes of transportation, or visiting a pagoda or temple. Each SLIP group will have a parent chaperone, but students run the show. We advise the chaperones to “let them get lost,” for sometimes the unexpected or unplanned are the most valuable experiences. Then each evening we have a debriefing session where students share their experiences and give each other “traveler tips.” Lima seems like a perfect place for a SLIP, with its historic sites, museums, and beautiful coastline. 

 Next stop: Cusco

Getting to Cusco from Lima will take you 20 hours by bus, since you have to cross the Andes, or you can fly there in one and a half hours. We chose to fly. Cusco is located above the Sacred Valley at 11,200 feet above sea level (3400 meters). It is the third largest city in Peru, with a population of a half million people. It was the capital of the Inca Empire from the 13^th century, until it was conquered by the Spanish in the 16^th century. It is designated as a World heritage site by UNESCO. The beautiful city of Cusco, with its narrowed cobbled streets, museums, and Inca sites, is another perfect location for SLIP exploration. 

Saqsaywaman Inca ruins near Cusco

Guinea Pig, a delicacy of Peru

Laundry in Cusco

The Sacred Valley

We are really excited about the Sacred Valley leg of the itinerary. Not only is this the location of Machu Picchu, but it is also where the students will visit their pen pals, work on their service projects, and engage in cultural lessons.

 At an altitude of about 10,000 feet (about 3000 meters), the Sacred valley is a little lower elevation than Cusco, and about an hour drive to the north. This is where the Andean Alliance, one of our finalists for developing the student itinerary, is located. They have incredible connections to a network of NGOs and a variety of farming communities, as well as doing a lot of work with building green houses at schools. 

The town of Pisac

Our tentative plan is to set up a “home base” in either Pisac, at the eastern end of the valley, or Ollantaytambo, at the western end. We plan on dividing the students into small groups and doing a four day rotation of cultural classes in the morning (weaving, pottery, cooking, farming, llama ranching) and activities in the afternoon (swimming, biking, hiking, exploring the ruins). We have also made contact with an orphanage in Urubamba (in the central part of the valley) where the children make crochet booties.  

View of the mountains around Pisac

Ollantaytambo

The Inca ruins of Ollantaytambo in the background

Little figurines a top many roofs

One of the most exciting aspects is the network of NGOs working in the Sacred Valley. The culmination of the Global Studies course for the Evergreen students is the NGO simulation. After studying about human rights and global citizenry, as well as reflecting on one’s personal responsibility, students research issues around the world then develop their own NGO. They write mission and vision statements, then create a business plan, researching costs from rent to advertising. The simulation culminates in an NGO Fair, where parents, teachers, administrators, and the seventh grade students act as major donors, moving from booth to booth to decide how to donate their money. 

The connections that the Andean Alliance has with NGOs working in the Sacred Valley allows us the opportunity to expand the simulation in some very powerful ways. The Andean Alliance will provide us with a number of NGOs willing to email and skype with the Evergreen students, then our students can develop an “affiliate NGO” in the simulation, and when in Peru they will spend some time with the real NGOs, experiencing the work they are doing in the Sacred Valley. We are hoping that the NGO Fair will turn into a real fair, raising real dollars for the NGOs that they will visit.

laundry in the valley north of Ollantaytambo

Drive to Larez from the Sacred Valley and Our pen pal school and service project in Cacchin:

The final piece to the Sacred Valley is the connection that the Andean Alliance has with a school in Cacchin, a remote village a few hours north of the Sacred Valley. It is about a three hour drive from the Sacred Valley to Cacchin, one of the most beautiful drives I have ever experienced. We hope to create pen pal connections with the students at this school, then visit for some days and work together on a couple of service projects – building another green house and developing a guinea pig farm. 

Drive from the Sacred Valley to Lares, near Cacchin

Drive from the Sacred Valley to Lares, near Cacchin over a 14,500 foot pass (4500 meters)

My favorite picture from the town of Lares.

The village of Cacchin: pen pal school and service projects

Eli with Aaron Ebner, one of the co-founders of Andean Alliance, at our potential pen pal school in Cacchin. Aaron, and his partner Adam, have given us such insight into the workings of NGOs in Peru. They are very critical of NGOs "chasing dollars" on projects that are not helpful to the indigenous populations they are supposed to be serving. 

The greenhouse at the Cacchin School which Andean Alliance helped the students and community to build.

inside the school greenhouse

Eli, on the three hour walk back to Lares from Cacchin, which we can make optional for the students.

Machu Picchu

One of the highlights of the trip to Peru is a visit to Machu Picchu. I have been to many of the world’s wonders, and right now, Machu Picchu stands as the most spectacular.

Located 8000 feet above sea level (2430 meters) on a mountain ridge above the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu was built around 1450 for Emperor Pachacuti (1438-1472). It was abandoned a century later due to the Spanish conquest. It was rediscovered by American historian 
Hiram Bingham in 1911. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983. 

Noah at Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu from Machu Picchu mountain

 The Amazon

Another exciting leg of the itinerary will be our stay in the Amazon. We flew from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado, the main city in the southern Peruvian Amazon. Pretty much everything east of the Andes is part of the Amazon rain forest. 60% of Peru is Amazon rain forest (the second largest Amazonian region, after the Brazilian Amazon).

Vamos Expeditions (http://www.vamosexpeditions.com/) organized our time in the Amazon. Annelies Hamerlinck is the founder of Vamos Expeditions. She runs an incredibly conscientious tour company. Her graduate school thesis was on how to use tourism to improve the lives of the local population. 

The NGO Fauna Forever (http://www.faunaforever.org/) was used to guide our tour of different possible student locations in the Amazon. Fauna Forever works on researching and preserving Peru’s Amazon rain forest through both conservation and appropriate development for the local population. 

Wild capybaras along the river edge

9-foot long caiman with butterflies on its head.

 We are looking at two sites in the Amazon. One location is at Wasai Lodge and Research Station, located 30 miles (50 kilometers) upstream from Puerto Maldonando on the Tambopata River. The other possible location is Lake Sandoval, located east and down river from Puerto Maldonado.

Lake Sandoval

 In either location, students will be engaged in scientific research, and a variety of other activities (like tree climbing, swimming, fishing, and boat repair). There is also the possibility of assisting in the reforestation of the Amazon.

Lake Sandoval

Noah and I sitting at the front of the boat near sunset.

 Another exciting opportunity for the students is that researchers at Fauna Forever have agreed to work with the science teachers at Evergreen to develop curriculum during the school year that will support the work that the students will be doing while in the Amazon.

Lake Titcaca

 The final location on the student itinerary is Lake Titicaca, located six to seven hours east of Cusco, and bordering Bolivia. To get there we went on another beautiful drive, over a pass of 14,600 feet. Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world at 12,500 feet (3800 meters) above sea level. 

View from the pass on road from Cusco to Puno on Lake Titicaca

On Lake Titicaca we can explore the Uros islands, man-made islands built out of reeds. There the students can learn about fishing and bird hunting.

Annelies, founder of Vamos Expeditions, and me

In the village of Luquina the students can experience farming. We thought that a cow-milking relay race might be a fun activity for the students.

Noah is learning to milk a cow. 

 Mud brick construction is the traditional method for building houses in the Andes. Making mud bricks may be another activity we could engage the students in. 

After a row boating activity, we traveled to the island of Taquile, where we spent the next few hours hiking across the island. 

Island of Taquile with the Bolivian Andes in the background.

Laundry on Taquile Island

The hike across the island of Taquile ended at a beach.

Taquile island laundry at the beach

Three Stories about Development and the Challenges of Trying to Help:

     A French company came to the village of Llachon on the shores of Lake Titicaca. They built a beautiful, big hotel, but they failed to ask the local community council for permission to open. The hotel still sits vacant, having never been opened.

    A group of tourists, feeling sorry for their poor porters on the Inca Trail trek, walking in nothing but flip flops, decided to donate their boots to the porters. The porters, when back in Cusco, sold the boots, for they are not as comfortable as what they are used to.

    The government, feeling sorry for the poor porters, passed a law that all trekking companies must purchase walking shoes for their porters. At the end of the trek, the porters sell the shoes, for they are not as comfortable as the flip flops they are used to.

    The government put in check points on the Inca Trail trek to make sure the porters are not being exploited by the trekking companies by making them carry too much weight, and also to make sure that the trekking companies are purchasing walking shoes for the porters. Now, the poor porters, who still trek in flip flops, have to carry the walking shoes with them, and just before they reach the check points, they take off their flip flops and put on the uncomfortable walking shoes.

    Annelies from Vamos Expeditions, along with her former partner Daniel, found a beautiful camping spot on the island of Ticonata in Lake Titicaca. Wanting to help out the locals on the island, they asked what they could do. Together, they came up with a plan to raise money and, with donated labor, built six round shelters in the traditional style to be used to generate income for the islanders.

    Upon our return to Ticonata Island today, Annelies found the six traditional shelters has grown into 26 shelters. There is now also a large dining hall to feed guests.

    Annelies said to me, “The locals probably don’t even remember that Daniel and I started this project 10 years ago. And that is best, for they have taken ownership of the project themselves.”

Inspired by these stories, as well as other stories of misguided development that Andean Alliance shared with us, we are going to try to come up with a question to answer for all the NGOs that the students are going to work with, about one example of  a mistake they each made in trying to help others develop.

Annelies with the family we stayed with in the village of Llanchon.

The family we stayed with in the village of Luquina.

In the end, we feel that both Vamos Expeditions and the Andean Alliance have so much to offer the Evergreen students. We feel that they have complementary strengths, so we would like to use both companies to develop the Peru itinerary.

Here is our best effort at this time of the student itinerary for Peru 2016:

Day location activity 1 Lima No plans 2 Lima SLIP 1 3 Lima SLIP 2 4 Amazon Morning flight to Puerto Maldonando and boat ride to Sandoval Lake or Wasai: Orientation 5 Amazon Day 1 morning rotation/afternoon activity 6 Amazon Day 2 morning rotation/afternoon activity 7 Amazon Day 3 morning rotation/afternoon activity 8 Amazon Day 4 morning rotation/afternoon activity 9 Cusco Early morning head to Puerto Maldonado airport and flight to Cuzco. Free day to acclimatize 10 Cusco SLIP 1 11 Cusco SLIP 2 12 Cacchin Bus to Cacchin through most beautiful pass ever. Lunch and icebreaker activities and orientation, small group village tour 13 Cacchin Morning service (green house, guinea pig (cuy) farm, playground) 1/ afternoon activities (hike, soccer, ultimate, corn harvest, carnival, nature awareness, building wall) 14 Cacchin Morning service 2/ afternoon activity 15 Pisac Optional morning hike to Larez (4 hours), hot springs, bus to Pisac (2 hours) 16 Pisac Lesson rotation 1/afternoon activity 17 Pisac Lesson rotation 2/afternoon activity 18 Pisac Lesson rotation 3/afternoon activity 19 Aguas Calientes Lesson rotation 4/afternoon bus to Ollantaytambo then train to Augus Calientes 20 Oyantaytambo All day Machu Picchu. Evening train to Ollantaytambo 21 Oyantaytambo NGO day 1 22 Oyantaytambo Parent letters and NGO BBQ 23 Puno Drive to Puno (10 hours) on Lake Titicaca 24 Lukina Boat to Uros floating islands - activities there, then boat to Lukina and evening welcome ceremony and soccer 25 Lukina Farming activities, afternoon hiking 26 Lukina Boat to Taquile and day hike, then swimming and picnic on beach 27 Bus to airport, flight to Lima, flight home
Colca Canyon Lake Titcaca was the end of our time with our potential tour operators: Vamos Expeditions and Andean Alliance. Noah and I continued our time in Peru, heading to the town of Chivay, at the entrance of Colca Canyon, about a six hour drive southwest of Lake Titicaca. With a depth of 10,725 feet (3270 meets), it is one of the deepest canyons in the world (twice as deep as the Grand Canyon). Besides the beautiful scenery, one of the main attractions to the canyon is that it is the home to the Andean Condor, which as a wingspan of up to ten feet (3.2 meters). The Andean condor nests at elevations of up to 16,000 feet (5,200 meters) and is one of the longest living birds, with a lifespan of up to 70 years. The Andean Condor is considered near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Drive to Chivay  a herd of llamas This is at the pass, the highest point on the drive at 16,065 feet (4910 meters).  Drive to Cabanaconde At Chivay we caught another bus to Cabanaconde (two and a half hours), in Colca Canyon near the Andean Condor viewing spots. The condors love Colca Canyon, for they can ride the thermals up the steep, canyon walls. This drive was, once again, one of the most beautiful I had ever been on. Cabanaconde You can barely see Cabanaconde in the distance. Colca Canyon We were very lucky to see dozens of Condors flying.  Though difficult to see, there are five condors flying in this photo.   ArequipaOur final stop was Arequipa, the second largest city in Peru, with a population of close to one million. It is about a three hour bus ride from Chivay to Arequipa. The city was founded in 1540 by Garci Manuel de Carbajal. It is 7638 feet (2810 meters) above sea level, so a little more room to breath. Arequipa, with the volcano Misti in the background (19,100 feet, or 5,822 meters) Everyone, even tourist information, says that this bridge was designed by Mr. Eiffel (but it turns out that it wasn't!) View from the rooftop deck at our Hostel Arequipa has a lot of great doors. So Noah and I spent the next few hours photographing doors. The End Noah and me at Seatac Airport in Seattle It was great having Noah with me on this scouting mission. His inquisitive mind, unique perspectives, and thoughtful questions added so much to the process of determining the best itinerary for my students next year. I am grateful for his contributions.