April Feature - Julia P.: How Study Abroad Builds Perspective
In this month’s feature you’ll meet Julia “GG” P., an EdOdyssey alumnae and current senior at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. She spoke with us about how travel has changed her, and you’ll see how her past experiences abroad continue to shape her and her future plans.
In this month’s feature you’ll meet Julia “GG” P., an EdOdyssey alumnae and current senior at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. She spoke with us about how travel has changed her, and you’ll see how her past experiences abroad continue to shape her and her future plans.
GG’s START IN TRAVEL
Originally from New Hampshire, she relocated to central Massachusetts to attend Worcester Academy, a prep school in Worcester. As a student, she played hockey and jumped at any opportunity to travel.
Reflecting on her upbringing, she credits her grandma for her endless curiosity about the world. Born in Ecuador, GG’s grandmother attended college in the US, where she met her husband, GG’s grandfather, in Missouri.
In high school, GG participated in two international adventures that remain close to her heart today. The first was to the Dominican Republic where she spent a week teaching English to students in an elementary and middle school (grades 1- 8). The second brought her to Peru with EdOdyssey.
Her time in Peru, as she recalls, was “a 10 wild days” of on-the-go adventure during her Spring Break in March 2017. The itinerary included Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu and left her feeling “renewed.”
After graduating from Worcester Academy, she chose to continue her education just a few miles away at College of the Holy Cross. As a freshman, she walked onto the hockey team and this year, as a senior, was named captain. She is currently a Senior majoring in physics with a minor in Latinx & Caribbean Studies.
A LOOK BACK AT PERU
Sasaywoman, the ancient Incan ruins just outside of downtown Cusco, remains a favorite. She was in awe of the architecture and still remembers the humbling feeling of exploring the ruins:
“I never felt so small.”
Four years after her time in Peru, she still vividly recalls the dew and the clouds covering the landscape and the surrounding Andes mountains in the distance. Almost all people think of Peru and Machu Picchu, but she says that these ancient ruins continue to stand out to her.
ADVICE FOR HER YOUNGER SELF
If given the chance, she was asked about what she would say to the high school version of herself.
Her advice to other younger students? Totally immerse yourself in the experience, build relationships with the rest of the group, and live in the moment.
After her trip to Peru, they had a unique common bond and she wishes that she had longer lasting friendships.
LOOKING AHEAD IN HER CAREER
Her ambitions go beyond working in a lab, and she plans to get more involved with project & program management.
“I love physics, and I like the challenge of being a part of a major that is mostly represented by men.”
Her aspirations include traveling the world as a project manager because, as she shared:
"I want more of a world view for the rest of my life."
In preparation for graduation, some thoughts and advice came to mind that she shared with her fellow college athletes.
STUDY ABROAD & TRAVEL TIPS FOR STUDENT ATHLETES
GG provided us some great tips and insights for students involved in sports:
Have the conversation with your coach: If you’re not in season, take some time and show that it means a lot to you. She feels lucky to have a supportive coach who understands her passion for travel.
Use your time management skills: Manage your time, plan ahead, and look at your courses!
Go solo: Coming from a college team and teammates, sometimes it can feel different to break out and go off on your own, and as GG says:
“Don’t be afraid to travel on your own.”
The pandemic disrupted her plans to study abroad and do a May-mester in Spain, but she has plans to travel after she graduates to continue learning more abroad.
STAYING CONNECTED TO EXPERIENCES ABROAD
Her friends and family have kept the conversations alive, and their chats have fueled her future plans.
Friends: Sarah, a friend on campus, studied abroad in Peru and GG feels like they have stayed close because both of them connected to the Peruvian culture and experience.
Family: She has family in Ecuador, and her grandma came from Ecuador, so it allows her to stay connected with those experiences.
Future Planning: Her conversations have helped her keep travel high on her list and not lose sight of it.
“It’s important to give travel a shot!”
LESSONS LEARNED FROM PAST EXPERIENCES
When looking back at previous travel experiences, GG offers her insights and perspective:
“Travel is something that everyone can enjoy if they are presented an opportunity.”
On her past travel experiences, including EdOdyssey experience, she noticed a lot of students from different interests and backgrounds come together and really bonded throughout the experience. When asked about EdOdyssey’s reflections, she shared the following:
“I learned a lot from Peter [McGovern, President of EdOdyssey] and the way he sees the world. He was always excited.”
She learned a lot from her younger brother, Mitchell, who reminded her to take photos with her. Their experiences together were a surprise when he opened up more than she had expected.
“My relationship with my brother grew incredible amounts in such a short period of time.”
FUTURE PLANS & ADVICE FOR HER PEERS
Experiences provide us insights into other people and their careers, and GG encourages her peers to not feel pressure for a rigid career path.
“It's important to learn from people and their experiences, but it also takes time to do that.”
She wants her peers to focus on the end goal and reflect on the fact that there won’t be one path to get there. For her, project management doesn’t exactly connect with her physics major, but she sees her past experiences as a great stepping stone for her career.
As our team and our world builds back to student travel, we hope that her experiences show that the power of travel and how it unites different parts of our lives!
Interested in being a monthly feature later this year? Fill out our monthly feature form for a chance to share your story with us and our travel community!
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Seven Reasons You Can't Miss Cusco
The history of Cusco has transcended time and still lives and breathes through its people, places and animals. Centuries ago, The Incan Empire was spread throughout South America as one of the world's largest tribes, and Cusco held the status as the capital of the Incas. Before the Spanish came in the 16th century, the empire covered Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and northern parts of both Chile and Argentina.
The history of Cusco has transcended time and still lives and breathes through its people, places and animals. Centuries ago, The Incan Empire was spread throughout South America as one of the world's largest tribes and Cusco held the status as the capital of the Incas. Before the Spanish came in the 16th century, the empire covered Peru, a large part of Chile, and smaller parts of Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia and Argentina.
Although Cusco is a major Peruvian city with roughly half a million people, it has held onto its identify and the Cusqueños (or people from Cusco) have held onto their past to create a present-day culture that embraces their community-first mentality.
We encourage schools to include Cusco on their itineraries because it gives a wider idea about Peruvian culture. Here are seven reasons you can’t miss out on Cusco:
Photo courtesy of Kyle Janko (Matignon HS)
1. History of Spanish Influence
The Spanish conquest of the Incan empire in the middle of the 16th century changed the face of culture in Peru, and especially in the Incan capital. When the Spanish came to Cusco, they converted the people to Catholicism and they changed their former places of Incan worship into churches and cathedrals.
In Cusco’s main Cathedral, it has paintings that were made with European-style canvases and paints that depicted Jesus Christ. In those same pictures, they have typical aspects of Peruvian culture. For example, Jesus and his disciples have the Last Supper, but in the middle of the table, there is a guinea pig - a typical and traditional food still eaten in Cusco today.
Photo courtesy of Kyle Janko (Matignon HS)
2. Iconic Animals
When we think of animals in major cities, we normally don't consider anything other than cats and dogs but it's a different story in Cusco. The Peruvian people in the former Incan capital still allow alpacas, llamas and vicuñas in and around their most popular areas.
From ancient Incan ruins to sometimes even the city center, you can find them in the most unexpected places, including Machu Picchu. You can see people walking with these animals in Cusco and surrounding areas as a part of the community.
3. Architecture & Landscape
The awe-inspiring structures, both natural and man made, will have you wonder about these places came into existence. In past programs, we’ve enjoyed taking a short ride just outside of Cusco to Saqsaywaman to understand the ancient Incan history.
In this fortress - a name given by the Spaniards who conquered Cusco - we learn about how the Incan people created this area of worship with boulders and stones weighing tons. They took tree trunks to roll the stones into place in order to avoid erosion and to create a stable area for farming. The best way to really comprehend it is to see it!
4. Amazing Coffee
Peruvian coffee is some of the best in the world, and there's no better place to try it than Cusco. At an altitude of over 10,000 feet, the coffee beans don't break down as easy and they don't oxidize as fast so the coffee beans stay fresher for longer.
When coffee tastes bitter, it's flavor comes from an acidic coating that develops around the bean which shrinks the bean and changes the natural flavor. However, in Cusco, the coffee stays fresher for longer and you can taste the difference!
5. Artistic Influence
In Cusco, you'll find ceramics and hand made goods from local experts and professionals who have learned these ancient traditions from family members. In our programs, we like to include a visit to a ceramics workshop where we learn how to make pottery and decorate ceramics from professionals. These professionals show special techniques that have helped our students create their piece!
6. The Location
The city is located high in the mountains in the region of the Andes Mountains, one of the longest mountain ranges in the world. The location of Cusco gives great access to Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
The trip to Machu Picchu gives a real look at the transition from the city of Cusco, Andres mountains and finally to the surrounding jungle-like area around these famous ancient ruins. The area of Machu Picchu was actually discovered just over a hundred years ago after centuries of being hidden and closed off from the world which gives us a glimpse into the knowledge and power of the ancient architecture surrounding the ruins!
7. The Local Vibe
One of the Cusco area’s best kept secrets is hidden in the Amaru community. This tribe is located about an hour outside of Cusco city where we learn how they make traditional clothes and how they cook typical foods, such as their famous huatia potatoes.
Additionally, we learn traditional dances and get a real look into life in one of the largest tribes in Peru with over three million people!
If you’re interested in hearing more about Peru, check out our blog Understanding The Keys of Peruvian Culture to get an even more in depth look at what makes the country one of the most beautiful places in the world!
EdOdyssey's Epic Six Day Finale For Fall Study Abroad 2018
We always save Cusco for the end because at the end of every study abroad semester in Lima because it’s a special way for our local staff at EdOdyssey to wrap up an emotional semester abroad with our students. As a final touch, this past semester our study abroad students took an amazing trip to Cusco and Machu Picchu with Patty, our Peruvian Program Coordinator.
Every semester our study abroad program includes three excursions to make sure students return home with the most holistic glimpse of Peru. As one of the most ecologically diverse countries in the world, it has 84 of the 108 ecosystems and 28 of 32 possible climates. Wouldn’t you want to see and experience as many as possible?
We always save Cusco for the end because it’s a special way for our local staff at EdOdyssey to wrap up an emotional semester abroad with our students. As a final touch, this past semester our study abroad students took an amazing trip to Cusco and Machu Picchu with Patty Valencia, our Peruvian Program Coordinator.
We want to give you all a quick look back at what our end of semester trip with our students looked like this past fall semester because we wanted to leave our students with a fantastic send off with the most authentic look at life in Peru.
Day 1 - The Arrival: Mental & Physical Preparation
During the first day in Cusco, the students and our team took it easy and stayed in the city of Cusco. At an altitude of around 11,000 feet, they got adjusted to the local feel. This first day, they acclimated to the local climate. The next five days involve an emotional roller coaster packed with visiting more than five cities, two trains, countless hours of hiking, an experience with a shaman and a meal that they’ll never forget.
Day 2 - Hospitality & Haggling: The Local Experience
They visited one of the nearby local Amaru communities and saw what it’s like to live like a location. They saw a presentation in Quechua - the local language in the village - and the community members had the students dress in the local attire. During their day in the community, they learned how to harvest beans and how the locals add their bright colors and designs to the typical clothing.
It wouldn’t have been a trip to the local community without some local hospitality. The locals had them try some of their famous local potatoes, natural teas, and quinoa to later show them some local goods in case they wanted to buy anything.
After the students learned how to live like the locals, they put a semester’s worth of Spanish to the ultimate language test: bargaining and buying at the local artisanal market. Patty told us that it was the first time that she saw such a big group of visiting students haggle over prices, and her reaction was priceless:
“Incredible! It was the Spanish immersion talking!”
After they bought an assortment of goods that ranged from fun pants to Peruvian-style sweaters the group visited a farm with alpacas and llamas where they got to feed them! As they took the road to Machu Picchu, they made a few stops along the way. Now, if you go by yourself or with an agency, you would probably go straight to the town where Machu Picchu is, but you’d miss a wild ride!
Day 3: Four Cities, Marching Toward Machu Picchu
On the third day, the group went to see the famous salt pools in Maras that are world-known Peruvian pink salt, as seen above. Later, they had lunch in Urubamba and saw the ancient ruins in Ollantaytambo before catching the train to Aguas Calientes. While on the train, everyone started to look over their pictures taken during their jam-packed trip, but one of the students stopped Patty to ask:
“How can you look at photos right now and miss one of the most beautiful train rides ever?”
Needless to say, everyone put their cameras away as they began to leave the mountainous region of Cusco and approached the wilderness and jungle on the way to Machu Picchu.
Day 4 - Finally Arrived: Machu Picchu
Some students woke up earlier and took another route up to Machu Picchu known as “La puerta del sol”, or sun gate. They communicated with Patty through WhatsApp as they took an alternative route with marked signs that lead up to “The Old Peak”, which is the translated name of Machu Picchu from Quechua to English.
After they arrived to the peak, they learned about the ancient history behind the ancient Incan civilization and how it was rediscovered. After hiking all day, they took their market haggling to the next level to get some local souvenirs before taking the ride from Aguas Calientes to Cusco where they slept.
Day 5 - An Evening With A Shaman & Guinea Pig dinner
In the morning, some rested while others others enjoyed going to the seven-colored mountain. In the afternoon, the farewell was a special event with a local shaman that performed a ritual that read into their respective futures in private that left them as happy as well as fascinated.
After they enjoyed partaking in ritual, they went to try one of the local delicacies - guinea pig. They tried it but we think that one time was enough!
Day 6 - The Final City Tour, The Predestined Farewell
They did a quick tour of Cusco before heading home to the United States. As fate would have it, their flights got delayed. They took that time with Patty to recount their orientation, their trips, and to reflect on everything that they learned during their time in Peru. One of the students reflected in their excursion to Ica where the students spent the nights in tents in the dessert and under the stars as one of their favorite moments of the semester.
We hope that all of our students come away with moments that make them feel the magic of another culture. Whether they enjoy the more quiet moments or the unsettling moments that challenge their comfort zone, the entire experience has taught us that we have to appreciate the moments with the people around us.
Ready to take the leap to see Peru with us?
Check out our EdOdyssey Study Abroad Page for more information!
Why Study In Peru?
Lima has taken the natural beauty of existing landscape and it given it a modern twist and the inhabitants of the city have taken traditional Peruvian foods and fused it with existing flavors from other parts of the world.
What Makes Peru Different
Of all the places to study around the world, Peru offers the natural beauty of the Pacific coastline along with a modern twist. In addition to its unique scenery, the locals in big cities like Lima have taken traditional Peruvian foods and ingredients and fused it with exciting, rich flavors from other parts of the world. At EdOdyssey, we want to give you a real look into how Peru’s beauty continues to combine and fuse local and foreign influences into the vibrant fiber of its culture.
Are you looking to explore a new, exciting place with some of the most diverse food and most distinct views in the world? Do you want to experience tasting the fusion of both Asian and South American foods?
Landscape in Lima - Cliffs and Pacific Coast
These cliffs go over one hundred feet high (30 meters+)!
In Peru, you’ll see how the unique terrain boosts some of the most awe-inspiring scenery in all of South America that juxtaposes the best of both the earth and sea. You’ll have the opportunity to see how the pacific coast runs along Lima with its distinct mix of rocky and sandy beaches along the cliffs.
Along the Peruvian coastline, you can see Lima’s steep cliffs hugging the coastline. With EdOdyssey, we take you to see the best views of the city from on the edge of these mythical cliffs. Not literally (don’t worry), but you’ll get close enough to the end of the cliffs to see the highway below, the ocean in the distance, and one of most amazing views from an open air mall built into the cliff. Believe it or not, Lima has a mall called Larcomar that looks out onto the Pacific coast.
Wait, a mall with an ocean view? Yes!
Natural cliffs guard Lima from the Pacific waves.
In the Peruvian capital, Larcomar is the only open-air mall in the world with stores, shops, and restaurants built into the cliffs. In the past, we’ve taken students to eat at world-famous chef Gastón Acurio’s restaurant Tanta, a small international Peruvian restaurant chain. While you’re in one of South America’s biggest cities in South America, you’ll notice how quickly you go from standing on top of one of the most picturesque coastlines in all of the world to taking a plane two hours away and surrounding yourself with mountains in Cusco.
Experiencing Cusco
In Cusco, you’ll see a smaller city with more aspects of Peruvian mountain life. In the streets, you’ll see people walking with their local animals, such as llamas and alpacas, walking the local streets in their traditional clothing (as seen in the picture below). The best part? You’ll get a chance to see building structures that have been around for centuries so you’ll get a sense of how Peru incorporates tradition along with the modern!
During our past trips to the region around Cusco, you will have the opportunity to see the famous Peruvian llama, as seen on the right. Additionally, you’ll learn about Peru’s agriculture, gastronomy, and other local animals such as the vicuña and alpaca during one of our day trips!
Food, Drink and Culture in Peru
Peru has one of the most diverse populations in all of South America, and with that, came cross-culinary fusion that you will want to see and taste while in Peru!
In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Chinese immigrants came to Peru and they brought with them their own cooking style and flavors that became mixed with local Peruvian cuisine now popularly known as “Chifa”. This Peruvian and Chinese fusion has created some of the best Peruvian dishes, including the iconic chaufa (combination-style fried rice) and lomo saltado (sauteed sirloin strips with onions and tomatoes accompanied with fries and/or rice).
Chaufa combines the Chinese style fried rice with Peruvian chicken and Peruvian sauces while lomo saltado takes the idea of traditional Chinese stir fry and adds rice and fries that come from Peruvian potatoes. These two popular dishes highlight two of Peru’s biggest culinary staples: potatoes and chicken. Although many people think of Ireland as being known for potatoes, this starchy staple actually comes from Peru which boosts over three thousand different types of potatoes.
Want to hear more about Peru’s landscape and gastronomy? No worries, you’ll have the opportunity to read more in the coming weeks with more about it! As educators with a passion for Peru, we want you to experience these places.
Please fill out a study abroad application today so we can learn more about your interest in going abroad to Lima!
Understanding The Keys of Peruvian Culture: Landscape and Diversity
Our desire to share Peru’s unique beauty with the world comes from our own life-changing experiences there, and we believe that it will change yours too.
Why Peru? Why EdOdyssey?
Peru has become one of South America’s most popular countries to visit because of its unique, natural beauty and cultural diversity. As you consider places to study, or travel, in South America then you might ask yourself: what makes Peru worth exploring? Why study abroad with EdOdyssey?
First off, we come from teaching backgrounds as bilingual and trilingual educators and we’ve all enjoyed our own experiences both studying and working in Peru ourselves. Furthermore, our desire to share Peru’s allure with the world comes from our own life-changing experiences there because we believe that it will change yours too. Through our customized study exchange programs, you’ll have the opportunity to focus on learning both from EdOdyssey staff comprised of both internationals and locals with whom we’ve developed relations over five years of existence.
Based on our collective experiences, we want to give you a sense of the country’s temperate climate and diverse landscape to best prepare you for your time abroad. From beautiful beaches to high mountains, you’ll have the opportunity taste some of the most delicious food from both the land and the sea.
Additionally, you’ll get to collaborate with locals at Peruvian schools and participate in cultural activities across the country. Our study abroad exchanges goes at capturing the heart of Lima, Cusco, and places in between as we first help you get a better idea about what type of weather you can expect while in Peru!
Climate in Peru
In general, the Peruvian climate tends to be temperate, especially along the coast. More specifically, Lima has high humidity which can make the temperature reading deceptively low or high depending on the season. Additionally, when it “rains” according to people in Lima, it tends to be more of a light shower or a mist with some clouds.
Along those same lines, these the clouds can be more transparent and feel brighter at times. For instance, if you read the weather report for Lima and go outside, you will probably either be slightly warmer or slightly colder based on clouds, rain and breeze from the ocean. The differences of seasons in the southern hemisphere tend to be opposite of our seasons (American winter = Peruvian summer) but we want to explore the different seasons so you can know what to expect in Peru so check out the graphic and in-depth explanation of the seasonal differences below!
Climate in Peru
First off, the Peruvian summer (December - February) in Lima has temperatures that go above 80ºF (26ºC) but tend to not go much higher. There tends to be less cloud cover so definitely bring a hat, sunglasses and sunblock if you go to the beach. Remember, you’re closer to the equator so the sun feels stronger than what you probably feel back home!
Later on, the fall months (March - May) feel like an enjoyable transition with cool temperatures and an enjoyable breeze. When temperatures go below 60ºF (18ºC), Peruvians start wear sweaters at night after the sun goes down.
Afterwards, Peruvian winter (June - August) typically doesn’t go below 50º F (10º C), but temperatures can feel colder than listed on weather reports. In Lima, there tends to be some high level of moisture and cloud cover to go along with a breeze and “rain”, or mist, that tends to be lighter but can change.
Toward the end of the year, during Peruvian spring months (September - November), the weather transitions slowly from winter to summer. Along the coast, the clouds and coldness dissipate with the rain as the months on but the humidity and moisture remain strong factors that dictate the feel of the weather. A light jacket can never hurt as the breeze, humidity and sun dictate the type of temperature that you’ll feel at any given time of day.
Please remember, the weather patterns described previously mainly describes Lima but the other two other main regions in Peru follow a similar, general weather pattern from the Pacific Ocean to the western side of the Andes. There are the highlands in Andes mountain range and the jungle that’s location more inland on the eastern side of the Andes. In Cusco, the capital of the Incas, you’ll see what it’s like to live in the highlands, and although the weather follows the general trends, but it tends to be chillier with less humidity due to high altitude.
Located in the highlands, Cusco and its altitude takes you to over 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) above sea level, according to Britannica. Fun fact: that’s basically twice as high as Denver aka “The Mile High City”! We recommend drinking plenty of fluids and getting a good night sleep ahead of time. When you travel with EdOdysssey, we take our time the first day that we arrive into the city so that everyone can adjust to the altitude and absorb the cultural and physical differences between the two major Peruvian cities!
Cultural and Physical Landscape
You’ll get the opportunity to explore the coast and the highlands so that you can gain see some of the best that Peru has to offer to enjoy an unforgettable time abroad! Peru’s diverse landscapes and populations make it stand out amongst the other South American countries.
From the Pacific Ocean to the Andes mountains, EdOdyssey will take you on a journey to see Peru’s mixing pot of cultures from all around the world. Immigrants have flocked from Asia and African to live and join local populations, especially in Lima, while the indigenous tribes have continued their ancient traditions in the highlands near Cusco.
In addition to having you see more of Peru’s native population in Cusco, you’ll enjoy learning about how local people in Lima have fused aspects of different cultures. Immigrants who have come to Peru and now call it home, have incorporated African, Asian and European cultures into Peru’s indigenous culture. As centuries have passed, the country has formed its special cultural identity that has evolved and created it’s unique music, gastronomy, and culture as it is today. As these cultures have come, they’ve needed to learn and adapt to the local languages.
Peru’s Languages
Spanish is the official language that is spoken in the vast majority of the country with over 25 million speakers. Peru is one of the over 20 countries that speak Spanish but outside of the major metropolitan areas, and more inland, Peruvians also speak Quechua and Aymara.
Quechua is an indigenous language in the southeastern portion of Peru with over three million speakers, according to The Economist. The tribes in the area surrounding Cusco speak Quechua, and there’s recently been a government push to keep the language alive and to spread it with a news channel in Quechua that first aired in December 2016.
Aymara is the language of various indigenous tribes across southern parts of Peru as well as parts of Chile and Bolivia with over a million speakers, according to Britannica, and had its first broadcast air in April 2017.
Major Events
Mistura is one of the biggest culinary festivals in all of South America. In Lima, during beginning of September each year, the city hosts over one hundred venders from across South America, and a few from around the world, that put their best food and drink for consumption. This gastronomic spectacle invites and includes everyone from chefs to farmers, and customers, to embrace food from around the world. These vendors sell typical Peruvian drinks, such as their world-famous pisco, and almost any type of seafood, meat, vegetable and fruit with intriguing combinations that focus on citrus, sweet, sour, spicy, and rich flavors or combine these flavors with homemade ingredients from across South America, and the world.
Fiestas Patrias take place July 28th and July 29th to commemorate the country’s shift away from the Spanish Empire. The first day, July 28th, pays tribute to both José de San Martin and Simon Bolivar who were both Latin American liberators in the mid-19 century. The next day, July 29th, celebrates the official separation of Peru from the Spanish Empire and the official establishment of the Republic.
Sports
Without a doubt, and to no surprise, soccer reigns as Peru’s most popular sport. Their rival against their neighbor, Chile, seems like a competition against brothers who want to show who’s the best on the Pacific coast of the South American continent.
Peru’s qualification for the World Cup inspired a country that saw their first qualification for the big tournament after a thirty year absence. In Moscow, the site of the games, they joined one of the toughest brackets that included top-ranked Denmark and France. Although they competed hard and showed tremendous heart from the start, both respective matches were close loses for the white and red as they lost each game 1-0. Despite an inspired victory against Australia that they won 2-0, they got cut going into the second round of the tournament.
Although competitive on a national level, locals enjoy playing for fun as well and you’ll get a chance to play against locals! As a part of your trip with EdOdyssey, you’ll get a chance to play soccer against local volunteers as a part of EdOdyssey’s Day of Service that offers volunteering at a local orphanage in Lima’s metropolitan area.
Music
In Peru, there is a unique combination of percussion, string and wind instruments that indicate different parts of Peru’s roots that go from indigenous to both European and African influences as well. The percussion instruments, such as the cajón (see to the right), played a major role in focusing on the power and rhythm of music that the African slaves brought with them to Peru. The European-style string instruments that the Spanish brought with them highlighted more melody and harmony that you can see in The Peruvian National Anthem. The wind instruments, such as the Andean flute and panpipes, show the variation of both soothing and sharpness of Peru’s indigenousness music that students learn about in school.
In the past, we’ve gone to a local elementary school in Lima to learn how Peruvians learn about their rich musical history. Beyond music theory, we’ve seen how they learn through experiential learning and actually learn through playing musical games to work on their rhythm. In the school, the students play eventually play songs on instruments like the cajón, and we want you to learn about it and feel it.
As you consider our programs, and an exchange in Peru, we invite you to join our family. We’ve come together to share what we love about this beautiful country with you. We believe that travel brings people together and changes them for the better, and ultimately, those people go on to change the world.
Please fill out an application so we help get you on your way to seeing what Peru has to offer you!
Sources:
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopedia. “Aymara.” Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 10 June 2016, www.britannica.com/topic/Aymara.
“Independence Day Peru: Everything You Need to Know.” Peru Hop, 12 Sept. 2018, www.peruhop.com/independence-day-peru/.
Mistura Fair Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary In The Historic District of Rimac . Mistura, www.mistura.pe/english-info-mistura-2017/
“Peru's Indigenous-Language Push.” The Economist, The Economist Newspaper, 26 Aug. 2017, www.economist.com/the-americas/2017/08/26/perus-indigenous-language-push.
“Peruvian Music.” Customized Peru Packages - MachuPicchu.org, www.machupicchu.org/peruvian_music.htm.
“Peru.” Republic of Peru, One World Nations Online, www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/peru.htm.