Adios, Peru.

London, Ontario – After nine days, six flights, two trains and more than 12,000 kilometres over two continents, Team Esperanza has completed its service learning activities in Urubamba, Peru – three months later than anticipated.

It was the team’s second attempt, following February’s foiled foray that left us stymied at the border because of four inches of snow in Atlanta. If we hadn’t made it, we wouldn’t have had the tremendous opportunity to partner with two great organizations: Nexos Voluntarios and Villa Marcello school.

John wouldn’t have consumed 26 Inca Kolas, nor would Ellie and Cassandra F. have thrown back 10 litres of peach nectar – even posing with two boxes of it atop Waynapicchu’s 2,600-metre summit. Carling’s sunburned skin wouldn’t have thirsted for 250 millilitres of aloe vera cream and Sam wouldn’t have polished off one whole bottle of shoe shine on her dust-covered sneakers. Instead, Anisha and Alison – who proudly wore one sweatshirt every day of the trip – ended up doing two loads of laundry in a stream. (The shirt, however, did not take the plunge.)

At NeVo House, Joanna prepared 100 brown bag lunches and Yoel once got away with using his ‘special defence’ as Jared hung him upside down. At Villa Marcello, Vivek and Mike finally celebrated a 2-1 victory in the daily lunchtime schoolyard futbol game – after three days trying. Then, basking in their glory, they realized they had beat a team of eight-year-olds. The school’s grade six class also put on one traditional Andean play, much to the delight of the Canadian visitors. Meanwhile, Nina led games of ‘pato, pato, ganzo’ (‘duck, duck, goose’), to many giggles.

The team completed the school’s second floor over four days, passing and lifting thousands of buckets of sand, gravel and cement for the one and only, Maestro. At one point, Doris caught a record seven buckets at a time; by the end, however, only three survived intact. During reflection, the team spent one night of stargazing in Maras, 3,200-metres above sea level. The experience left 20 mouths agape in wonder at the 360-degree panorama of mountains and countless tiny jewelled beacons in the sky.  

Esperanza’s members took roughly 10,000 pictures – led by Shannon, sporting two cameras, slung like six-shooters at her side. The blank pages of Jessie’s journal were also soon tattooed by more than 14 pages of memories – by the second day. At Machu Picchu, the team counted 13 llamas, including two babies. Of the team’s 20 members, 16 reached Waynapicchu’s summit at 2,634 metres above sea level in one hour, enduring thousands of steep, narrow Incan stairs, a dark cave and lungs and muscles that screamed endlessly. Zero bananas survived the trek, covering our bags and three sandwiches per person with sticky goo.

Cassandra C. led the charge in singing 12 consecutive Disney songs on the bus, which was designed to accommodate 18, but held 21. At the time, 16 were asleep and uneager to hear songs of any type. Two flimsy green plastic stools introduced to the van to get people off the floor fell apart in mere moments. Seven weight jokes were immediately directed at Douglas, under whom the plastic legs quivered. Looking for alternatives, four Esperanzites spent four Soles for one tiny moto-taxi – you do math.

Welcome to Peru: on the last day in Urubamba, several faces contorted in horror upon being presented with cuy – paws still attached. After six squeals from Jared, everyone knew just how cold a local shower could be; the whole week, there were only three warm showers total. And there were no clean clothes left. There were unlimited smiles shared and several colourful traditional blankets, bags and Inca Kola t-shirts purchased. Kelly’s potato chips expired in 1996 and there were zero times there was enough sleep. There were, however, many more friends and countless memories made.

With 20 hours of layovers, the team spent time playing five different card games, including euchre, which Deanna was just learning. There was also one impromptu game of hide-and-seek in Atlanta, and another in Lima where the team spent 56 minutes looking for Sunitha, who had asked nine people for help after passing the team, and the security checkpoint. None spoke English. Always in demand, Larissa was the team’s one member fluent in Spanish.  

Last roll call through letters A-T: “Start us off, Kelly.” 20 outstanding people and one phenomenal team: Esperanza, (Alternative) Alternative Spring Break 2010.