...Let's Get Started!

After a flight to Atlanta, and then a seven hour flight, we made it safely to Lima! We arrived around midnight, and after making our way through customs, we connected with our Peruvian hosts Laddie and Brad. We then got settled in at the Y in Lima, and finally were able to get to bed around 2:30am (1 hour behind NC time).... luckily we didn't have to be ready to go until 9am.

We woke up and had breakfast and an orientation of the week with Laddie and Brad. After breakfast, we had our first experience of Peru in the daylight as we walked 10 blocks to the children's orphanage that we would volunteer at for a couple of hours. At the orphanage, the teens jumped right in and made instant connections with the kids, despite the language barrier for most of our group. We sang, we danced, we played, we helped write letters, and much more. Tomorrow, our group will be in charge of leading songs and activities for the kids. This will definitely push their comfort level, but it sure to be an awesome and rewarding experience.

On to Miraflores! This is considered to be the more touristy part of Lima. It rests on the cliffs of the Pacific Ocean and, needless to say, there were many pictures taken! We made our way to Mangos, a declicious restaurant that offers a buffet in which we were able to taste a little bit of everything revolving around Peruvian cuisine. Ceviche (fresh seafood that is tossed in lime juice, onions, and other spices) was a popular option for most people. A lot of non seafood lovers stepped out of their comfort zone and tried what Peru claims to be their national dish. Other dishes at the buffet included roast chicken, roast pork, pasta, potatoes, seafood this seafood that, and much more! Lunch is the primary meal in Peru, which meant we were stuffed and probably needed a nap... but it was on to the bus tour of Miraflores.

We were able to take in some of the sights of Miraflores including some of the low-lying trees which were fun to dodge on a open air double decker bus. After the tour, we had about 30 minutes before we left, so we decided to play a group game of Ninja. We played this in downtown Miraflores, and before we knew it, we had a crowd of locals that were watching us. We also had one local teen jump in and join in on the fun. It was awesome! We then headed back to the Y, ate dinner (chicken, rice, french fries) and changed clothes to head to the water park. The water park consists of huge fountains that are not only gorgeous, but some also give the opportunity to play in, which our group jumped right into as well! We were all wet but it was definitely a different experience for the group.

The first day in Lima was very long and very tiring for our group, but with the knowledge that a lot had been accomplished. As we update this blog, the teens just went to bed and are all already asleep. The group is continuously growing together and forming a bond in which they don't want to seperate from each other and take every experience in that they can. But like the food at the buffet, the game of Ninja and inviting the locals to join, and playing together as a group at the water park... this group has definitely jumped right in to this opportunity!

More pictures to come, until next time... Ciao (not "Adios" - something we learned today)!