September 29, 2007
From SATA-Peru-2007
After an overnight bus ride from Arequipa, we arrived at approximately 7:00 A.M. in Cusco. After spending so much time on a bus, it was nice to be back on solid ground. We tried to relax as much as possible upon our return: had some breakfast; tried to get some sleep. A few of us had to wait for our rooms to be vacated. At 2:30, Wilfredo, an employee of Colegio Andino, took the SATA group on a tour of the the Peruvian countryside on our way to Pacarectambo. Half way, we stopped at a hot spring, which provided a nice, relaxing experience. We arrived in the town of Pacarectambo at around 7:00 P.M.: the mayor had invited us for an overnight visit. However, upon arrival, the mayor was nowhere to be found. The efforts made to contact the mayor via a loud speaker that broadcasted across the entire pueblo proved to be futile. The townspeople opened a vacated room for us and set up some beds with blankets so that we would have a place to sleep. They also gave us soup. While waiting for our sleeping quarters to be assembled, some of the group played soccer with some local children; others played a game of cards on the bus in an attempt to keep warm. While the room was extremely cold and the concept of a communal sleeping arrangement made for an interesting evening, we couldn't sleep for long as we had a 5:00 A.M. excursion with Wilfredo the next day.
