Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Groton Peru Day 1

Dear Families
We arrived in Ollantaytambo last night in the dark after seeing some remarkable historical sites in Cusco and, later, in Pisac. Students ate well and then fell asleep quickly.
 As I write, students and other leaders are rafting the Urubamba River and getting a sense of the broader landscape. This afternoon, they will return to the hostel in which we stayed last night to meet their host families and will spend their first night at their homes in Ollantaytambo tonight.
This morning, we went over all safety and procedural information, and we will check regularly with students through the course of the trip in order to ensure that all students have a great experience with their host families.
I just returned from Anco Pancha, the village where we will be working for the next few weeks, and the students will, I think, really enjoy working alongside residents of Ancho Pancha to build a large play area for the children of the village.
We will update you daily on our progress. Until we report again, know that we are so grateful you have sent your children along on this experience, and we look forward to watching each student learn much about him or herself, others in the group, this magical region, and about the nature of service to others.

Sincerely, 

Craig Gemmell 

1 comments:

Mary C. said...

Hey Connor,Sorry we didn't answer the phone when you called. We thought you were a dreaded telemarketer. We thought the phone number was long and weird, and did not figure out it was a call from outside the USA = You! Glad to hear the altitude is treating you kindly. Wash hands with soap:) Only drink from the H20 bottle and lots. Be polite to your host parents. Love from us.

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