Day 4

     It was such a treat to see the kids this morning.  We met at the plaza at 8 am; there were even more smiles this morning than there were the day before. They are doing outstanding!  I believe every child remarked on how much he or she ate for breakfast, and the host families are making sure our kids eat well.  It seemed that scrambled eggs and toast were the most common favorites for today. After sharing more stories and talking about the schedule for the day, Maddie and Shaun led our group in a warm-up activity (it was cold!) and then we headed to the ceramic studio.  This was a beautiful open-aired studio with tools, clay, manual wheels, a kiln, and a view of the Andes and Inca Ruins.  Another unbelievable spot and moment.  The artist was a man named Eduardo who is a professional and sells beautiful pieces around the country and world.  His studio is simple and perfect for learning how to throw clay.  He was planning on firing our pieces this afternoon and we will pick them up in a couple of days.  Eduardo is also a musician and a flute maker, so the kids bought some flutes from him.
    After the pottery session, the kids were divided into groups and set off on a scavenger hunt.  The purpose of this activity was to build a cultural awareness about their homes, culture, and country compared to Ollantytambo's.  A couple of examples of questions are: Is there a hospital? clinic? pharmacy? What is the oldest and newest building in town? How many people and generations live in our host family homes? What are the kitchens, bathrooms, etc., like in your host family homes? One response was,"The kitchen has dirt floors but has everything they need to cook and eat: a stove, a sink, and a table. The kitchen is not for show, it is for cooking and eating." These are the types of insights that all of the kids are bringing to our discussions and that are blowing us away.  Our conversation ended with a discussion about the meaning of ethnocentrism (the belief in the superiority of one's culture) and how understanding that term helps our experience while in Peru. 
  Then, it was back to the homesetays for lunch before meeting at 2:30 pm and a walk to the Pampa and the finale of the festival.  The festival host, all of the dancers, and most of the town gathered for the blessing of the food.  We ran into the band that played for us yesterday at Pinkulluna and took more photos with them.  It was chaotic, crowded, and in Spanish (of course) so we stayed for the most important parts and then went for a walk to the old gate to Ollantaytambo (from the Inca times).  We got to climb around on another several thousand year old structure and take in the scenery.  As we walked back to town, Angela and I treated the kids to ice cream as a way to say thank you for their great attitudes and accomplishments so far.  It was a small token of our appreciation, but a well deserved one.  Our day ended with an activity and discussion about our leadership styles.  We used the personality tests to frame this discussion and we each got a chance to identify with terms and notions of how we believe we lead and look at the world.  This was another impressive performance from the kids, and we all departed with a hug.  Last night's hugging circle has inspired the group.

   The festival concludes tonight so our service project begins tomorrow.  We will meet at 8:30 for an orientation and then one group will work while the others learns Incan basket weaving.  The groups will switch in the afternoon.  Every day after that, we will all work together.  We mentioned to the group that one week from tomorrow we will leave Ollantaytambo to begin our travel back to the states and this brought sadness.  They are truly embracing this experience and feeling comfortable!