Study Abroad with UNA
Peru
From Stranger to Family
We’ve had a few days to settle in here in Cusco. The food is great, the people are hospitable and it’s quickly becoming a home away from home. Here is Kayla’s story of her first day. This morning I woke up with the startling realization that later today I was going to meet the family that I would spend the rest of my time with in Peru. Nervousness and sheer excitement pulsed through me the entire flight to Cusco. When we arrived at the airport, the coordinators at the school greeted us. They then took us in a van to … // Read more
Churros con Chocolate
After a long day of travel we arrived in Lima. The next day we toured the markets, tried a few restaurants and became familiar with the Miraflores district we were staying in. After a midday snack, I am now convinced “churros con chocolate” should be the 8th wonder of the world. And then we got to do the fun stuff. Our afternoon began atop a double-decker bus as we toured the capital. We saw some amazing sights but one of the most amazing things was experiencing Peruvian traffic on the second story of a bus. It was simultaneously terrifying and … // Read more
From Cuy to Macchu Pichu: A Day Away
Tomorrow I will leave Florence to live in Peru for a month. High atop the Andes I, along with thirteen other students and the Department of Foreign Languages, will become immersed in the culture. We’ll speak the language, eat the food, listen and dance to the music and learn of civilizations that have come and gone. As a Spanish major, this immersion is the next step in becoming fluent in the language, and for others will be their first exposure to a new language entirely. Some people will eat cuy, or guinea pig, several of us will come back with … // Read more
Machu Picchu
Today we went to Machu Picchu, an old Inca civilization that is about 7,000 feet up in the Andes mountains. It is one of the 7 wonders of the world and after only 5 minutes of walking around you easily see why. The stones used to build the city are made from white granite and so perfectly cut to fit. The architecture was incredible and hard to imagine how they did it. After exploring all of the city we hiked up about a mile to the top of a mountain that overlooks all of Machu Picchu. It was the most … // Read more
Nazca lines
Today we started the day with our flyover of the Nazca lines. It was so incredible to see. The way they were so perfectly placed and symmetrical yet the people never had an aerial view to work with. It really makes you wonder about their techniques and how they could make something so perfect. It’s mind blowing that they have been there so long due to the lack of rain to change the landscape. After leaving the Nazca lines we made our way to the Chauchilla cemetery. This cemetery was made up of 12 grave sites in the Atacama desert. … // Read more
First day in Peru
First day on our journey through Peru! We have already seen so much. Today we took a tour along the Pacific coast and into colonial Lima. We got to take a tour through the amazing and ornate 16th century cathedral and walked underground to the catacombs beneath it. The bones of the people were stacked 10 meters high and arranged in a decorative fashion. It was very chilling, yet amazing to see. From there we joined up for some very popular local Peruvian cuisine of raw fish marinated in lime juice called ‘ceviche’ which was very good. We also learned … // Read more
Why Study Abroad
Check out this great video from the University of North Alabama students who went on a study abroad trip to Peru this summer!
The unexpected and expected
Needless to say, this trip has already been filled with dramatic sights and beautiful architecture. It is not surprising that the things my group has seen are extremely surprising. I know that all the UNA study abroad trips are one great experience after another, but why? The preparation for an excursion like this can be nothing short of taxing. As I sit on 5 a.m. seven hour bus ride from Lima to Nazca, I think about the logistics. Our time is filled with activities of all different types. Every day in the country has been mapped out so the … // Read more
VIDEO: Peru, the first 4 days
Check out this great video montage of the first four days of the Peru trip! This video was put together by one of our student bloggers, Mack Cornwell.
Organized Chaos
Organized chaos. This is how I would describe Lima, the capitol city of Peru. Millions of people and what feels like zero traffic regulation. It was funny watching my classmates cringe on our first bus ride as our driver came within inches form the tiny little car in front of us. Cars in peru come standard with horn cruise control, I think, but I’m glad for it because my gringo self would have been run over numerous times otherwise. I made the observation while walking around the metropolitan city that there were few smokers. Most buildings and rooms had multiple “No Fumar” (no smoking) signs. When I traveled … // Read more
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