TRIP TO PERU

On Saturday 1st July, twelve Wychwood pupils and three staff members embarked on what would become the trip of a lifetime to Peru. 

After a gruelling 15 hour flight, they all arrived safely in Lima where they met with a few of the Peruvian students from the three schools who would be joining them on their trip. For some, it was a wonderful reunion with old friends who had previously visited Wychwood School in Oxford; for others, it was an exciting opportunity to make new friends. 

Using Lima as their base, they explored the rich history of Peru, looking at key archaeological sites and learning about the fascinating civilisations that inhabited Peru before the days of Christ up until the Spanish conquest. This allowed them to build an historical picture of Peru, providing a much deeper understanding of what life then was like and how the country has evolved and developed over time. 

Highlights of the trip include the three days spent trawling through the Peruvian rainforest where they had to adjust to its warm, tropical climate, not to mention the many varied species that reside in the jungle. Here, the group stayed in an ecolodge where they took part in reforesting the the rainforest, a night walk, and jungle swinging. They experienced a beautiful sunrise on the Amazon, visited a monkey sanctuary and even cuddled a baby sloth! 

The group had their work cut out as they ascended Lake Titicaca; this is a large, freshwater lake situated in the Andes mountains on the border of Bolivia and Peru, often called the highest navigable lake in the world and the largest lake in South America. They also visited the floating islands of the Uros community where they learned how to build such an island out of reeds, as well as a school on another floating island where they were fortunate enough to listen to the children perform. All too soon, they found themselves back in Lima, with a final trip to the British Embassy for a breakfast meeting with the deputy Ambassador. 

This was a jam packed trip full of fun and adventure. The group travelled by plane, coach, boat and car, covering nearly 6000 km, visited desert and rainforest, and experienced temperatures ranging from -2 degrees to 30 degrees. However, the one constant was the warm welcome and hospitality of the Peruvian peoples, for which all are most grateful.