Afternoon...

We toured downtown and the Miaflores area by bus with our local guide Natalia. We got out at the Main Square downtown and toured the Fransiscan Monestary. Lots of great spanish architecture and Catholic Art. The catacombs under the Monestary will be memorable for many. The typical pigeons being fed in the courtyard and vultures in the bell tower added to the atmosphere.

Then we went to the National Museum of Archeology and History of Peru. There were many artifacts on the Incas (1500s), Wari (1100s) and Nasca cultures.

After that was some free time for lunch and to explore the area closer to the hotel.

Tonight we are going for a chicken supper. The restaurant is in a mall by the ocean. It is quite the view from the mall that is built into the cliffs.

Tomorrow morning we have a wake up call at 6 am and we head to the airport at 7 am with our boxed breakfast. We will make the hour flight to Cuzco at 10am. (Other half of our group flys to Cuzco at 9). Everyone has started taking their altitude sickness medication and tomorrow afternoon will be for aclimitization.

The weather her was a little overcast, but everyone was comfortable wearing shorts and sandles. (We have heard there is a little snow in Didsbury)

I have forgotten a chord to download a photo on here. I will have to find out who has one. Tomorrow I will try to post a photo.

Mark

Saturday Morning, After over 24 hours of travelling through Dallas and Miami (unexpected) we have arrived in Lima. It is overcast, but warm, with no snow!! We have checked into our hotel, had showers and everyone is just about done breakfast. Breakfast started with toast and eggs and contiued to get better with salads, fruit salads, tamalitoes (sp?), and excellent coffee. We have learned all about the federal elections on our way to the hotel and that Lima is a city of over 9 million people. We are going to start with a tour of Lima at 10 am. After a tour we will have a little time to explore later this afternoon. Of interest will be a mall that is built into the cliff beside the ocean. More later.....

Peru Tomorrow

I think it will be easier to keep updates along with a picture or two on this blog site rather than the google map. I will still do some updates on the map (possibly the same text information) but it has been difficult to get pictures on the map.

From the "day before" picture, I see that most of the students did not take us seriously when said we were going to have Tacky Tourist day today. Even Mrs. Jacobson didn't take her tourist responsibilities that seriously. We are going to have to work hard to turn this group into some serious tourists over the next few days.

Reminders:

We meet at the airport (American Airlines counter) at 4:30 am.

Make sure that everyone has their passports with them. We will have all the other forms that they need (permission to travel, e-ticket, medical, etc. )

You might want to weigh your bags tonight after you finish packing. Keep suitcases light.

Don't forget a daypack that you can fit enough in for overnight.

Get some sleep tonight!!!

Tomorrow we start our journey!!

April 9, 2010

Well we are just under a year away from traveling to Peru!!

Thank you for your input into the survey and the results are....there was an overwhelming majority in favour of adding the two day extension. I will contact our EF Tour Consultant and have the two days added soon. Check your EF Tours account to make sure this gets added to your tour. I will be checking on this as well.

If you have any questions, please contact Leanne or myself.

Mark Leggette

Agenda for Peru Meeting

February 25, 2010
7:30 PM
Didsbury High School Library

Registrations
– Online demo and forms
– Payments (Peace of Mind Program, Travel Security)
- Final Registrations
- Web site information for travelers. (payments, etc.)

Review of Trip
- Lima
- Cuzco
- Pisac
- Machu Picchu
- Option – River Rafting
- Option – Puerto Maldonado – Amazon Lodge, rainforest
2 day extension cost is $575
- humanitarian activity??? (Franklin Roosevelt School in Lima)


Trip Expectations:
- students
- parents
- supervisors

Outline for next year:
- Passports, 6 months, scanned,
- Medical forms and medical information
- Presentations – Kenton Zandee (EF Tours), Peru Travelers (2), Contacts
- Student Presentations
- Forms, Checklists,

Questions

Hello and Happy New Year,

Great News - At the monthly Chinook's Edge School Board meeting last week, the School Board officially approved the trip to Peru. We can now continue with our registrations and planning.

The next 6 months should look like the following:

1. By the 25th of February everyone on our initial list will have an opportunity to sign up. I will contact anyone who hasn't signed up yet and remind them that they need to make a decision on whether to go or not.

2. On the 25th of February we have scheduled a meeting (7:30 PM in the library) to finish signing up travelers, discuss optional excursions, and outline the year of planning ahead.

3. After the 25th of February we will let anyone on the waiting list sign up for the remainder of the spots available.

4. We will try and have all registrations completed by the end of March.

5. In early April we will have a meeting to decide on optional excursions.

That should take us to the end of the school year. Other trip planning, completion of forms, and information sharing will happen over the course of the 2010-2011 school year.

Looking forward to seeing everyone on February 25th.

Mark Leggette and Leanne Jacobson

Registration Extension

I been informed by EF Tours that they are extending the $75 off registration for the Peru 2011 trip until December 5, 2009. After that it is $50 off until December 15, 2009.

If your son/daughter has not picked up registration information or you did not attend the meeting last week you will need this information to proceed with registration.

If you have any questions, or need more information about registration, please contact me.