Stones, Stories, and Spanish-Language Immersion

By Eliana Friedman ’27

“I do not exaggerate when I say both Ecuador and Peru felt like paradise. I genuinely felt like I was living inside of a Pinterest filter as everything seemed more vivid; the grass more green, the sky and water a brighter blue, and the people living in both countries reflected the energy of their environment.”

From Saturday, June 14, to Tuesday, June 24, World Language faculty member Teresa Calvo, accompanied by Science faculty member Luke Davoren and World Language faculty Ella Hepner and Christopher Tutolo, led a group of 21 Upper School students on the first Curricular Travel Path to Peru and Ecuador. Together the group ventured through the street markets in Cuzco, walked along the crystal clear waters of San Cristóbal and Santa Cruz, visited Quito and the vibrant Sacred Valley. One June morning, they saw the sun rise on what was once the Inca empire, spending the day in Machu Picchu. Peru’s capital city of Lima was the final stop in this memorable excursion. 

Although the journey included structured itineraries, there were many moments of spontaneity and opportunities for independent exploration.  

The academic trip to Peru and Ecuador was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We discovered a part of the world so different from New York City. The people, places, and memories made this trip unique. We even celebrated two group members’ birthdays while abroad: Nate Hyman ’26 and Quinlan Truta ’26. The distinct traditions and histories of the regions we visited in Ecuador and Peru have helped shape a broader view of the world for me–one that was also expanded by the meaningful connections I formed with the people with whom I shared them. 

The adventure began on Saturday, June 14, at 6:00 AM at JFK airport. Despite the early departure time, I was met with smiles and conversation as soon as I arrived, and I knew then that the trip was going to be everything I hoped it would be. After about eights hours on the plane, we arrived in Quito, Ecuador, and spent the rest of the day relaxing. Day two offered entry into a new world: Quito’s vibrant and ancient culture of the indigenous Quichua people.

Day 2: Quito

On Sunday, June 15, Braulio, our tour guide, brought us to “The Virgin of El Panecillo,” a monument that sits on top of the hill, El Panecillo. The hill and statue overlook the entire city of Quito with a full 360-degree view, and visitors can climb up to a terrace for an even higher vantage point. From there, we took a bus into the city, where we wandered through streets lined with vendors selling jewelry and assortments of small items representing the animals and musical instruments of Quito. In an open plaza, we watched a traditional dance performance–young women in colorful skirts and traditional clothing danced alongside young men in coordinating outfits. We also visited two churches in the heart of the city; the details of their interior designs were intricate and exquisite, a shimmering gold leaf seemed to decorate each detail. Inside one of the churches, we attended one of the liturgies–a representation of thousands more that have taken place over centuries within these sacred walls. 

Later in the afternoon, we visited an interactive museum best known for its location right on the equator. There we learned more about ancient traditions of the region’s indigenous tribes, which included shrinking the heads of their enemies and wearing the skulls as necklaces. After the interactive tour, we had the chance to try a very unique national dish: cooked guinea pig. I have to say, it was not really my thing, but I do know that some people in our group enjoyed trying this less common meat dish, at least less common for us New Yorkers.

Day 3-5: The Galápagos Islands

Our next stop was San Cristóbal Island in the Galápagos. Here, we had the pleasure of snorkeling to see giant sea turtles and colorful fish and coral on the ocean floor, learning about the endemic, centuries-old, lava lizards, and visiting and swimming with sea lions in the Pacific Ocean. 

The sea lions quickly became fan-favorites of our group, as there were families of sea lions lounging on the beaches. After being exposed to human activity, the sea lions are unphased by little kids shrieking and the splashing from all of us playing in the water. A lot of times, they seemed like they wanted to join in on the fun themselves (from a safe distance)! 

The second day on San Cristóbal Island, we climbed a gorgeous mountain covered in lush greenery. When we reached the top, the air was so misty that we could barely see the huge lake that lay below. The cool mist was really refreshing in contrast to the island’s heat.

Right after dinner that night, there was a power outage across the whole island. But, that didn’t hinder the excitement as we got to see more sea lions on the beach. At that enjoyable moment, everything was pitch-black except the bright stars, another fascinating contrast to the night sky at home where stars are often scarce due to the city’s light pollution. As we made our way back to the hotel, we linked arms and used our phone flashlights to guide us.

The next morning, we took a two-hour boat ride from San Cristóbal Island to another island in the Galápagos: Santa Cruz. San Cristóbal Island had–by far–the best beaches with its light sand and crystal clear water. To reach the beaches, we had to walk forty minutes each way through the seaside brush. But the destination was worth it, both for the downtime we spent relaxing and how much we enjoyed being here on this island.

Both sea turtles and tortoises (that live on land), are a large part of these islands’ animal conservation efforts. We visited the Charles Darwin Foundation in Santa Cruz where we saw a variety of tortoises of different sizes, from babies to huge adult tortoises. In one area of the foundation, there was a life-sized version of a large, plastic tortoise named “Lonesome George,” who was the last of the Pinta species of tortoises before the species’ extinction.

Day 8: The Journey to Peru’s Cuzco

After two days of travel, we finally arrived at our first location in Peru: Cuzco. The first full day there was one of the longest days of the trip, full of cultural exposure and insights into the lives of Cuzco residents. Although much of the day was spent on a bus, we made several stops at various locations along the way. The purpose of this extensive drive was to get us to the train that would take us to the Sacred Valley—the region just below Machu Picchu—a three and a half hour journey. 

On the way, we stopped at an alpaca farm, one of my favorite memories of the trip. There, I met an 11-year-old girl, Rosaura, who was handing out straw and grass for the llamas and alpacas. Raised in Cuzco her whole life, she is a descendant of a generation of seamstresses. Her mother and aunt were seated underneath the shade of a tree, handcrafting shirts, scarves, sweaters and more, out of alpaca wool from the farm animals.

Rosaura was friendly and wanted to learn more about people who didn’t look, dress, or talk like her. The feeling was mutual as I was equally interested in her life. Inside the farm’s store were some of the highest-quality clothing items; they were incredibly soft. The art of making clothing is so transparent in these traditional settings, and it was eye-opening for me to see the whole process—from the animals, to the production of wool, to the final product. 

Our afternoon stop was a preview to Machu Picchu. We walked through a market and eventually arrived at a large mountain that towered over us. After learning some history on the mountain and the Incan people, we had the opportunity to explore the huge mountain for ourselves. There were winding paths and multiple levels, each leading in different directions where we could discover old doorframes and rooms made of rock. The view from the top was amazing.

We were warned prior to the trip that Cuzco is very high up in the mountains and there is the chance that at some points, it could be difficult to breathe at the high altitude. However, no one on our trip seemed to struggle too badly with the thin air, but I definitely breathed a little heavier climbing there. 

Day 9: Macchu Picchu

This day began in the early morning–some people started their day at 4:30 AM, as planned, while many of us (myself included) didn’t wake up until 5:30 AM after accidentally snoozing our alarms…oops. But no matter, everything seemed to work itself out as we hopped on a bus that brought us up the winding roads that lead to Machu Picchu where we watched the sunrise; the early light scattered along the incredible Inca ruins. Being in Machu Picchu, I tried to imagine what it must have been like to live among the Inca stone walls over half a millennium ago. 

We stayed in Machu Picchu for about two and a half hours, and then returned down to the Sacred Valley where we were free to walk around and have brunch among ourselves. Later, we boarded a train back to Cuzco where we went to dinner and got to appreciate a huge festival located in the Plaza de Armas.

Day 10: Lima

To me, there was no better way to end this adventure than spending our final day in Lima. In the afternoon, we visited two churches that were open to the public as museums. Both museums were very large and every detail was beautiful. In both, we were able to explore the ancient catacombs. Before entering the two museums, I had never explored a catacomb in my life; the experience was so cool, and at the same time, a little unsettling. 

To end our last day in Peru, we went to a restaurant in Lima that served a fusion of Chinese and Peruvian cuisine called chifa. Historically, following the arrival of Chinese laborers and immigrants to Peru, Chinese influence became deeply integrated into Peruvian cuisine, eventually forming a fusion of the distinct culinary traditions to create chifa. Now, residents and tourists who visit Lima can enjoy chifa just as we did, as a delicious addition to the traditional Peruvian food.

Epilogue

As I am writing this reflection at the very end of my summer, I can honestly admit that not one other experience I have had in my 16 full years of living can compare to this 11-day curricular trip learning about historic cultures, indigenous languages, and beginning and continuing relationships with new and old friends. Despite the cliché that “the people make the place,” these are words that really ring true after this incredible trip. This was not just “a curricular travel path” because that makes it sound purely academic, and this trip was far from it. Although I was surrounded by my peers from school, and was chaperoned by faculty members, I got to learn about each individual out of the umbrella we all fall under as representatives of Poly Prep Country Day School. 

Another thing I’ve come to realize is that a country is more than its tourist attractions. Both countries, but especially Peru, is more than Machu Picchu, even if it is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Machu Picchu is incredible, but for one to visit Peru with a mission to just see this wonder will miss the opportunity to understand the nation as a whole. To me, it is more than just checking a country or place off my list, but really living in the unfamiliar; the Inca culture and two distinct and different countries. Just as it is impossible to describe the U.S. without acknowledging its infinite details of diversity, the same can be said about Ecuador and Peru. 

More Snapshots from the Adventure

Poly’s first adventure in Ecuador to visit The Virgin of El Panecillo that sits atop a hill with a magnificent view over the entirety of the city of Quito. (L-R) Sebastian Czaplicki ’28, Nicholas Chamorro ’28, Kedar Carrington ’28, and Joshua Lippert ’28

Eliana and her twin sister Olivia Friedman ’27 racing to balance an egg on a nail at the equator.

Quinlan Truta ’27 feeding an alpaca at a farm in Cuzco.

Eliana and Carolina speaking with Rosaura in Spanish and learning about her life growing up on this farm.

Turtles on Galápagos in Fausto Llerena breeding Center, where they preserve the tortoise population of various Galápagos species. The numbers are used to identify each one of the turtles.

Poly visits the Gianni Arismendy Interpretation Center in San Cristóbal Island, Galápagos, where they teach how to protect wildlife and natural environment.

Poly hikes El Junco Lagoon, a volcanic crater lake in the Highlands of San Cristóbal Island, in the Galápagos.

Poly in Machu Picchu around 6:30 AM, awaiting the sun to rise over the mountains and shed light on the old Inca empire.

Isaac Wise ’28, Sadie Hart ’28, Abigail Mangerson ’26, Soleil Pena ’27 with Machu Picchu view.

Here our group files down to the lower part of the mountain, that we can see in the distance and that was to the left of our initial view-point, watching the sunrise. Where we are heading, we will learn some of the customs and purposeful structures of the Inca people as part of their civilization.

Ella Hepner, Eliana Friedman ‘27, Teresa Calvo, and Isaac Wise ‘28 exploring Machu Picchu.

This colorful market was one of our many stops along the Sacred Valley, while all the while heading to the train that would take us to Aguas Calientes (the village below Machu Picchu). We encountered two-three markets like this one that included walking down a path of store booths on both sides of the path. The native women offered mostly local and traditional pieces of clothing, games, purses, jewelry, etc. that were extremely well-made and unique.

A visit to the catacombs present in churches in Lima. Thousands of bones and ligaments are stacked in numerous boxes.

Shimmering gold details at the Church and Convent of San Ignacio de Loyola de Compañía de Jesús Church interior in Quito

Poly enjoyed a traditional dance performance in Plaza Grande in the city of Quito, in front of the Church and Convent of San Ignacio de Loyola de Compañía de Jesús Church.

Thinking about when this trip began and the adventures to come, and if our adventures were “everything I hoped [they] would be,” I really cannot say what it is I had originally hoped for. What I can say, however, is that if I learned anything, it would be that if you are going to Peru and Ecuador—and for that matter, any place in the world—it’s best to arrive without any expectations. Because even with stories and pictures, the images you imagine in your head, they are nothing compared to the actual experience you will have. 

I have had the lucky fortune to have travelled a lot, both inside and outside of the United States, and I do not exaggerate when I say both Ecuador and Peru felt like paradise. I genuinely felt I was living inside of a Pinterest filter as everything felt more vivid; the grass more green, the sky and water more bright blue, and the people living in both countries reflected the energy of their environment. I will never forget this amazing adventure and the people I was lucky to enough to have accompanied me.

Shout out to Poly faculty who contributed some photos to Eliana’s story!