NEC Machu Picchu - May 2025

Nearly 2 years ago, professors Bryan and Eric began talking about where we would like to run a trip. We quickly settled upon Machu Picchu as a dream destination that offered many educational opportunities. We submitted our grant application in March of 2024. Students registered for our Travel Writing course in October . Our class began in January 2025. And finally.... After all this planning, buildup, and anticipation, we awoke this morning knowing that this was THE day when we would at long last reach out final destination.  After breakfast at our hotel, we donned our ponchos for the 30 minute drive to the train that would take us there: We boarded the train, which had comfortable seating organized into tables of four: After a ride of 1:45, we arrived at Machu Picchu Pueblo, the town that accommodates tourists. We had a buffet lunch while being serenaded by the ubiquitous Peruvian pan flute singer playing covers of American songs:   Thus fortified, we boarded a bus that drove...

 May 7th, 2025: Sacred Valley, Peru Greetings from the town of Urubamba, centrally located within the Sacred Valley. Today we spent the day exploring sites in the area. It was a long, full day filled with amazing sights and deep cultural experiences. It's always a bit odd to arrive at a new hotel, especially one as lush and spread out as this one, at night. In the morning, we were able to get our first glimpse of the grounds, which are lush, beautiful, and full of tropical scents: We walked into the town of Urubamba to visit the local market. Along the way, we noticed that the town was decorated in anticipation of a 200th anniversary celebration: Our first stop was the market. That is always a highlight of any international trip for me. It was centered in a large warehouse, with stalls continuing in the streets for several blocks in every direction. There was everything you'd expect to find--fruits and vegetables, spices, grains, butchers, cheese--and some things you might not,...