ROCK SPRINGS — A group of students and a few of their parents recently returned from the trip of a lifetime after visiting Peru.

Spanish teacher Chris Clifton and his group returned from Peru last week, spending nine days traveling throughout the country while enjoying the multitude of cultures throughout several locations, including Lake Titicaca and Machu Picchu. 

Clifton fundraised for the journey for about a year and a half beforehand, with students fundraising at International Days and other public events to lessen the financial burden on students’ families. Overall, 23 people attended the trip, including 14 students, four parents, and two chaperones. 

Peru is a special place for Clifton and the journey marked his third time traveling to the country. He lived there when he was 19, residing in Cusco. Cusco was once the capital of the Incan Empire and still has ruins and stonework dating back more than 700 years. For Clifton, the trip allowed him to share his love for the country with students.

“Peru is my favorite place in the entire world,” Clifton said. “It was really, really satisfying to bring students back and help them to see the places that mean so much to me.”

The group started their trek in Lima, Peru’s capital city of more than 12 million residents. Clifton said they visited the city’s presidential palace and the seat of the Peruvian congress. He said the group saw a lot of fascinating architecture, much of which displays a Spanish colonial influence. They also explored a church catacomb system that has existed since the 1800s and a museum housing thousands of gold and carved wood artifacts from the Incan Empire, as well as civilizations that flourished in the region before the Incan and Columbian civilizations. The group also had a chance to see decorations and preparations for the then upcoming Peruvian Independence Day celebration, which took place July 28.

“Everywhere was very richly decorated with the flag of Peru,” he said.

The group left Lima and flew to Cusco across the Andes Mountain Range. Students saw ornate stonework and learned how artists mixed Spanish Catholic culture and the traditional cultures found in the Andes to create beautiful artwork. The group also stopped at an artisan cooperative, where village women create handmade hats, ponchos and scarves out of llama wool and natural dyes. They saw the four different camelid species in South America as well, which consists of llamas, alpacas, guanacos, and vicuñas. Clifton said the vicuñas produce the softest wool in the world, which was prized by the Incan emperors.

They enjoyed visiting locations in the Sacred Valley, then rode a train through the jungle, followed by a “sketchy bus ride” to Machu Picchu. Clifton said the group stayed in the ancient city for three hours, learning about the site and how it was discovered. Clifton said the students visited sites such as the Temple of the Sun, which had rooms designed to align sunlight into specific positions to indicate when people should plant crops, as well as marking other important days.

With Macchu Picchu and the Sacred Valley located at around 8,000 feet elevation, with Cusco being at more than 11,000 feet, ensuring students were able to enjoy their journey without succumbing to altitude related illness was a major goal for Clifton. He said he told students to go to the gym, walking and hiking before the trip, saying cardio fitness is key to overcoming the altitude difference. He said some people brought altitude medication with them, but no one fell ill to the high altitude they were experiencing, with everyone being able to fully participate in the group’s activities.

The trip also included a visit to Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world and South America’s largest lake. Clifton said the lake was a cultural symbol for the Inca, as well as prior civilizations living in the region. The group visited with people who live on the lake in floating structures made from reeds, drifting around and making a living by catching fish. They also learned about Peru’s official languages, which are Spanish, Aymara, and Quechua. Quechua itself has had a number of words enter the English and Spanish languages, including condor, poncho, and quinoa – which is a food originating from the region. 

Students had a chance to learn about Peruvian food. Some students were able to try alpaca steaks, which one student said they ended up liking “quite a lot.” They also learned about a traditional means of preserving potatoes used by villagers where they freeze drying them. This method of preserving the potatoes allowed them to be used for 20 years or more after they were preserved.

It was really, really satisfying to bring students back and help them to see the places that mean so much to me.

Chris Clifton, local Spanish teacher

Both students and adult travelers attending the trip came away with an appreciation for Peruvian culture. One student cited by Clifton said people in Peru don’t seem worried about money and are more focused on family, their communities, and their culture. Another student said the trip inspired them to not only better themselves, but help better others as well. One adult said trips to other countries provide opportunities that can’t be replicated in the classroom, giving them a chance to learn lessons in problem solving, communication, and empathy. 

“I want more and more people in our community to know these opportunities are available to them,” Clifton said. “It does seem very scary, thousands and thousands of miles away, but I choose to take time out of my summer and my life to facilitate these opportunities for students because I really think it does help.”