January 2005 Peru Trip!
Professor Mike Schellenger of the Finance Department led the January 2005 study abroad trip to Peru ... We visited factories, the Peruvian Central Bank, the US Embassy and US AID, and learned a lot about market transactions and exchange rates.
We also ate lots of new foods, including Dim Sum in Chinatown.
The weather was fantastic at 80 degrees everyday! Below, we are learning about the impact of coastal and resort development south of Lima. We also visited an asparagas farm (did you know they supply 30% of the US market?) and an organic winery. We saw the giant and controversial Camisea Gas Project Plant that is close to the national wildlife refuge of Paracas (and really cute little penguins!)
Check out Karli, one of our very own UWO study abroad coordinators on the far left!
Next stop, Ica ... Motorbikes converted to taxis are cheap! And we saw the factory that does the conversions in Villa El Salvador. Would you believe that they are thinking of outsourcing some of the work to Boliva, where labor is cheaper? Business is business everywhere...
Dune buggy time!!!!
The girls with our dune buggy driver in Ica ... Check out the oasis in the background! Could Matt look any cooler?
After a fun weekend in Ica, it was back to class and lots of studying ... Catching a nap while we wait for our guest speaker.
After a second week of class, it was off to see Peru. Our first stop was the beautiful colonial city of Arequipa and the Colca Canyon (below), where we saw giant Andean Condors, and some really spectacular scenery.
After Arequipa, it was off to Cusco, the ancient Incan capital and a beautiful city. Did you guys really eat that poor little guinea pig? Guinea pigs (cuy) were one of the first animals domesticated for consumption in the Western Hemisphere.
The girls on the Inca Trail ... what fabulous weather!
Hard to believe, but after Machu Picchu, it was back to Lima and time to go home. At least for some folks ... the rest stayed to play for the Peruvian National Soccer (futbol) team.
