Brent Akins in Peru - PART III
Master weaver, board member, student sponsor, and father of Mosqoy’s director – finally made a trip to Peru, to see the impact Mosqoy has had over the past six years. Here, he shares the unforgettable experiences that he and his wife Marka (also a student sponsor and Ashli’s mother) walked away with. Read Brent's bio
PART III: The Mosqoy Family and Seventh Wonder of the World.
Our next big adventure (and truly one of the highlights) was to travel to Cusco and visit Casa Mosqoy! The students had invited us for dinner, and when we walked in, there was a sign on the wall greeting us by name. They all lined up and took the time to give us each the traditional personal greeting - a hug and kiss on the cheek. While they were busy cooking a big dinner (for 27 people!), we were guided through a very proud tour of Casa Mosqoy, to see where they all slept, studied, and lived. It was amazing to see what Mosqoy has accomplished. It was even more amazing to see and feel the Mosqoy ‘family’. We felt like grandparents to dozens of kids, and were treated with utmost respect.
Another tradition was the presentation of the cake, beautifully made with our names spelled out in icing. After everyone gave speeches and gifts to one another, Ashli held up the cake for Marka to take the first bite. Accommodating as she is, Marka took the bait and Ashli shoved the cake into her face! When the laughing died down, it was my turn, so I made Ashli promise not to do that (I would never get it out of my beard!). As I took my bite, one of the male students hit me on the back of my head, shoving my face, beard and all, into the cake! I guess we were now officially part of the Mosqoy family!
The next day, we were off to Machu Picchu. After staying the night in Aguas Calientes, we took an early-morning bus (5 am!) up the road to Machu Picchu, which is a one-lane dirt road, with extreme switchbacks and two-way bus traffic. Every once in awhile, two busses met. For those sitting on the cliff-side of the bus, the scarcity of the air suddenly got even scarcer. Usually, one bus backed up to a pull-out, while other times the busses simply squeezed through. I don’t think I was the only one with closed eyes and clenched fists.
Machu Picchu is sometimes the only reason people come to Peru, and I can see why. We spent the day hiking around and saw others hiking above it to some incredible sights. It alone is worth a trip to Peru.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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