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Location: Ollantaytambo to Cuzco
We began today, our last day of activities, with our typical 7:30 breakfast before loading the bus with our luggage and saying goodbye to Tika Wasi. Before heading to Cusco, we went to our final activity of the trip, which was whitewater rafting! After struggling into our wetsuits, life jackets and helmets, we had a short demonstration on instructions and how to paddle before splitting into groups of 4 or 5 and climbing into our rafts. For the first hour, we paddled down the calm waters of the Urubamba River, occasionally stopping to pick up trash. It amazed me how trashed some areas of the river were (this was because some who live along the banks of the river dispose of their trash by dumping it on the river banks). After collecting enough trash bags to fill the largest raft, we began the fun part, which was rafting in the rapids! As someone who has never been whitewater rafting, I thought it was scary at first but a lot of fun. We ended at a restaurant, where we had a delicious chicken and mashed potatoes lunch. Our bus driver, Willy, even picked up some Cuy (guinea pig) for everyone to try. I did not like it; the skin was very crunchy while the meat was extremely salty and chewy. After a short siesta, we had a long bus ride to Cusco, where we’re staying for the night before our flight to Lima tomorrow morning. As excited as I am to go home, I do not want to leave Peru and the group I’ve become so close with.