Sara Bova

Sara Bová has visualized about traveling to Peru for a very extraordinary reason. When she was sixteen, she read the book “The Sunflower” by Richard Paul Evans. In this book she saw the kindness that human beings could show to each other at an orphanage in El Girasol, Peru. From that moment on, she promised herself that if she ever received the opportunity to travel, the first place she would go to would be to the country in which that orphanage was located. Sara traveled to the orphanage in El Girasol twice during her stay in Peru. El Girasol is located in Huallybamba, Sacred Valley and is two hours by bus from the city of Cusco. It is here where she helped young boys with the garden and interacted with the other children. She felt that the orphanage impacted her first through the book, but at this time, on a different level. She took part in the true day-to-day experiences. For example, when the amount of volunteers was low, the children adjusted and took care of each other. They did their chores as well as their homework with a very disciplined manner. These children were more mature than most children their own age. Sara learned of the differences from this orphanage compared to orphanages inside the cities. The major difference that this orphanage had fewer volunteers. This was due to the fact that it was not located directed in the city. Sara plans to return some day to El Girasol to find ways to help out the orphanage more. Sara’s courses in Cuzco included the History of Inca Civilization and Spanish. The History class included field trips around the city including locations of where several Incan structures used to be and how they are used today. For example, a wall that was once part of an old temple site where chosen women would pray to the sun god is now a part of a Starbucks store. She also followed ceque lines which are lines that consist of a path of shrines of the Incas that all derived from Qorichanca. With her love of history, she learned a lot about the culture, artwork and the people who lived in Peru. As part of her study abroad program she was able to experience sites such as the last Inca stronghold Saqsayhuaman, Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu and Chinchero. It was in Chinchero where Sara saw how the natives would create their beautiful craft of weaving. This style of weaving consists of using natural dyes from everyday items such as berries and bug blood mixed with acidic fruit. Sara learned that one cannot fully grasp another culture until one is actually living in it.