Day 2

It was our first day at the Universidad Antonio Ruiz de Montoya (UARM). We were received at UARM with a warm welcome and led into a classroom. Here we received gift bags and Padre Juan Dejo, a professor at UARM gave a lecture on the urban property rights of Peru as well as the system of property in the Andes. Additionally, we discussed mining in Peru and it's affects on land ownership.

After our lecture the COES students gave us a tour of the campus. It was a short tour considering it was a small campus. According to a UARM student the number of attendees is never greater than 1,000. Last year their student body was approximately 500. This is definitely a huge difference from our own campus experience at UNO.

We visited the Larco Museum after lunch. This museum is well known for its pre-Columbian pottery. Specifically its pre-Columbian erotic pottery gallery.  Upon entering the gates of the museum one would not imagine it to be an art gallery. At first impression it appears to be a botanical garden. It truly was a wondrous experience to learn of the way people of pre-Columbian times experienced life. This is to say, how they saw their place in the earth, the human body, and ceremonies.

At dinner time we tried Inca Kola for the first time. I think the general consensus was: delicious! I was surely a fan. Soon after the Horacio International Cup (volleyball competition) began. We were split up among groups, 2-1 UNO students per group. Everyone played very well, I however was awful. The ball may or may not have hit me in the head...more than once. The winners for the evening were Diana and Kira. Their prize: a medal and some pizza.

After a long and exciting day we headed back to the hotel feeling enthusiastic about the adventures that lie ahead of us.

-Mariela