This post was written by students Elif and Jaime.

Today started early with sunrise yoga — we exercised outside and looked at the mountains. After yoga, we made a French toast breakfast with syrup. We needed a hearty meal for our four-hour hike around la Laguna de Cuicocha. We hiked the hills surrounding the lake, which was formed by a volcanic eruption. The lake sits on top of an active volcano, and the gases coming out of it make the water acidic. No animal life can survive in the lake, making the water very clear.

After an appetizing lunch, we bought tickets for a boat ride around the lake. The mountains around the lake reminded us of scenes from Jurassic Park and Lord of the Rings.

Upon our return to Iltaqui, we prepared for a lip sync battle, which Max and Niki created. There was a wide range of performances from Brendan’s solo of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” to Jack acting as a husk of corn. It was a tough competition, but Isabel and Kate won with star performances.

– Elif and Jaime