Hike to Machu Picchu

By: Wilson Chen

Day 1:  From Cuzco, Peru to Wayllabamba

Today I wake up at 3:20am with a happy smile.  I pack my breakfast and eat in the bus.  I like ham and cheese sandwich.

I meet up with my team mate at Cuzco.  Our guide Hiram is already waiting there.  Anthony, Elliot, Morgan and Eric soon join us.  We start hiking for 12 km.  Cuzco is in a mountain valley about 11,000 feet above sea level.  Two rivers flowed into the valley to supply water.  I feel wind blowing on my face.

We arrive Peru around midday.  We eat lunch outside of a temple.  We rested a little, then we head to Wayllabamba.  I see farmers working in the field.  We buy some vegetables from the farmers, and start to set up our tent.  We are all tired from hiking throughout the day, so we sleep early.

Day 2: From Wayllabamba to Pacamayo

This morning we wake up before sunrise.  Elliot brought bread for everyone.  We also drink hot chocolate for breakfast.  AFterwards we pack up the tent and start hiking.  We walk 11km from Wayllabamba to Pacamayo.  On the way, I see many different kinds of trees.  I also enjoy many birds singing.  In the afternoon, we set up the tent next to a river and start fishing.  Anthony catches two fish, so we bake them for dinner.  Soon We sleep under

full moon

›

Day  3 : From Pacamayo to Winay Wayna

Today is a hard day.I woke up at 5:30.   We eat bread and milk.  Hiram says that today we hike for 16 km in one day.  We pass the ruins of Runkuracay, then Abra de Runkuracay.  The buildings are old but still beautiful.  The high stones and are hard to climb, we help each other.   We used ropes to reach Sayacmarca ( which means ‘Inaccessible Town’).  There we see superbly designed stone staircase.   We then walk back and passes Conchamarca, a nice and relaxing resting place on our way to Machu Picchu.

By the time we reach Winay Wayna, our knees feel the strain from climbing all those stairs.  We paid a lot of money to take hot baths, but it really helps my muscle to relax.

Before we sleep, we talk about tomorrow’s trip and shared notes taken from day 1 until now.

Day:4 From Winay Wayna to Machu Picchu

Today is final day,I’m so happy because we will go to Machu Picchu.   Once the sun rise, our team left Winay Wayna.  We walk for 1 and half hours to reach Machu Picchu.   It is a lovely Inca city.  According to the map, its area is about 13 square km.  We walk pass many one-room houses, and government buildings.  They are linked by many stairways.

After walking 4 days, my legs are sore.  I sit down by the temple and rest.  Hiram and other Anthony walk around the city, and take more notes. While Morgan, Eric and I wait for the helicopter to come and pick us up.

We meet up with the helicopter at a flat step-like terrace by the mountain sides.  They take us back to an International Airport then we fly home in Singapore Airline A380, first class.     This is a wonderful trip, that I will always remember!

1520:  The Magic Car and the Aztecs

By:  Wilson

One day I woke up, and I went outside to play and I saw this blue, beautiful car.  It had a paper that said “FOR WILSON.”  I looked inside and the keys were there.  So I drove to Antony’s house.  Morgan and Brian Lin were also there, so I said, “Come on!  This is my new car, let’s go!”

So we started driving and I could see the numbers 1520 on the front window.  Then every of thing turned black.  The car started going very fast.  All of my friends screamed, “AAAH! Wilson slow down!”

“It’s not me!” I shouted back.

Then there was a BOOM!  We got out of the car.  We were not in Kaohsiung.  We saw a city in a lake.  There were many people in white clothes.  There was a big temple built with huge blocks of stone  and decorated with paintings and carvings.

“Oh my gosh! I think we are in Tenochititlan.  Remember the movie about the Aztecs we saw in class?  This is the same!”

We looked and we saw a city in the lake and we could see big white temples.  Antony looked panicked and shouted,

“Yuck! Do you see the great temple? It is all cover with blood!”

“I bet those are from human sacrifices,” said Morgan.

“Ms. Chagaris said that the priest would cut their chest open and take their hearts out for the sun good.”

“Oh no!! Let’s get out of here!”  I said. But the car was broken.  We could not move.

Next we saw four Aztec warriors.  They were so scary.  They were dressed like jaguars and eagles.   They carried        a maquahuitl, a type of sword, made from wood about 3”-4” wide and 3”-4” long.  I think a maquahuitl could chop the head off a horse.  One of the warriors was carrying a spear, over seven feet long!  I almost fainted.

They took us and we needed to fight,the Spanish for them.  We practice to use clubs. They were made of wood, with embedded stone as the maquahuitl.  We were given eagle like clothing,  head dresses served as helmets and a simple decorated shield.

Antony, Morgan, Brian Lin and I killed many Spanish.  We were strong eagle warriors, but after three wars, we were all tired and home-sick.

One moonless night, we escaped and went back to the car, which an Aztec magic priest fixed.

The car brought us back to 2014 in KAS.  What an adventure!

Step 1:  Paper Mache a Ballon,   Step 2:  After it is try and hard, cut the shape in half and you can take out the balloon.  Step 3:Paint the mask in black. Step 4:Stick blue square card on the mask.

Halloween is a date celebrated on the night of October 31st. Its celebration is most practised in the United Statesand Canada. Children wear costumes and they go to peoples’ homes saying “Trick or treat!” to ask for candy.

The Aztecs market offers various goods and services. Their method of exchange was through tribute and trade. They bartered using different currencies, but the economy in Aztec life was essentially driven by this marketplace, the heart of the Aztec society.

A Tessellation (or Tiling) is when we cover a surface with a pattern of flat shapes so that there are no overlaps or gaps.

 The Tibetan word for a mandala, kyilkor (dkyil-‘khor), means literally “that which encircles a center,” goes around a center

In class we needed to create projects of our favorite independent reading book.

In Social Studies we were studying about the Mayans and so I created a movie about Mayan ART.  You can see my movie above: