秘鲁旅行总结 - 人真的能改变吗？

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第一部分 – 安第斯山脉

我的身体感觉像20岁一样…

这是我第一次和学生们一起去秘鲁。虽然我之前比较熟悉更南部的巴塔哥尼亚/阿根廷安第斯山脉，但秘鲁的安第斯山脉对我来说是全新的领域。我们在库斯科的一个宽敞公寓里安顿下来，库斯科是一个充满印第安文化的迷人小镇，融合了西班牙殖民和印加时期的建筑，海拔3600米。公寓成了我们的基地——我们从这里出发，进行一系列探险，又总是回到这里，寻找安慰、熟悉感和我们的大背包带来的安全感。

在接下来的十天里，我们完成了四次十公里以上的徒步旅行。在氧气稀薄的环境中，我们攀登了碎石小道，来到美丽的胡曼塔伊湖，穿越了皮萨克印加遗址的阶梯和梯田，沿着铁道走到热水镇——这一切都发生在经历了八小时的长途巴士和横跨河流的滑索之后。第二天，我们又攀登了陡峭的山面，来到了马丘比丘。

作为旅行者，我们都知道那些在故事书里读到过的、梦想有一天去看的异域景点。但什么时候，或者是否能去，始终没有确定。不同于自由女神像或故宫，马丘比丘不是那种你可以随便打个车就能去的地方。它偏远、艰难、难以到达。可是一旦亲眼目睹——走进去，呼吸其中——那种感觉是如此超现实，且难得的特权。群山的雄伟，配合着在它们面前小小的身影，带来的是一种谦卑的沉思。

站在这些雄伟的山脉之间，环绕着古老文明的遗迹，你意识到地球是慷慨的。人类是能够创造伟大的。看看我们所建造的——与土地和谐相处，敬畏大自然，且如此精准。马丘比丘的建筑与大地的神圣轮廓交相辉映。那是一种与神灵的合作。

至于徒步旅行……有时候，你就是得去做。为了你的身体、你的思想、你的灵魂——并不是因为你喜欢。喜欢某件事往往不重要。其实不喜欢某件事反而对成长至关重要。太多人把生活组织在“喜欢”的基础上，但那只会导致脆弱和不成熟。人们需要被培养出坚韧——然后去实践它。

孩子们走得很稳，专注地喝着水，仿佛生活中的一切都轻而易举，总有安全网保护着。也许父母给了他们这种保障，但外面的世界往往没有。于是，当他们的肌肉在安第斯山脉中感到紧张时，他们的思想和感官也在不断锐化。他们在学着依靠自己。

第二部分 – 亚马逊

对于身体来说，安第斯山脉是一次挑战；而对于灵魂来说，亚马逊则是一场洗礼。

到达亚马逊，仿佛踏入了另一个完全不同的国度。山脉的高海拔和干燥空气让位于浓烈的热气和湿气——这是一片广阔的水泽平原，零散的云朵和突如其来的阵雨。相同的国家，不同的世界。

我们住进了一个建在高脚屋上的客栈，那里我们可以从阳台直接跳进河里，坐在吊床上看日落。我们的节奏也发生了变化——徒步旅行变成了钓鱼，坐船漂浮着穿过村庄，每天乘坐嘎吱作响的公交车往返于小镇之间。

但我们依然在走路——有一天我们步行五公里到动物园，其他日子则穿过鱼市和水果市场，雨后在泥泞中滑倒，汗流浃背，暴露在贫困面前。是的，我们本可以坐在空调的旅游车里轻松快捷地完成这一切。但我们如何才能真正了解这个地方呢？

孩子们知道自己的手机，因为他们用它。那他们如何才能了解自己，了解自己能做什么，如果没有好奇心和探索精神呢？只有走过那些道路——尤其是艰难的道路——才能找到自己的方向。

成长并非来源于舒适或精心安排的事物，而是来自于困难、挫折和意想不到的转折。这就是为什么我让孩子们自己安排每天的活动，管理预算，自己搭乘公交，独立穿越小镇。真正的成长需要真正的责任。

人们真的会改变吗？

在从库斯科到马丘比丘登山口的八小时巴士车程中——那条紧贴悬崖的狭窄道路，我开始思考这个问题。

我们的巴士上还有十五名其他外国游客，种族背景各异：黑人、白人、亚洲人、混血儿——大多数来自美洲各地。

司机拿起了一张表格让每个人填写详细信息。从那时起，似乎司机已经不再关心这张表格，接下来的责任完全由游客自己承担。那对阿根廷夫妇（白人，欧洲血统）主动承担了传递表格的任务，表现得非常“白人”——果断、有条理——尽管他们的家族已经在南美生活了几代。

思索这些时，我注意到我们的学生总是坐在靠近过道的位置，似乎对周围的环境不太关注。一开始，他们在公共场所更少主动打招呼、道谢或者表现出主动性，往往需要提示。尽管他们是在美国长大，但他们身上仍有一种被动的特质——这与阿根廷人形成了鲜明对比。

当表格传递完成时，阿根廷男子将它交还给司机，并进行了一番简短友好的小对话，而司机则没有什么回应或反应——这让我联想起我在旅行中常遇到的那种几乎没有表情的中国男孩。

有趣的是，秘鲁人让我想起了亚洲人，尤其是在工作态度上——他们长时间工作、高度灵活性和拼劲。通常非常友善和热情，但在路上，却少了一些宽容。在交通中，频繁鸣喇叭、推搡、竞争——没有阿根廷人那种温文尔雅的秩序。你永远不会在阿根廷看到这种混乱，但你也不会看到秘鲁人那样的灵活性和拼劲。

那么，人们真的会改变吗？乍看之下，答案似乎显而易见：不会。但是，可能这更多取决于你的社会文化环境，以及你是多么融入其中，还是与之隔离。然后，也许还有遗传学的问题；历史、家庭和地理因素也许存储在DNA中。这是一个复杂的问题，似乎没有明确的答案。但简而言之，从群体层面来看，改变并不容易。

然而，在个体层面上，事情可能会完全不同。在过去的十年里，我看到旅行激发了巨大的成长。即使在这次旅行中，我也看到学生们主动向司机要求合影，努力用西班牙语交流，并在餐厅里主动收拾餐具——这一切都是他们自发的行为。所以，任何形式的行为变化都可能通过接触、环境、期望、理解和习惯来发生——最重要的是，拥有成长的意愿。

致你们每一位：

Terry：

你在每个情境中的冷静坚韧（除了那个 “hangry” 的瞬间）散发着自信、可靠和沉默的能力——这正是任何团队所需要的。你没有主导，但你带领着大家。这才是真正的领导力。

Max：

那个你在早餐时看到自己像酒店员工的瞬间——并希望自己永远不成为那个毫无生气的人。加强沟通，在日常互动中使用更多的表情和能量，将对你大有裨益。更强的关系、更大的机会、更强的存在感，都在等待你。

Justin：

提升主动性，然后在餐厅打烊后帮助清理。这种主动性和谦逊会赢得尊敬，为你打开更多的机会。保持脚踏实地、勤奋和好奇心。

Clover：

你在街上接近一位鼓手并进行了一次精彩的即兴表演。这种自信是罕见的。如果你能把这种力量带到餐桌上——愿意尝试更丰富的饮食，和更好的预算习惯——那会让你受益匪浅。

总体旅行评分：10/10。真的很满意——无论是努力、经历、目的地，还是最重要的，你们。感谢你们的能量、开放性和在这次冒险中的勇气。我希望秘鲁的经历会深深留在你们心中——并且在关键时刻展现出来。

而它会的——如果你们真心渴望。你们每个人都能做到任何事，只要你们愿意。

Part 1 – The Andes

My body feels 20 again…

I hadn’t been to Peru with a group before. While I was relatively familiar with the Patagonian Andes (Argentina) farther south, the Peruvian Andes were new terrain for me. We set up our base in a spacious apartment in Cusco, an enchanting town rich in Indigenous culture and a fusion of Spanish colonial and Inca-era architecture, perched 3,600 meters above sea level. The apartment became our anchor—where we came and went from, launched our excursions, and always returned to for comfort, familiarity, and the safety of our big bags.

Over the ten days, we completed four main walks. Light on oxygen, we climbed the shale path to the stunning Laguna Humantay, trekked through the staircases and terraces of the Pisac Inca Ruins, and walked along the train tracks to Machu Picchu town—following an eight-hour bus ride and a zip line across a river. The next day, we ascended the steep mountain face to Machu Picchu itself.

As travelers, we’re aware of the exotic places we read about in storybooks and dream of one day visiting. But when—or if—we ever get there is always uncertain. Unlike the Statue of Liberty or the Forbidden City, Machu Picchu isn’t the kind of place you can casually swing by in a taxi. It’s remote, demanding, and hard to access. Yet to experience it—see it, walk it, breathe it—is a surreal and rare privilege. The majesty of the mountains, combined with the humbling simplicity of being a small figure struggling in their presence, invites quiet contemplation.

Standing among these formidable peaks, surrounded by the remnants of ancient civilizations, you realize the Earth is generous. Humanity is capable of greatness. Look at what we built—in harmony with the land, in reverence of nature, and with such precision. The architecture of Machu Picchu flows with the divine contours of the land. It’s a collaboration with the gods.

And as for walking… sometimes you just have to do it. Do it for your body, your mind, your soul—not because you like it. Liking something is often irrelevant. Disliking something is actually essential to growth. Too many people organize their lives around what they "like," but that only leads to weakness and immaturity. People need to be raised with grit—and then practice it.

The kids walked strong and attentively, sipping their water like everything in life comes easy and there’s always a safety net. Maybe parents provide that, but the world beyond often doesn’t. So, as their muscles strained in the Andes, their minds and senses were also sharpening. They were learning to rely on themselves—far from home.

Part 2 – The Amazon

What the mountains were for the body, the Amazon was for the soul.

Arriving in the Amazon was like stepping into another country entirely. The dizzying altitude and dry air of the mountains gave way to dense heat and humidity—a vast basin of lush, waterlogged plains, scattered clouds, and sudden downpours. Same nation, different world.

We had an entire stilted guesthouse to ourselves, where we could leap off the balcony into the river and watch the sun set from hammocks. Our pace shifted, too—hiking gave way to fishing with hand lines, slow boat rides through floating villages, and daily rides on rattly local buses into town and back.

But we still walked—five kilometers to the zoo one day, through fish and fruit markets on others, slipping in the mud after rain, sweating in the heat, exposed to poverty. Yes, we could have done all this from the comfort of a tour van, air-conditioned and quick. But how would we have come to truly know the place?

Kids know their phones because they use them. So how can they know themselves if they don’t use their bodies? How can they know what they're capable of without curiosity, without exploration? You only find your path by walking the roads—especially the hard ones.

Growth doesn’t come from the comfortable or the curated. It comes from difficulties, setbacks, and unexpected turns. That’s why I had the kids organizing their days, managing their budgets, catching buses, and navigating town on their own. Real growth requires real responsibility.

Do People Ever Really Change?

On the eight-hour bus ride from Cusco to the Machu Picchu trailhead—narrow roads hugging sheer cliffs—I found myself pondering this question. Our bus carried about fifteen other foreign travelers. The mix was diverse: black, white, Asian, mestizo—mostly from across the Americas.

The driver passed a clipboard for everyone to fill in their details. From that point, it seemed the driver couldn’t care less about the clipboard, and the responsibility for passing it along relied entirely on the travellers themselves. The Argentinian couple (white, ethnically European) took initiative, managing the clipboard as though it were their own duty. It was very "white" behavior—assertive, organized—even though they'd been South American for generations.

Pondering that fact, I had noticed that our students, often seated on the aisle, always seemed much less aware of their surroundings. At first, they were less likely to say hello, thank you, or show initiative in public without prompting. Despite being raised in North America, there was still a kind of passiveness intact and were less likely to say hello, thank you, or show initiative in public without prompting—quite the contrast with the Argentinians.

When the clipboard had made its rounds, the Argentine man returned it to the driver with some sort of friendly small talk, of which was received by the driver with little to no response or reaction—resembling the often zombified Chinese boys I frequently encounter on our trips.

Interestingly, Peruvians reminded me of Asians in their work ethic—their long hours, flexibility, and hustle. Generally very friendly and kind, but on the road, though, they’re less generous. Honking, jostling, competing—there’s none of the quiet politeness. You’d never see that kind of chaos in Argentina—but you wouldn’t see the flexibility or work ethic either.

So, do people really change? At first glance, the answer seemed obvious: no. But, it’s likely it mostly depends on your social and cultural environment and how integrated or segregated you are. Then there’s perhaps the potential questions of genetics; historical, familial and geographical factors stored in DNA. It is a tough question with no definite answer, but in short, it seems on the group level, change doesn’t come easily.

However, on an individual level, things can be very different. Over the past decade, I’ve seen travel spark growth. Profound growth. Even on this trip, I saw students these asking for photos with drivers, making an effort to speak Spanish and clearing their own dishes as a form of gratitude to the service staff—done through their own initiatives. So any form of behaviour can occur with exposure, environment, expectations, understanding and habit—and most of all, with the will to grow.

To Each of You:

Terry:

Your calm strength in every situation (except that little hangry moment) radiated confidence, reliability, and quiet competence—exactly what any group needs. You led without dominating. That’s true leadership.

Max:

That moment you saw yourself resembling the hotel staff member at breakfast—and hopefully vowed to never to be like that lifeless guy again. Sharpening your communication, using more expression and energy in daily interactions, will serve you well. Stronger relationships, more opportunities, greater presence—those await you.

Justin:

Improving on showing initiative, then next minute, helping clean up at a restaurant after closing hours. That initiative and humility will attract respect and open doors. Keep being grounded, diligent and curious.

Clover:

You approached a drummer in the street and started an wonderful impromptu performance. That kind of confidence is rare. If only you could bring that same strength to the dinner table—being open to a more varied diet and better budgeting habits!

Overall Trip Rating: 10/10

I'm truly satisfied—with the effort, the experience, the destination, and above all, with you. Thank you for your energy, your openness, and your bravery in embarking on this adventure. I hope Peru lives in you for a long time to come—and that what it taught you will show up in your life when it matters most.

And it will—if you really want it. You’re all capable of anything, if you’re open to it.

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