We had a great day today. The group split up for professional exchanges – Sara, Katherine and Gale toured a hospital while Justin and I toured a private university. On our tour, we learned about the computer systems that support the university students and faculty. We happened to be there during a promotion for open-source software, so we learned about the annual event for students and professionals that takes place across South America, and the methods they use for getting the word out about the event. I loved all the computer talk, and appreciated seeing the hardware they use for the campus.
We also had a chance to visit the college radio station, which broadcasts across all of Tacna. Although Justin did a couple of stints on college radio in his day, he opted not to broadcast today. I guess one live appearance in Peru is enough for him.
We all reunited for a tour of petroglyphs. The area reminded me of Utah somewhat, and also what I imagine other planets to look like. Ater a delicious lunch, we went to the beach (playa). It was fascinating to see so much beach and so few people.
Tomorrow afternoon we depart for Nasca, with a scheduled arrival of 1am. As usual, we have all received wonderful attention and care here. We´ll be sad to say goodbye to our Tacna friends, but are looking forward to getting to know a new group of friends.
-jen

