Peru's Machu Picchu

Suzanne Stanland, MVC AA ’56, practically came away from her 50th Mount Vernon College Reunion with a plane ticket to Peru. It was there that she first learned about GW alumni travel opportunities, and it sparked in her a big interest to take advantage of the trips.

“These trips are extremely well organized, they go to interesting places, and they are reasonably priced,” Stanland said. “More alumni should go on them.”

Last winter, Stanland and her husband joined about 20 alumni travelers from other schools to visit Peru and the ancient Incan city of Machu Picchu. Classified as one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World,” Machu Picchu was built in the mid 15th century and then abandoned during the Spanish Conquest of the Incan Empire.

Stanland said highlights of the trip included visits to archaeologists’ laboratories, where they were able to see excavated mummies. There were also planned cultural activities every evening, where the travelers got to learn more about Peruvian life. These experiences included visiting with a local Peruvian doctor who talked about his biggest obstacle in the area — competing with voodoo witch doctors and gaining the trust of tribal communities.

“These talks really enhanced our journey,” Stanland said.

Stanland added that she is very interested in the 2009 Alumni Travel Programs that GW is offering and other ways to re-connect with GW. At her 50th Reunion, Stanland said she enjoyed taking a tour of campus to see how much GW has changed since she was a student at Mount Vernon.

“When we went to Mount Vernon, we would wear white gloves to dinner every night — that shows you how much times have changed,” she said.

For more information about the Alumni Travel Program, read this month’s Cover Story or visit the alumni website.