BY ISABELLE RODDY
On day 7 of our adventure we traveled to Lake Puray, an area outside of Cusco. After about an hour's drive we arrived at our destination, an adventure and cultural experience center. This establishment offered a variety of different experiences: some groups came for a meal, others came for a cooking class, and others came for a water-related activity. In our group's case, it was a combination of the above. We arrived with the impression that we would all be kayaking, however our guide had a different idea. Instead of kayaking, we were meant to be stand-up paddle boarding. Our group possessed an overall lack of paddle boarding experience, meaning this switch produced some concern for the majority of the party, but three of us decided to give it a shot (myself included).
We were led to a shed in the back of the property where we provided with wetsuits; the lake water hovered around 9 or 10 degrees Celsius (around 50 Fahrenheit) and the mountain air temperature was around 86 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning a dip in the lake without a wetsuit would not have been pleasant. After shimmying into our wetsuits, we were ready for action.
Next came the hard part-- getting onto the board standing up. We were all anticipating a show, but surprisingly no one fell in! Once on the water we paddled toward the middle of the lake, with our guide and the rest of the group following behind in a canoe. While on the lake, we were completely surrounded by the gorgeous Andean mountain range. We had a clear view of the snow-topped Veronica, the tallest mountain in the area. After padding out to the middle of the lake, our guide encouraged us to jump into the water. We complied and were met by the freezing cold, however we had all worked up a sweat paddle boarding so the cold water was refreshing. After a brief struggle getting back on the board, we paddled our way back to shore.
The experience provided a change in pace, as this activity was different from the rest of our trip. Being on the lake while still surrounded by mountains was unlike anything I had previously experienced, and I am grateful for the opportunity!
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