HULA students travel by boat in the Amazon rainforest May 10, 2019. The students fished for piranhas for the first time during HULA 2019. I photo courtesy of Easton Davis Senior Jacob Taylor andjuniors James Baker and Easton Davis pose infront ofMachu Picchu May 26, 2019. The group visited the location to immerse themselves in cultural experiences. I photo courtesy of Easton Davis HULA moved to Peru and went on a piranha fishing trip in the Amazon. Vina del Mar, Chile, was home to the Harding University in Latin America (HULA) program for 15 years. In spring 2019, HULA's home base moved to Arequipa, Peru, which opened new opportunities. The change of base to Peru enabled the group to travel to new places such as Lake Titicaca and the Colca Canyon. HULA Director Jeremy Daggett said it was a no-brainer to include these trips on the schedule. "It added so much to the HULA experience and humanities class that deals with pre-Columbian civilizations in the Americas," Daggett said. Junior Easton Davis recalled that Daggett pushed the group to connect humanity and culture through every trip. "We were forced to be immersed in the culture, and whether you like that or not, it was very eye-opening because you couldn't get away from it," Davis said. Junior Ana LaFontaine said the Lake Titicaca trip was more incredible than she expected. LaFontaine said learning how to communicate through the language barrier allowed the group to hear stories from their Quechua-speaking hosts. "Their hearts were good, and they truly wanted us to learn," LaFontaine said. Daggett said he organized the trip with the intention of bringing the culture to the students in tangible ways. "There is so much value in getting so close to the culture, in getting closer to the earth, in participating in new customs in a beautiful place -- even if for just one day and one night," Daggett said. "It's temporary, but the impact is significant." Another excursion Daggett planned for the group was piranha fishing in Lake Valencia, a tributary of the Amazon River. Every semester, HULA students visited the Amazon, but Daggett wanted the group to travel further into it for a chance to see different species of wildlife, like three-toed sloths. Davis said piranha fishing was unlike regular fishing, which made it fun for everyone. Piranhas moved fast, so it was difficult to catch one. Lafontaine was one of the only students who had not caught a piranha when the guide asked if she wanted to hold one to bring her luck. While LaFontaine held the piranha, the fish wiggled loose and bit her finger. Even though she was bitten, LaFontainesaid the piranha fishing trip was her favorite day abroad because of the unique story she was able to tell. Daggett said he looked for new adventures to deepen the group experience. He did not want HULA to be simply tourism but something more personal. story by Kylie Jones international 37
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