Little surprises awaited us in tidy bundles throughout the room. Unwrapping each package was like taking an early peek under the tree on Christmas morning. On the foot of our beds were two small, white cloth bags, with surprises inside. After untying and loosening the string to one of the bags, I peeked inside and pulled out a pair of handmade sandals, fabricated from inky-black rubber car tires. How cool is that?! These sandals were for our use around the room (and of course, if we wanted to buy a pair just like them to take home, we could purchase a pair at the hotel gift shop). There were also snow-white plush robes that we could wear if we wanted to. And the soaps in the bathrooms were wrapped in fine, earth-tone tissue-like paper and twine. Even the hair dryer was displayed on a shelf in a decorative and pretty drawstring bag.

To my delight, there was a "personalized" surprise that awaited us in each of our rooms. Sitting on our pillows were small olive-green money bags the hotel gave to each Team Peru member so that we could have a special and safe place to carry our soles, or Peruvian currency (using foreign money was so much fun!). And there was a note attached that read, "Enjoy your stay at our hotel within the cloud forest of the Machu Picchu Natural Reserve, just below the site of one of the World's New Seven Wonders. Tomorrow you will travel to another exciting South American Hot Spot. Wishing you all the best in your National Geographic Kids Hands-On Explorer Challenge Journey!"

Lodging at the Inkaterra, although we were only able to stay there for a short day and night, was wonderful. There was so much we could do and see and learn. There were numerous excursions offered for our enjoyment. Many from our group went bird-watching to spot as many species of birds as possible. Unfortunately my mom and I missed that adventure because we didn't get a wake-up call from the hotel and we overslept! But the kids that went said they were able to see several species of indigenous birds. There was also an orchid excursion we could have gone on, although I don't think anyone from our group did because they all went to see the birds. But the hotel is host to 372 varieties of orchids, including the world's largest and smallest orchids. Did you know that there are some orchids that are so tiny that you get a better view of them when you peer at them through a magnifying glass? Pretty cool! Although I didn't get to go on the orchid excursion either, I did get some good pictures of orchids on the trail.

One excursion I did get to go on-and loved-was to meet two very special creatures. We were taken deep within the surrounding, entwined thicket (the hotel sits on 12 acres of rain forest land), past tea and coffee bean crops (which was pretty cool to see), to meet two spectacled bears (also called Andean bears), which are indigenous to Peru and are increasingly endangered. The two bears we had the opportunity to meet and photograph have quite a story to tell-if only they could talk!

As we walked on the trail we came around the last corner of a long path through the undergrowth, and there we saw two very large, square cages enclosed with fenced barricades (pardon the pun!) that stood towering amongst the surrounding exotic trees and plants. As we neared the pens, we saw that two ink-colored bears with thick tannish-white splotches on their necks and faces were feasting amongst piles of freshly sliced fruit and exotic leaves. We grabbed our cameras and swiftly tiptoed up to the cages, awestruck by the beautiful, magnificent creatures that, like many other species of animals, are sadly and slowly diminishing from the face of the Earth.

And here we learned a very important lesson-we saw it with our own eyes. Our tour guides talked with us about our impact on the Earth. They explained to us humankind's negative effect on the spectacled bear species. Those magnificent gentle giants are hunted and killed for numerous reasons--one being that hunters are afraid they will eat their livestock, even though spectacled bears very rarely eat meat. And also, some people think the baby bears make cute pets. Of course, baby bears grow up, and then they get too big to keep and their owners abandon them or worse. Our guides explained their effort in recovering bears that have been negatively affected by human impact with the hope of reintroducing them back into their natural habitats. They said with expressive, almost anxious eyes, that they want to speak directly to children--the young generation of our Earth. They told us that we kids are the future, and that with the choices we make and the actions we take, we can make a difference, not only with helping to recover the spectacled bears, but even in the world at large. These words, if heeded, can change our planet.

After taking countless pictures of the two beautiful bears, we all headed back through the thicket to Inkaterra for the night. Exploring the beautiful, flower-laden paths of the hotel, we found that it was a perfect place for capturing nature on film, especially at the many hummingbird feeders spread throughout the hotel, brim-full of wine-colored sugar water-a special treat for the delicate little birds. (In fact, the hotel is home to 18 different hummingbird species!)

 
We would all flock to the hummingbird feeders, crouching in odd positions with our cameras at the ready, and wait patiently for them to buzz up to us. We didn't have to wait long. Many species would fly gleefully to the feeders in masses of usually four or five hummingbirds at a time. They'd sit on tiny tree twigs, frolic with each other in the sweet, fresh air, and drink from the feeders. They were bold creatures, flying all around us in streaked blurs of vibrant, shimmering color. They were absolutely dazzling, and it was an amazing experience to see them up close. I think we all could have crouched around the wine-red feeders for hours upon hours, capturing those little beauties on film. What perfection and splendor for such small little creatures!

During the evening of our stay at Inkaterra, we all gathered in an exuberant dining hall of the hotel, positioned snugly between twisting railroad tracks with trains whizzing by frequently. The restaurant used to be a train station, so literally, it sits right between and VERY close to two train tracks on either side. Before our food was served, we had the opportunity to see pictures and to hear presentations by two of the National Geographic photographers who traveled with us to Peru, Bruce Dale and Amy Toensing. Both presentations were enthralling and very educational. It is amazing to see and hear how photographers who make a living taking pictures actually get unique and often outstanding photographic images of people and places they encounter in the world.

Mr. Bruce taught us that when taking pictures, he sometimes combines physics with photography. In order to get the best shots possible for certain projects, he has literally employed mathematical equations, laws of physics, and homemade devices that help him capture moments of time with perfect precision. Ms. Amy taught us how a good photographer builds meaningful relationships with people in a community, learns their story, and captures that story in pictures that may ultimately be shared with the world. Both Ms. Amy and Mr. Bruce share the same perspective about being good photographers; and their pictures tell a story and even lure people in to want to learn more. It was so neat to get lessons on photography from real National Geographic photographers!

Lodging at Inkaterra was quite an educational experience. I personally learned not only fascinating information about animal and plant life indigenous to Peru, but I also learned a great lesson. From listening to our tour guides speak fervently about the spectacled bear species, I rediscovered that the little choices we make and the little actions we take each and every day, whether positive or negative, are making a difference in the world and will have a long-term impact that will influence our Earth's future.