The Sunflower: A Novel by Richard Paul Evans Read Free Book Online Page A

is your rock-solid itinerary.” A small smile crossed his lips. “Unless it changes again. Planning a trip through Peru is like planning an outdoor wedding. You can plan until the cows come home and still have the weather ruin it.”
    “Or the groom,” Christine said softly.
    Jessica put her hand on Christine’s leg and rubbed it reassuringly.
    “You’re signed up for a ten-day expedition. We’ll be flying out of the Cincinnati airport on the evening of December third and coming home in time for Christmas. How you get to the airport is up to you. I suggest you carpool where possible.
    “We’ll be flying directly into Lima from Cincinnati. That will put us in Lima around seven-thirty A . M . It will take us about an hour to get through customs and pick up our luggage, so even though you’ll be excited, you’ll want to sleep on the plane. We will not be leaving the airport. We fly out to Cuzco around noon, so it’s not worth the trouble to check into a hotel for just a few hours. The good news is that Lima is only one hour behind us, so your sleep won’t be that off. We’ll get something to eat at the Lima airport.
    “We’ll arrive in Cuzco around one. After we’ve picked up our luggage, we’ll take a charter bus to the hotel. You’ll all be pretty tired by then so we’ll check into our hotel. That evening you’ll be on your own. You’re welcome to go out and see the city.
    “The next day we’ll start our first project working at an orphanage called El Girasol, which is Spanish for ‘the Sunflower.’ ” He looked up from his sheet. “You’ll notice on your packing list an option to bring some children’s clothing and toys. Christmas is coming and so they’ve asked us to bring some gifts for the children at the orphanage. Of course this is strictly voluntary. But if you want to participate, there are some gift ideas and the children’s sizes on the paper.”
    He looked back down at the schedule. “That first day we’ll work until late afternoon, then we’ll go back to Cuzco for dinner and sightseeing. You’ll probably be a bit sore from working, but the evening is yours.”
    “Sunflowers, Chris,” Jessica said. “It’s a sign.”
    “The next two days are also at the Sunflower, but we’ll leave early the third day and take our bus into the Sacred Valley. We’ll spend the night in Urubamba, and the next day we’ll take a train into Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is something you’ll never forget. We’ll spend the day there, then take the train back to Cuzco. That evening we’ll play. There are clubs, a night market, even a decent discotheque for those of you who like to get down.”
    “Yeah!” Jessica said louder than she had planned, and everyone turned and looked at her.
    “I can see where the party will be,” Jim said. Jessica laughed. He smiled and looked back down at his sheet. “Okay, early the next morning we’ll check out of the hotel and fly to Puerto Maldonado.
    “Puerto is a small jungle town. We have a one-day service project at an elementary school; I believe we’ll be rebuilding their bathrooms. The next morning we’ll take a bus to Laberinto, where we’ll board our riverboat for the Amazon. We’ll be on the river for about four and a half hours. We’ll be stopping on the way at the village of the Amaracayre tribe to deliver some books. You’ll love this stop. It will make you feel like an explorer for National Geographic. The chief of the tribe wears a bone through his nose.
    “We won’t stay long because we want to arrive at the lodge before it gets too dark. Trust me, you don’t want to hike through the jungle at night.” As he looked around, he noticed a few anxious-looking faces and smiled. “Don’t worry, we haven’t lost anyone yet.”
    “Exciting, isn’t it?” Jessica said.
    “Oh, yeah. Very.”
    “We’ll leave our boats at the bank and hike through the jungle. It’s a short hike, about twenty minutes. Canoes will be