Off to Bolivia! | August 15, 2015
Hello fellow travelers!
I always feel like I take you along with me. Currently we are high above the clouds, flying on the second leg of our journey – from Chicago to Miami. Then our last leg will take us to La Paz, Bolivia! A new country, a new continent.
This is a Women of Vision trip to visit our micro finance projects in an ADP called Colomi. We will also be learning about the Channels of Hope program, for Gender Equality. More on that later. And of course, the usual highlight of visiting sponsored children. I have a girl here that I am so anxious to meet.
We will arrive in La Paz at 6 am Saturday morning and hit the ground running. As we have comparatively few days in Bolivia, we decided to tack on two days of sightseeing first. So after we deplane and get through whatever hurdles they throw at us at the airport, we will head out of town to Lake Titicaca – (say that a couple of times without laughing!). We don’t quite know what to expect as far as weather (it was snowing yesterday!) or how the altitude will hit us. We left Portland at pretty much sea level and will land at 12,000 feet. La Paz is the highest capitol city in the world. Fun! Praise the Lord for altitude meds.
My personal hopes and prayers for this trip are to be used of God – to encourage, to learn, to serve, to have eyes to see God in those I meet and a heart open to their lives. I leave behind a busy life at home right now – and my precious family with so many of them gearing up for fall. And then there’s that wedding. And as I hold them all in my heart and prayers, my prayer is to be present here, for this time. The opportunity is so be Savored.
Already God has shown up specifically in getting help for my iPad – yes, that is totally petty considering the large issues we are facing. However, I write on it, have music and pictures to share and so on. When I went to put it into airplane mode this morning, a blank screen stared back at me. Nothing I tried worked so I started to make peace with the fact that I might not have it for the trip. When we landed in Chicago, I sought out a shop that deals with the usual flight related tech stuff and this wonderful young lady took an interest and actually got it working!! I was so grateful that she got a hug. She even cleaned the screen for me. The only thing she asked was that I write a comment to her boss, so of course I did with fulsome praise and gratitude.
Off to Miami soon.
Thank you for going with me.
Reeds Galore! | August 17, 2015
After a night of frankly drugged sleep, thank you Ambien! we arrived in La Paz about 6 am. We are in the same time zone as the U.S. east coast. We quickly coasted through customs and immigration, got our bags, which were all ready and waiting for us – another big thanks – and met our guide, Ivar, who is with us these next two days. One of our team had not been able to get her visa prior to the trip as she was traveling, so we were all praying that that would be easy, and it was!
We all felt rather groggy due to limited sleep and now we are an elevation of over 12,000 feet – the highest I have ever been, even when I was on top of Mt Hood, many many years ago. Our guide suggested we all drink some coca tea before we set out so we obediently did. It tasted and felt good – warmth for the body and soul. It is cold here – they just had some snow a couple of days ago and we saw a few patches still on the ground. Then we were told that our bus wasn’t heated!
We headed outside into brilliant sunshine and the brightest blue sky, Over in the East, the Andes Mountains appeared, freshly covered with new snow and gleaming. All quite breath taking, literally, for us tired sea level dwelling Oregon women. The bus turned out to be great – even without heat, the sun had heated it up nicely, the seats were comfy, and we even had blankets. Driving through town, we passed outdoor markets filled with colorful fruit and vegetables and equally colorful people. We were on our way to Lake Titicaca, about an hour and a half away. The landscape was beautiful, fairly dry and brown with the Andes dominating the horizon. However, with the warmth of the sun and my cozy blanket, I soon dozed off and only woke up when we arrived in town. We had to detour around a town celebration and caught a glimpse of some of the bright costumes and heard the horns.
Our hotel is quite nice, right on the edge of the lake, and part of a compound we saw more of later. The lake is clear blue and everything seems so clean and fresh. We checked in and had some time to unwind a bit. However, to enjoy the room, we had to climb five flights of stairs which left us winded and sucking air at the top! A quick shower felt great and closing my eyes for a few minutes felt even better. Lunch at the hotel followed and soup seemed like a good choice. The sun is brilliant and warm but it is cold. Coming from our hot summer, it is a bit of an adjustment! Next we headed out onto the lake on a hydrofoil. Now I had visions of an open boat with water spraying over us – horrors! – but it was enclosed and again there were blankets. They know us pathetic tourists! Again the sun did its job and after a short half hour ride, complete with some local history, we came to one of the floating islands – yes, literally floating! Many hundreds of years ago, one of the local tribes, in order to flee enemies, used the ubiquitous reeds around the lake to weave an island they could live on. The reed mat is about four feet thick and a number of these islands exist on the lake! Pretty amazing.
We put in at one, which I think exists primarily for the tourists, but a few people live there in small reed huts. There is definitely a reed theme! It really was fascinating. We were welcomed warmly, sitting on our reed stools. One of the men offered us a brief ride in one of the reed boats so of course we had to take advantage of that! The boats are quite solid and have plied these waters for hundreds of years. Each boat lasts for a year or two so new ones are constantly being woven. It is quite an art! And there was even a reed outhouse! I feel like I am writing a children’s story with repeating words.
Back to the boat and the hotel and another brief rest – LuAnn and I dragged ourselves up to our room and promptly feel asleep. Luckily she had set an alarm because I was out! She had to shake me to wake me up! Then we did a tour of some of the other buildings here. The first was a small museum about the history of the area – complete with headphones and drive. Next we visited the resident llamas, alpacas, and vicuña. They do have lovely eyes! The next building we visited was the most interesting to me – this is where weaving of boats is done – and it is not just the little lake boats but much larger ones. There were small replicas of Thor Heyerdahl’s famous ocean going boats – Kon-Tiki, Ra I, and Ra II. A local family here built the Ra boats and some others for different groups. Having read Kon-Tiki as a kid, it was fascinating. Using these reeds to build ocean going vessels! Then we toured a few replica huts of local fishing tribes.
Down to a very nice dinner – many of us trying the local lake trout. Delicious!
Then we went to a little observatory to look at the night sky up here. We were all pretty much running on fumes and it was quite cold but still very worth it. We watched a short video and then they turned out the lights. It was pitch black until the roof started to slide back and there was the spangled night sky – more stars than I’ve ever seen before! And the Milky Way oh so clearly made its way across the sky and there was the Southern Cross and the Southern Crown and so many others. A beautiful ending to a very good day.
However, with the altitude and general weariness, bed was very welcome and we crashed early.
A Lake Day | August 17, 2015
After sleeping the sleep of the just and the mostly dead, we enjoyed a more leisurely start to our day on the edge of the lake. The dining room overlooks the lake so views are spectacular. We met for breakfast and devotions at 8 and then boarded our faithful hydrofoil for a day out on the lake, with stops. It was beautifully sunny and didn’t feel as cold to me, anyway, so I didn’t even need my coat until later in the day. Yeah!
We bounced across the lake for about an hour and a half.
(I am in a La Paz hotel as I write this, on the 11th floor and there are fireworks outside! Awesome! Watching fireworks from the comfort of an hotel bed!)
The lake is roughly divided into two parts – a shallower southern end, where we were staying, and one goes through a channel into the much larger and deeper lake – up to 900 feet in places. As one passes through the channel, there are two towns, one on either side – San Pablo and San Pedro. As the boat passes the military installation, the captain blows a couple of long notes on the horn and then our presence is verified by the lowering and raising of the flag. We then have permission to proceed! So we did. The little towns are quite lovely from a distance – orange buildings with brightly colored roofs. As we headed out into the larger section we started noticing the steep surrounding hills were all terraced but it didn’t look like too many were being used. Our guide told us they were built about 3000 years ago and farmed for ages until the Spaniards came and captured the indigenous people and used them in the mines to dig out silver. We “civilized” countries certainly have much to repent of.
Our first stop was in Copacabana – yes – really! No sign of Barry Manilow though. It is the main resort town on the lake so we disembarked, eager to see the town. However, all the land around the lake is hilly so we had a good climb to get to the town center. Some of us might have been happy to stay on the pretty beach, under a cheery umbrella! It took us a little time but it was worth it and it is always fun to walk through foreign village streets – so much life is right out there by the street. We went to see the lovely cathedral built by the Spaniards – they did this right! It gleamed white in its square. Services were going on so we could just peek inside. There were some dogs in the church as it was Dog Sunday! We have been told that there are 377 celebrations a year! We have seen three so far, in two days. They overlapped in Copacabana today as it was also the day to bless vehicles. People brought their brightly decorated cars, trucks, buses to the front of the cathedral, raised the hood, and then the priest sprinkled the engine block with holy water contained in a bucket and sprinkled with what looked like a dish washing mop! The whole family was there, dressed in their best. One of them then took a bottle of champagne, shook it and sprayed some it over the engine too! A string of firecrackers was let off, pictures were taken, and then the next vehicles moved up! Quite an event! Most of the vehicles looked like they really needed blessing!
A couple of comments on the dress here – the men dress in basic Western garb so not that interesting but so many of the women dress just like you have seen in the pictures – layered skirt, some under garment covered by a huge shawl or poncho and the ubiquitous black bowler hat – English influence from rather recent history – no more than a couple of hundred years. The women also carry parcels or babies or both on their backs, held there by brightly striped shawls. It’s almost a uniform. Colors vary but the style is always the same. I hope we will actually get to meet some of these dear women when we are out in the villages instead of just passing them on the streets with curiosity, We also noticed that the women are trudging around with these large packs while the men carry nothing. Sigh.
Back down the hill, much easier, and onto the boat. A fairly short ride to Sun Island for lunch – this island was actually rather wooded with some fir trees and eucalyptus – so pretty. Again we had to climb quite a few stairs to the restaurant and occasionally wondered if it would be worth it – but it was. We sat outside – yes, it was warm enough! on a grassy terrace overlooking the lake – just perfect. Lunch was a set menu but excellent. More of the excellent lake trout.
A few of us haggled with some local children who had fabrics – table runners and placemats and back to the boat for our final run. We were to stop at Moon Island to see some ruins but the wind had kicked up and we couldn’t dock safely. Another longish ride brought us back to the hotel where our luggage was already loaded on the bus and another hour and a half brought us back to La Paz. After leaving the countryside, we drove through El Alto, another town bordering La Paz. It is large but poor and quite marginalized by the authorities. It was pretty depressing – almost like an old Wild West town where even vigilante justice is meted out. Stuffed characters are hung up to warn evildoers that they will be punished.
We came to the edge of that area and Ivar told us to close our eyes. The bus turned a corner, we opened our eyes and there lay La Paz filling up a basin surrounded by high hills. It is a beautiful sight. Ivar is very proud of his native city so we all fussed and ooohhhhed.
Next stop was our hotel – very nice (please remember this is our tourist part of the quick check in and gather for dinner at the hotel restaurant. We had a table in a corner, surrounded by windows so we could see the lights of the city. Then the fireworks began! So great!
I retired early to write a bit and just catch my breathe. Tomorrow begins our World Vision time! Can’t wait!
Bolivia Bounce | August 17, 2015
Monday, 8/17
Our first World Vision day! Whoopee! Up for a lovely breakfast buffet at our hotel. The food here is very good. I especially loved the lake trout we got at Titicaca. Then our faithful Ivar showed up, loaded up our myriad pieces of luggage and took the short ride over to WV headquarters. All the bags were off loaded and now we are WV’s responsibility! We said our good-byes to Ivar and our excellent driver, Victor, and walked in the door to the singing of morning devotions! I was home! Even though all the words were in Spanish, the message came through and the love of God was there. We were introduced briefly and then the morning talk began. A man named George was our interpreter and will be with us all this week. He is delightful, of course. I have yet to meet a WV person overseas who is not practically perfect in every way. A man spoke on the woman touching the hem of Christ’s garment and being healed. He then made it practical – why don’t we reach out with faith for what we need from God?
After devotions, we remained in the same room for a sponsorship meeting. Again there were warm greetings and expressed joy that we were visiting. It always amazes me how welcome we are when it seems like the blessing is all on our part. Gifts of God for the people of God.
The meeting began and Wow were we unprepared for all we heard. All of our meetings are always so informative, but they gave an excellent presentation on the nuts and bolts of sponsorship and then shared a new program they are just breaking out. It is amazing. These beautiful small posters to help walk the children through discussion points to share with their sponsors but also for them to have – the story of their lives. There are themed flash cards of animals, occupations, family and so on to spark thoughts and writing. And the best thing about these was the quality of the art work. I would hang these on my wall! We were all just blown away. It is just a brilliant program. We then enjoyed a quick lunch and then loaded up to head to the airport for a 35 minute flight up to Cochabamba. I was impressed with how rapidly the airline staff checked our group of 10 in and sent our bags on their way. But poor George, I’m sure he feels like he is herding cats – all these American women! But he is the soul of patience and tact. I always wonder about the stories they share with each other when we leave!
The flight went quickly but very bumpily! It smoothed out when we reached our flying elevation, but on such a short flight, that didn’t last too long. We are seeing a pattern here – hence today’s title. Bumpy boat rides, bumpy drives, bumpy flight.
We arrived in Cochabamba intact, quickly collected our bags and headed into the city. We are now only at about 2500 feet so we are all breathing easy. We were warmly met and greeted by staff and then drove to our hotel. Cochabamba is a lovely city – much prettier than La Paz, or least the parts we saw. It is fairly clean with wide streets and many green medians with trees and flowers. Our hotel is in the center of town.
We then walked the block to the Fubodo office. This is the arm of WV which handles micro finance and loans and is universally called Vision Fund. Fubodo is the Bolivian branch. We met the staff and then were briefed on the programs here and some of what we will be seeing in the coming days. We are always welcomed to warmly – like it is a very big deal that we are here and they are so grateful we have come. So humbling. I want to yell – “No! – we are the ones who are blessed!”
The day was winding down and we still needed to go buy groceries as tomorrow is Sponsorship Day!!!! Whoopee! We headed out to some trucks and waited for a couple of missing members, Alice and LuAnn. And we waited. We couldn’t imagine where they could be as they are not the type to keep anyone waiting. Our main interpreter was looking all over for them. Finally we heard that they were stuck in the elevator! We waited a bit more and prayed, hoping they would get out soon. Help was coming but we were told to go on and get groceries. It felt strange to leave them but there were plenty of staff with them. So off we went.
About 20 minutes later we arrived at a regular old grocery store. It was very crowded and a new twist – all purses and bags needed to be checked into lockers! Luckily my little pouch wasn’t noticed so I hung onto it.
We grabbed six carts and with 2 staff headed out to find some basics for our families. We made quite the spectacle – our train of carts following a leader until we reached an item we wanted. Then we all stopped, effectively blocked the aisle, and then moved on. After a number of stops, we headed to check out. There, one unloads the groceries and then backs out of line to drop off the cart, returns and pays, and then the bags are loaded into another cart! Go figure! But our trip was successful, the food stuffs were loaded into the trucks and so were we so back to the hotel for a late dinner.
I anxiously went into the restaurant, hoping Alice and LuAnn were there and they were!!! Great joy all around! They were stuck for almost an hour but made the best of it and even took a selfie to share the experience! We enjoyed our dinner and devotions and the first wine any of us had had here – no wine at high elevations for novices!
Off to bed and an early morning as we are driving about an hour and a half to Colomi to visit our kids! Can’t wait!
My Girl!! | August 18, 2015
Tuesday, 8/18
What do I say about today?! There aren’t enough exclamation marks, even for me! Today was Sponsorship Day and six of us met our children. I have done this before but quite I. This fashion.
After a good night’s sleep, unmarred by dreams of small enclosed places for Alice and LuAnn, we had breakfast and headed out at 7:30. Several WV staff and two interpreters came along as well. We drove about an hour and a half out of Cochabamba to Colomi. It was a beautiful drive, winding around steep hills, seeing villages, and more trees here. At least in the parts of Bolivia we are visiting, everything is either up or down – not much level terrain. Makes for some gorgeous vistas. We arrived in Colomi in good time and met staff there and got filled in a bit. When we first arrived I saw a girl I thought looked like Lineth, my sponsored girl. I walked up to her with a goofy grin on my face and asked, “Lineth?” She nodded and so I hugged her and babbled away. One of our translators came over to help and turns out I had the wrong girl! Heaven only knows what she thinks about me! Oh well – never too many hugs to go around.
I went back into the office but just a few minutes later one of the staff stuck her head in and asked for the sponsor of Lineth. Well, this time it was the real girl! So more hugs and expressions of joy from me. Her whole family was there – mother, two brothers, and a sister. She is the oldest. They had walked over to the office to see me! Such a blessing! With translation, we shared briefly. She is 14 and such a lovely girl. All of them were quite shy and probably nervous, especially her 12 year old brother – very serious face. The father of this family abandoned them so I think this son feels the burden of responsibility. I had to return to the office briefly and then we hopped onto our bus for a very short ride to an event space. My family were taken over in the back of a pickup.
Well – we were so not prepared for what was next. We walked around a small church, down a dirt stony alley way and came to a large covered space. There was music, a rainbow of balloons, decorations and a hoard of children which came running out to greet us! It was enchanting! Balloon necklaces were placed around our necks and confetti sprinkled on our heads! We then were led to a double row of chairs which were in a semi-circle with a curtained off stage area. I sat with Lineth and her family.
A master of ceremonies welcomed us so warmly. Then he prayed. Much of his prayer was for us and asking God’s blessing on us so specifically. It made me recall other blessings on other trips. Is this part of why I am so blessed! It was a very humbling thought and made me even more grateful for these opportunities! It was also a reminder to me to pray God’s blessing on others.
A number of the children had their club vests on – this is a program WV runs for children providing life skills, education about protection, advocacy, Bible study. All designed to encourage and empower children – help them feel God’s love and their worth. Then the show began! The smoke and bubble machine kicked in. The music started and a magician came out and pulled birds out of scarfs and bunnies out of hats. A table levitated. It was fun and the children loved it! The favorite was the clown who came out! I think they had all seen him before because he was a great favorite! He was silly and funny and really interacted with the kids. Teasing them and bonking them on the head with a plastic mallet. After his show, the MC came out again. There are six of us who have sponsored children so he called one of us and then that sponsored child. When two of us were up there, a game was started between the two teams. Live and Let Die boomed out and the first game began. The teams took turns stacking plastic bowls up on top of each other until it fell. The person who put up the last one was out. That continued until there was a winner. As the tower grew higher, the music changed to Psycho! So funny. When it was my turn, we added some more children to each team and had a sack race! Please have fun imagining me jumping around in a sack!
The final pair did a tug of war! Everyone really got into it and it was such fun! Then the piñatas came out – one for the boys and one for the girls. And of course that made for a mad scramble. Then there was one for the adult women and scrambled and grabbed with the best of them! My candy went to my family, as did the other balloons I’d collected. Lineth got the pink heart which the MC gave me. He had fun teasing with us.
The clown returned with a balloon act – he twisted balloons into various items and then appropriate movie music played while he pantomimed the accompanying actions. He even started pulling balloons off to the tune of You Can Leave Your Hat On but quickly stopped! We were greatly relieved! I’m not sure many got where that was from! The best one was his underwater pantomime with a “tank” and sting ray, swimming through a sea of bubbles.
The grand finale was two birthday cakes, lit with rocket type sparklers. The custom here is for the honored person to take a bite of the cake before it is served. Two of our members had the privilege. The whole custom is to then push their faces into the cake but fortunately they didn’t follow through with that. Happy Birthday was sung and then the cake was served to the sponsored children and their siblings. Gift bags were also handed out! It was quite the celebration! We were there for over three hours and it just flew by. Children here rarely celebrate their birthdays so this was to honor them.
All is trooped back to the ADP office for lunch, families included. I had Randolpho with me to translate so we talked a bit about school, life in the village, faith – they are Catholic. The sibs started warming up and when I got the soccer ball pump out, the older boy finally lit up.
We then loaded into our own vans to go to the home of our child. LuAnn came with me as she does not have a child here and Randolpho was my faithful companion throughout the visit. We also has Blanco, a wonderful staff woman, to translate between Spanish and Quechua, a native language. Julia, the mother, only speaks that but the children have learned Spanish in school.
We drove about 30 minutes, past a beautiful lake, and arrived at their village. Scrambling down a little slope,new arrived at their home. Ok – another crack in the heart. They live in a dirt floored one room shack – no running water, no electricity, no heat, and even little daylight was the windows, which are only openings in the wall – no glass – were only slits. Clothes hung from rafters and hooks. Two beds are snugged up together behind a black plastic sheet and the whole family sleeps there. Beside the house is a cooking shack reached through a very low door and is also so dark. There is really no direct ventilation for the fire so I can only imagine how smoky it must get. Lineth fixes breakfast each day and her mother cooks dinner, the house is situated on about an acre or so where they farm potatoes, their only source of income. All of them help in the work. Sigh …… The setting of their home is so beautiful – the lake is in the distance. There are tall hills and a stream, where they wash their clothes in the freezing water, and yet they live in such desperate circumstances. One of Lineth’s brothers is also a sponsored child so I am so grateful for that! Something will be done!!! I wanted pack them all up and move them into a new home that day but things work more slowly. Back outside, I shared the gifts I had brought for Lineth, the scarf for her sister, and the soccer ball! Freddy immediately pumped it up and he finally seemed like a 12 year old boy! I had a necklace for Julia which she said she would never wear as it was too pretty! I had to urge her to put it on. She is often knitting, even while walking, and makes beautiful shawls. She occasionally sells some of them for extra income but mainly knits for the family. Lineth gave me a lovely heart shaped packet with a drawing and letter inside – treasures always! Randolpho translated the letter for me and it was so dear – expressions of love and gratitude but also, most amazingly, her own expressions of her joy in life and her love for God! Hope in this dark place. They really all seem quite happy here, the little guy wrestling with the dog, but things must change.
As we had a good bit of time left, we walked about 30 minutes to the children’s school, up the hill, of course! We followed the road, all paved in hand laid stone. I was so glad we made the trek because the school is very nice – a real haven for these children who live in such poverty. It is open and lighted, with many windows and a covered play area which WV donated. There is a computer lab. Lineth showed me her classroom and some of the work she has done. She is in grade 8 so right on track. The work is varied and so well done so I think they are all getting a good education, even in this remote place. Thank you Lord.
The trek back was downhill – thank you and then we had to say our goodbyes. Many hugs, a few tears (me). They presented me with three bags of potatoes! So much generosity from so little. I almost hated to take them but was so grateful for their love. As I can’t take them with me, ADP staff will find a good use for them.
Back to our van, a reluctant wave and off we were, back to the office. We all trickled in from our various adventures, with stories to tell. Each of us had our own story but they all bore the same marks of deep poverty and poor living conditions. Our hearts were so moved and full as we talked.
Back onto the van for the drive back to Cochabamba, dinner, and sleep. The conversation around the table was rich and moving as we all contemplated our calls in this place. God will show us the way.
I know this is long but it has been quite a day! Thank God for the gift of hope because otherwise it would be a dark night. Blessings to you all! And I mean that very intentionally.
A Day of Three Lunches | August 19, 2015
Wednesday – 8/19
After our amazing sponsorship day, I, at least, thought today might be anti-climactic. I had even had trouble falling asleep last night because I was still on an adrenaline high. But I was wrong!
We head out each morning at 7:30, showered, dressed, and fed. Back out to Colomi. A few words about the drive. The main roads are paved and fairly smooth but always two lane once we are out of the city. Some of the side roads are paved with stones, laid down by hand. And we travel with trucks – lots and lots of heavily loaded trucks. And this is a vertical landscape so when behind a truck, or often a whole line of them, we crawl along at about 5 miles an hour until it is “safe” to pass. Safe is a relative term but no accidents so far. However, the views are spectacular! Occasionally there is a little shrine beside the road.
We arrived at the Colomi office about 9 and got our usual coca tea. The warmth of the drink itself and just holding the mug are quite cozy – remember, nothing is heated here (except the hotels – praise the Lord). We trotted up to the top floor for a orientation about the Channels of Hope for Gender and Economic Development. They are really tied together.
Channels of Hope is this incredible program. In areas where the role of women is very subservient, WV comes in with a Biblical training about gender equality. Usually they begin with a week long training for faith leaders and their spouses, from any faiths in the area. Deeply held beliefs are transformed. The faith leaders then return to their communities and teach their people. It is not an overnight transformation but as women also start to help their families economically, the change begins. We met with two of these associations later in the day.
After our orientation about these programs in this area, we drove out to see the Women’s Weaving Association. Greetings are always over the top – warm and wonderful. A large group of women were gathered around a small building. As we stepped out of the bus, a large handful of white confetti was dumped on our heads and then a knit cap pulled onto our heads. We were delighted. We were welcomed into the building where the walls were covered with pieces of their knitting. This building also housed the two knitting machines which were provided by WV after the women had provided the materials – wool. Each woman gets 2 days a month on a machine so more are obviously still needed. The association leaders shared with us. Initially their husbands were against this and some women were forbidden from attending. Some men thought they were just sitting around talking rather than helping in the fields. But when the women started bringing in money, ideas changed and husbands began to let their wives come. All of this sounds appalling to us but it is slowly changing. For example, one husband said that before his wife started making money, he just saw her as a part of the house, like a wall! Now he values her and wears some of her knitting. Another woman said her husband doesn’t yell at her any more. When asked if her husband takes her money, she responded, “No way, Jose!” George claims he translated correctly! These women are so amazing. They have been put down because of their gender since birth. But they are finding their voices and becoming so strong and becoming leaders. They still work so hard but they now reap the rewards of that work. Then the shopping began! All the items on the walls were available so most of us bought at least one item. Back outside, full plates of food began to appear. Here, one honors people you feeding them, like my bags of potatoes yesterday. The plate held three types of potato, a tomato, onions, and cheese, and a lake trout. Well, this was lovely but we knew we were going to have lunch too! However, the food was very good so we all ate more than we thought we would! The rest we put into bags to take back to the ADP – no waste! Darling children ran around and sweet babies toted on the back. Because they are always packed up, I haven’t had my hands on a baby yet. : (
We hit the road to go to lunch! We drove some distance and the terrain changed dramatically. It was still very steep hills and stony cliffs, but the vegetation was so different – lush and green, ferns and some flowering trees and shrubs, an occasional palm. It reminded me most of the hill country of Maui! We were also on a narrow very windy road – shades of the Road to Hana. However, it wasn’t quite as warm or tropical feeling. After driving a while, we stopped at a restaurant for second lunch! It was a tiny place with a set menu. There was a small tank where fish could be netted to eat and there was a beautiful loud parrot decorating a tree. While waiting, oh so eagerly! for our food a man came around with a bag of coca leaves for us to try. So I grabbed a couple of dry crunchy leaves. They didn’t taste very good so after a few chews, the wad fertilized the plants behind me. No buzz even! A full plate of fish, potatoes, rice, and salad soon appeared! So we valiantly tucked in and ate what we could.
Following lunch, we waddled back onto the bus and continued down the windy road. Then we turned off the stone road and bumped down a dirt road to visit a pepper association. Well, our greeting here took our collective breathe away again! Again we got baptized with confetti and then garlanded with these most amazing huge leis! They were made out of fruit, vegetables – many of them peppers, and flowers – most of them callas! These leis hung past our waists! I felt like the vegetable fair princess! It was hysterical and lovely because they had gone to a great deal of work to welcome us. Around the edges of the covered area we sat under was decorated with garlands of peppers and bunches of callas were tied at the corners. So dear,
And then our third lunch was trotted out! This time it was stuffed fried peppers and other side dishes. We politely picked away but the peppers were very good so we plowed through those! Again, the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit is amazing, I feel like I have never worked as hard as they do every day a single day in my life! They put me to shame but also make me feel humble and grateful. We then heard their stories about raising peppers and wanting to expand to processing.
After this lovely time, we, guess what, headed back onto the bus, leis intact. We went back to the ADP office to bid them a reluctant farewell. It’s hard to imagine how close one can get to people in just a couple of days. Their expressions of gratitude and joy for our visit is always overwhelming and tear inducing. We are the blessed ones and they treat us like royalty. After our farewells were exchanged, they presented each of us with a scarf and pair of gloves made of llama wool!!! So beautiful and such a lovely gift.
After leaving the leis with them to plunder for the food, back to the bus and to Cochabamba for another late dinner, devotions, and thank you note writing.
Writer’s note – please excuse the lack of editing and pictures. All will be done at home as now I am just seizing internet moments and time!
Blessings to all.
Colomi new ADP – about 5 years
Guinea Pig Day | August 20, 2015
Thursday 8/20
Normal morning routine and on the road by 7:30. We all got a chuckle of how much of the previous day’s confetti was still with us. It showed up everywhere! In pockets, hoods and kept even seeing it on the floors of the elevators and restaurant. Today we were headed to another village and ADP, Tiraque. The Tiraque ADP is closing next month so we were going to see a mature ADP and all the things that have been accomplished since it opened in 1996. It was a little longer drive with the dry hills and cliff but also some vegetation, but no hints of Hawaii here.
The town of Tiraque seemed so much more developed, as we drove in – more completed brick homes with tile roofs – the best kind. The ADP headquarters is a lovely light big building that will pass to the village when the ADP closes. It will be used for educational purposes. There is a library, a computer lab, room for offices. It will be a wonderful gift to the community.
Up in a room on the second floor, we settled in for meetings. Interesting note – on past trips, WV senior staff all speak English. That has not been the case here so George, our translator, has been very busy. However, he is the soul of patience and never seems to get tired. He is quite a gift to us.
We started with devotions which set the day right. We sang a couple of songs – the second one was just beautiful and we got enough of the words to be deeply moved by it. Then a staff member shared some words from Isaiah – “I chose you. I am with you.” The staff are grieving this ADP closing. At its height, there were 22 staff members and now there are only three. The ADP manager, Nelvy, is so proud of what they have done but so sad that they are leaving. These people have invested their lives in these people for many years. It is very bittersweet.
After seeing the challenges of Colomi the past two days, it was so amazingly encouraging to hear the success of this area and know this will be the future for Colomi. That program has been in place for five years.
We heard about the improvements in agriculture, support for children in their health, nutrition, education, women’s groups, covered sports fields, school materials, early childhood ed, and music and dance programs. An excellent video had been made to sum up the history of the project. And it had a large number of darling children. – always a good idea!
The most important agriculture program here is the guinea pig project. Guinea pigs are very high in protein, low in fat, reproduce and mature rapidly. WV supports a team of three which works with local producers. There is a technical trainer, a vet, and a nutritionist. We heard about that program and then were shown around the ADP building. It really is a great facility. Next was a real highlight for me – we met with the youth council. I just love that WV is so intentional about working with young people! I have seen this in other countries. One of the rooms in the building is the meeting place for these kids, ranging in age from 9 to 19. The president is a firecracker of a little girl who is a sponsored child. She shared about their work, along with a couple of the others. They emphasize sports teams to give kids something to do and keep out of trouble. There is an amazing covered stadium in this little town of dirt streets! Kids play soccer there every week night and they have competitions. Both boys and girls have teams. The kids also have representation at the municipal level and their concerns are taken seriously. They hold work shops about values like hard work, self protection, advocacy and about 150 kids attend each one! Their enthusiasm and willingness is infectious. I just love this stuff and admire them so!
After a big group photo, we headed upstairs for a very generous lunch. We had been given a heads up that guinea pig would be served. We had seen it being prepared in the kitchen earlier, as a chef was teaching other women ways to prepare it. The smells were actually very good and it was prepared in two forms. There was also chicken and numerous side dishes so it was not our only option. Most us took at least one bite and were pleasantly surprised at how good it was!
After lunch and farewells, which I hate – there are just too many of them on a trip like this, back to the bus to go visit two guinea pig projects. The first was a small operation but the woman is making real headway. The guinea pigs are kept in small brick or concrete pens, one right beside the other. There is thick straw on the ground and they are monitored rigorously, as they have been taught by WV. Some are kept aside for breeding and are called “the ladies!”
We weren’t her too long and then loaded up to visit one more site. The day was getting on and internally I was feeling – really? We’ve already seen one. Aren’t they all alike? I was tired and wanted to head back to the hotel which was still a good hour and a half away. Well, as always, God knows better.
We bumped along to this second site and were met by Christian, a 23 year old young man who runs this business. He was incredible! He is the oldest in his family of three younger brothers and a sister. His parents are living but have some issues so he is the head of the family. His sister is 17 and pregnant so that is another issue.
Christian grew up very poor but just thought this was the way people lived. When he started school, his eyes were opened and he eventually went to university. It is free here but there are still room and board expenses so that makes it out of reach for many. He was a sponsored child so that gave him opportunities. At university, he studied business administration but did have to leave late last year to help his family.
They were already raising guinea pigs but mainly for their own use. He applied for a Vision Fund loan, got training and began a large guinea pig production. Starting in January, he and his brothers built this very large facility of brick to house the guinea pigs. He now has over 700 and has room for many more. The facility was immaculate and Christian knew all about caring for the pigs and marketing and administration. He works incredibly hard but has such passion and dedication to his family. He loves the Lord and has great plans for the future. He is absolutely amazing!
We toured the large barn and saw all the little guinea pigs. There were some babies too and they were so cute. Sandy and I got to hold this little one – so soft and sweet. We were all glad we had eaten prior to this visit! It would have been hard after seeing these little guys.
We had to head out, but it was such an inspiring visit! Back to Cochabamba where we had a little time to visit a few craft shops – power shopping! In and out in a half hour! Back to the hotel for dinner and some lovely wine. Off to bed at a decent hour which helped as we had to leave the hotel at 6:30 am to catch our flight back to La Paz.
This time in Cochabamba has been so rich and intense. People here will always remain in our hearts – for me, especially Lineth.
Good night.
Llama, Llama, Where’s Your Mama | August 22, 2015
Friday – 8/22
Last night was a short night as we had to hit the road at 6:30 am which meant getting up about 5 for most of us. We were flying back to La Paz. All went very smoothly for our 35 minute flight. Checked in, bags through, security survived, and then our much smoother flight. We have been impressed on these very short flights that the crew can serve drinks and a quick snack and have it all picked up before we land! Maybe American crews need to come down here to learn.
After landing back in the hilly city of La Paz, we checked into our hotel, got our bags, pulled ourselves together a bit and then headed over to the WV headquarter. The national director met with us to overview the work here and to give us time to ask questions and debrief our time in Cochabamba. Luckily there was tea and coffee available to keep these sleepy girls going!
Really, the presentation was very well done and it was valuable to share with the director. We could encourage him about all the amazing changes we had seen and assure him of our commitment and continued support, especially in raising awareness for the need for child sponsors. In that area, it has really been impressed on us the importance of staying in touch with one’s child. It means the world to them, even if the response is fairly rote. Here the staff is teaching the children how to really share their lives more effectively.
That time took the rest of the morning, and of course before we left, gifts were exchanged. We each received a darling carved llama painted in bright cheery colors! An embarrassment of riches!
Lunch was next on the agenda and as our last time with WV, a few of the staff joined us at a nice restaurant for lunch. It was such a privilege to share good food and fellowship with these wonderful people. We probably lingered over the table for two hours or so. Final goodbyes were said and back to the bus for some free time for the rest of the afternoon. George first took us to the cathedral of St Francis – San Francisco. It was lovely and quite ornate. Along all the side walls were these large niches. Each niche had a large Biblical figure in it. They almost looked like mannequins but were often richly dressed or graphically painted as in the case of the suffering Christ. A section would usually include one central figure with two others on each side, one on top of the other. Often there were large vases of flowers in front of each shrine. I had never seen anything like it before. At the front was a massive gold leafed altarpiece which went from floor to ceiling. It also held niches with figures. It is always interesting to see what other cultures do in their religious practices. The Spanish and Catholic influences are powerful here. In fact George claims that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were not shot because they were robbers but because they weren’t Catholic!
We then headed out to a street of shops to do our best work – economically speaking! Most of the shops specialized in textiles but I think everyone found something she wanted and LuAnn and I found something very special for a friend so we were happy! A couple of us are more surgical shoppers – in, see if there is anything desirable, purchase and out. Others wished to browse, which they should be able to do, and we all got back to the hotel, happy and very tired. The only down note was that we had to say goodbye to our faithful George. He had been with us all week, translating for hours, herding us around, sharing his version of Bolivian history while we were on the bus, being oh so patient with all these women, and serving God by serving us. We will all miss him.
After a little collect oneself time, we mostly dead women met in the dining room for dinner. After our great, and rather late, lunch, it was light supper for me – just soup. We did a very short debrief time – a process we will continue when we get home. Devotions were meaningful as we shared where we had seen God working in us this week. Then we talked about not losing our compassion and concern for this place and these people. Worthwhile time.
Our group was now splitting up – 4 of us are headed off to Peru and the rest back to the U.S. They had to leave the hotel at 4:30 am so said our goodbyes, grateful for this time together. Truly seeing God “where two or three are gathered.”
Our Peru group doesn’t have to leave the hotel until 7:15 so we, a bit smugly and gratefully, headed off to bed – a little sad to leave this essential and deeply fulfilling part of the trip behind but also looking forward to the adventure ahead. I can never really wrap my head around all the adventures I have and God’s overwhelming kindness and generosity to me. Blessings all mine and ten thousand besides. Great is thy Faithfulness.
Sexy Woman | August 22, 2015
Saturday, 8/22
Our little group of four had the luxury of breakfast at the hotel and a little more leisurely pack up time than those who left for the U.S. 7:15 rather than 4:30! We arrived at the airport in about 20 minutes and waited until check in opened at 8. We then proceeded rather quickly through check in, customs and immigration, and security. It is nice that water bottles are not an issue here as we can’t fill up at the nearest water fountain. The waiting area was very nice and had a few nice shops and a little coffee shop. Time passed quite quickly and we then boarded our plane for the one hour flight to Cusco, Peru!
Our trip officially turned into a vacation when we landed. After going through immigration, our bags were waiting for us, and outside the tour company met us with a van for us and all our stuff. I’m sure they shake their heads over these American women and their multiple suitcases!
It was a short drive into the heart of Cusco. Our hotel is on the Plaza de Armas – the Main Plaza. It is a large square with cathedrals on two sides, a lovely park with fountain and heroic statue in the middle. Around the edges are shops and hotels tucked under a colonnade. If it sounds completely charming, it is! This is a very old town, with a great deal of Spanish influence. It also really caters to tourists due to its proximity to Machu Picchu.
Another check in and we found our rooms. Sandy and I did some quick freshening up and met Alice and Kathy at the hotel restaurant for lunch.
At 1:30, our guide for the next day or so met us in the lobby. His name is Wilfredo – another George without the faith. He is indigenous and so is loyal to his roots. When I have more time, I will write about the indigenous peoples here. Their stories are heroic, hard, and sometimes brutal.
Anyway, Wilfredo’s job was to take us around Cusco and a couple nearby Incan sites. The first one we went to was a huge area where an Incan temple was constructed. There is not much left of it as the Spanish destroyed much of it and the stones were taken for other building projects. The site is call Saqsaywaman, which to our ears sounded like Sexy Woman so of course that is what we call it. We roamed around the now grassy grounds with large sections of stone wall rising up. The stones are huge and were quarried about 10 miles away and then dragged here over logs and with ropes. It completely boggles the mind to consider this. At the site, the stones were then worked so that there were interior interlocking bumps and fitted so exactly that there is no mortar, only stone on stone. One could not fit a piece of paper between them. The stones were stacked one on another by the use of very long ramps. This site was not actually ever fully completed but many generations gave their lives to it.
We left there and took a brief stop for a panoramic view of Cusco – so incredible. You have to
picture this as still such a vertical landscape. There are huge hills all around and often the snow topped Andes in the distance. Next was another Incan site but this a place of preservation of the kings and ceremonial ritual. We headed back through a narrow rock passage way – very grateful it didn’t have a roof! And out into an small open space where there were fitted rocks again and a sense of antiquity. This concluded our time outside of Cusco so back to the city we went. There, we stopped at a former Incan dwelling which is now a monastery. There are still remnants of the Incan rooms with their amazing fitted stonework and niches. We saw places where the Spanish had plastered over the walls to cover up what the Incans had done. There was also a lovely interior courtyard that was part of the monastery, green grass and geraniums spilling over the upper walls, with cyclamen pots on the lower ones. The gardner in me loved it.
Our final stop of the day was the cathedral right on the main square where we are staying. Actually, it is a cathedral with adjoining chapels on either side. However,these “chapels” don’t fit my definition! Again we saw the niches with figures in them, as we did yesterday. I am wondering if this is typical in Spain. Wilfredo pointed out one Madonna in very elaborate dress. It seems that her clothes are changed several times a year as some dedicated patron donates money for a new dress. The old ones are preserved but never used again! I was only imagining what the real Mary would think about all of that! The altarpiece was also covered in gold leaf and very ornate with figures set into it as well. In the larger cathedral, the altarpiece is made of silver – for me, preferable but not quite as flashy. But all very lovely to see. I found, though, that they didn’t inspire in me that sense of wonder and awe of God that I often feel in other cathedrals.
After Wilfredo left us at our hotel, we soon headed out to dinner at a restaurant on the square. Alice had sat next to a nice man on the plane, who has a sponsored child, of course, and he recommended this place. It was very nice and even had a section of Incan wall at the back. We are getting to be quite expert in recognizing this!
Dinner was very good and it was fun to chat about the day and all we learned. An early night was indicated so I think we were all in bed by 8:30 or 9!!! Our first full night of sleep since arriving! Thank you Lord.
Tomorrow we head out toward Machu Picchu, seeing things along the way, then a train ride, and the night spent nearby. It is very surreal to write all of this!
Blessings all.
A Train Runs By It & Shelob | August 23, 2015
Sunday – 8/23
Morning in Cusco – beautiful and sunny. This is such a charming town. We will have more time on the far side of Machu Picchu to visit here. After our good breakfast, we left most of our luggage with the hotel and took our smaller bags for our 2 night outing. It felt good to not have so much stuff to lug! I went down a few minutes early, left my bags, and walked around the square for a few minutes. It felt so good to just enjoy this place and thank God for this time.
At 8:30 Wilfredo and our driver Max picked us up and we headed out of the city, toward Machu Picchu. It was Sunday and we first stopped at the large statue of the Christo Blanco – the White Christ. It was a nice stop for that day and we prayed together briefly.
Back in the van and off to our first Incan site for the day – Pisac. Here the Incas had terraced into the mountain side for places to grow plants to provide food. But the question I keep asking myself is how did someone look at a steep rocky mountain and say – This would make a great place for a temple, a town, and terraces. Of course it will only take massive amounts of work to break and work the stone, build the homes, level the terraces and build support walls!
It’s unbelievable! Of course the views are spectacular.
After prowling around there a bit, Wilfredo took us to the little town of Pisac to visit the market. Well – this was the market we had been waiting for! Many little booths and shops with good quality items so we had fun! Then the shops opened out into a square area just filled with vegetables, fruit, the most colorful spices ever, meat, (yep, out there in all its raw glory!) grains. It was so vibrant. It would have been nice to stay there longer but we needed to get to lunch. Our drive took us to a nice restaurant that totally caters to the tourists. Have I mentioned that we are really now major tourists among many, many others. This is a very popular place – people from all over the world! The lunch was a buffet so that was great for feeding a crowd. Good food and a lot of variety.
After lunch we headed to another site – Ollantaytambo. Try saying that! It was another place for growing but also there were many granary buildings to store the crops. There were quite a few steps up to the various levels so we huffed and puffed our way up. Now I know how the Big Bad Wolf felt at the third little pig’s house! Everything is stone, although the roofs would have been thatched back in the day. At this location, the Incas had been able to withstand a Spanish attack since they controlled the high ground. The planning and building boggles the mind.
We then had to say goodbye to Wilfredo. He has been another in the line of great guides we have had on this trip.
We boarded a train which would take us to Aguas Calientes, the town from which one leaves for Machu Picchu. I love trains! No security checks, plenty of legroom, relaxing motion and often great scenery. That was the case here. We traveled about an hour and forty minutes along a rushing stream with the largest boulders in it. Through the narrow valley between huge cliffs – it was beautiful and restful after a full day. We even had free snacks and drinks!
We arrived at the train station in Aguas Calientes after dark and unloaded with all the other passengers. – a train full of tourists all looking for the person holding up the name of their hotel. It was rather chaotic but we found our man. He put a couple of our bags on a cart and shepherded us all to our hotel – uphill of course! Luckily it was only a couple of blocks and just a lovely hotel. After checking in, a nice young man led us UP some stairs to our rooms. As he opened our door, I went bombing in to drop my stuff on the bed. “Jill!” Sandy was pointing to a very large black spider just above my head on the window overhang! We immediately called for help, checked our beds, and of course took a picture! Someone came quickly and swept the spider into a dustpan. I made sure he was actually in there!
Sandy and I were happy to unwind in our room a bit and then we met Alice and Kathy for dinner.
Our meals our provided with our hotel so that is nice. The food is included in our room price, so we only pay for drinks but at about $3 a bottle it adds up a bit! This is definitely a tourist area and the most is made of that fact!
While at dinner, our guide for tomorrow showed up, Uber. All I will say is that he is most emphatically not a George or a Wilfredo! We were told to meet at 7:30 in the lobby and to be sure to be prompt.
After dinner, back to our rooms and another early bedtime! We are all enjoying the slightly slower pace of this time. I wouldn’t trade the Bolivia time for anything – that was the heart of this time – and this is just added blessing. So many blessings! How good is God!
The Stone City | August 24, 2015
Monday, 8/24
What do I say about today? We went to Machu Picchu. I could almost stop there because it is one of the most photographed places in the world and my photos won’t really add anything, except, of course, for the ones I’m in! And description is woefully inadequate.
But – I’ll give it a shot.
We did all our ablutions and breakfast and met Uber in the lobby promptly at 7:30. We walked a couple of blocks and joined the queue for the bus to the site. This is a well oiled machine – one bus follows another as they fill up. It is a 25 minute ride up the mountain. The road crawls up the narrow road, one hairpin turn after another. Occasionally another bus is headed down the mountain so they pass each other with some inches to spare. There are no guard rails so the bus on the open side seems like it is going over – an increasingly dramatic drop the closer we got to the park entrance. However, no incidents and we arrived safely, along with much of the rest of the world! We paid our sol to use the bathroom. This is the only restroom in the entire park!!! so we planned our day carefully. Also any movement around the park involves a great number of steps at 8000 feet elevation.
We entered through the gate, closely monitored, and walked a short distance until we came to a break in the rocks and there was Machu Picchu laid out before us! Words fail. Our guide took each of our pictures in the obligatory – Here I am at Machu Picchu pic.
This place was discovered in 1911 by an American named Hiram Bingham. This is the only Incan city, at least known about, that was not destroyed by the Spanish. There was been some restoration but much of it was intact, just overgrown. The exact purpose of the site is unknown but there was sections which were clearly used for religious or ceremonial purposes – the stones are finely hewn just like we saw at other temple sites. Another section was housing and the only thing they lack is their thatched roofs. They are almost typical stone houses one can see in many places. All the buildings face east, to catch the morning sun. There is a quarry, for all the building. Here, they used the stone on site so it did not have to be hauled over hill and dale to be used. There are many many terraces for farming, with stone retaining walls. In the center is a large grassy area which might have been a square or gathering place. Tall mountains surround it on all sides so the views are breathtaking. It is a vertical landscape with steps everywhere and not nice even steps but steps with bumpy surfaces, some requiring a very large step up and others of all different heights. The day was the most incredible Stairmaster class I’ve ever taken!
Our guide took as around for about two hours. As we had already learned so much about Incan sites from Wilfredo, he did have much new to offer. His English was a little difficult and it seemed that he was just running through his spiel so not our favorite guide. We almost happily said goodbye to him and set out to do our own things.
After a long descent to use the facilities, we decided to climb up to the Sun Gate, the historical entrance to Machu Picchu. It is an amazing climb, with views at every step. Machu Picchu is visible the entire way. The trail is only about a mile long but with an elevation gain of almost 1000 feet – innumerable uneven steps, clambering over a large boulder at one point, and watching our steps on the bumpy stone paved path. It was slow going and a sweaty business as the day was warm and we were out in the sun most of the time. But oh so worth it!!!! There are a few stone walls and terraces at the top and a stone gateway through which people who have been trekking the Inca Trail arrive at journey’s end.
We could look down on Machu Picchu, seeming rather far away below us. We were about even with the top of one mountain. A nice stone wall provided seats for us as we ate our lunch up there. Lunches to go at the hotel were ridiculously expensive so we were all just going to bring snacks, but then Kathy had the brilliant idea of taking some of the ham and cheese slices from breakfast to make sandwiches! And we each grabbed an orange and were set. Up there, a rather ordinary sandwich which I wouldn’t be too excited about at home, tasted like the finest meal.
As we headed down,we split up as Sandy and I also wanted to hike out to the Inca Bridge. Alice and Kathy were going to climb down and then head back to the hotel.
Sandy and I enjoyed this hike too. After a fairly steep beginning with more steps, the trail really leveled out and just wandered along the side of the mountain. It was only about a half hour each way. At the end was a slatted gate. Through it, we could see the bridge – steps leading down to a precarious looking wooden bridge made of just some planks and then more steps going up the far side. Not as exciting as the Sun Gate but still a lovely walk.
When we got back to the main area, we split up too to just take our own time to be quiet, wonder a bit, and just be there. I kept trying to find a nice little grassy place to sit but the guards kept moving me off. People are not allowed on the grassy areas for the most part. And with the crowds, I can certainly understand why.
After a time, I hiked down to the entrance/exit to catch the bus back down the mountain. It just seemed unreal that I had spent the day up there! Back in town, I walked the short distance to the hotel and gratefully got out of my sweaty gross clothes and had the best shower!
Dinner was again at the hotel – another good meal and again we went to bed early.
Tomorrow back to Cusco and then the rest of the time on our own until we end out to the airport for home late Wednesday afternoon!
When God was handing out lives, why did I get such a good one? No answer, only a full measure of delight in the experience and a grateful heart.
The Gift of People & Place | August 25, 2015
Tuesday, 8/25
Well, after yesterday, anything would feel a bit anti-climatic. However, it really was a lovely relaxing day. We were catching the train about 10:30 and heading back to Cusco. But with all that time, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and even had time for devotions together and a prayer time for people close to our hearts. With just 4 of us now, we have become this tight little group, sharing stories, laughing a great deal, surviving the climb to the Sun Gate, shopping, and reveling in this shared experience. Blessings all mine . . .
We had some time after breakfast so poked around this charming although touristy little town. A couple more “necessities” were found and then back to the hotel to collect our bags and check out. We made our way to the train station with only one missed turn and soon boarded and were on our way. Lovely cushy seats, snacks again, the incredible mountains and river. This time we had a clown type guy come dancing through the car and he grabbed a couple of women to dance with him – Kathy was one of them! She was a great sport.
A little later a couple of the attendants gave us a fashion show of beautiful (and very expensive!) local clothing. Fun to see so the trip passed too quickly. Have I mentioned that I love trains?!
We got off about half way to Cusco as this is the end of the route and were met with a van for the rest of the trip. I think we were all on overload at this point so we each found a spot in the van and barely said a word the entire way. Some of us dozed or read or just unwound.
We made good time and arrived back in Cusco about 2:30. Back to the same darling hotel where we were reunited with our left luggage. The staff had already put them in our rooms! Such service. Even some shopping items we had gotten at tha
t wonderful market with Wilfredo had been delivered for us. The service and care for us has just been excellent, excepting Uber! But that is mainly funny now.
After reorganizing a bit, we headed out on the town! Alice was on a quest to find this chocolate shop her sister had told her about. On this small, charming square with fountain in the middle, the chocolate shop appeared. It met all expectations and we had fun sampling and buying.
After a little more poking around, I decided to head back to the hotel for some down time but the rest continued the quest for a yarn shop Kathy had heard about. Another success.
Time for dinner! A restaurant just around a corner of the square had been recommended so we headed there. It had an Italian flavor but with Peruvian overtones – local meats and so. Guinea pig appears on some of the menus we’ve seen and it is always the most expensive dish on the menu! It is really considered a delicacy here and usually saved for celebratory dinners. None of us ordered it!
Back to our dinner – it was such a nice place with a very relaxed pace and great service. I ordered mushroom risotto – absolutely delicious comfort food! We talked at length and left a bit reluctantly as this was our last official evening meal. We may have supper in the Lima airport but one never knows how things will go.
Back to the hotel and begin the big job of sorting suitcases and getting everything in. Luckily my small suitcase had been full of things to leave here so I had plenty of room. It didn’t take as long as expected – lots of practice! and Sandy and I were in bed in good time. Last comfortable sleep for two days.
Tomorrow we have much of the day to wander Cusco at will until we leave for the airport at 5. Looking forward to the fun of this last day in this wonderful place with these dear women.
And Now It’s Time to Say Good-bye | August 26, 2015
Wednesday – 8/26
Our last day in Peru – sigh. We really had the day to ourselves until our 5pm airport pickup. We had to check out of the hotel by 9:30 so we planned breakfast and our final packing accordingly. Then we were looking for a spot to have devotions and Sandy found this slightly hidden stairway that led up onto the roof! There were some tables and chairs there so had had our spot- overlooking the square and the cathedrals and the shops!!! Amazing! Worship was particularly sweet.
The hotel has been lovely about storing our stuff so we left our bags and headed out for our day on the town. We first walked through the square and as we were passing the fountain and statue of Tupac a big gust of wind came up and blew water all over us! We ran to escape the spray but still got damp! Tupac’s revenge on the white people!
Our first stop was an historical museum, covering the ancient roots of this land up until colonial times. There were the usual pot shards and arrow heads but also the history, which was very interesting. A couple of videos showcased two of the local heroes – Tupac, the last Incan king, and another man who was half Indian and half Spanish who wrote important histories particularly about the Incas. Both were good but one got so grim I left. People didn’t just shoot each other back then – they definitely chose the awful and dramatic.
The museum was housed in a two story building around a central courtyard. After the museum,not was coffee time. We found a second floor cafe overlooking the square and of course there was a table right by an open window. More delight.
Most of our time was spent enjoying the little shops. Alice made the day of one shopkeeper as she returned to the stall three times. Other little purchases were made. A favorite place was a shop that displayed replicas of pre-Columbian art. Mainly small pieces and a bit graphic. The women and men were clearly delineated. Sandy was looking for one figure that had a cheerful face. I spotted one but on closer examination is was a bit too obvious why he was happy! Pass on that one!
We returned to last night’s restaurant for a late lunch – great again – and then back to the hotel to pack up our purchases and meet Vivian, our guide, and Max, our driver. They, and now we, have the loading down to a science! The van is called. We wait by the curb for just seconds. He arrives, quickly pulls over, bags are grabbed and loaded and we jump on. Then off we go!
It was only a short ride to the airport, which is really right in the city. Goodbye to everyone and get checked in. There we were told our bags couldn’t be checked through – sigh – so we collected them in Lima and Dallas/Ft Worth. But they all arrived and got to the right place. However, in Lima it was a little confusing. As the bags finished coming through, Sandy and I were each missing one. So the attendant got the description, stood at the flap door and yelled through. Then, magically, our bags appeared, one at a time! Fast order luggage!
Well – the trip is really done. I’ll write more from home as I want to still write about pieces I couldn’t fit in before – like indigenous people.
Thank you for traveling with me. God has truly blessed and again, I am different from who I was 2 weeks ago. I think if I could go back a decade or so, I probably wouldn’t recognize myself. I almost hope so as I want to bear the marks of each trip, each person, each place.
God is working to do and to will his good pleasure. Amen.
Holy Ends Holy Beginnings 