Peru!

Over a month since an update?! I have an explanation. :) Last month Jake (my husband), his brother Josh and I spent 10 days in Peru!  We were visiting his parents who are on a church mission in the Cusco area.  What an incredible experience. We visited a lot of Incan ruins (including Machu Picchu) and even made a trip out to Puno to explore Lake Titicaca (the highest navigable lake in the world and the largest in S. America) and the floating islands.

We took tons of pictures of course, but after seeing so many ruins at so many different places, I think I got ruined-out after a while. Everything was fascinating, but I realized that I wasn't as interested in the structures and architecture as I was in the people.  I loved the people in Cusco and Puno and in the sacred valley where we stayed.  I loved their dark, sharp eyes and their quiet confidence. I was drawn to the eyes of the children, eyes seemingly darker than their elders, yet transparently telling of their innocence. The women frequently carried these little ones on their backs, in addition to large loads of sticks, produce, and whatever else they needed to carry. They were so humble and there seemed to be hardly a woman without deep creases on her skin--wrinkled evidence of their strong character and work ethic.
 I admire them.

I loved being in Peru.

Here are some pictures from our trip:

Moray (above) and Las Salinas (salt mine) below

Playing soccer at the orphanage

Urubamba ^

Ollantaytambo ^

Macchu Picchu

Family

At the top of Wayna Picchu overlooking Macchu Picchu

                                                       Aguas Calientes ^ (the town of Macchu Picchu)

                                                                          I love the doors in Peru.

Puno, Peru (and Lake Titicaca)

                                                                    The Floating Islands!

That's me ^ :)

                                Isla Taquile, an island in the middle of the lake. I loved the culture there.

Where we ate on Thanksgiving day (and we didn't realize the day until our way back on the boat :)

Of course they had to jump into the freezing lake. So they did.

Back in Puno.

Cusco, Peru (below)

            Pacific Coast, Lima, Peru (Larcomar)