On Friday June 26th we went to Machu Picchu. To go to Machu Picchu you first take a 3 1/2 hour train ride to Machu Picchu Pueblo (town) and then from a 1/2 hour bus ride up the crazy windy dirt road up the mountain. Conner was scared on the bus ride up the mountain but still I think he did great.
Train ride to Machu Picchu Pueblo (town)
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| These are places where the mountain climbers stay after they climb up this mountain. Then they climb back down. |
Beautiful view from the train
We made it to Machu Picchu pueblo
Machu Picchu
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| Elder Brown and his dad. A brother from our ward, brother Tola told us about Elder Brown. Elder Brown who is from Miami and brother Tola were in the same Miami ward. We did not see Elder Brown in Trujillo so when we saw the missionaries, Elder Brown and Elder Cuevas we went up to them to say hello and we were surprised it was Elder Brown. We saw Elder Cuevas in Trujillo, he was staying in the apartment next to ours with his parents and sister. |
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| Elder Brown and his dad |
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| Elder Brown and Elder Cuevas |
Conner loved the llamas
We stayed in this hotel 27 years ago for our honeymoon
We recreated our picture from 27 years ago
On Saturday June 27th we went to visit other ruins around Cusco and the Sacred Valley.
Sacsayhuaman. Sacsayhuaman is even higher than Cusco so it was really hard for me to go up the steps. Brent and Conner went ahead as I slowly made my way up.
After Sacsayhuaman we drove to the sacred valley on the way we saw other ruins. The sacred valley is lower than Cusco so I had some relief and felt a little better.
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We had fun feeding the llamas
The indians working with the alpaca yarn to make beautiful tapestries
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| They make their own alpaca yarn and use things from nature to give them their color |
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Ollantaytambo. I was too sick to be in pictures. At this point I did not care to be in pictures.
Sunday the 28th we went to church in Cusco. We attended the ward where the office missionaries attend.
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| Sister missionaries |
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| Elder Caprio and Elder Talavera |
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| Elder Flores, Elder Ludlow and Elder Slough. Elder Flores is from Argentina and before he went on his mission he was the ward's mission leader. He said he knew a young man from Orlando who had served in his ward in Buenos Aires. I couldn't believe he knew Thomas Bell!! We were in the same ward before we moved to Windermere 10 years ago. Thomas is a year older than Parker. Thomas had to come home from his mission because he was so sick and Elder Flores said Thomas was serving in his ward before he left and that he was really sick. Elder Ludlow thought it was really neat that I was from Puerto Rico because his father served in Puerto Rico from 1985-87. The world in the church is so small and it seems I always find connections. |
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| We took this picture and tagged Thomas Bell on facebook. Thomas was so surprised! |
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| Elder Andromidas and Elder Asay were so awesome and sat with Conner the whole time in primary so they could translate for him. |
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| Getting some oxygen. The hotel brought me an oxygen tank to keep in our room. After church I slept all afternoon. I could not wait to leave on Monday back to Lima. |
Plaza de armas Cusco
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| Conner's chocolate shake |
On Monday we got together at Cesar and Jenny Zamora's home to say our last goodbyes to Brent's missionary friends.
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| From left to right:Sister Paulsen, me, Hermana Clemente, Hermana Castañeda, Hermana Miriam Manchego, I don't know who the next guy is :), Elder Cesar Zamora, Brent, Elder Manuel Jones, Elder Nicolas Ochoa, Elder David Paulsen |
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| Fernando Zamora is Cesar and Jenny's son who had just come back from his mission in Puerto Rico. He knew some of my friends. It was fun to post it on facebook and see my friends comment and be surprised to see us! haha |
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| My crazy swollen ankle |
At the Lima airport on June 30th we saw these missionaries going home!
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| Surprise there is Elder Slough from Cusco going back to Canada |
