Wednesday, May 15, 2013

I travel your country, you travel mine!

Hello, hello!  I’m pleased to announce that the last month, for me, has gone swimmingly!  It all started on April 20 when my mom and cousin arrived in Pucallpa to visit and travel around the country with me a bit (something that I still hadn’t gotten a chance to do yet in the year and a half I had lived here).  Our first stop was, of course, Pucallpa (the Amazon jungle).  Then we headed to Cuzco and Machu Picchu (the Andes mountains) and then finished off the trip in Lima (the Pacific coast).  I could spend plenty of time going on and on about that, but I thought you might appreciate pictures instead of words, so I’ve put several below for your viewing pleasure. 
 

A typical scene in downtown Pucallpa.  The 3-wheeled vehicles are called motokars.  And although this picture
doesn't give an example, it is not uncommon to see a family of 4 or 5 on one motorcycle.

Walter, me, my mom and my cousin Donna in front of the float plane that took us on a
scenic aerial tour of river, jungle and city in Pucallpa.

The boat that took us across Lake Cashibo in Pucallpa to a native village.

My mom and me modeling the view of Cuzco from the rooftop of our hotel.
Night view of the Plaza de Armas in Cuzco from the rooftop of our hotel.
 
Donna and me, ready to embark on our train ride to Aguas Calientes, to catch a bus to Machu Picchu.  On the way back, Walter and I were on a different car from my mom and Donna.  All of a sudden the train stopped short.  I figured we must have hit an animal on the tracks or something until we looked out the window and discovered that the car that Walter and I were in had disconnected from the rest of the train!!!  We had about a 15 minute delay while they hooked us back up and then carried on with the journey.
 
We finally made it to Machu Picchu, and here's proof that Walter and I were there!

Donna, me and Walter being irreverent in front of an Incan temple at Machu Picchu.
 
No Machu Picchu trip would be complete without a picture of an alpaca!  My mom looks a little nervous though.  Thankfully this one was too busy eating to turn around and spit.
 
Donna and me in the Plaza de Armas in Lima.  That's the government palace behind us.

My mom in the midst of the usual flock of pigeons that hangs out in front of the San Franciscan Cathedral in Lima, which is most famous for having one of the oldest libraries in all of Latin America and for its unique catacombs, which is really more of an Indiana Jones-style collection of bones and spooky passageways under the church.
 
Walter and me in front of the Rosa Nautica, the restaurant in Lima where we celebrated my birthday and his being approved for a U.S. visa!  (Keep reading...)

While traveling, we celebrated my 26th birthday.  But all day on April 30, I didn’t even think of my birthday because there was something much more important going on: Walter’s interview at the U.S. Embassy.  After waiting around for over 3 hours to get his interview, it was finally his turn and was APPROVED for a 10 year tourist visa to the U.S.!  This may not seem like a big deal to many of my American readers, but it is very, very difficult for Peruvians to get a visa to the States.  We know many people who have been denied several times already.  It’s pretty awesome that he got it on his first try, especially since it was just a tourist visa and not a marriage visa.  God is definitely looking out for us and we are very thankful to Him for his provision.  So we’ll be headed to the U.S. of A. on June 25.  Walter will return on July 16 but I will stick around until August 1.  I can’t wait to see you all!

Until that fateful day comes, however, we will be staying plenty busy with all that’s going on right here in Pucallpa.  I’m working on a flash mob dance to be spontaneously performed down town Pucallpa sometime in the third week of June (right before we leave!) by a mixed group of Peruvians from our church and a missions team that will be coming down from Florida.  There will probably be about 50 people involved.  We are also FINALLY starting up the youth ministry program this week at church and I have a team coming down from Glenrock Baptist Church in SC to help the Brocks with the building of their house the first week of June.  So basically, I better not blink my eyes or it will all come and go before I know it! 
 
Thanks for reading and for praying!  Have a blessed day!