#50 - A week visiting two wonders of the world in South America

We disembarked in Buenos Aires with 3-week’s worth of laundry in our 8 suitcases and visions of icebergs and cruise dinners dancing in our heads. We spent the weekend staying on the temple grounds in Buenos Aires and then flew north to Iguazú. While thoroughly enjoying the falls, we traversed the boardwalks and paths amidst a downpour of a typical rainforest thunderstorm. We also took the opportunity to cross two rivers in order to step foot in Paraguay and Brazil while we stayed at the geographic junction of the three countries.  We continued on to Peru, passing through Lima, Cusco and Ollantaytambo on our way to Machu Picchu, another glorious and somewhat rainy day. 

Highlights:

1. Grand and beautiful Iguazú Falls
2. Placing six pairs of family feet firmly in the soil of Paraguay and Brazil
3. Reconnecting with Calvin and Emily Kelly at the Lima Peru Temple
4. A memorable and incredible trek to Machu Picchu
5. A day in Ollantaytambo
6. A satisfying realization of Spanish proficiency
7. Anticipation of going back to the United States!

(Click below right to read more . . . . )

Highlights:

1. Grand and beautiful Iguazú Falls – We booked a round trip flight from Buenos Aires to Iguazú, so we took the opportunity to leave our suitcases at the BA temple hostel and travelled for the few days with only backpacks. Our first day, being Sunday, was spent going to church and enjoying some time together in the apartment (with wifi! – something that was super appreciated after the previous 3 weeks very limited access). Our second day in Iguazú was spent at the falls on the Argentinian side (the falls form the border between Argentina and Brazil). They were powerful and awe-inspiring.  So much water flowing over the hundreds of falls. It was a loud and wet and misty and beautiful sight. The morning weather was cloudy and dry, but as we continued walking along the various paths to see the falls at all angles, a thunderstorm hit and, being without ponchos, we were thoroughly drenched to the bone. Luckily, the temperature was warmish so being wet and cold wasn’t too much of a problem and we continued exploring. In fact, the kids were singing and laughing and splashing with much enthusiasm while they shivered through the drenching downpour. This after there had been some sluggish complaints of “sweaty and hot and needing to rest” before the rains came. The shear length of the ridge over which these powerful falls flow was amazing - over a mile from first fall to last.
2. Placing six pairs of family feet firmly in the soil of Paraguay and Brazil – On our third day in Iguazú, before heading to the airport, we asked our taxi driver to take us on a little tour of the three countries. Iguazú sits at the river intersection of Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. We first went to the ferry stop and exited Argentina complete with passport ‘salida’ stamp to hop on the short ferry across the river to Paraguay. We didn’t plan to technically “enter” the country, simply to walk off the ferry and stand on Paraguayan soil, then get back on the return ferry 15 minutes later. Our simple plan was complicated when they wouldn’t let us board the return ferry without stopping by Paraguayan immigration for a ticket stamp. The immigration officials noticed, of course, that we didn’t have the $175 per person visas required to enter the country.  When I explained that we didn’t want to enter, we simply needed his stamp on our ferry ticket to get back on board, he questioned how I had gotten there and what I was doing.  After I explained our little jaunt, he told me I was being very difficult and stamped our ferry ticket and encouraged me to leave as quickly as possible. We complied. Our next stop was much easier. After “entering” Argentina again, we drove to the bridge across the river into Brazil and passed our passports over to exit Argentina.  At the round-a-bout before the Brazilian immigration booths, we turned the car around, hopped out to snap a picture and sing our traditional new-country song of “Deep in the heart of . . . Brazil!”, then drove back to Argentina and continued on the airport to fly to Peru.  We got our fair share of Argentinian passport stamps that day, and spent a few minutes in two new countries, as well.
3. Reconnecting with Calvin and Emily Kelly at the Lima Peru Temple – After our late afternoon flight to Lima and a check-in at our nearby hostel dive (only $52 per night for the six of us), we grabbed an Uber and drove to the tiny little Lima Peru temple to meet our great friends Emily and Calvin Kelly (who we met during our Feb-Apr 2018 Guatemala trip, and then spent Oct 2018 travelling with through Asia). The temple was so very small, but beautiful and the House of the Lord nonetheless. It was great to reconnect with the Kelly’s who we hadn’t seen since our meet up at the Las Vegas temple 3 months prior. Afterwards, we went to dinner, and the kids played their obligatory rounds of Spades, continuing their score-tracking game which started in Bali, Indonesia.
4. A memorable and incredible trek to Machu Picchu – From Lima, we flew to Cusco, one of the highest cities in the world (over 10,000 ft). The flight in was quite a trip as you descend over the mountains into Cusco valley which is surrounded on all sides by peaks. We drove another 2 hours from Cusco to Ollantaytambo, a small but charming little village with its own impressive Incan ruin site overlooking the town. The following morning, we woke up early to catch our 7:00am train to Aguas Calientes, a larger very touristy town sitting at the end of the train line and serving as the entrance to the park area.  A van ride up the steep mountain brought us to the famous and ever familiar site of Machu Picchu, perched at the top of a flattened mountain, surrounded by sheer cliffs, terraced farm levels and gorgeous scenery.  The mountain ruins sit at the intersection of two valleys and is such an iconic place. The ruins aren’t nearly as old as others we’ve been to, dating back to only the 1400’s, but Machu Picchu was never looted or destroyed by the Spanish so everything is well-preserved and the location simply can’t be beat. And this time, when the rain came, we were prepared with ponchos. After getting our fill of amazing views, instead of taking the bus, we opted to go back to Agua Calientes via the stairs down the mountain (1.2 km straight down stairs weaving down the side of the mountain). A beautiful journey that we only slightly regretted taking as we hobbled around the next day with super sore calves and quads.
   
5. A day in Ollantaytambo – While we nursed our aching lower limbs, we spent a day in Olltantaytambo, where the wifi in the hostel was strong and fast, and the scenery was stunning. The entire mountainside was covered in terraces and old Incan  structures built by the same builders of Machu Picchu. In fact, the whole area is a mecca for Inca-ruin explorers, with four other Inca sites within a 60-minute drive.  We took a walk to the local market and came as close as we’ve ever come in all our world travels to raw slaughtered animals in their natural state. Believe me, we’ve been to lots of local markets but nothing came close to this meat market butcher bonanza. No ultra clean saran-wrapped sterile cuts of meat here stacked with care in the Kroger refrigerated shelves. There were skinned but fully-intact animal heads sitting on stumps, intestines and hearts and livers piled up on wooden tables ready for further separation, half sides of beef and pork hanging from metal hooks, with flies buzzing around it all in ecstasy and stalls of local fresh produce sitting nearby.  Yikes.  So gross, but so cool. Apart from the market, we tried our share of local food: meat and chicken kabobs skewered and roasted over a little charcoal grill on the corner as the sun went down, peeled prickly pear cactus apples, yucca fries, llama (alpaca) burgers and steaks, and to top it off a fully roasted guinea pig (cuy), which was actually pretty disgusting.  Tera and the kids also participated in a “bean to bar” Peruvian chocolate-making class which was fun.
   
6. A satisfying realization of Spanish proficiency – From the onset, one of the goals of this travel year was to spend a large amount of our travels in Spanish-speaking countries in order to increase our Spanish fluency. During our Central American travels, Emily headed up daily Spanish lessons for everyone, and we attended church each week in Spanish. Nathan, Anna and Tyler went to Spanish-speaking seminary every morning in Guatemala for 3 months. On our European trip, Anna picked up the baton of teaching Megan and Jacob Spanish lessons. We spent 3-weeks in Spain, where we settled down for 2-weeks just in Valencia for the purpose of speaking and understanding more and more. During our South American travels, we passed six weeks in Santiago, Chile, where Anna and Tyler went to a week-long youth camp immersed in Spanish, and Megan passed a weekend at a local Spanish girl’s camp. In Peru, the chocolate making class we attended was given entirely in Spanish, and we all were super pleased at our level of comprehension and ability to ask questions and understand the answers. As we spent our last Sunday in a Spanish speaking ward in Cusco Peru, we all listened to the speakers. At one point, after a gringo spoke (in Spanish), Jacob turned to me and said “Dad, I understood everything he said!”  Then while mingling with the local members after church, one of the young women leaders spoke to Megan and Jacob for a few minutes outside all in Spanish and complimented them on their speaking and understanding.  While we are nowhere near fluent and our levels of competence vary greatly between each person, we are all super pleased at the growth we have each seen in our confidence to communicate as needed, engage in conversation, and feel a little bit more “local” during our time in Latin America.
7. Anticipation of going back to the United States! – We find ourselves at the end of pretty long and memory-laden road. Since the kids ended their school year in June 2017 and we packed up our house in the Netherlands in the following months, we have been in transition.  We look back on our experiences with gratitude and appreciation for everything we’ve had the opportunity to see and do as we have travelled the globe. But, that said, the kids have become more and more excited to settle down into a routine again and to have a place to call “home” that lasts for more than a few weeks and actually contains more than 8 carry-on sized suitcases of family possessions. Tera doesn’t necessarily feel the same way yet, as she quite likes the family time, adventure, and comfort-zone pushing flexibility and minimalism that comes with being transitional. However, Erik is excited to go back to work in a totally new career, to provide for the family (and put ourselves in a financial position to go out on the road again), and to choose between more than three shirts each morning. Anna wants a bit more personal space, wants her super cozy sweaters out of storage, to take a martial arts class, and to get a job to help her pay for university in the Fall. Tyler wants to join a baseball team, be a devoted fan during the upcoming MLB season, get his super cozy blanket he left behind Texas, and hang out with friends. Megan wants a garden, a dog, a babysitting job, and to be able to go to school. And Jacob wants to start up an entrepreneurial cookie-baking business, get 2 cats and a dog, practice the piano, and have some consistent structure to his day. All this and more (except the dogs & cats) look like they are very possible in the coming months. But, for the moment, we are on a longish flight departing from Peru that will deliver us to Texas for a 10-day visit with friends and family.  After that . . . . stay tuned.