Exploring the Andes

We're back in Huaraz visiting people and places. With so many picturesque venues in the mountains, how can we possibly visit them all?

They call Chavin the "Rome of Peru," but it didn't look very Roman to us. 

This is the temple at Chavin.

Fascinating architecture 

We really needed someone to take a selfie for us. 

We should be able to figure this out. 

Elder Rodriguez has a selfie stick...that's what we need.
E'Rodriguez, Lima; E'Ortega, Cuzco; E'Arretea, Lima; E'Gibson, Reno

That's Ken way in the back of that dark tunnel. 

And Linda, holding up the roof in case of another earthquake. 

Look, we found a hole in the tunnel wall. 

No, it's not a gargoyle, but the head of a falcon. 

Portal of the Falcons

Hey kids, can I pet your lamb?

Beautiful lagoon at Querococha

Let's try another selfie.

Wait, llama...I just want to take a picture.

Really...you want to shine my running shoes? The funny part is that he  charged me 25 soles, $8.00.

County Fair in Virú

The sign says: 17th International Fair of the Ciruela plums...Virú land of a thousand sweet delights. The famous festival of the plums finally arrived this weekend with thousands of people invading our little pueblo to partake of the excitement. When we investigated, we couldn't help thinking, What's the Clark County Fair doing here in Virú? Ken even noticed a worker up on a power pole who looked just like Ed Steffan. Might I mention that shortly thereafter the power blacked out in all of Virú? It's a couple of kilometers from our apartment, but we can hear the music till around 4:00am. And just like during the Clark County Fair, hardly anyone came to church...and it was District Conference. Our leaders acted really surprised, but we weren't. It was just like during the fair. No wonder I had such a hard time with the choir. Today before church I was still recruiting singers...and in the end we actually pulled it off.

Inflated slide...just like the Clark County Fair 

Crowds of people listening to music and watching the folkloric dancing

Carnival rides

Ed Steffan on the power pole??

Cleaning the church for District Conference 

Ciruela plum ice cream 

Cotton candy 

Peruvian barbecue 

Ciruela plums and Ciruela jam

Interesting delicacies 

President Zanelli is cooking his wife's Ciruela jam.

Fruit art! Can you name the fruit?
Guanabana, mamey, limon for the hat, ciruelas for the eyes

Can you make a table skirt? Of course...it's easy...some day I'll learn....

My piano student Jasmine is in a parade! 

Look at those beautiful costumes. 

Turkey update

Election Day

Today is the federal election day in Peru, and we are confined to quarters. The law says "no public meetings on election day," so no church, no choir practice, no nothing. If we do go out, we have to stay away from polling places like schools and watch out for any potential riots or public demonstrations. And being Americans, we might become someone's target for political disgruntalment. I'd go out and take pictures, but we've been advised not to. 

Our happy Virú Zone: it seems odd, but we have parties in the chapel.

They're singing Primary Happy Birthday songs...so cute!

Happy Birthday, Elder Herrera! 

The Three Equadorian Amigos 

Zone Leader Meeting started with a temple session.

It's  hard to get everyone first try. 

Happy Hermanas!

Yeah, we're sisters. 

Super heroes from Casma

We go through a lot of birthday cakes.

Name that Peruvian fruit.

It's a moto moving van!

Who ya gonna call?

We heard a loud buzzing noise outside and looked out the window to see smoke rising out of the neighborhood. Swarms of killer bees? A flock of giant humming birds? A crew of chain saw bearing gangsters? What could it be?

Smoke billowed over the houses down the street. 

It wafted out the windows. 

The source of the buzzing reminded me of a scene from Ghost Busters.

It turns out the health department was fumigating Virú for dengue fever mosquitoes. 

We invited this nice man to come home with us.

His mosquito torch shot flames.


He left me with a ghostly apparition in the smoke.

THe next day at zone meeting the experts drilled us on the causes and symptoms of dengue fever. Don't worry, we're perfectly safe now.