Machu Picchu & Puno - Vacation Part Three

August 6th - MACHU PICCHU 
We woke up at 4:00 AM to go stand in line by 4:30 to wait for the bus to Machu Picchu.  They only allow 5000 visitors on top per day and I think they were all waiting in line with us.  The 5000 included the 500 visitors who hike the Inca Trail.  We waited about 2 hours to get on the bus.  They have 23 buses and it takes 25 minutes to get to the top.  

They start taking people up at 5:30 AM. This was the definitely the highlight of our trip, even with the early hour. It is truly one of the new seven wonders of the world.  After a death-defying bus ride up the mountain (I am afraid of heights), the views were SPECTACULAR.  The altitude is better that Cusco, 7072 feet, and the air is super clean and clear, no pollution in this part of the world.

Waiting in line at 4:30 AM.

Aguas Calientes bus stop area.

We're almost there.

First view as we entered the site.

Our guide, Esmeralda.

Ellie found a new friend.

                    Exhausted after a long day -happy for the train ride back to Cusco.

August 7th - CUSCO TO PUNO
We left at 7:00 AM on a large tourist bus to Puno.  It was a 10 hour ride but it went really fast.  We stopped 5 times along the way.

Our first stop was Andahuaylillas where we visited the Sistine Chapel South America. It was very ornate and we couldn't take pictures inside.

Then it was on to Raqchi, pre-Incan ruins, but the Incas used it as well.  Our guide, Ronald, explained their Incan temple which had similarities to our temples today.

We had to pay a sol to use the bano, but they were very clean
and even had toilet paper.

Ancient food storage buildings where they stored their food for
seven years in case of a drought.

We ate a buffet lunch in the town of Sicuani which was very good.  Bill, Sadie and I sat with a couple we met on the bus from Milan, Italy. We told them about the new temple in Rome.  They want to go to the open house.

Our next stop was La Raya which is the highest spot in Peru, 14,150 feet.  We got out for a few minutes and took a picture.  There is nothing there except the usual souvenir vendors.

Our last stop was Pucara, more pre-Incan ruins taken over by the Incas.  It was not as impressive as some of the ruins but Sadie, Micah and Heather enjoyed crawling through a tunnel to the other side.  Most of the group opted against it.

The town below the site.

August 8th - LOS UROS TAQUILE TOUR (Lake Titicaca) - Altitude 12,500 feet)
Our van picked us up at 9:00 to catch a boat on Lake Titicaca for the Uros Floating Reed Islands. There are 95 islands with 4 to 6 families living on each one.  

There are 50 Mormons living on the islands.  They used to have a branch on one of the islands but now they have to go into Puno to go to church.  It takes about 25-30 minutes to get to Puno by boat.

This picture shows the reeds growing in the lake.  The reeds are very important to the the islanders.  They use them for food, building their islands, houses and boats. Our hotel is the white building in the background, Jose Antonio Hotel.

A mother and her daughter on the first island we visited.

Sadie, Heather and Ellie dressed in the native clothes.

Micah in one of the houses.

You can see a solar panel in this picture.  They have only had solar power
on the islands for the past year.

Ellie, Sadie and Heather riding on top of one of the Uros boats.

This island has a restaurant run by one of the members of the church.
His name is Nelson Coila.  He used to be the Branch President when
they had a branch on the islands.

Here we are with three members of the church.  Nelson and his
wife, Isabella are on the right.  They have two children.
They were in school.

Another member selling souvenirs.  They make their money
from the tourist that visit the islands.  The tourist boats rotate to each
island.  They may only get a boat to visit them once or twice a week.

Isabella's mother working in the restaurant.  She is one of the
first members of the church from the islands.

This is Nelson & Isabella's house.  Nelson wanted Bill to dedicate
his home for them.  Bill told him that he could do it himself but he
said he had been waiting for someone to come and dedicate it so
Bill said he would be happy to do it. 

Nelson & Bill inside his home.

Nelson painted the pictures in their home of Jesus Christ & Joseph Smith.
He wanted to know when we would visit again.  

After we returned to Puno from our morning on the islands, we went to the Espinoza house for lunch.  Elder Helaman Espinoza is one of the office missionaries in the Trujillo Peru North Mission.  When he found out we were going to his home city, he wanted us to visit his family.  His mother graciously invited us for lunch.

Elder Espinoza is on the left with his former companion, Elder Olsen, on the right.

The Espinoza family all speak English because they lived in Salt Lake City for 8 years while his father was getting his college education.  We had a delicious lunch which included Alpaca meat and later walked the city and shopped with his sister Silvia before meeting them for dinner at their favorite Pizza Restaurant. It was a very fun day.

The Espinozas have a cat, Jack,  and two dogs, Macy & Thor.  We are always excited to see animals.

The Espinozas live within walking distance of the Plaza and main parts of town.  We enjoyed having Silvia show us her city, shopping and even eating ice cream.

We ate two large pizzas and enjoyed visiting.  They were so gracious and hospitable.  We felt we had known them for years.  Thanks to the Espinoza family for a perfect ending to our vacation.

August 9th - LIMA & BACK HOME
We left the next morning for the Juliana airport to catch a plane back to Lima where we would spend one last night before parting and heading back to our homes.  We stayed in the beautiful Thunderbird hotel in Miraflores, a section of Lima.  We were all so tired of riding in Planes, Trains, Automobiles, Buses and Boats that we decided to take a walk from the hotel and find something to eat

Waiting in the Juliana airport.

Sadie had heard about Kennedy Park which is a cat park.  In addition to a peaceful setting and picturesque views, it also offers, cats... lots of cats.  Approximately 80 cats make Parque Kennedy their home, where they are care for and fed by a small group of anonymous guardian angels determined to keep them healthy and happy.

Sadie was in cat heaven.

The story of the cats of Kennedy Park is one of mystery and intrigue.  No one knows for sure how it all started or where the first cats came from.  But local residents agree that the first cats showed up in the Park at least 20 years ago.  It was a fun and unique experience spending time with the cats.  Robert found us a fun hamburger place across from the park to eat dinner.  We even tried Picerones, the Peruvian donuts, they were frying in the park.

The park has free wifi, so in addition to all the cats, there were just as many people playing Pokemon Go.  What a crazy place.

We all had last, good night's sleep, before rising early to leave for the airport at 5:30 AM.  It was a wonderful vacation and we were so glad that Heather, Robert, Micah, Ellie and Sadie were able to come and share Peru with us.  A great time was had by all! 

The view of Lima (Miraflores) from our hotel balcony.