Happy Halloween

Fun festivities all weekend long during Halloween.  On the 31st hundreds of children and their families flooded the Plaza de Armas (the main square) to "trick or treat" in their cute costumes until late into the night.  The two days after Halloween, All Saints and All Souls Day are be celebrations where Peruvians go to the cemeteries where their family members are buried to remember those who have died. 

Our Freshet Cup of Coffee EVER

Packaging coffee on a warm day

While at the Crouse's house we had the pleasure of meeting Carlos and offered a little help to him sorting through green coffee beans, picking out the ones that were too yellow, had brown spots or otherwise defective.  Part of the Crouse's work is to assist local coffee farmers to improve their product and find more stable markets to sell.  After a batch of sorting was complete, we had the delight of accompanying JR taking the coffee beans to be roasted and packaged.  After a fantastic drive down into the jungle we arrived at a friendly small time roasting place we were able to see first hand the process and a glimpse into Cosmic Cafe production.  The place smelled wonderful, I was loving the hot weather and learning what goes into a cup of joe.  After a great day we drove home, opened a package of the coffee and enjoyed our freshest cup of coffee ever.

Coffee Tree

Taking the shell off so just a green coffee bean is left

Dark Roast

Friends and Family will be enjoying this Peruvian Coffee

Santuario Nacional Huayllay - Rock Forest

Youth Leaders Summit

Matt & I had the pleasure of working with JR and Pastor Miguel to prepare and participate a weekend event of youth (age 17-30) from all over Peru coming together to develop their leadership skills, discuss how to support the vision of the local church, to gain a sense of support even though not all physically near and to have a good time together.  Matt & I were able to use experiential activities and create a makeshift challenge course at a local park to help supplement the talking sessions with Pastor Miguel and JR.  It was a great group of people, enthusiastic and full with potential.  We hope the best for each of them and we will not soon forget them.  

Two weeks in Tarma

On this trip we had the delightful experience of staying with  the Crouses: JR, Becky, Marissa (10) and Alena (5) Free Methodist missionaries in Tarma, Peru http://www.fmwm.org/missionary/index/crouse.php.  The Crouses were wonderfully hospitable and we were eager to learn more about the culture, people, and ministries in the area.  Also, after being on the road for a long time it was great to settle into a more typical pace of life and we throughly enjoyed the extra bonus of having delicious homemade meals.

Our days were spent getting to know Tarma city, attending area church services (and doing a little more speaking than we're used to), playing with and doing a little home-school with the Marissa and Alena, sorting coffee beans preparing them for roasting, having good conversations with JR and Becky, helping with the youth leaders conference, going to the selva (jungle) to roast and package the coffee (we're bringing a bit back to the states), visiting a beautiful rock forest and enjoying time spent with all the people we met.

We are both grateful for the experience and very thankful for the abundant hospitality of the Crouses.  The more I experience of this region it seems that my 4th grade curiosity and infatuation with South America may be budding into a lifelong affection.

.

How to Make a Flower Carpet in Tarma, Peru

1. Draw your design on the road with chalk

2. Outline the design with coffee grounds 

3. Fill design with colorful flower petals 

4. Strike up the brass band playing somber music  

5. Start the procession down the street carrying Jesus' image

6. When on a flower carpet pray for the school/organization

7. Proceed to next flower carpet and repeat

8. Play with remaining flower petals

Lima with no Luggage

Traveling on an overnight bus from Huaraz we arrived in Lima but our luggage did not.  Still in the clothes we rock climbed in from the previous day we ventured out into the city to see the old town, San Francisco monastery and catacombs, wandered around Miraflores district and cliff-tops, the Pacific Ocean, Havana coffee and chocolates, a little shopping for a new book by Mario Vargas Llosa (Peruvian author who just won the Nobel Prize for Literature), saw our first Starbucks and refrained, ate on pizza street and crashed at our hostel.  

In the morning we were scheduled to catch at 9:40am bus to Tarma, we returned to Movil Tours bus station at 7am to retrieve our luggage that was supposed to arrive overnight after being misrouted to Trujillo but it had not arrived yet.  Through a two hour torrent desperately trying to communicate and locate our luggage we were told again and again "quince minutos más."  Thankfully a the latest possible moment for us to zip in a taxi and make it to the other bus station our bags appeared as I startled the unsuspecting Movil worker with a giant bear hug of gratitude.

Rock Climbing near Huaraz, Peru

Santa Cruz Trek in the Cordillera Blanca

We were mostly acclimatized after two days in Huaraz (10,141 ft) at the base of the mountains.  We took a van ride up to Vaqueria (12,139 ft) to start the 4 day trek which we did in 3 days (we needed an extra day to go to a rocking climbing area two hours south).  We had a great group of fellow hikers with us, a guide and a cook who lead the mules (our first time with the luxury of everything but our day packs being carried for us and three meals a day including hot coca tea prepared for us).

First day of hiking, most of the peaks were sopped in with low lying clouds and there was a lot of elevation gain.  In the first day and a half we were climbing to the pass and hiked up 3, 445 ft in thin air.  It was wild how difficult it was to hike, my body felt able but my lungs were screaming, trying hard to catch my breath and head feeling dizzy.  The final part before the pass consisted of hiking 30 yards pausing to get oxygen, calm breathing down and then continuing. 

Thankfully when we made it to the Punta Union pass (15,584 ft) the weather on the other side was clearer and eventually allowed for stunning views of the surrounding mountains.  Our final night out we gathered with our newly made friends in the dining tent for dinner with the organic French farmers, the super fit and friendly Swiss, the doctor from Australia, the photographer from Rochester, the artist from UK and the firefighter from Canada.

The final day we woke up at 5am, left the group to do a quick side trip to a pristine mountain lake surrounded by a towering cirque of mountains.  We then resumed the Santa Cruz trail and had to get to our destination by 3pm to catch our ride back down to Huaraz.  During this 15 mile day we had a trusty (slightly mangy) dog that hiked with us and endured the hot conditions in the blazing sun for the last several hours after we ran out of water.   We eventually survived the quick pace and knee-jarring decent (total decent from the pass was 6,102 ft) to Casapampa to meet our ride.  Tired and tickled about the sights we saw, our driver zipped dangerously around mountain curves back to Huaraz and our Hostel Casa Zarela where hot showers awaited us. 

Cordillera Blanca

Though I’d like to paint a visual picture of the dazzling surroundings in this area there is a reason that some people get paid to write guide books, so for this I’ll defer to Lonely Planet Peru:

“The mountainous region of the Cordillera Blanca is where superlatives crash and burn in a brave attempt to capture the beauty of the place.  A South American mecca for worshippers of outdoor adventure, this is one of the pre-eminent hiking, trekking and backpacking spots on the continent.  Every which way you throw your gaze, perennially glaciered white peaks razor their way through expansive mantles of lime-green valleys.  In the recesses of these prodigious giants huddle scores of pristine jade lakes, ice caves and torrid springs.  This is the highest mountain range in the world outside the Himalayas, and its 22 ostentatious summits of more than 6000m will not let you forget it for a second”

La Casa de Zarela - Huaraz, Peru

Loved this spot. We stayed here before and after our Santa Cruz trek.  The owner Zarela grew up in this house that she transformed into a great bed and breakfast with four terraces and stunning views of the tallest mountain in the Cordillera Blanca, Huascarán (6768m).  We enjoyed breakfast each morning with the best coffee yet in South America and finally bread with a crispy/chewy crust opposed to only finding soft sweet breads in Ecuador.  Matthew cooked two wonderful dinners and the space was much enjoyed. 

Border Crossing - Going South

Cuenca, Ecuador to Puira, Peru - delightful to be with our travel mates Matt & Anna from language school but unpleasant long travel conditions, no food or water and no ATMs to get Peruvian money culminating in our stay at Hospeda je California the most disgusting place I've ever slept.  We were up bright and early the next morning ready to leave Puira.

Puira to Trujillo - Another long bus ride but the destination was much more pleasant, the brightly colored town square of Trujillo, a wonderful Peruvian dinner and our best desserts yet in South America.  We arrived here at 5pm and left at 11pm on an ten hour overnight bus to Huaraz