Where Rich and Julie get dropped off in the world's largest vacant lot

The Sicuani to Juliaca bus stop

The Sicuani to Juliaca bus stop

Travel supplies

Bullrushes truck

Andean Flamingo (Parijuanas)

Puno Skies

Presidente Albarracin and family

Quinoa harvesters

Lake Titicaca 

Rich with the Juli presidents

Andean flamingo - "parijuana"

Cuy vendor

Making hot sauce 

Tawantinsuyo Zone

Pigeons cleaning up barf

Crispy cuy

Lake Titicaca

 Two weeks ago, we bought our bus tickets to Puno early because of Good Friday. When we arrived at the bus station for the 8:30 bus we were told the bus wouldn’t be leaving but another bus would be showing up in ten minutes. We got no explanation as to why or from where the other bus might be coming. We did a little sleuthing and discovered it was a Bolivian bus…We waited another twenty minutes and still no bus and finally after thirty minutes the lady at the counter said the bus would show up at 11:00 am. It was 9:00am at this point so we got our money back for our tickets and dashed by taxi up to the “rápido” busses to Sicuani. We arrived in Sicuani in good time and walked to where the combis (microbuses) leave for Juliaca. We were able to get the two middle back seats on this and made good time getting to Juliaca. 

In Juliaca, the combi pulled into an immense vacant dirt lot at the end of some freeway supports from the unfinished elevated roadway, indeed, said freeway has never/very likely will never be finished. We stopped in the dirt with the wind blowing and trash and sand dancing around water buffalo swallowing sized puddles. We were totally bewildered when the combi stopped and everyone got out! “This is it,” the driver cried. We were at the end of the ride. 

Well, OK… we flagged down a taxi. Rich asked the taxi driver what he would charge to take us to Puno. He said 6 soles which seemed a deal. In fact that was his over-inflated price for two stranded old gringos to take us to the terminal just to catch the combi to Puno. We’re sure we’ve mentioned this before but Peruvians have an aversion to fresh air in any vehicle. We were certainly happy to get out of the back of the combi after 2.5 hours, even if it was in an Oklahoma sized dust bowl.

We got the last two seats at the back of the combi to Puno and made it in about an hour. This time we were dropped off at the bus station and we knew where we were! Our hopscotching bus rides actually got us into Puno earlier than the big travel bus, so it all worked out and was another great adventure to add to our list.

Saturday we traveled to Juli for the district conference there. We had good meetings and enjoyed our Sunday there also. After the Sunday meetings we went with the Harbertsons to visit with the district president and his family in their home. They actually live in Yunguyo on the Bolivian border, about 45 minutes from Juli. They are such a wonderful couple and have three darling children. It was a lovely visit and Julie’s last trip to this area of Peru. We will miss the precious friends we have here.

We drove home Monday with the Harbertsons, attended our district conference that evening and managed to get some work done in the archives on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday morning we left for Abancay. We rented the whole car to ourselves and had a good and careful driver. The morning was beautiful and we loved the views. We arrived in Abancay in time to catch up with the Harbertsons, then we all drove together to Andahuaylas. The Harbertsons have been doing missionary interviews and Rich had a meeting Thursday evening. Julie went with Rich Thursday afternoon for the famous Talavera Cuy. And in Julie’s own words, “it truly is delicious!” and she ate every bite of it. The restaurant only serves cuy (guinea pig) but is called Restaurant Huallpa. That is only funny because Huallpa is the Quechua word for hen, but it is also a common enough last name in Peru.

The trip home with the Harbertson’s was enjoyable and we were happy to stay home over the weekend for General Conference. After the Saturday morning session the office elders came over and Rich taught them how to make his hot sauce. This group of office missionaries love it and they wanted to know Rich’s secrets. We made tortillas and had meat, beans, fried eggs and of course hot sauce to feed the five of them lunch.

After the afternoon session of conference on Saturday our zone (12 missionaries) came over for an ice cream party. The latinos met their English module goals so we were able to celebrate with ice cream. Julie made a delicious hot fudge sauce and we had lots of different toppings, and the elders pretty much ate themselves sick. The two sister missionaries used a bit more discretion. It was a lot of fun.

Sunday after the morning conference session the Harbertsons and Poulsens came over for Mexican food and birthday cake to celebrate Julie’s birthday. It was a delicious lunch and we watched the afternoon session all together. Later that evening we accompanied the Harbertsons to a single adult fireside a “face to face” meeting where we all sat in the front and answered questions. It was a great experience and we really appreciated the thoughtful questions.

We were wiped out by the time we got home! Monday we went to work and attended our district meeting in the evening. Tuesday, April 5, was Julie’s birthday and we took a much needed day off. We talked via Skype with our supervisor and the new couple missionaries who are serving in Lima working in the archives there. The Hill’s are from Layton, UT, we think… They seem excited and happy to be here and it was a pleasure visiting with them.

For Julie’s birthday we went to Uchu’s, our favorite steak place and had a very quiet, delicious lunch together. Rich mentioned that it was Julie’s birthday and at the end of our meal they brought out a bowl of tiramisu topped with chocolate mousse. It was incredibly delicious and decadent. We’re thinking we need to go back just for the dessert. We had a sublime day together.

Julie taught Marvid and Yahir on Thursday afternoon and they came with their mom’s and other siblings and grandma to celebrate Julie’s birthday. After the class we all ate a spice cake they had brought, and hot chocolate that the mom’s made while Julie was teaching. It was such fun and little Marvid wrote a note for Julie that said, “Happi birtday miss juli hasler you are the star of my hert.” Julie will miss the darling boys!

We got things cleaned up just in time to welcome our friends Kati, Paul and their little boy Matias to dinner. We haven’t seen them in a long time so it was great fun catching up and eating pasta with them. It was a happy long day.

We met the Poulsens for lunch on Friday afternoon to hear about their adventures in Urubamba. They are keeping busy and enjoying their work. We are moving along in the archives and should have no trouble finishing there around the first part of May. That will give us time to get everything sent to Salt Lake and time to do any retakes should we need to. 

Saturday we were able to stay home, how nice! We had a relaxing catch-up sort of day and thoroughly enjoyed it. Today, Sunday is election day here in Peru and it is against the law to have any large meetings of any kind on this day. So no church. It’s mandatory to vote here or pay a 75 soles fine. People have to travel to where they are registered and it’s a huge headache for most. Most people don’t bother to change their residency and where they are registered because it is such a difficult and ridiculous process. Third world, socialist bureaucracy is something else! 

We worry about the candidates the Peruvians have to choose from just as much as we worry about our choices at home. None of it looks very promising. 

We love serving and working here and we are so grateful for the incredible blessings we and our family have received while we have been carrying out this assignment. All our lives are forever changed.