Friday, November 20, 2009

Where to begin? Peru, 2009

After mostly just sleeping since we arrived home yesterday (plus enjoying my own good-ole home-cooked dinner to celebrate Paul's birthday last night... yum!), I'm unpacking, washing aromatic clothes that can stand and walk on their own, and wondering how I can begin to blog about our joys, tribulations and accomplishments in Peru. I've decided I'll try to "chunk it", with a quick overview today and then subsequent blog posts about:

Quechua Benefit Medical Outreach Clinic Days- what we did, how it worked, the numbers, MB's little miracle, the happy and sad. Coined by some "the best Quechua Benefit trip ever" (among dozens), you'll hear why it was so successful.... and challenging and exhausting working at high altitude! Alpacas in Peru- See photos of alpacas and llamas along our journey, hear about my 2nd trip to the Accoyo Ranch in Macusani, learn how our friend Marcus fulfilled his dream of shearing a 21 pound fleece off of an Accoyo alpaca, and hear about how the workers of Accoyo were seen by our team's doctors (many for the very first time in their lives). The Inca Princess- How one Inca Princess (Mirian), accompanied by 16 gringos (plus her brother and 4-5 translators), got to visit her birthplace and homeland, celebrate a memorable birthday with some family and old and new friends, make a significant contribution of herself on a medical outreach trip, and travel back to her home and family here in Kentucky... happily! Textiles and Fiber- Learn about the afternoon we spent with an antique textile dealer in Cuzco, see the weavings we purchased and hear their history, learn about how acrylic is finding its way into the "alpaca" products being sold in Peru's handcraft markets, preview the items we hand-picked for sale at our holiday open houses here on the farm! Macchu Picchu- Always sunny and beautiful on my previous visits there, the intermittent fog on this visit piqued one's imagination and enhanced the famous views of this beautiful and mystical lost Incan city. Twelve of us travelled there after the work of the Quechua trip was over. It's always soooo good to come back home after travelling; one's priorities and perspective are sharpened and I always feel more acutely grateful for what I have. As a fellow traveller said, you can almost feel guilty for having gotten more from the blessing of giving on the trip than what one can give. I highly recommend it, and am most grateful to God for the opportunity.























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1 comment:

Zena Suri Alpacas said...

Now you have whetted my appetite for Peru and piqued my imagination at the same time. How wonderful that you and Mirian could go and see and and make a difference.

I can't wait for all of the installments.