Third Week in Peru

Inside A Taxi

Third Week in Peru

It is far more interesting to drive on a combie bus than in a taxi. The people are more interesting and you never know whom you are going to met or see on the bus. If customers do not like the price of the bus they pick a fight with the bus assistant who collects the soles (Peruvian money).  Most likely they will get kicked off the bus. Getting on the bus can be like the old Disney D ride, fast and wild. The streets of Peru are almost as bad. A woman can hit a man if they make one wrong move and I mean knock him out with a one two pouch. A man asked our caretaker, Alan if we would like any kind of document he wanted. We saw a man steal a camera and the shopkeeper running after him.

We had a great week at the archives. We took 10,000 pictures, which is really good for new comers. We are getting to know the employees and the archivist. The archivist is the keeper of the records. Bob proudly showed him his Bloomer Book. It is a very special feeling being among the thousands of names of people who have passed from this earth. I look forward to meeting them some day. Please remember to help index if you have time.

We had some great lunches in downtown Peru. The soup is a large serving and then comes the lunch. The lunch has chicken (huge piece), rice and some very interesting vegetables. Fridays, vegetables were a smashed red potato mashed with a fork, chicken broth, butter and blended spinach. It was out of this world. Also the Peruvian’s love their French fries. They fry them and eat them with everything. They love noodles, boiled wontons and leeks and veggies. I will need to take some pictures of the food. There are Chinese Restaurants everywhere. There is a large population of Chinese. Jim’s maid is the best cook. Everything is from scratch. Her enchilada sauce is made with fresh tomatoes. I have to learn how to make it.

Wednesday night we attended a Relief Society Family History Workshop. There were fifteen computers set up for sisters to learn how to use new family search, family search and indexing. Language was my only problem. Bob is really speaking quite well. The sister’s were excited to log onto new family search and hook up with there descendants. They are doing this every Wednesday night for the next six weeks. These computers they use are from the church and can be used by the wards in the stake.

We shopped for our apartment today. Nothing in the kitchen, well there is stuff now. It is getting very hot and humid. Got a fan, needed bedding and still need a dining room table. February 13 and 14 are Peruvian Holiday’s. Alan our guide is going to take us where the Peruvian people shop. Cher, will be going with us. Still need a few other things. Should be in our apartment by Wednesday.

Life is good. Got to see Landon Hulet and Chase Driggs this week. They are leaving for their mission on Tuesday. We got to eat lunch with them one day this week. They are get missionaries and will serve and love the people of Peru.

We went to get our resident cards this week at the immigration department. It took 7 hours. I thought American bureaucracy was bad, but Peru beats it. It was an exercise in patience. There were so many people trying to get their passports and visas. The girl from our Administration Building sometimes it takes all day.

Signing off for today.

Kris