At the beach, the parks, the city, and the people here in Peru!

     We were invited to go to the beach by the president of the CCM, Lavor and Marilyn Cardon.  Tom and Colleen Cavanaugh (Area Executive Secretary) and Bob and Chris Bloomer (Archive Researchers) joined us, too.  We were surprised that we didn't get near the beach, but took in a breathtaking view of the cliffs at Miraflores, which is a very exclusive part of Lima.   We had a great time walking along the parkway and enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of Peru.   

 The cliffs of Miraflores overlooking the Pacific Ocean!

There are no sandy beaches.  Just rocks! 

The guys in deep conversation and thought.  High rise condos in the background. 

As you can see, we come in all sizes and shapes.  I am the shortest here, but sometimes I am the tallest.

 A huge skate park is in the middle of the parkway!    These apartments and condos have a fabulous view of the ocean and there are many nice resturants and shops in this area.  There are layers of different lifestyles here, as well as in other countries.  This area is lovely and reminds me of Hawaii,  but ten miles from here are shanties and the very poor.   

 

We stopped at this restaurant to eat lunch and enjoyed the baked goods!

We all had fun shopping for scarves and the jewelry you put on them.

Colleen can wear anything, even bright colors and feathers!

See, I am taller than many women.  Isn't she cute?  I bought this Alpaca poncho from her.

Look what we found walking down the street.

These pictures are of the Congress building and the guards.

There was a street fair in the square and we found artisans from the Cusco region selling their wares.

This young man played a lovely tune on his flute

We all bought some of these wonderful tapestry bags and table runners.

There were paintings, carvings, and jewelry, and dancing in the park!

We all had a great time watching the dancing and listening to the music.

We were invited to a "welcome luncheon" by the area presidency.  This is Elder Waddells lovely home about a mile from the area office.  There was great food and great fellowship!

It was fun to gather as missionaries and to be appreciated for the various callings we have accepted.  

The first couple are PEF missionaries, Phil and Leslie Speed, then Jody and Bruce Packard are the Area Mental Health Advisors, and Judy and Ric Davies are Assistant Executive Secretaries.  We really are surrounded by faithful, dedicated, and accomplished senior missionaries.

On our walk home from the area office, we stopped to enjoy a park fair with a band and dancers.

We had a "girls day out" and celebrated Marilyn Cardon's birthday by going to lunch and the "Inca Market".  The Parke Kennedy is in the center of Lima and surounded by lovely old buildings and this ornate cathedral.

I love this cool entrance to a home.

Julie Adams, Brenda Lewis, Colleen Cavanaugh, and our "birthday girl" Marilyn Cardon.

Several of us had this yummy fetachini and shrimp dish!

The park had a great play area for the children and many beautiful flowers!

This park is huge and always has activities going on for the community!

Now we leave this beautiful setting to see how most  Peruvians live.  There are over 9 million people living in the greater Lima area.  The following pictures will show the gap between the rich and the poor.

There are taxis everywhere!

Many unfinished buildings so they don't have to pay taxes on them.

The farther you travel outside of Lima there are no sidewalks, only dirt paths and roads.

You see this kind of transportation a lot!  The back hill is loaded with colorful shanties.

No sidewalks, just dirt roads and Shabby buildings, but most of the people seem to find joy in each day.

These pictures show a typical market in Lima and this is our new friend who sells the best roasted almonds and other nuts and candies.

The center of this market has all the meats sitting out or hanging out.  We have yet to buy meat here!

Each booth is set up and decorated to attract customers.

This view really takes away our desire to buy chicken.

Bembos is Peru's answer to McDonalds and actually has better buns and fries.  We enjoyed eating here and they have great smoothies, too.

We do most of our shopping at Tottus Market and can find most things we need.

We have many universities in La Molina and we like seeing all the students as we walk to the area office.

As you can tell, universities, businesses, churches, and homes are all gated and guarded.

The grounds around and and on the campuses are well manicured with lovely flower gardens and trees.