We will be gone this weekend, and so I am writing this a little early. Spring sure teases you for a long time. The one thing that is constant is the wind. We have some beautiful days this week, but it is supposed to snow on Friday the 23. The weather people have said that before, but we sure can use any moisture we can get.
The Danny Yardley family all made it back from Boston (there were 14 of them). They were there to see Danny run the marathon, which he finished. He said it was a great experience. There were 24,000 in the race, and he said that it was really something dodging all those runners. The family toured Boston and walked the Freedom Trail. I think Boston is the finest city that we have been to in the U.S. They have lines in the roads that outline the different historical places in the city. Danny is the cross country teams’ coach, and he runs along with them. They have many state championships for their records.
At the last Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, President Russell M. Nelson commented on all of the new temples that were going to be built. He mentioned one in Cusco, Peru, and I thought that was a little strange. We have been there, and I should have remembered its history. It is the highest city in the world at almost 12,000 feet and 450,000 live there. The small hotel that we stayed in was five stories high, and it was the tallest building in town. It is the gateway to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is unbelievable. How do they move four ton stones back in the 14th century? There is a train that goes to the citadel from Cusco, and it is a beautiful ride.
The Spanish conquistadors conquered Mexico and much of South America. When they invaded Peru, they forced the people to learn Spanish and join the Catholic Church, which most of Peru did. But not Cusco. Because of their elevation, they were able to fight off the Spaniards. To this day, they have their own language and religion. Our granddaughter, Teah, was doing one of her rotations in Lima, and she was our guide. Teah treated us to a traditional Cusco dinner. When it came, it was a roasted guinea pig. I did try some, but Teah ate most of it. When you enter some of the homes in Cusco, they have a lot of guinea pigs running around. They aren’t pets; they are Sunday dinner. Cusco is a beautiful place for a temple; it is about as close to heaven in a city as you can get.
Save your money and take in that part of the world. The beauty and the history is really something.
Stay safe while we are away.
Mack O.