More great kid friends!

KIDS ARE THE BEST!

We have found time to play with our kid friends. High priority!

Rolando with his new book from Daniella

Lisbeth and Sam with the flying  ring

Lesdy helps at her mother's retaurant by keeping the buckets full. Bucket flush is the technique.

Little Chico has totally warmed to Samuel, and rests on his lap.

These girls are growing up, but we still play hide and seek in the Ruins above their house.

Archeology

A COUPLE ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES ON TAQUILE

Taquile is ancient, pre-Incan, and several sites can be found, Some quite major, others small secret places.

The highest point on Taquile, I will have to add photos later, or check out previous years' posts of Mulcina.

Many places are poorly preserved, and the National Cultural Preservation people (or some international group) would be well to step in. This following picture shows how the doorway her is opening a gap that may fall one of these days.

I am pointing to a gap that wasn't always there.

 I found this small round disk with a hole in the middle, apparently carved stone (though might be ceramic), in our playground ruins. The young girls tell me they are ancent and they find them now and then.

This wasn't always in this spot.

 This entrance to our playground ruins is covered with lichen. When we firt came, 34 years ago, the lichen was much less abundant. We were told that it is an excellent natural dye. However, as important as textiles are here, it is an island. Very little natural dying is done any more, and the lichens have recovered.

Beautiful Taquile

RICH GREEN OF THE RAINY SEASON

Southern Hemisphere summer brings rain and agricultural growth. This post is mostly pictures of the breathtaking beauty of this island.

View from the highest point on the island, the Ceremonial Site, Mulcina

Classic gate used to keep sheep in place. Note sandal soles for hinges.

 Many rocks are sedimentary, able to be split along the layers.

Note strata

Thatch roofs

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 Some say you cannot swim in Lake Titicaca, but this beach curvs around a relatively shallow bay that can warm quite nicely on a sunny day. White sand perfect for beach volleyball, sand catles, or just hanging out. Once in a while the family makes it an outing. Not yet this year, but we will!

La Playa

 

Two Taquile women round the corner.

 Many sheep are being born this time of year.

Baby black sheep huddles from the wind.

 Look closely at the horizon line below, the magnificent snow-capped peaks of the Bolivian Cordillera Real appears among the clouds. In rainy season, we are always blessed for this view. I thought the arch made a fine frame, but here we have one of many half-finished houses on the Island.

moist, mossy wall along the trail.

Plans for 2020

MANY DREAMS FOR 2020
We left Colorado for Peru on January 9 and will return in early April. I made a list of our hopes:

Here are our expectations of projects to do for 2020:

*Finance Ivan’s second year of college.

*Help out with school supplies for about a dozen children at approximately $35 each.

*Install and trade a solar electric system to a poor family.

*Trade efficient 12v electronics such as LED lights, USB ports and inverters.*

*Give technical advice and help with solar problems.

*Bring young people on educational outings, such as to archeological ruins.

*Buy all the groceries for the family while we are there. Our presence brings the family together, with cousins and uncles often spending time and eating at the house where we stay.  

*Be available for medical emergencies, such as broken arms.

*Possibly bring Noemi and her children from Lima to Taquile during summer vacation. They had a healthy and learning summer last year, playing outside safely and freely, and Noemi helped her mother with the agriculture.**

*Dance in Carnival.

*Participate in community projects such as dock building or path improvements and community litter cleanup. 

*Work in the fields with the family.*** 

*Help host guests staying at our family’s homestay hospedaje.

*Give attention, play ball and just plain have fun while mentoring at least a dozen young children.

I post this after being in Peru for  less than two weeks, and already much has happened:

 

*We've traded or sold nearly all our electronics and are in process of atempting to order more life-saving flashlights sent directly from Amazon. They are currently in the customs offices in Lima, so still waiting to see. The trails are rocky, and a decent RECHARGEABLE flashlight is essential for night walking safety.

**Noemi and Alejandro have duties in Lima this summr, so unless Grandpa Felipe can bring one or two of them as he travels now and then to Lima, this repeat adventure will have to wait for next year.

***We already put in a hard day's work planting potatoes. More to come, for sure!

 New posts will tell. Please follow this blog and we can stay in touch.

Just to brighten this post, this was the Christmas display at the Lima Airport: