 |
| On the way to Samaipata |
Our high school spent a weekend in Samaipata, a town up in the foothills of the Andes. Twenty students and four staff members went on the trip. It was cold and rainy but they had a good time. They stayed with Sarah, the mother of a fellow who lived with us over twenty years ago while he was studying at the Agriculture Institute here in Portachuelo.
 |
| Samaipata is at an altitude of about 6000 feet |
The group had originally planned to stay in a hostel. But Sarah insisted they stay with her. She runs a guest home in her house. Sarah also did the cooking for the group. Sarah is one of those people that you cannot out give. She has a plant nursery in her home and specializes in bougainvillea. Whenever we stop by she loads us up with plants. She taught me an important lesson. Her philosophy is: if you are going to give, give the best.
My good Sony camera stopped working so I told Oscar to take pictures for me wherever he goes. I picked up his camera at a pawn shop in the States. He took some nice pics.
 |
| Portachuelo is as flat as a tabletop. When the kids get into the hills they like to climb. |
 |
| Run down to the local appliance store and get one of these in your kitchen. The griddle is made from the disk of a plow and the fire box is the rim from a tire. Sarah made some delicious corn cakes and sent some back to us. |
 |
| El Vivero Sarita, the Sarah Nursery |
 |
| Samaipata is known for these pre Inca ruins. You can see part of the carved rock behind the kids on the lookout tower. |
 |
On the way home they only had time for a quick stop at Cuevas. No time for swimming, just a hike up to Third Falls. Praise the Lord for a good safe trip and good conduct on the part of the students. |
We really liked the pictures. Reminds us of outings long ago in Brazil, taking the youth group along and having lots of fellowship along the way.
ReplyDeleteReminds us of our own trip to Samaipata; the views were spectacular then as well! It looks and sounds like it was a great getaway. We recognize some of the teen boys in the pictures--including Oscar, of course. Sarah sounds like your Marion. Thanking the Lord for our time with you all! L & D
ReplyDeleteHi Marion this is Aly from Samaipata I hope I can get in touch with you my email address is Alygreengo@aol.com please contact me.. :)
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, I thought of you tonight and searched and found your blog and have been reading them (backwards).
ReplyDeleteHow nostalgic to see pictures of Samaipata, the ruins, Cuevas, third falls... all places I’ve been. Back in those days, it was Chuck and Hannah Brooks in Samai.
One time when we (the Ensemble) went to Cuevas (probably 1984), David went beyond third falls - I guess it was quite a climb through tangled brush - and said he found a big stone pool. I think by the time he came back, it was time to leave so the rest of us couldn’t go check it out, and I never got back there to hike up and see it.
I’m also remembering, maybe on that same trip, we went to your house. I don’t remember where we were (what town). There was a camp there. There were three-decker bunk beds and we took “showers” at a pump outside. Was that Portachuelo? We listened to a tape or record of a man who did all kinds of noises and sound effects. One I remember was different door knobs rolling down some stairs - wooden, porcelain, and maybe one other. Several years ago, I tried to find out who it was and see if I could locate his sound effects.
Good memories. Life was so much simpler and clearer in those days.