#21 Trip to LaPaz and Peru #1

This is the Bertola Family from Alpine, Utah
Their son Brett was our zone leader in Tupiza
Brett's mother, Nani brought us some very nice
packages from our family in the United States.
We all attended the temple before they left to go home 
and we left on our trip.

The Temple in Cochabamba is so beautiful at night.
They were doing a lot of work on the grounds, the inside
and they were just finishing painting the outside.

We are looking down at LaPaz.  This is the main road from the Airport.
There were heavy clouds that first morning.  LaPaz sits in a valley
with high mountains on each side.  The homes are built up high on the
mountains.

These buildings were across from our Hotel.  LaPaz had a lot
of cars and people.  It is a very big city. 

These zebras were everywhere.  They were doing advertising for
cell phones.   They were thanking the people for visiting LaPaz.

The first place we visited was called The Moon Valley.
This man is standing on some of different
rocks formations and playing flutes and tamponos.

This is some of formations.  There were paths all through
this area. 

We visited a great scenic view area next.  It is called
Quilli Quilli Look our Point.   This is our group.
You can see some of the downtown business area.  This is looking
down the valley.

We visited  a musical museum.  There were many different
instruments.  This is a mask they wear during some of
their dances and celebrations.

Another interesting mask. 

This wall displays all kinds of different hats worn by Bolivians.
That is a guitar/violin instrument on the table.

Lloyd and President Crayk walking down Sagarnaga Street.
There was a famous battle fought here between the National
Police of Bolivia and the Army. We are not sure what
they were fighting about.

We visited some Catholics churches also. The
stained glass is beautiful in many of them
They allowed pictures in this one.

Tuesday morning we all got in this van with our two guides.
Luis and Rodrigo 

We visited an area where they make reed boats.  This man
is laying our the reed and tying them together.

This a reed boat.  It looks like is got a new head.
This was our first view of Lake Titikaka.  It
was beautiful.

Lloyd and Kristie's first ride on Lake Titikaka.

This is Paulino Esteban.  He is famous for building reed boats.
You can see a small scale reed boat in front of him.  

We stopped at this restaurant to have lunch. The couches
are made from reeds.  We had fried trout from Lake Titikaka.
It was very tasty.

A view of Lake Titikaka from the restaurant where we had lunch.

Lloyd and President Crayk had fun deciding the best
way to wear their caps and Bolivian stocking hats. 

#19 Quiriza P-Day & Baptisms

We are standing in front of the Quiriza chapel with Branch President Roly Flores,
his wife Mabel and son Lionel.   They are a great family in Quiriza.

One P-day we climbed the mountain in Quiriza to a place where the members have
an area marked to show when President Spencer W. Kimball dedicated Bolivia for the
preaching of the gospel.   We found a tall cactus on top. 

These stones  marked the  place.  They read Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
They have been moved around by a few visitors.  The members would like to have a more permanent marker placed there.

President Flores helped us climb the mountain and get back down.
You are looking down the valley.  You can see the River
San Juan de Oro.

The climb up and down was steep and the trail narrow in places with a
steep drop off.  Pres. Flores was a great help to Hermana Bradshaw that day.

This is the trail coming down the mountain.  The younger  missionaries had no trouble
climbing around.  You can see the drop off on the edge is a good ways down.

We went back to the chapel in Quiriza after our hike.  We had a good picnic lunch
and planted some flowers in the church garden. Elder Hack and Bilanzich were great help.

Hermana (Sister) Boyce, Elder Rengifo, Elder Bilanzich, Elder Hack, Hermana
Yupanqui and Elder Bradshaw working hard planting flowers.

We get a few beautiful sunsets here in Tupiza.  This is looking out our front door.

In Bolivia they know how to load their trucks with corn.
I'm sure this was all done by hand.  (somehow?)

Branch members come to support the baptism of  

On P-day we loaded up all the missionaries and went to
Argentina.  It is about an hour and half drive.  We parked
the truck in Villazon, Bolivia and walked over the border.
           We had a nice lunch at a restaurant owned by some members.  
      The best thing we bought there was some beef at a butcher shop.
 We have eaten some of it and Argentine beef is delicious.

The town in Argentina is called La Quiaca.
Elders Bradshaw, Viscarra, Rengifo, Hermanas Boyce,
Yupanqui, Elders Hack and Bilanzich. 

We stopped along the road and walked through
a tunnel.  This is looking out at the mountain
from an open space in the tunnel.

This is the river.  There is not too much water
running this time of year.  The rainy weather
during December, January and February will
fill the river bed.

This is the tunnel the new road runs through on the way to
Villazon. The old tunnel we walked through is on the right.

The Sister Missionaries had there first baptism since becoming
a companionship.  Two sisters named Daniella and Naomi.

While we were visting the Cano Family, Elder Rengifo jumped
right in to help Gloria Cano make bread.  The kitchen has
a hard packed dirt floor.

We are on our way to church in Quiriza. We had sixteen
people in the pickup.  We had 7 adults and 9 children.
The branch in Quiriza is growing.  We were blessed to
find 3 less active familes in a small pueblo called Monte.
  They are now attending church. The Elders are
teaching the children and 3 are old enough to be baptized.

#17 Quiriza Independence Day Celebration

We went to Quiriza for Bolivia's Independence Day Celebration
They had all the school age children do physical education races
and then they dressed in costume and did some dances.
Lloyd is holding  Dario Martinez. His mother is a single Mom
and is active in the church in Quiriza.

This is Melaina Catacata
She is also 3 and all her family in active in the church. 

All the children marched in and were dressed alike.
Each school in Bolivia has a large cemented futbol (soccer)
playing area.  The school may be very tiny but they all have this
large covered area.  This is where the children performed.
They are just getting this area covered.  When it is finished
there will be cement bleachers on one side.

Lesley, Melaina Catacata and Dorio

Helen Catacata and Carmen Martinez

Lionel Flores racing while spinning and jumping a ball and string.

Lesley Catacata she likes her picture taken.

Lesley all dressed and ready to dance.
She is 6 years old.

Lesley and neighbor's little girl.

Melvin Catacata age 11.

All the young boys have a pack on their back filled with flowers.

They stay in a line and do about the same step to the beat of
the music.   Melvin, Helen, and Lesley Catacata.

These  were the youngest boys.  They are about 4 years old.

Crystal and Dorio.

Their dance costume were very colorful.
This is Crystal.  I don't know here last name.

This is the oldest group of dancers. 

Some dancers wore sandals others were barefooted.  The boys had black on their faces and hair tied up in several small pig tails.