Machu Picchu Mountain -- my spiritual journey

This is the mountain that I climbed to the top of on Saturday!!!!!!! I was soooooooooo sick on Friday from the altitude in Cusco, that I worried about going to a much higher altitude at Machu Picchu.

I learned a great life's lesson on the journey up this mountain. As the altitude increased, there were times I wanted to give up. I thought, "I can't go on. I can't do this." Then, something inside me said, "You have to try. At least try."

There were times I wanted to turn back, but once you had made it half-way up and looked down on where you had been, turning back wasn't any better of an option than pressing onward.

Many times, especially the more the journey progressed, I had to stop and rest on one of the narrow, rock-ledges that were my "steps."

This gave me the strength I needed to climb higher. That's the way life is, sometimes.

Sometimes, I could only climb three or four ledges up. Sometimes, more. There was always someone who waited patiently with me, till I could catch my breath and have the strength to carry on. 

 Our guide, Juan, carried my backpack. Had he not done that act of kindness for me, I would have had so much more of a hard time. It was all I could do to climb it with my weight, alone. In some ways, Juan's being there during the climb and carrying my backpack was a similitude of the Savior in our lives...how He "carries our backpacks" to help us along, if we will only let Him do that and trust Him to do that. On a couple of really rough parts, Juan would climb up ahead of me and say, "Take my hand, Lady." Isn't that what the Savior does for us, so often, in our lives?

Once that goal was reached, I was praying that the tour company had a helicopter that would appear up there and take me back down!!! But, no! I had to go on.

It was much easier this time. I still had to be careful and cautious, but my journey was much easier and much faster after I took the initial leaps of faith and trudged the hard part. Another life lesson.

You can bet I used leg muscles I didn't know had not been used in a long, long time, too! I had what they told me was mosquito bites all over my arms. I thought I had a disease or something. It didn't look, nor feel, like the painful bites I was used to living in the Southern part of the USA. Alan's arms were much, much worse than mine.

No one else got bit. Oh well, I guess even the Machu Picchu bugs know a good food source when they see one! ha ha ha...

Julie

WE HAVE LOST TOUCH WITH JULIE IN PERU

I fried my laptop last nite. All the hotels had 110v circuits and the one last nite didn´t and it was a primo 5-star hotel.

I plugged my laptop in and fried the charger and something inside of the computer, itself.

I will have to try to get to the computers downstairs when I have time to send blogs but I don´t know if I can upload pix.

I AM IN Cuscos today. Busy day today and really busy tomorrow. We are going to Machu Picchu tomorrow.

Will write when I CAN. Hate this spanish keyboard, too. LOL


Julie

JULIE MEETS MISSIONARIES FROM UTAH IN PERU

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Today, we had our “welcome” lunch at a wonderful outdoor cafe’ near our hotel. The food was so awesome and the presentation was just great! I had to bother everyone to let me take photos of their food, before they ate it, because it looked so good. Even the dishes it was all served on looked great. Food in Peru is incredible! I had chicken and pumpkin risotto with cheese sauce.

The others had beef tips, rice and fried potatoes; another chicken and cheese dish; and Brett had a sandwich. Look at the pictures and you’ll see what I mean.

After we ate, we took a tour of our hotel grounds and amenities. Then, we had complimentary soft drinks and lemonade, while waiting for Karina Oliva, our expert liaison from the Peruvian Tourism Board, who will be with us for most of the rest of our trip. A group from Ghost Hunters International (also staying at our hotel) returned from one of their excursions!! Too funny!! They were all in the lobby this morning and were not as friendly as Elijah Wood!

Under Karina’s care, we loaded onto our shuttle and grabbed a flight out to the City of Chiclayo.

We ran into a group of missionaries, who had just gotten in from the MTC. Two of them, Elders Dekleck (from West Jordan, UT) and Oakeson (Ferron, UT) were in the gift shop, waiting for their flight to Trujillo. (See picture.) Got their parents’ e-mail addresses, to send along a note with their photo.

I was the first to board the plane and stole Brett’s window seat! I was glad I did, too, because there were the most incredible cloud formations I have ever seen on the trip to Chiclayo. The area of Peru we left was almost always cloudy and overcast, with a mist in the air. From above, it was easy to see why this was the case. There was the first layer of very thick clouds over the area. Then, there was another pocket or layer of them, with a thin, clear band next. This is where we were flying. Above us was a very thick, dark layer of clouds. We were like the meat in a sandwich! It was the strangest thing I have ever experienced. There were a few breaks in some of the clouds in the between layers – and the sun shone through the middle, but didn’t ever reach the ground. I snapped a pic for you all to see.

We were met by our tour guide, Jose’, and were driven to the hotel. People drive really crazy here in Peru! Alan gets a real kick out of it. They use their car alarms, instead of their horns, so you hear the going off constantly. Jose’ said that Chiclayo is called “The City of Friendship,” and that it is actually the name of a fruit grown in the mountains. The population is 280,000. It is the capital of the province of Lambayeque, which has a total population of 1.5 million!

We are staying the next two nights at the Gran Hotel Chiclayo, which is a 4-star hotel and one of the nicest ones here. It is an older hotel and the rooms are no comparison to the one we stayed in last night, but it is clean. As most of the hotels in the area, there are both 220-volt and 110-volt outlets. I had to get an adapter for one of my 110-volt outlets, because it was older and did not have the third prong needed for my laptop cord. I strongly recommend that travelers bring voltage transformer and adapter kits with them, when traveling to foreign countries.

We had dinner at one of the hotel café’s. Food, as usual, was great. I ordered the “Barbara” pizza, and the others had lasagna, another type of pizza, fettucine alfredo, and Karina had a sandwich.

I really like Karina. She has a lot of knowledge of the area and loves her country! Tomorrow, we will get to see some pre-Inca areas—the first real tour day. I explained to her why I was so interested in the pre-Inca era – prior to the 1400’s. Got to explain what the Book of Mormon was and about the Jaredites and the other tribes. She is excited and wants us to get her a copy in Spanish so she can read it.

Well, I’m off to bed. We’ve got an early and long day tomorrow!

LORD OF THE RINGS ELIJAH WOOD MEETS JULIE

Read more about Julie's adventure in PERU.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Today was fun – just GETTING to Peru! I can only imagine how wonderful, educational, spiritual and exciting it will be tomorrow—as the journey continues.

I am traveling with our wonderful tour guide and Managing Director of PanAmerican Travel Services, Brett Steele. Anyone wishing to tour Peru or plan a trip around picking up their missionaries should definitely contact Brett and his group (www.panam-tours.com toll-free: 888-303-4481). Also traveling with us are Jamie Lawson—Editor of LDSLiving Magazine and Alan Monsen—writer for The Daily Utah Chronicle.

LAN Peru Airlines was very professional and their planes seemed very well-maintained. LAN’s planes were equipped with the latest technology and individual monitors to watch movies, listen to music, play games and perform other interactive activities – and, unlike other international airlines on which I have recently flown, the equipment actually WORKED well. Even their remotes were up-to-date. We had a choice of either beef with gravy and rice pilaf, or ravioli dinners, complete with dessert. They offer free Peruvian wine, as well. Don’t worry. I did not partake. LOL…About two hours before our 8-hour flight ended, we were served a hot ham and cheese sandwich, with fresh fruit. Bravo LAN!!

Before boarding, I took advantage of the extra time and read over copies of Dr. Jerry Ainsworth’s monthly reports from archeological digs and discoveries he and others have made in Mesoamerica lands. I have been a faithful subscriber to these and other writings on http://www.mormonsites.org. I shared with Brett Steele the three primary characteristics that Dr. Ainsworth said we should expect to find when looking to identify Book of Mormon lands (Brett dittoed that we would be seeing some of this during our tour):

1. Towers throughout the land, or as we would call them, pyramids.

2. Large ancient cities, with many buildings and a large population.

3. Cities that sink into the ocean, on the East coast, during the crucifixion of the Savior.

Alma 22:32, Dr. Ainsworth went on to say, was the scripture that led people to believe that the Book of Mormon took place throughout all of South, Central and North America. Can’t wait to see some of these things for myself.

Once on board the bus shuttle, from the main terminal at LAX Airport (Los Angeles) to our plane for Peru, I noticed a very familiar face seated just a few feet away from me.

It was actor Elijah Wood! Most of us best remember him in his role as “Frodo Baggins” in the movie trilogy “Lord of the Rings.” He has starred in many other films, though, like Radio Flyer and Forever Young (with Mel Gibson), and the movie remake of the old television show “Flipper.” Wood is 27 years old now, but still looks like a young boy, to me.

My teenage daughter just happened to call on my cell phone, at that time. When I told her Elijah Wood was on the bus with me, she insisted that I take his picture. That just didn’t seem a “cool” thing to do, at the time. She persisted in begging me, wanting me to tell him it was for her and that she was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa – like the actor was, and he had gone to school with her cousin, etc. Pressure!

To my surprise, Elijah boarded our plane and was seated in First Class. I gave in to the begging, went over to him, and asked if he minded if I took his picture. He smiled; those gorgeous eyes of his gleamed and he said he didn’t mind. I apologized that I had to take it with my cell phone, explaining that my camera was in my bag. He just kept smiling and was nice, polite and accommodating. Once in my seat, I unpacked my camera and headed back over to him and asked if I could take his picture once more with my “real” camera. He grinned and said, “Sure.” I apologized for bothering him, but he was absolutely fine with it and smiled that cute smile, again. He really does live up to a quote I read about him: [on being a celebrity:] "I won't change and my perspective won't change. I want to continue my life the way I live it, and I'm not going to let anything stop me from doing that. It isn't all about acting. There's a lot more to life than Hollywood." I am sharing the photo I took of him with you all!!

Brett was a most gracious and thoughtful host. He got us all aisle seats, so we could get in and out easily, if we needed. Once in the air, the view of the Pacific Ocean and the California coastline was breathtaking! The day was clear. Not a cloud in the sky. The ocean looked so huge and blue! Barges and ships below appeared as though they were Lego pieces floating in the deep blue sea.

About 30 minutes into our flight, stewards and stewardesses handed out Peruvian Migration Cards and Customs Declarations forms to be filled out and presented when we landed. Our personal shuttle and guide were waiting for us and we were briefed on the City of Lima and surrounding areas. Over 8 million people live there!! We were taken to a First Class hotel – part of the Sonesta chain: Sonesta Hotel El Olivar, in Lima, where we were treated like royalty, even at nearly 1 a.m.!

 Inside each of our rooms were two comfy queen-sized beds with four fluffy pillows and a monogrammed one--chocolates on our nightstands and a welcome bag with a lovely waist pouch, compliments of the Hotel.

They also had a chocolate-dripped plate with gourmet desserts waiting. Yummy!

We had our own guest lounge chairs and table, a work station, and separate table and chairs. The closet had a wooden shoe rack, built-in shelving and a keyed safe for our valuables.

The bathroom was very spacious, with marble countertops and matching floor, a bidet and a phone on the wall. The door is wooden with a diagonal striping design and peep hole, and a doorbell! Complimentary breakfast, we were told several times, would be served in the restaurant/lounge from 6:00-10:00 a.m. I think I like being spoiled like this!

We are being allowed to “sleep in” tomorrow and have some free time to walk around the City. We will all meet for a “welcome” lunch, and then head back to the airport for a late afternoon flight to the city of Chiclayo.

See ya then!

NOW AVAILABLE - OCTOBER/NOVEMBER EDITION OF LATTER-DAY MAGAZINE

Take some quiet time for you and flip through the pages of the latest edition of our Latter-Day woman magazine.

This is a jam packed issue - double the size of our last version.

There are 3 different options to find your copy:

1.  In Our Ladies Room at http://www.ourladiesroom.com/

2.  At our main site http://www.ldswa.com/

3.  At http://www.latterdaywoman.com/

Enjoy and please share this magazine with your family and friends.

Sunday Evening


October 5, 2008

VOTE FOR AMANDA!!!

Excitement escalated as I left Memphis, bound for Los Angeles, where I will meet up with the other press travelers and our representative from PanAmerican Tours tomorrow morning, for our flight to Peru.

I’ve gotten spoiled on international flights—more leg room, movies, etc. Our Northwest Airlines plane, from Memphis to L.A., felt cramped. Had to pay $15 for my first (and only) bag to be checked on the flight as luggage, too. Somehow, that just doesn’t seem fair. The first bag should be included in the ticket, unless it is a discount ticket, or something. Had to pay extra for your food, too. I really AM spoiled! LOL…

I’m writing this on my laptop, from a Denny’s restaurant near my hotel in L.A. You can’t take the “Southern girl” out of me—had to order grits. It’s taking them a while to prepare them. I suppose there’s not a huge demand for grits in L.A.—even at a Denny’s!

On the flight from Memphis to L.A., from a huge music city to a huge “everything” city -- ANYONE can be flying with you. It’s fun to watch the passengers and try to figure out if they are movie stars, TV stars, movie/radio/music industry stars or executives. Two guys in front of me were from Elvis’ stardom studio – SUN Studios.

There was a very interesting, 19-year old young woman seated next to me on the flight. Her name was Amanda Shiflett. Ladies, this was the trip of a lifetime for Amanda! She was on her way to L.A. – Hollywood-bound, as one of only five finalists vying to be the next “Price is Right” model!

She was a very sweet, well-raised young lady from a tiny town called Corner, Alabama, about an hour and a half from Birmingham. She’s attending Wallace State, in Hanceville, Alabama, to get her Nursing degree, and is working for a veterinary hospital in her hometown to help pay her expenses. Amanda had no previous modeling experience and no fancy clothes. Her mother told her about the audition for “The Price is Right” coming near their town and she breezed into it wearing a simple black dress and some flip flops. She had to model one of the dresses the Show brought along for the occasion. When asked why she wanted to be the next model on the Show, she told them she was just a simple Southern girl looking to do something different.

She was one of 1,300 contestants, was chosen in the top 13, and then made it to the final five! She was excited about being picked up from the airport in her own limousine, but was glad her mom was meeting her (mom couldn’t get a seat on that flight and had to take an earlier one). L.A. – although exciting – can be scary to an already-nervous young woman of 19.

Tomorrow morning, about the time I am meeting my group to board our flight to Peru, Amanda will be auditioning at The Price is Right studio. All five contenders will be filmed and the Show will be broadcast for all of us to see October 20-24. The public will get to vote for one of the girls, with the winner to be announced on November 7th.
Amanda let me take her picture for this blog. She sure would appreciate everyone’s votes, on The Price is Right’s online site, October 20-24.

It was refreshing to see a small-town girl with ambition and a dream make it this far! Best wishes, Amanda!!

It was a good missionary tool with this young girl - to share our Latter-Day Woman Magazine. And, she was eager to go online when they got to her hotel and to have her Mom and grandmother look, too. They were meeting and then traveling on with her.

Well, I’m about done with my grits and orange juice, so it’s time to get some rest before embarking on my journey tomorrow morning.

See ya then!

Julie

LATTER-DAY WOMAN MAGAZINE IS INVITED TO VISIT PERU

We are so excited here at LDSWA and feel very honored that we have been invited, along with LDS Living, to represent our magazine Latter-Day Woman in a Press trip to Peru.

We felt there would be none better to be our ambassador for the magazine than our Editor-in-Chief, Julie Lowe who graciously accepted our invitation on very short notice.  Julie will be gone for a week and we want everyone to share in this unique experience with her.  We are posting Julie's thoughts, feelings and experiences here on The Grapevine.

We feel humbled in being asked to participate in this trip after only 2 editions of our magazine.  We receive daily positive inspirational comments about our digital publication, already being read in over 40 countries.  Our gratitude goes to each and everyone who reads and shares Latter-Day Woman with others.

So lets begin by following Julie on her adventure:

Sunday, October 5, 2008

PERU IS CALLING ME 

There is a history there that is rich in faith and culture, beckoning to be explored and experienced first-hand.

As I prepare to travel to the Memphis airport, to eventually join up with the press group that is going on to Peru, from Los Angeles, my thoughts continually rise to my Heavenly Father about the REAL purpose of this trip. What is it that He wants me to know? To see?

As Editor, and representative of Latter-Day Woman Magazine, I was invited by LDSWA to join other editors and writers of other LDS-related publications to tour these marvelous Book of Mormon lands, compliments of the Latin America division of PanAmerican Travel Services, LDS Travel Study and the government office of Peru.

Such trips are indicative of the many missionary pickups they plan for parents going to South America. What a marvelous way for families to share in the deep cultural and spiritual experiences their sons or daughters have lived for two years! What a wonderful opportunity to explore the "roots" of our faith!

There was a very interesting show on BYU-TV this morning, that I was watching/listening to, as I prepared to leave. It was about a land (maybe in Peru?) where people of all faiths came together to overcome leprosy. It has been said about this land that, perhaps, the holiest places on earth are Jerusalem and this land (I think it was called Machu Picu or something like that).

There was "something" about this land and the faith of its people--Mormons and Catholics mostly, but also other faiths, working together, healing together, building their places of worship together (more Catholics helped build the Mormon meetinghouses than Mormons). One man raised his hands to the heavens, then brought them back down together, and smiled, saying:

"Man must not survive.

Man must prevail. Man must overcome all things..."

Maybe this is truly a sacred land, on which I am about to set foot. May the Lord, God, bless me, inspire me, to see His works and to share in His purposes.

I will share my thoughts, feelings, inspirations, and sights with you all over the next week, and upon my return!!


Julie
Editor-in-Chief
Latter-Day Woman Magazine