Information on Machu Picchu

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  Lima, Utah, Peru
Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Good Day from Lima,Wednesday morning the 17th of December and at noon today is the gathering of the Oblates in the area and special friends for Turkey Feast with all the trimmings. Now I know why Fr. Moe asked me to bring four cans of cranberry sauce and a little Canadian Club to share with the members of the community and their friends. You see, on Sunday the 21st, Fr. Moe, Kristine and myself, and most probably others will be flying to Iquitos, maybe an hour and a half flight, and then by water transportation. Equitos is the world's largest city that cannot be reached by road. I think we are on the Rio Napo for the best part of a day before we reach
Santa Clotilde or final destination. I've heard that Fr. Moe wants to stop at the villages on the way to see if any-
one is in need of medical help or needs to be transported to the hospital at St. Clotilde. The doctor is always on
call over land and water.

Lots of action around here, preparing for today's turkey dinner. Yesterday afternoon my job was chopping
onions for the turkey dressing. I know that Kristine got up at 3:00 AM to put the bird in the oven and Moe
was working on the gravy at a very early hour this morning, before we celebrated Mass/

If you would like some great photos of Machu Picchu, google Machu Picchu, scroll down to the second page
and open on the number 3 and you will open a 360 degree panoramic view of Machu Picchu by National
Geographic Magazine.
Got to run,
Vaughan.

The time now is 4:20 PM and we have finished cleaning up after the Christmas Turkey Feast.  Twenty people
Oblates and friends enjoyed the magnificent meal, the camaraderie, the laughter, the merriment, the affirmation.
Every guest received Italian Christmas Bread (panetone, not sure if that is the right spelling) and a  bottle of bubbly. A great time was had by all.

I think there may well be six people on the flight to Equitos. That many will be needed to bring all the supplies to Santa Clotilde, curtains for around the beds that Moe ordered at the market about ten days vests for the people working on the river boats, medical stuff, gowns for the young children in the choir, etc,etc. Some staff, nurses  and lab technicians that trained with Fr. Moe and Fr. Jack McCarthy, maybe 20 years ago are planning a little reunion at Santa Clotilde to reminisce of their first years at the hospital and recount the stories that touched their
hearts and gave meaning to their lives to this day.

On Friday, the woman gynecologist, her husband and two sons will be coming back to Lima, on their way home to Wisconsin after the doctor gratefully gave two weeks of  her needed services in return for Moe looking after
her oldest son when  his eye was infected a couple of years ago, while trekking in the jungle, and he was brought
to the hospital in Santa Clotilde. Their are many heart rendering stories just like this one. They will arrive Friday
morning and fly to the states later that day.

I hope you get a chance to google Machu Picchu and appreciate what the ancient tribes and the 14th century
Inka Empire, the lost city, which  was discovered in 1911 by an American historian Hiram Bingham while be
guided around by locals. Actually he was looking for the lost city of Vilcabamba the last stronghold of the Inka's
and he thought he had found it at Machu Picchu. Vilcabamba is much deeper in the jungle. Machu Picchu site was
overgrown with thick vegetation, and Bingham returned in 1912 and 1915 to carry out the difficult task of clearing
the thick forest and discovered more ruins on the so called Inka trail.

Well now, I think that will do if for today.

God bless,
Vaughan

 

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