Jeff's Visit: Metal-Style

A few weeks ago my friend Jeff came to visit us in Arequipa.  Jeff is one of my best friends from Houston, and he was an essential part of our wedding since he filled last minute to play piano for our recessional when another musician bailed.  He's a funny guy who has a great job that allows him weeks off for traveling the world.

His week-long visit consisted of introducing him to our Peruvian friends, Peruvian cuisine, and a mishmash of useful Spanish words like "madera" (wood) and "trabajolico" (workaholic).  We went hiking, brought him to a church potluck, made him stand on a ton of buses, helped him buy Spongebob Squarepants finger-puppets, introduced him to Alpaca meat, and took him to an ancient monastery.  Ironically, the monastery reminded me of my heavy metal years.  We toured it at night (it's gigantic) and declined a guide.  This meant that we had free range of the part of the monastery open for tours.  It also meant we could climb in nooks and crannies and play with fire (it was naturally lit by torches and lanterns).  My type of tour.

If our week were a metal album, I would call it JEFF-ROW.  Here are some choice cuts:

JEFF-ROW: Lead shrieks and guttural growls.  Interests: Reading, Coffee, Holding lanterns in the darkness

 TRAVIARY: Lead Axe.  Interests: Discipleship, Literature, Eating Things He Probably Shouldn't

Here's what can happen when I'm left to my own devices around fire (and by "left to my own devices" I mean Emily decided not to come along for the tour):

Then the sun came up and we went for a hike.  It was much less metal (but the weather could still be considered grim):

It was great to have a friend come spend some time with us here in Peru.

Stay tuned for a Christmas update!  I promise there will be no heavy metal or 90's action movie allusions (or at least not many).

-Trav