My first whole day in Edinburgh was magic. I started off listening to Qosqo but it wasn't long before I found where Kantaro played each day, and there were other Andean bands to watch as well - Apu from Peru, Waykis from Peru and Mashicuna from Ecuador. I was also enjoying Edinburgh itself and all the wonderful shops, plus other street entertainment on offer. The whole atmosphere of the town was festive and friendly and I knew I'd really enjoy our time there. We arrived on 13 August and ended up staying right until the end on 2nd September, departing for home on Sunday 3rd September (with me having to go back to work on Monday the 4th!!)
After two nights at Isaac's flat we spent a night with Apu at the flat they had rented from a friend. This was right in Edinburgh city so we had a fantastic night out with them until around four in the morning. Salsa clubs are all the rage in Edinburgh and the one we went to that night with Apu was a really good one, with lovely music. However after one night with them, we decided not to impose further and went off the following evening to the campsite at Musselburgh, erected the tents and got ourselves organised. We only had small tents so they were just to sleep in. Every day we had takeaway breakfasts in the morning and something else for lunch, choosing a different restaurant to eat each evening. Ronal was returning to France two days later so he stayed on with Apu as my tent was too small for sharing. It didn't take me long to decide I liked Kantaro best out of all the Andean bands and I planned my whole day around their performances, watching the other bands in between, as well as touring the shops. On the 3rd day I found a brilliant internet cafe and was a regular visitor after that, keeping in touch by email with friends.
It didn't take us long to find a Sainsburys with cafe and we went there several times because of the 2 for the price of 1 meal offer. However, this time we all had 2 meals each, rather than trying to save money doubling up. We even spread the word a bit and some of the Peruvians and Bolivians found there way there too. It was really funny on one occasion. The tables weren't very big there and it was impossible to fit 16 plates on the 2 tables! Then as we were all on our second plate we realised there was one missing - Mono's 2nd plate - so as it was too late to order another one the waitress told him to go and choose a sandwich or cake and it would be on the house. At this all the Peruvians got up en masse and came back laden with cakes and puddings. Even I had a free pudding! I couldn't stop laughing at the thought that if the word got round the following day the cafe would be taken over by Peruvians all enjoying free meals!!!
We got fed up with the meals on offer there after a few days though and exploring the town, finding different restaurants to eat at each day, was part of the fun each evening. We went to a few concerts - including one of Apu in one of the clubs. That was brilliant and when we went to a nightclub a few nights later where Coco Vega (of Apu) was playing with his 8 piece salsa band, I bumped into the bar-lady of that club who was there on her own and got up quite a few times to dance with her. On another occasion we went to a Colombian circus and at the Edinburgh Garden Party events we went to see Lady Salsa, where the history of Cuba was portrayed in music and dance. It was brilliant and afterwards the band kept playing, and we were able to dance. We went to lots of different salsa clubs in Edinburgh, sometimes taking in three in one night! By this time we were socialising with the members of Kantaro as well as Apu who were all tremendous fun to be with.
We spent five or six nights at the campsite. Even though we only went late at night to sleep we soon got fed up with camping! The facilities were good, excellent showers etc, but unfortunately the weather cracked up a bit while we were there and we got fed up with the muddy conditions. One night I parked a bit close to the tents, turned round, tripped over the guy-rope and fell flat on my face in the mud! I made a swift departure into my tent after Aquiles helped me up and ascertained I was okay, because I felt so embarrassed. Next day we were all falling about laughing as Aquiles said I reminded him of the frogs in Peru - I'd fallen as if I'd done a flying leap with my arms outstretched!!! Later that day when I bought some green trousers as I was fed up with my long skirts trailing in the mud, I had a new nickname - Kermit!! They admitted what a struggle they'd had not to laugh when it happened. Whilst at the campsite on one dry evening we did a barbecue on one of those throwaway afterward single use jobs, which was nice apart from me burning some of the meat. I was hysterical at the look of dismay on Aquiles face when he turned his over and saw how burned it was!!! We also had a late night takeaway snack another evening at a picnic bench which we dragged over to our tent. My tent hadn't been put up very securely and each day it looked more and more lopsided until on the day we took it down it looked ready to collapse anyway. Soggy wet towels pegged all over it (which got even wetter in all the rain) hadn't helped!!
Isaac said we could stay at his flat again and we ended up spending about a week there, which was okay apart from the long drive each way every day. Although on a few occasions we went in to Edinburgh on the train, which was a good regular service - Dunbar being the first stop on the Edinburgh to Kings Cross (London) route. For the last week of our stay we hired a flat in a house about two miles from the city centre. That was great as we also had the use of a kitchen, bathroom and small lounge. We did a bit of shopping and Aquiles cooked Peruvian dishes on a couple of occasions which was nice.
On the last day 2nd September, the festival was ending with a Grande Finale fireworks display from Edinburgh Castle and we found a good spot to watch it. It was the best fireworks display I'd ever seen in my life, with quarter of a million people watching. It seemed incredible that the wide main street usually choc-a-bloc with cars and buses was closed to traffic that night and became the biggest crowd of people I'd ever seen. The fireworks were choreographed to the loud classical music coming out of speakers and every time the music reached a crescendo so did the fireworks - it was so fantastic it brought goose bumps up on your arms. At one point there was a waterfall of fireworks coming down over the battlements. The crowd Oohed and Aahed and cheered and clapped throughout and the atmosphere was fantastic. After it finished I decided to get back to the flat to get some sleep as I had a long drive next day and wanted to be up at 5.30. It took until gone midnight to find a taxi. In the morning I heard the others come in and get into bed just seconds before my alarm call from Colin on my mobile. Poor Claire hardly had time to close her eyes. Once I'd showered and dressed, she helped me load the car and we woke Aquiles and led him to the car at the last minute so that he could carry on sleeping. She even put on his shoes!!! We hit the road at 7.30 am and had until 1 o-clock to get to Crewe. Colin was taking the train to Crewe to take over the last leg of the drive home. With three rest-stops, we hit the outskirts of Crewe just as Colin phoned to say he'd just arrived - we were surprised at how well that worked out!
At the station, Claire and Aquiles unloaded their equipment and took a direct train to London from there. I felt really sad saying my farewells to them but Aquiles said they'd be down within two weeks for a weekend. I managed to stay awake about 10 minutes for Colin and then woke up in Bristol. We managed to get a late Sunday lunch there and got home early evening. The boys were pleased to see me as I'd been away nearly a month.
All the following week I was missing them both so much and on Friday Claire phoned to say they were thinking of coming down Saturday night and I was overjoyed. When they arrived in Bath, Colin and I were at Las Iguanas and they had a drink with us while we finished our meal. We then headed back and I fed them there as once I knew they were definitely coming I'd cooked something for them in the afternoon. I helped them drink the wine Aquiles had brought me whilst they ate, and we were all really happy to be back together again! My boys were pleased to see them again too.
The next day I drove them into Bath and they set up their equipment to play opposite the Roman Baths. Colin had gone off for the day to an annual motor event with three of his friends and I'd arranged to meet Kathryn my sister for lunch in town, which was nice. We also did a bit of shopping and listened to Qosqo - plus an Ecuadorian band who were also playing nearby. Afterwards we loaded the car and took Kathryn home where we enjoyed some wine in her lovely garden. After that Aquiles, Claire and I went back to Las Iguanas for a meal before Claire caught the 9 pm train to London as she works there from Monday to Wednesday. Aquiles stayed behind with us, as by then I'd ascertained he had nowhere of his own to stay and Claire's flat-mates in London weren't too happy about him staying there indefinitely and he'd been feeling really uncomfortable there. Once I knew this I invited him to stay at our house for as long as he wanted and he was delighted - and so was I as he's such fun and fits in well. When I'd met them for the first time before going to Edinburgh he had only arrived from Peru the previous week!
Once I got home from work on Monday I cooked for us all and when the boys got home from work we all went to the village pub to play pool. On Tuesday Aquiles and I went to see the Moscow State Circus in Bath and afterwards had a meal at a Bangladeshi restaurant. Both Wednesday and Thursday we all played pool in the village pub again as all of us, including my boys, had an ongoing competition going to see who could win the most games and Claire rejoined us there on the Thursday. On Friday I went to a family wedding and was gone most of the day but when I got back in the evening we went to the village pub again. I'd got hold of some Peruvian recipes and made Lomo Saltado a couple of times, a dish which went down well with us all as we are all lovers of spicy food. That saturday I drove us to Cardiff where we had a nice day. The weather was warm and they did quite well with CD sales in the town. I spent a fair bit of the day sightseeing and discovered another Andean band who were really good and I listened to them for ages - a band called Alaya who are based in France - and bought two CDs.
After Qosqo finished playing we had to rush home as there was another party to go to, a follow-on from the previous days wedding and it was quite far to go. We had a lovely evening there and Aquiles and Claire were able to meet all my family. That Sunday my son Tristan helped sell their CDs while they played in Bath - I had to rush off as I needed a new tyre plus the house needed a clean-up, and by the time I got back to them they were packing up ready to go. We all went to Las Iguanas for a meal and from there to the Moscow State Circus to catch their last performance before moving on. We just made it too as apart from the big top it was all being dismantled when we got there!!! Claire then caught the train to London and Aquiles decided to stay on with us.
We didn't go out Monday night - we all felt the need for a restful evening in!!! - but on Tuesday I took him with me to the monthly dinner at my friends Debbie and David's house. They really enjoyed meeting him and hearing all about Peru and didn't want us to leave at the end of the evening! Claire arrived Wednesday evening as we'd planned to go ice-skating on the Thursday and what a fun evening that turned out to be. I dropped them at the railway station early both Thursday and Friday on my way to work. That Thursday they went to Newport in South Wales which was an easy train ride from Bristol. Then in the evening I met them at Bristol Railway station and we had time for something to eat first and went to a Thai restaurant and then to the ice-rink. At first Aquiles wouldn't skate but we managed to persuade him to try and we had a really funny time trying to keep him on his feet. Luckily he is a really good sport and doesn't mind us laughing when he falls! We were all hysterical every time we collapsed in heaps (Claire and me going down as well whilst trying to keep him on his feet). No one was hurt luckily! I love ice-skating and hope the chance to go again will come along soon.
Friday we spent quietly in as we wanted an early start next day. We went to Swansea in Wales. All during this period the petrol crisis was on and garages closed, but I managed to fill up in Bristol. The journey took two hours and on arrival, I parked for a couple of hours to look around the town before going off to see an old friend who lives there that I hadn't seen for 16 years. It was lovely to see her again, catch up on all news etc, and we went to Mumbles (by the sea) and enjoyed enormous icecream sundaes overlooking the sea, which was really active with yachts and wind-surfers having a good time. I rejoined Claire and Aquiles in the afternoon and once they packed up and stowed their equipment in the car, we walked around town a while and then had a huge meal at an Indian restaurant. Sunday it rained so they didn't go into Bath to play. We had a leisurely day in watching the Olympics on TV until their friend Oswaldo arrived late afternoon to give them a lift home as he was going to London himself. I was really sorry to say goodbye to them but they assured me they would be back to visit again soon.
Since then they came down to stay several times right up until Christmas - usually arriving on Thursday and going back to London on Sunday. On one occasion Aquiles' brother Carlos made a surprise visit from Switzerland to see him. We were in Newport at the time and we persuaded him to get a bus to Bath and that we'd meet him there in the early evening. He proved to be just as much fun as his brother and we had a brilliant night on the town together and Carlos treated us all to a meal at Las Iguanas and I put him up overnight as well, and they all returned to London the following evening. I went up to London and spent the weekend with them just prior to Aquiles' return to Peru in early January - two more stories follow on from that and I'm off to London again on 24/25 February for another fun weekend with several andean friends.
The best part of this fantastic new friendship is that during my forthcoming visit to Peru I will be staying with Aquiles' parents in Cusco. I fly to Peru in June, arriving at Lima in the early evening where I will be met by a friend and both of us will be staying overnight with her sister in Lima before travelling to her home in Ilo (South Peru) the following day, which is close to both Chilean and Bolivian borders. Three days later I will be travelling on to Bolivia and getting there will be an experience in itself as I want to take the little train that goes across the Andes mountains to La Paz which takes about 16 hours. In downtown La Paz I will enjoy a whole week of music and dancing at the Fiesta of Gran Poder, as well as meeting some well known musicians, before returning to South Peru for a further few days with my friends there and from there hope to see a bit of Arequipa as well as Arica (the Chilean/Peruvian border town). I will then return to Lima by bus and then take a flight up to Cusco for the remainder of the holiday. Whilst there I will be walking the Inca Trail which is a 28-mile hike (mostly uphill!!!) in the Andes to Machu Picchu and the Inca ruins. (This takes four days and involves camping on the trail at night). I'm looking forward to that more than anything. I also hope to go to the 3-day festival at Paucartambo which is similar to the one I'm attending in Bolivia. I can hardly wait to enjoy so much andean music and culture at first hand. I also hope to visit Puno which is near Lake Titicaca which is half in Peru and half in Bolivia!
I've been teaching myself Spanish with the help of a textbook - Suenos: World Spanish - and by translating and writing letters to my new penfriends in Southern Peru - I correspond with both husband and wife and I'm really looking forward to meeting them for the first time. Whilst with his family in Cusco, Aquiles said his Mum will teach me all I need to know about Peruvian cooking and that his dad being a teacher anyway will help me with my Spanish. He said I'll be welcomed in as part of the family so I'm really looking forward to it. And I'm hoping that several weeks of speaking nothing but Spanish will result in my being able to speak it pretty well by the time I get back. This will be very useful when interviewing South American musicians for my articles for AIMA.
