After such a brilliant weekend in Paris last week and knowing I'd miss the rehearsal of not one but two bands on Sunday afternoon, I just had to hear some live Andean music to make up for not being there! So Thursday evening whilst at Los Andes Restaurant in Bristol for a meal and dance to benefit Nicaragua as part of Central America Week I decided there was nothing for it but I would have to pay a visit to London. Consequently Colin went into Bath on Friday morning and purchased my train tickets as well as a one day travel card for use on the underground.
I caught the early train at 7.47 from Bath which was on time and arrived on time at 9.30. It was fun on the train to find Lorraine and Alfie and their son Dalfino in the same carriage and have a chat and catch up on news since we last saw each other. Lorraine and I used to share an office at work.
On arrival in London, there was a delay on the circle line and a vast crowd on the platform awaiting the train but luckily when it arrived I was able to get on and two stops down the line and a ten minute brisk walk and I arrived at Portabello Road market well before 10 am. I was delighted to find my newest Peruvian friends - Victor, Edgar and Santiago - there with their equipment having a chat prior to setting it up. I joined them and had a chat too until it was time for them to set up the equipment ready to play, so I took that opportunity to do a quick half hour tour of the market itself. I just adore going there - there's something about London markets that really appeals to me ... although on this occasion the biggest attraction of all was the Peruvian band - Tarpuy - when I knew the weather wasn't good enough for them to travel to Bath as provisionally arranged, I felt pretty sure I'd find them at Portabello Market instead.
When I went back half an hour later the band were playing and I enjoyed their music off and on for the next five and a half hours. In between playing I was able to chat to them - Victor and I talked mostly about Peruvian cookery as he is very interested in cooking too and sometimes does cook-ins for his friends and promised he'd invite me to the next one! He also said I could visit his Mum while I'm in Peru if I wish - as she loves foreign visitors - she lives in the Andes above Lima, so I hope I can amend my itinerary to include a visit there as well.
The band - Tarpuy - were originally in France and indeed some members of the band are still based in Paris. Santiago hasn't been in England long so his knowledge of English is limited but I was able to have a lovely chat with him in French once Victor told me he was fluent in French. After a while I noticed an internet lounge across the road, in an upstairs room of a pub, so decided to pop in there for a while. It was great, being able to take a large glass of wine upstairs to enjoy whilst at the computer, and when the band started up again I could hear them as the windows were open, the sun was shining; it was great as I didn't need to rush back! When I did eventually go back they said they'd be playing until 5 pm and would then be going to Sol Andino and would I like to go with them. Would I! Unfortunately it was too late for me as I was booked to return on the 6.45 train back, having pre-arranged plans for the evening back in Bath, so had to decline - unfortunately! I knew there wouldn't be time as they had to take their equipment home first.
I stayed listening until the last possible moment - 4.45 - before saying my goodbyes and I made my way on two underground journeys to Elephant and Castle. When I came up from the underground station there I just couldn't remember how to get to the restaurant even though it was only January when I was there - having been taken by Aquiles, Carlos and Claire. I hadn't paid much attention to how to get where we were going and was faced with a labyrinth of subways to get across roads. All I could remember was that it was near an overhead railway bridge and the restaurant was in a complex in a big yard.
I finally ended up in one yard - the wrong one - and then took a short cut to get out the other side and what an awful experience that was - I was in a deserted series of arches and would have been a prime candidate for a mugging if anyone was about - it was the kind of place derelicts sleep in at night - and I felt very nervous and was releived to get out the other side without a problem as it was deserted at that that time of day - I bet at night it's a different story!
Eventually I found the entrance to the right yard and even in there had to think twice to find the entrance, which was a series of shops on the ground floor, very busy, full of people (last time on a Sunday all those shops were closed) but I remembered the restaurant was upstairs so was glad to finally arrive and although very busy in there there were still tables free. It is the sort of place one would never in a million years find by accident and I could read the thoughts in their faces "how in the world did she ever find her way here!" as I was the only non-latin face in the whole place. People smiled and were friendly even though they didn't speak and I didn't feel too out of place!
I loved the whole atmosphere of the place, it was like a different world. Someone came in with a baby and people took turns holding that baby, even some of the men-folk, whilst she had her meal with a friend. It was worth going as the food was sensational. The lady at the counter explained what every dish was and I chose one which was so good I decided to order something else as well even though I couldn't finish it. I even managed to buy a pack of Papa Seca there which costs so much to send airmail from USA - back outside afterwards I found my way to the underground a bit easier than coming and made it back to Paddington for my train with 5 minutes to spare. The train arrived back on time where I met Colin and we went to La Flamenca for tapas and had a really enjoyable evening. I was pretty exhausted though and slept very well that night.
I'll definitely be seeing Victor, Edgar and Santiago again next week - hopefully at my house, as I've invited them down and they will come as long as the weather is okay. If they come they will arrive on Friday and will spend a couple of nights at my house and I will know Thursday night so will have time to get busy cooking if they are coming, or get Colin to purchase my train ticket for London if not. If they don't come I'll be off up to London again and spend the day with them in the market but this time going to Sol Andino with them in the evening and getting a later train back around 11 or 11.30 pm. I've asked Colin and he doesn't mind and in fact is going to try and organise that boy's night out with his son and his son's friend for the same night, knowing I'll be otherwise occupied with the band, either in London with them or having the Peruvian meal in my house if they come down. If they come down I'm going to invite Benjamin and Oswaldo and Oswaldo's girlfriend to join us. Either way it's another weekend to look forward to and hopefully if they come down I can get another article started for both that AIMA page and Jacco's Andean Music referral home page.
