The past week spent with Claire and Aquiles was great fun. They arrived on Thursday evening and stayed until Wednesday morning when they were moving on to Birmingham and then Liverpool, then northwards towards Chester where Claire's parents live. They went to Cheltenham on Friday and although the plan was for them to get back in time to come out with Colin and me to a country pub in the evening, I had a phone call around the time Colin was arriving to say they were still on the train which had been delayed. So Colin and I went out without them and when we got back they still weren't at the house but arrived about ten minutes later. We then ended up drinking wine and listening to music until 3 o clock in the morning - although Aquiles prefers the latest chart music to Andean, he was really impressed with some of the new stuff in my collection (which I've just updated and it now stands at 918 albums of Andean music) and he actually enjoyed listening to Andean music for a change.
Next day we were all up early and I drove us to Newport in Wales. I really enjoyed the whole day there. I love that little town which is probably about the same size or a bit smaller than Bath with lovely shops, friendly people etc and less than 50 miles from Bath. We arrived at 11 am and I dropped them and their equipment off in the centre and then went to find a car park where I could park all day without a time limit. After that my first priority was a trip to the bank to change 850 francs back into English money so that I had some money to spend and when I got to the bank another Andean band were playing outside. So I quickly bought their latest CD as I adore the other Alaya CD that I have and said I would come back and listen later.
The next three hours I spent browsing around the shops as there were several particular ones that I wanted to visit and in one of them I bought a fantastic Indian style purple crushed velvet tunic top which I shall wear on Christmas day. It probably was at least three hours later before I got back to listen to Alaya and having noticed that one of my favourite songs "Pascua Linda" was on the latest CD, I asked one of them between songs if they would play it for me and the short guy said yes he would. At that moment I noticed his leather instrument case had "Rumillajta" on it and I told him I was in La Paz and met up with Adrian and Jorge of Rumillajta and he said he would like to talk more and would take a break in a few minutes.
So I waited and listened to a couple more songs including Pascua Linda and then he came over to chat and I was delighted to realise he is the ex member of Rumillajta - Miguel Angel Puna - who is a very close friend of Jacco so I told him about Jacco's visit to the UK in August and how we might have popped across to Paris to see him had he been at home. At that time Miguel was touring in the South of France. He lives partly in France and partly in Wales. He was delighted when I was able to give him news of Jacco and asked for his address so I gave him both his postal address and his latest email address and he is going to keep in touch with me as well mainly to let me know if certain Andean bands in France come over to England - eg Awatinas. I would give anything to see them live and he thinks they might pay a visit to England next year. I hope he keeps his promise and lets me know as given enough notice to arrange it I would definitely go and see their concert wherever that may be. He also mentioned a festival of music in Cardiff in August that Alaya will be performing at in 2002. Maybe Awatinas as well. That certainly sounds like a festival not to be missed.
I told him about my trip to La Paz and Adrian's visit here to Bristol so we were chatting for at least 20 minutes. He seems a really nice guy, in fact all three of those Rumillajta members that I've met are really nice and if they are a good example, along with Jacco, of what Bolivian people are like it is no wonder I love that place so much!
I finally ended up listening to Claire and Aquiles for their last half hour session as it was almost getting dark and in the process we met a lovely Peruvian woman from Cusco who has lived in Wales for 30 years. She lives in Caldicot which is near the bridge between England and Wales and she was so enchanted with the music of Claire and Aquiles, plus the fact of meeting someone from Cusco (and they knew each other's families as well) that she told them they would be welcome to stay in her house in Caldicot any time and could even come for Christmas if they wished! Aquiles was equally thrilled to talk to someone from Cusco and she extended the invitation to me as well, even though I was obviously not a member of the band. We told her we were going to a Spanish circle event that evening in Bath and she was immediately interested, so I promised to send details of the people who organise the Spanish circle events. Even though Caldicot is probably 30 or more miles from Bath, she was definitely interested in attending some of those events and meeting other Spanish and Latin American people.
After that it was a mad rush to get back to the car with the equipment as Aquiles wanted to stop first at Bristol to get a Thai take-away meal from our favourite take-away place there. Luckily I managed to find my way out of Newport in the dark without getting lost and we reached the shop about 40 minutes later after a very fast drive down the motorway, only to find when we got there that it wasn't open yet!! We found another nearby and had something and then had to rush home as Colin was coming for us at 7.30. We arrived home at 7.20 with just 10 minutes to get ready so it was a bit of a rush.
When we arrived at the Hope and Anchor, another lovely countryside pub and restaurant just outside Bath, we were fortunately in time to grab a table next to our most favourite people in the Spanish circle and thereafter enjoyed the most pleasant evening with them. Claire and Aquiles enjoyed meeting them too and the three ladies to whom I gave a CD copy of "Milagros de Navidad" along with their Christmas card were delighted. One friend Jaunita invited us to a party at her house on New Year's Eve, although unfortunately I had to decline as I will be in London, and another married couple are going to join us for a meal at a nice country restaurant we recommended shortly after Christmas. They are a delightful couple - she is actually half Asian and one of the organisers of the Spanish Circle and her husband is English and absolutely worships the ground she walks on - I love to see a man so devoted to his wife like that. Colin got on really well with him as they have both spent time in Trinidad, so an evening in their company would be really enjoyable. Alison speaks eight languages which I find incredible - I find that I get my French and Spanish mixed up when trying to speak both so to find someone switching with ease among so many languages I find absolutely amazing.
On Sunday we decided to go to Bristol. The shops don't open there until 11 am on Sundays so we had time for a nice breakfast first and I did an enormous traditional English breakfast for us before setting out complete with lots of Peruvian organic filtered coffee. They finally set up their equipment in the centre of town around midday and I went off to park the car and then did a tour of the shops. I spent about 3 hours in one covered shopping area on three floors and didn't need to go to any of the shops outside. I was dressed up in so many clothes because of the cold weather that it was quite uncomfortable in that warm place, but essential for when I got outside again later. We've been in the grip of an extremely cold spell for about three weeks now, the car screens frozen solid every morning and the central heating on pretty well 24 hours a day to keep warm enough. I wore different Peruvian hats both days, gloves, scarf, fur boots, poncho etc. I decided to buy some trousers as all mine are a bit tight on the waistband. I've put a bit of weight back on since returning from Peru which means I will be back on a diet after Christmas to lose it again. I may rejoin Slimming World for a couple of months around mid January. I also bought a beautiful skirt which will be perfect for any classy event that might come up. The style is classic in burgundy satin with a full circular skirt which really flows, ankle length, and with its own matching evening bag in the same material. It's really stunning so I shall look forward to an opportunity to wear it. The weekend was the first shopping I had done for clothes since I was in Peru. I never look at clothes shops normally, only when I have several hours to kill when with my Andean musician friends.
After they finished playing on Sunday, we had to rush home as Aquiles was cooking the meal that evening. He had marinated everything overnight, and made the sauce for the starter the night before. Colin joined us at 8 pm and we had Papa a La Huancaina first, followed by Adobo de Chancho (both Peruvian dishes) and they were really delicious. Aquiles is a really good cook and Colin really enjoyed the food as well.
I left them sleeping Monday morning as they were going to play in Bath, getting a bus around 9.30 (I leave the house at 7 am which is much too early for them!). However, they didn't feel like getting up and catching the 9.26 bus when the time came and decided to get the 11.10 bus instead which they missed with 2 hours until the next one, so they ended up having a quiet day at home instead! That night we went to the cinema to see Spy Game which Claire and Aquiles wanted to see. Aquiles had also suggested "Lord of the Rings" which appealed to me more than Spy Game but didn't appeal to Colin. So I lost 3-1 and we decided to see Spy Game - an action movie, which I actually enjoyed more than I thought I would - the soundtrack of music was especially good. Over Christmas there are two other films I want to see - The 51st State and Amelie, a French film, but I don't know when we are going to fit them in as most of my Christmas holiday from work seems taken up already!
On Sunday 23rd I'm off to London, leaving Sunday morning. I stopped at Bristol train station on Sunday on our way in to buy advance tickets and it is a good thing I didn't leave it any later as pretty well all the trains are full. I could only travel on the 9.15 morning train and there were only two trains left for my return on Christmas Eve. I will be staying with Johnny's family and the whole family are going to Tito's, a Peruvian restaurant near London Bridge. Kausary are playing there so it promises to be an excellent evening. I like Johnny's Mum Flor and his wife Sandra a lot so will enjoy being there with them. I get back Christmas Eve and then Colin and I meet up with loads of our mutual friends at a pub in the next village to Timsbury, as we do every year, and that should be fun as well. The next day, Christmas Day, Colin, Adam and I are going down to Weymouth for the day to his daughter Elizabeth. That will be fantastic as I love being with them. Her husband is the Vicar there and they have four children, the eldest eight, all of whom are delightful, especially the third one, Alice who is about five and the most delightful character imaginable, plus a new baby to enjoy cuddling who was born in September. Colin's ex wife and her husband will also be there and they are delightful too. We'll have lots to talk about as they too have been to Peru and we saw their holiday video. On Boxing Day it is a big family gathering of all my family at my sister Kathryn's house, which is when they will meet my son Justin's fiancée Ceri for the first time. He is getting married on Valentine's day.
Then on 28 December I am off to London again, and will stay four nights at Claire's flat. We are hoping that Colin will come as well on the 28th and stay over until the 29th so that we can both go to the classical concert in which Claire is performing, at the beautiful church of St Martin in the Fields, near Covent Garden. I'm not returning until New Year's Day because I'm staying on to celebrate New Year's Eve in London with Claire and Aquiles and maybe a few of their other Peruvian friends. That will be fantastic as I've never been in London on New Year's Eve before. Whilst with them I will be able to visit my ex husband Labu and his wife Rekah who live about 15 minutes walking distance from Claire's place, as well as enjoy looking around Brick Lane market which is brilliant, right in the middle of Bangla Town in the heart of the East End. I'll travel back home on New Year's Day and go back to work on the 3rd. Although the Christmas break from work won't be as restful as previously envisaged, it looks like it will be a lot of fun! My next "story" about the London visits will appear on these pages in the New Year. Happy Christmas and New Year to anyone who reads this.
