Last night we went to the most fantastic fiesta in the nearby village of Yucay and it was an incredibly enjoyable evening. I went there with the Peruviandina brothers, Daniel and Rosalio and another lad called Raidan and when we got off the bus and crossed the road I could see I would really enjoy the afternoon and evening. An Andean band were playing on a stage under those Pisonay trees and there were stalls all round the park with things for sale, artesania etc, food stalls with all sorts of cooking going on in the open air, a beer tent and countless families enjoying themselves. We did a tour of the stalls and although I was tempted by all the artesania, I managed to limit myself to just buying a new purse. Then we tucked into lechon (roast pork) with fried potatoes and salad which was absolutely delicious.
Then we crossed the park towards the stage intending to head for the beer tent when an old guy was standing in front of me and asking me to dance. The song being played was very lively so I danced with him and this somehow endeared me to all the people around. The old guy was with his wife, his children and grandchildren, all sitting and cheering us on and when the song finally ended about 10 minutes later one of the ladies came across and offered me a cusquena beer. They were so welcoming and nice that we all ended up sitting together for the rest of the afternoon and evening, sharing beers and dancing the night away. It felt really good being so welcomed into this Andean family get-together, humble campesino folk but with such big hearts. The old couple especially were as entranced getting to know a foreigner as much as I was to be so welcome amongst them, and the whole evening was one I will never forget. They were all really caring too, looking after my things while I was dancing. The location was part of the magic as I love that little park with those Pisonany trees and the ruins of an ancient inca house nearby. When I eventually have some photos that can be uploaded, the ones taken last night will be among the first to appear!
Thankfully yesterday the warm weather returned. The few days before that the sun disappeared and it was cloudy and even raining off and on. It put a stop to those lovely relaxed afternoons outside. I went to Cusco twice mainly for something to do, because if one is stuck indoors due to inclement weather there isn´t much to do in Urubamba! I went once with Alfredo and treated him to a nice lunch in Plaza de Armas and afterwards we went to a huge market to look round where just about everything is available for sale at really competitive prices even for here. I just bought another towel and two double CDs there - I now have 5 new CDs in this year´s contribution to my collection. The second time I went with Nohemy in the afternoon after lunch at home and we just stayed about 3 hours in Cusco and then came back. I love the drive there by carro, through that beautiful Andean countryside which is undulating hills and mountains, dotted with farms and litle village and what makes it stand out so different from the scenery back home is the different trees that dot the landscape. Animals are still tended by old women and children, driving them before them on the land, fields are still ploughed the old fashioned way like I imagine things were 100 years ago in the UK.
I´ve cooked for Nohemy and Alfredo a few times. On one occasion recently I bought a huge trout in the market which weighed nearly 2 kilos and it was absolutely delicious. I love going round the market and it is especially interesting on Wednesdays and Fridays when it swells to about four times its normal size.
We didn´t end up going to Quillabamba after all. Because of the fiesta taking place on the 25th all the seats on the buses were sold out and what with the dangers there, the mosquitos, malaria, yellow fever and the like I decided not to go with them this time, at least not on this occasion - the fiesta was the main reason I wanted to go there. I believe they are headed back sometime next week as they will now stay on for the christening this weekend.
Well that is all for the moment. I am now off to listen to a couple of the musicians playing in one of the restaurants and then later on plan to cook dinner for us, probably a Malaysian spicy chicken soup which is a speciality of mine if I can find all the ingredients. Will write another blog entry after the baptism ceremony.
