On the Sunday after Christmas we were invited to a Pachamanca by the two main workmen working on Nohemy´s extension (they are working on several other properties as well)- We arrived early in the morning in order to watch the process whereby an oven is created in the ground with bricks all around and firewood and lots of stones are heated in this until it reaches a certain temperature. They had bought loads of pork and chicken and marinated it in spices while the stones were heating. Then the meat was added and covered with the stones and left to cook. Later on a load of potatoes were added to the embers - the delicious yellow ones that are available here which I have never seen back home - plus a load of broad beans still in their pods, a type of banana which needs to be cooked and huge cobs of corn. In this latter stage everything was covered in wet paper, several layers, and then earth piled over it all. I took photos of the various stages while it was all cooking which will be in the next download.
When it was ready it was all piled into two washing up bowls (!!) and plonked on the table and we all dived in and it was absolutely delicious. Everything was perfectly cooked and the bananas complemented everything perfectly, very sweet and yellow ones. I enjoyed that meal more than the Christmas turkey. Afterwards we all shared a jug of pina coladas that Nohemy had made. Then we cleared away and Alfredo bought the first two litres of beer, then I bought the second two, and the two brothers bought the last two and we lingered over the table on the patio drinking these until it began to get dark.
A couple of days later I went to Pisac for the day. Ernesto, an old guy who sometimes brings me books had told me about an English lady living in Taray, a village just outside Pisac, and asked if I would like to meet her and I said yes. We met at the bus terminal at 9 am and I took quite a few scenic photos as the bus wound its way through the Sacred Valley. We got off the bus just before Pisac, crossed a bridge over the river and then it was half an hour´s walk to Taray, the pretty little village where Sarah lives ... only to find when we got there that she had gone out!
We walked back to the centre and then got a moto to Pisac and Ernesto knew to look either in the internet cafe or a certain cafe and sure enough Sarah was in the cafe and he introduced us. When she realised I had travelled from Urubamba to meet her she wwas really thrilled and Ernesto went off and did his own thing while we chatted over capuccino coffees for about half an hour, at the same time enjoying the company of a couple of young musicians who entertained us with their didgeridoos.
Then we walked up the Plaza de Armas where a big feria market was going on and looked around and I bought a CD. The guy wanted 25 soles for it and when I said I would pay no more than 10 he said okay and let me have it - an original CD for 2 quid! It was only later that I realised that one of the others he had for sale is one that I have mislaid so I am hoping it will still be there when I go back this week and that I can get it for the same price! After walking round a bit I heard my name called and a guy who was one of the partners at the restaurant was standing outside a jewellry shop where he is now working and we chatted for a bit whilst Sarah went to the ATM, then after that she and I went to Ulrika´s cafe which is run by a German woman and we had the set lunch which was 3 courses for 17 soles or 20 soles depending on which desserts were chosen and delicious it was too.
It started raining while we were in there so we stayed longer than intended but chatting away and really enjoying each others company. There was a book exchange in there too so having a book in my bag I exchanged it for another and only had to pay 3 soles. When we got up to leave we spotted a game of scrabble so are going to have lunch there next week as well and have a game of scrabble afterwards. She is living in a rented house in Taray but hoping to buy a property just outside Urubamba on the way to Ollantaytambo. She comes from Truro and when her Dad died 4 years ago she sold the house and that money is in the bank and she has enough to buy the place if the present German owners are willing to sell. She is only going to be here another 3weeks or so and we are going to meet up each week whilst she is still here. Later this week I am going back to Pisac to meet up with her for the day again. I don´t know why I left it so long to visit Pisac again - last time was for the fiesta in July with Nohemy and Alfredo - because it is a pretty little place, full of tourists. When the rain died off and we left the cafe we found Ernesto in the Plaza de Armas and I travelled back to Urubamba with him arriving back around 6 pm, so just in time for the nightly monopoly games with Nohemy and Alfredo.
On Thursday morning I had a phone call from one of the Peruviandina brothers saying they were now playing in Tunupa restaurant instead of Muna so I decided to go there that day as I had nothing else planned during the daytime. I had so enjoyed myself at Tunupa the last time I went, several months ago. The food is out of this world and I would be very surprised if there was anywhere better than Tunupa for the vast selection of really delicious food.
I arrived about 1 pm and the place was really crowded, so headed straight to greet Daniel and Wilber who had just finished setting up their instruments. When I set out from home it was a hot sunny day but by the time I got to Tunupa the skies were grey and just as I greeted them it started to rain. This meant dismantling all their equipment and taking it to the indoor restaurant and they couldnt make up their mind as the two main indoor restaurants were too far apart for the other half to hear the music. After trying to set up in one side and realising there wasnt enough room, they decided to set up back outside as by this time the rain had gone off. So whereas everyone else was seated at tables inside I was the only one outside seated on the verandah with a great view of the band. It was windy and a bit chilly but I didnt care - the main reason for being there was for the music rather than the food although I did enjoy the food - a plateful of delicious starters including mixed seafood ceviche, the pork, alpaca and chicken dishes from the main buffet and a sampling of several desserts from the sweet buffet. A pisco sour was included and unlimited delicious coffee afterwards so really the price of 50 soles per head is very reasonable. It was fun to chat to the artist who I had not seen for a while and I have been invited to visit his studio this coming week and meet his wife and child and will be going there on Tuesday afternoon, about 5.30 when he is sure to be back from Tunupa. I will probably buy one of his water colours to bring home.
The last of the tour groups left around 4 pm and after packing up their instruments I walked with them up to the main road, just as a bus was arriving and I climbed aboard. We had agreed to meet at Dinnos because Daniel wanted to eat there. Although they do feed the musicians at Tunupa it isnt until much later and he was too hungry to wait. We shared a couple of Inka colas while he tucked into his chicken dinner and the two Ebers arrived and were trying to get him and others interested in forming a group to play in one of the restaurants in Plaza de Armas that night. When I said my goodbyes a bit later it was with the understanding that I might well come along to that restaurant and watch them play. When I got home it was to find that Nohemy and Alfredo had gone out as they had no way of knowing that the birthday party of Wilber´s Mum had been cancelled, and for a while it looked as though I might be spending New Year´s eve on my own!
About 9 pm I decided to walk up to Plaza de Armas to see if the band were playing in that restaurant where I bumped into Rosalio, Daniel´s brother, who explained they couldn´t get enough musicians interested in working instead of celebrating and that it was cancelled. So instead I went with him to his parents house where Daniel, both wives and their children were also there to share the New Years eve celebrations and I was very warmly welcomed by the parents, given big hugs by the two little girls who were both eager to show me the bags of toys, sweets and sparklers that their Dads had given them. We sat in the kitchen for a while chatting whilst Nohemy, Daniel´s wife, went out to buy lechon and wine and I contributed to pay for the wine, a red borgonya, sweet red that is very popular here. Meanwhile, Marisol, Rosalio´s wife was preparing the yellow confetti, candles etc and arranging a bunch of yellow flowers for the table. When the food arrived we all tucked in and shared the wine and it was a very nice way to see the new year in. Rosalio and Daniel then walked me home afterwards around 1 pm. New year´s day we spent mostly at home, with me sunbathing on the patio as it was a very hot day.
On Saturday we went to Cusco again, to Plaza Tupac Amaru as usual which we always enjoy and I plan to go there again tomorrow as I have to visit Immigration and get the extension on my leave to stay here until 18th February. The next big event to look forward to is the fiesta at Ollantaytambo on Wednesday which will probably be the subject of my next blog entry, with more photos being added to the truprint link soon after that.
