Successful Blundering and a journey unforgettable

 

 

In a few days it will mark three months that I have been in my site. I live in Illimo-a mid size pueblo in Northern Peru. It lies within the department of Lambayeque-a region known for its Archeology, good food, and for friendly people. Midsize town here means 5,000 people with an additional 3,000 in the surrounding smaller areas , out in the more campo style landscape known as Caserios in English it falls under the word hamlet-when I here hamlet I think of a small French village two hours outside of Paris…this is obviously not the case. It falls short in being esthetically appealing from first glance but its beauty it seems lies right below. It would be thunderously absurd to give a summary on a town or people after living in it for three months and not understanding most of the dialogue going on around me. I am also aware that any failures or successes are initial and time will show the real value of my presence here for myself and the town.

The last three days here have been the towns anniversary events with today being the actual anniversary-all events leading up to a town dance in the central park. To describe experiences had in a distant place, in a distant culture is something I tend to shy away from. It seems to me braggadocios and generally impossible to put into words. I choose to write about comical situations, sentimental moments and other things that float through my mind. However, it is these cultural experiences that I came for-the exchange of ideas, food, laughs, life that has always interested me. I once rode on a motorcycle in the pouring rain for three hours in the open country of Japan, shared a table with 8 fifty year old Japanese women and sang hymns in their native language……these experiences all blend into one and after you leave a place they once again separate and turn into the vivid memories they were intended to be and they haunt you in good and bad ways. When I arrived here I was just not ready to experience things like that. The last three months has gone by in a crawl while riding a lightning bolt-the days that seem to inch along all seem like yesterday and I find myself experiencing once again these cultural rushes that I covet.

 

· A Hombre de abejas concurso (Man of bees contest)- four men simply cover themselves in head to toe in bees by placing the queen bee inside a small box hung around there necks-the great thing is they do this in the central park and people run from person to person who are situated one in each corner of the park. There are literally bees everywhere-I am not sure if this goes on in the states but for the life of me I can not imagine the people in the United States standing around in a swarm of bees watching men cover themselves in bees—people getting stung all over the place….kids fleeing in panic wondering why the bees are surrounding them as they wonder into the park with an ice cream in hand. After thirty minutes they are brought to the center of the park where the crowd judges with applause…only to witness a man fully covered in bees begin to throw a temper tantrum at not scoring top prize-deservedly so as this cat was literally covered…you could not see his mouth…..as he mumbled Spanish obscenities.

· My first beauty pageant..here or otherwise. They crown a Senora de Illimo every year and they go to serious lengths to put on this production. It is the same as it would be in the states except they are lacking in money and technology so everything seems very dated like the prom from Napoleon Dynamite…. at the same time the message is clear…an important event with a lot of effort put forth. They had a choreographer and the whole nine…who I spent the majority of the evening debating gender in my head until I broke down and asked someone which quickly became the joke of the eve-as it turned out to be a male which I was leaning towards…but the people that work in the municipality have been trying to put me in awkward situations with this person for the last two days….I have of course retaliated in a mature manner by physically picking people up and walking them into the same room as the gender bender. Mean while the previously mentioned character knows this is all going on and buys into the foolery and gets in on the act with us. The beauty pageant starts with Ropa de bano….bathroom wear which turned out to be wildly inappropriate bathing suites that I am sure would never see the inside of a bathroom or even a beach. I kept asking who wears that in a bathroom and why to no avail…..needless to say the event causes quite a stir in town and it is a great honor for the young lady who is crowned.  The candidate I found most deserving fell short and scored a measly third place finish. 

The above is a photo of me being lambasted in front of the entirety of Illimo.  Me being of “gringo” descent was brought up on stage during the anniversary ceremony in front of the entire town and used as a pawn for this internationally known comedian with what appears to be a Peruvian Jerry curl.  I was subject to jokes about the size of my feet, lack of hair, lack of wife…until they decided to marry me in front of the town with this random gal selected from the audience.  It was all done in a good hearted manner and immediately boosted my credentials in town as I quickly was known by all who had not noticed the translucent presence walking amongst them before. 

The above photo is one from the annual Desfile de Ninos in which each school of youth is dressed in a different theme.  For example the school above had all the girls dress as bees and the boys as beekeepers and they chase each other throughout the park.  It was one of the better experiences I have had as they really do make a concerted effort related to these costumes…..while half the kids cry as if they are being beaten about the head.  They could not have been any cuter in the process. 

All these events led up to my first vacation in Peru.  I trekked to Chachapoyas which is known as the “eyebrow of the Amazons” as it is the capital of the Amazons and sits elevated in a mountain range where I laid eyes on some of the most beautiful scenery I had ever had the chance to.  We visited ruins dating back thousands of years and hiked up a mountain in order to reach one of the worlds largest waterfalls…only to strip down to our bear essentials and plunge ourselves into the debated water temperature between 40-50 degrees.  If I have ever felt alive it was jumping into the dark lagoon below this beautiful, powerful creation gasping for air as the cold water hit my body.  Needless to say it was an experience I will never forget.  That is why I came to Peru in the first place-to help people, to challenge myself, and to be able to say “I will never forget”.  I count myself blessed to be able to experience life in general and the unique experiences that come along with it-I believe these last days especially relevant in these terms as I have had the adventures of a life time with new friends, in new places which will not soon be forgotten.