Feria de Chinchero

I took the bus to Chinchero for their yearly fair. The fairgrounds are set up on a large plain next to a lake. Its at least 50 acres. Inside is a stage, demonstration areas, a livestock area, some carnaval games and large inflateable slides, a food court, and a primitive bull ring. There is a competition of regional dances going on all day at the stage. I check out a couple and then go eat. The food court is all run by little Andean women from various villages. All the food is prepared in large pots over an open fire. I get a delicious dish of fried trout. They sit me at a small table where a local woman is eating. I soon notice that the women are looking at me and laughing. I think they are saying something like "Who`s your new boyfriend" in Quechua to the woman sharing my table.
   I went back to the dance competition and spent several hours there. Each group got 8 minutes. Some of the dances were hilarious. Many involved young couples dancing, then lieing on top of one another pretending to beat the crap out of each other, then switching positions, then rolling around on the ground. Others had men picking up women over their shoulder, then running together, bumping the women`s butts together. The funniest one had the villagers setting up a garden. A guy in a chicken suit comes out and starts stomping on the veggies. They tackle him and tie his legs together, but he keeps at it, knocking people over and running amok. They beat him up some more and the crowd loves it. I am in hog heaven. Finally they switch to social groups. The local cuy cultivation society comes out. Most are women with half dressed in drag, as various types of guys. No one seems that bugged about it.
   Finally around dark its over and a band starts and I get a beer. Ther`s no ice in sight and my beer is warm. Its freezing and the beer is warming me up. I drink about half and go check out the band. One of the girls is wearing a miniskirt in this cold. They breed them tough up here! They suck so I get a cab home. Its $20 because the guy is local and does`t really want to go to Cuzco. I happily pay because I,m freezing my ass off even in a flannel shirt, long john top and leather jacket. Arriving back in Cuzco it feels like the tropics.
    For dinner I went to an Amazonian restaurant. They don`t have a menu, only 2 entrees that the waitress tells you about.One is a fish cooked in banana leaves. Its tasty but kind of fatty. Afterward I have a long discussion with the owner, a young Peruvian woman, about music. She loves the blues, knows about Bessie Smith, Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters etc. Cool to see how American culture travels
   The bartender at Km 0 said tonite was going to be a good band. I hung out until they started. They were really good but by then I hit the wall. The cold air must have taken me out of it and I was in bed by midnite.