Instead of going down the hill when I left the hotel I decided to check out the nearby church. It looked like something might be going on there. As I approached it I saw that the road was completely blocked by a line of riot police. A demonstration was moving up the hill towards the church. Peruvian police have one main method of crowd control: live ammunition. I didn´t stick around. When I got to the main drag I saw a poster advertising an event taking place in 30 minutes. I grabbed a cab and went to the top of town where Pachamama Raymi was about to take place. August 1 is Quechua New Year and this is a ceremony to celebrate it. Pachamama is Quechua for mother earth, revered thoughout S America.In a large field a 50 foot square is roped off. Inside is a blanket filled with fruit, bread, soda, beer ,wine and various other types of food. Near the middle is a large hole about 5 ft in diameter. The dirt from the hole is decorated in flower petals and yellow confetti. At one edge is a stack of firewood ready to burn. People continuosly enter the square to add to the offering. Eventually they clear the square and the ceremony begins. The MC is a middle aged professorial type who looks a lot like All Shaft No Head. He is assisted by a woman in traditional dress and 5 or 6 men. One of the men blows a large conch shell and the ceremony begins. The MC gives a long address extolling the virtues of mother earth. One of the men in traditional garb walks around the square sprinkling everyone with what seems to be rose water.The helpers move around the crowd passing out coca leaves, which everyone starts chewing. Another lights the fire. After more incantations the MC walks around with a bundle of flowers shaking it at everyone. One of the helpers gets a small fire going in a clay pot and starts to move around the circle as people place coca leaves on the burning pot. Soon the air is heavy with the scent of burning coca leaves. The woman puts a bundle of coca leaves on the fire. It smells like fresh pine needles burning. The MC goes around the square with a bundle of flowers again, this time with a bottle of wine,sprinkling everyone as he passes. Next he goes around the crowd throwing yellow confetti all over everyone. All Shaft would love this shit!
A large crowd has gathered and is starting to get restless.The MC wraps up this segment by blessing the hole and pouring some chibcha into it. There is a small gate in the roped off area and it is open to admit about a dozen prople. They go for the blanket and take a few things to the hole. Everyone gets on their knees and places their offering into the hole. Its not really an offering. They consider it more a payment to Pachamama. They leave and another group is admitted. Things get a little hectic as some people by the rope jump the gun to enter the square. Order is partially restored and groups of people are admitted about a dozen at a time to throw stuff into the hole and throw coca leaves on the fire. There are at least 200 people waiting and this takes a while. The attendands keep it moving while exhorting people not to throw plastic or trash into the hole. Don´t want to defile Pachamama! Finally everyone has had their chance and the MC wraps it up by making a final ritual offering of the remains of a bucket of chicha. One final incantation is made and the attendants start to push dirt into the hole. Soon they are joined by dozens of people, all on their knees shoving dirt into the hole. Everyone is in a joyous mood, hugging one another and saying Feliz Ano. All in all its a very spiritual ceremony, way more authentic than anything the burners have devised.
I walk up to the large white statue of Christ with his arms streched out that overlooks the town. All the harriettes love Jesus cause he´s hung like this! From here I can see the way down. I descend down to town for lunch.
I went to a Sichuan restaurant and got one of the few Chinese items on the menu:pork in garlic sauce. it wass not that great, kind of salty but a change from all the Peruvian food I have been eating. There is another ceremony at 5 in one of the squares and I have some time to kill. I head to the Irish pub on the Plaza de Armas and drink a couple of beers while watching the Olympics. Leaving at 5 I run into a religious procession around the Plaza de Armas. Over a dozen men are carrying a large statue of the Virgin on a large altar.
They are followed by a few dozen people and a band. A block away the Pachamama Raymi ceremony is starting. Its a sterilized version with very few offerings, no hole and a chiminea -like clay pot instead of a fire. Coca leave are passed out to the crowd. A politico adresses the crowd over a PA system. Its much hokeyer than the previous ceremony and everyone lines up to put their coca leaves into the fire. Its getting cold so I head back to the hotel.
For dinner I went back to the pizza place. A large group enters right before me and goes upstairs. I sat down and soon placed my order. The brat for the previous nite comes up to me and says"Hasta la vista, baby" Soon a young couple comes in. They are friends of the owner and the brat goes over to pester them. The pizza is delicious, but there is no sauce. I went to a live music bar for a beer and hit the wall just as the band was starting. They are garage band level and start with Hendrix´ Foxy Lady. I split and crash hard as soon as get to my room. Its 11PM
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