Last day in Puno - the day belongs to the dancers, the night belongs to the tubas

I am writing this from Cusco.  We are on the couches in the atrium of our hostel, moaning over how much we ate at my birthday lunch (but that is yet to come in blog world).

I'm sure you remember from the big book of Joanne's travel planning, that Val and I had booked for 6 days in Puno because they were having a huge festival for the Virgin of Candelaria.  We arrived on Monday but the first big day was the Sunday before.  And we had planned to leave on the following Sunday morning, before the big final events on the last day.  But we figured lots would be going on between the two Sundays.  

So, when we arrived, we started asking around what was happening.  There was nothing.  We looked on the website, just info on the two Sundays. The tourist cop said nothing was happening.  The posters around town only showed the Sundays.  Damn!  Occasionally we would hear a band somewhere in the distance but nothing like we were expecting.  So we booked our two day island tour (not a tour!) assuming we weren't missing anything.  

We got back on Thursday afternoon and didn't do too much.  Since nothing was going on in town from what we could tell, we decided to change our bus tickets to leave on Saturday morning instead of Sunday.  (We weren't in love with Puno and especially our hostel).Then, dinner and early to bed. 

But on Friday morning, at 4:45 am! we could hear tubas, right outside our window, way up on the fourth floor.  I think this is when the Virgin started her procession.  It didn't make much difference since we were woken up every morning at that hostel by the doorbell which for some ungodly reason started ringing at 5:30 every morning and rang throughout the hostel.  

We didn't think much of the tubas.  We got up eventually and went for breakfast at our favourite place in the plaza (the restaurant with the good coffee). We sat in the window overlooking the plaza and church and we noticed that people in costumes were starting to assemble. We finished our meals (and coffee) quickly and headed down to see what was happening.  I don't even know what word to use to describe what was going on.  It was some sort of festival event/showcase of bands with dancers.  So many dancers!

We grabbed two seats on the church steps, front and centre.  And watched the show.  Here are a million pictures.  Some of the performers were very professional and some where kids in homemade costumes but all were very impressive.

The first act

Over the shoulder shot of the crowd behind
us on the steps

The dance of the brujas (the witches)

This group was amazing, my favourite.
They had whistles to keep time.  I love whistles

This devil (or devil like creature) is a thing,
I don't know what or why, but he is around

The youngest dancers of the show (except for one
baby strapped to one dancer's back)

And the youngest musician
(flute and drums)

Clearly, I loved the feather hats.

It was so hot while we were sitting there I got a burn on my legs through my pants.  We sat there, on those low stone steps for over three hours!  My back is much better, but that was pushing things.

After another coffee, we did a bit of shopping.  I had seen a sweater I liked in a shop on the touristy street but I could never find the shop again.   I don't think we ended up buying anything.  Although I should mention that Val bought another hard to pack item in Puno, a woven reed duck (she is telling me to tell you , it is packed and not a problem).  So, Val is losing on the awkward shaped purchases but I am definitely losing on volume of purchases.  Despite the fact that every time I pick something up, Val says, 'what will Lea say?" or "Lea is just going to make you give that away'.  She is very annoying (Val, not Lea - yet).

But I digress.  It started raining pretty hard so we headed back to the hostel.  We had planned one more visit to the waterfront but not in that weather.   Early to bed again.

But then around 10pm.  The music! The bands! The Tubas!.  A parade was going by our window.  I got up and watched it from above.  It was still raining but that did not stop the party. The parade eventually passed but then the fireworks started all over the city.  Apparently, there were festivities before Sunday but we had already changed our tickets and hotel reservations.  Oh well, Candelaria had to go on without us.

Next morning, 6am, the parade went by again,  this time I had my camera so I got a picture of the Virgin as she went by.

La Virgin

The band (those drums are loud, especially at 6am)

We grabbed a cab to the bus station early to try to beat the massive road congestion that came with a parade randomly winding its way through the narrow streets of a big city.  Turns out that the street along the water also transforms into a massive market so it was a slow go to the station.

Our bus trip to Cusco was around 7 hours.  Lots of beautiful scenery, I am getting redundant!  I am the new Ansel Adams of Peruvian mountains, if Ansel Adams had to take his photos of mountains through the dirty window of a moving bus.  Pick up your game Ansel!

I am not too atheist to admit that we said a little prayer to the gods of wayward travelers with bad backs and overstuffed packs.  Please God, let our next hostel be nice, (we really hated our Puno hostel and it's unholy doorbell), and, if it isn't asking too much, can our room be no higher than the second floor (ok maybe the third) and quiet with firm beds and soft pillows.  Thank you, respect, Valerie and Joanne.

We got to Cusco, cabbed it to  Mallqui Hostel.  Oh. My. God.   It is wonderful.  And our room is on the first floor.  And quiet.  And the wifi works (eventually).  And the breakfast is so good - yogurt, fruit, granola, coffee, juice, eggs, bread with jam and butter!   And, god smiles upon us, enough surfaces to unload our packs and have our stuff accessible.  If we had prayed to a dead martyr, we could have moved that almost-saint to beatification for the miracle that was granted!  (I may have spent too much time in a Catholic country).  Did I mention the firm bed! And the hot shower! (We leave tomorrow and I am never going to be as happy with a hostel again).  And the library room!  LIBRARY ROOM!  just as I finished my novel.

Our room

The entrance way to our room!

The Atrium.  I am currently sitting on
that couch writing, our room is just to the left

The courtyard garden, which we don't
sit in because it is so rainy here
but we enjoy the giant hummingbird who
hangs out there through the breakfast room window

 Oh, and Cusco is nice too.  After we finally dragged ourselves away from our room, we wandered down to the Plaza.  This town has so many churches!  There are two giant churches facing the Plaza and another five or more with spires visible.  Here are some photos from the plaza.

Two giant churches, the Cathedral on the left, and
I think the basilica on the right

The Cathedral

It looks very European to me

Another church on the hill (San Francisco?)

Little alleys everywhere

Another church a block away

Ok, that's that for now.  I will try to cram three days in Cusco into my next post.  It's my birthday and this is what Mallqui Hostel did for me.   Have I mentioned how much I love Mallqui Hostel!

Felliz Compleanos
 Joanne Denise