It has been a mixed bag lately, with me having trouble writing, and with my mood.
Oh the joys.
Let's see, I have been teaching, wandering, thinking, sleeping and thinking some more. I really should stop that.
Saturday I was invited by my students to one of the farms I have seen lining the river along the main road. It is one of the farms built up a hillside that slopes steeply from the river, and I was happy to be able to visit. I also got to take the cable platform transport across the river again, which is way fun.
The lovely family that hosted us inlcuded mom, dad and 3 young boys. They have been farming this property for 8 years and looking around it is so obvious that this is hard, hard work. Not only the hillside terracing, planting and tending but building the house, setting up a clean water source, the chicken hut, still, and of course the cable river crossing transport.
Their home was quite large in comparison to many I have passed along this route... 5 good sized rooms with mud packed walls and bamboo roofing, and an open air bungalow out front.
We brought food from the market to cook (me not allowed… guest and all) and we sat down to a first course of soup (Peruvian staple) consisting of broth and a small fish floating in the middle. I did my best, although the little sucker had more tiny bones than anything I had ever encountered… and I just couldn’t bring myself to eat the head. Call me a silly Gringa but it was just not something I could do.
One of the girls (Sandra) and I started out on a hike that was to take us up to a ruin located on the hillside across the river. Not ten minutes out the skies opened and a rainy season deluge had us taking cover under an orange tree, and then running back to the house when it became apparent this was no scattered shower.
Nice little nip of home made sugar cane liquor and a seat next to the open fire pit stove in one of the rooms had us drying off and warming up quickly.
I sat contentedly while the Spanish flew above my head back and forth at light speed. The locals here speak with a distinct “jungle” accent and chances of me understanding were slim to none. I snuck off to the bathroom, the typical small hole in the floor, and embarrassingly can tell you that my aim has not improved much since last year.
The second course of dinner was served outside, and in my honour consisted of bean stew, cooked potatoes and corn. The chicken that was due to be dinner was able to cluck away for another day.
Sometime during the day the day we went for a stroll (and by stroll I mean hike almost straight up) about the farm, and watched bananas being cut and packed for transport. There were many coffee plants in various stages of maturity, lemon, orange, mandarin, papaya and banana trees, corn and oodles of sugar cane.
Let me tell you, there is something pretty nifty about eating sugarcane immediately after being cut. I was handed a long finger that was oozing sweet juice. The trick is to crunch down on the cane and suck at the same time, necessary because of the explosion of cane juice when chewed. If you happen to bite a piece of the cane itself that is ok, just chew until all the juice is gone and spit the leftover roughage out. Yum, yum, yum.
Also notable was the spectacle of an older man taking his bath in the river across the way. The order of things kind of confused me. First he stripped naked, squatted and did his business at the edge of the river. Then he put his skivvies back on and went into the river, where he proceeded to wash his face and hands, then his hair, then his body and finally did some kind of up and down in a chair kind of motion to clean his backside and, well, you know, nether regions. The five of us women just sat there laughing. Terrible I know, but it was just so… And how come he put his underwear back on to go into the water? Enquiring minds and all that.
After the afternoons entertainment came a quiet time when a couple of ladies snoozed, another couple who were obviously good friends talked quietly to catch up on news, share opinions about sunscreen and face creams (universally female) and I sat and enjoyed the sight and experience of the river flowing by in such a tranquil setting. It was a lovely way to pass some down time.
Home time, and I was able to sit close to the open window in the front of the taxi in order to try and take pictures of the amazing rock formations that line the river. My camera, still suffering the effects of last years sudden dip, performed erratically. There were pictures taken of the clouds floating above and around us as we climbed back up to Chachapoyas.
My reflection for the day revolves around just how happy a family can be even though they have none of our modern conveniences. There were 3 pots, 3 plastic bowls and a rough board for a countertop, and cooking happened over open flame, or a small 2 burner propane stove. There were stacking white plastic chairs and table for furniture. There is a much different standard of clean, which is oh, so understandable when considering the work involved. The kids played with things they found lying around, although there was a television that I saw on in the main sleeping room. Cartoons.
Sunday was quiet… persistent headache, and Monday I was tired and slightly brain dead. I walked both days in the hopes that it will help me perk up.
Two espressos this morning helped considerably.
Festival / carnival comes to a rowdy close today, so it should be hopping in the plaza until the wee hours. I’ll check it out.
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