Rich had his birthday on Monday of this week and we went out for cuy (guinea pig), his choice, not Julie’s. We spent time talking with our kids and generally spent a quiet day together. On Friday we also went out to lunch in a nice restaurant for Valentine’s Day. We took a cab but found our way blocked by a huge march of folks in traditional dance costumes. It celebrates a Catholic virgin designated Del Rosario. We did not know about it going in and had quite the challenge negotiating the whole thing. We enjoyed the fantastic display of dance costumes that we saw however.
We finished up our “easy” books and began a heap of much more difficult books to photograph. We still managed over 4000 pages this week.
On Saturday, we had promised to go to Espinar and attend the Sunday meetings with the members in the small family group at Tarucuyo. We took off at 1pm on Saturday and took the busses to Sicuani and then on up to Espinar. We made it in good order and with a minimum of interruption.
Our trip from Sicuani to Espinar was flavored with a soapbox type preacher called an evangelical minister. It was an interesting hellfire and damnation sort of address. He harangued for a good hour of the hour and a half trip. It was a much less tolerant approach to the gospel than we take from the scriptures. We never quite know what to expect on the bus rides.
On Sunday, we had an invitation to a friends’ house for breakfast. This was essentially a lamb soup with potatoes and chuño (freeze-dried potatoes). It is the traditional fare in this part of Peru and is quite flavorful. It was really sweet of them to open their home to us. We had to eat and run since we had the missionaries picking us up to go to our meetings.
The elders came for us and took us up to a part of the town called Siete Esquinas (seven corners) where collective buses pick up their passengers to take them out to various places. From one of the corners a bus, meant to hold a dozen or so people fills up. Of course, it does not stop with twelve. By the time we left we had a new appreciation for how sardines might actually feel. We counted nineteen people on the bus.
The bus made its way out of town along a mix of paved and dirt/ rocky roads. The ride was bumpy, dusty and hot. It took fifty minutes to get there.
We arrived and found the members waiting for us. They seemed genuinely happy that we had come. We were asked to give talks and Julie helped teach the primary, (children from 3 – 11). It truly took us back to our first experiences with the church here in Peru. We began in just such a group of people that we came to love and hold dear. The circumstances in that group were somewhat less primitive than Tarucuyo.
In Tarucuyo we met in the same adobe house and grounds around it that we met in before out there. The services are basic but the feeling is so warm that we truly felt at home with a group of people we hardly know.
After we spoke, the president of the group got up to speak. He explained that some of the members did not speak Spanish and so he recapped our talks in Quechua. We had really wonderful day.
On our way back through town, we had committed to visit Marco Matos and his wife Luz Marina Carrazco and, of course Marco’s mom. That put us leaving town along about 4:30pm. We wound up on a slower bus from Sicuani to Cusco and it took us to the regular bus terminal. We just walked home from there and got in about 10:00 pm. It made for a long but wonderful weekend!
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Thanks as always for sharing. I didn't know that the old "chapel" in Espinar had been burned or that there was a branch in Tarucuyo! Stay safe!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome Bryce! Yes, the old chapel got taken over by the Tintaya Foundation and they had a protest in town and rowdies burned the chapel down. Very sad to see!
DeleteSo sorry to hear about the old chapel. What a bummer! The pictures of church outside sure bring back memories of the courtyard of the chapel in Espinar - even though it wasn't grassy there.
ReplyDeleteGlad you guys had a great birthday and Valentine's day week. Miss you!
The pictures, as usual, are breathtaking, especially the costumes, etc. I can relate to the outhouse visit as we didn't have a bathroom until I was 13. Went through quite a few Montgomery Ward catalogue pages. Toilet paper was available mainly when visitors were expected.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoy this!
DeleteDad looks like a mafia boss in his sunglasses and suit.
ReplyDelete:) That was not the aim but, if it works...
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