Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Picture time-were's the corn?
That's Julia behind me at my Paraguayan desvedido or however it is spelled. Built them a garden fence while I was there. Like to travel by bus- they have some pretty nice ones nowadays. Like those cama buses in South America. That" Ve Party" bus is in Panama. John and I share a St Patrik's day beer with Felix, mi nuevo nieto, born in Buenos Aires, un Porte~o.
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Wow- look at all of those comments. There are some I need to get rid of. so where IS the corn? wELLLLL- I was building that garden fence and I planted some corn there as well as amaranth and other veggies. The amaranth grew huge. Did you know the spanish banned its growing by the conquered Mexicans? That's what I read. I think because it looks somuch like blood soaked dreads like the meso-american priests created with the blood of those whose pumping hearts they removed. Fanatical or fundamentalist religion scares me. I also do not like the self flagerism that is practiced by many religions. I'll pass when it comes to sun dancing. I like carnival much better-more fun. This winter I was in the high Andean towns of Huancayo , Ayacucho,Andajuaylas, Abancay, Cuzco and Copacabana for some memorably fun carnival celebrations. I love the costuming, participatory dancing and fun vibes-although I was happy to get a break from the water baloons at the Copacabana celebrations- great bands. costumes and dancing. Was an amplified salsa band in addition to about 8 traditional groups. Copacabana is a good place to enjoy alte plano religious events. I very muched enjoyed a Candelabra celebration there. It was 3 days and on sunday wound up with a hokey non lethal community bulfight with some 20 or so local ameture bulls who had been fenced in the adjoining pasture. Every one of the bulls wanted to find his way back out to the green pasture was therefore dificult to goad into taking passes at the proferred capes. Soon all of the local teenagers and some of the bolder gringos were in the ring. Before it was over, even I got in the ring. No blood-unlike the thing they do with a condor and a bull. They tie a condor(the worlds biggest bird with a 12 foot wingspan) onto a bulls back, the condor digs in his claws as the bull runs. The condor, of course, represents the indiginous or native world, while the bull represents the spanish or imported. Depending upon which group is dominant in the town, the appropriate animal wins due to the help meeted out to the native or import. I have never seen this accept in pictures and depictations. The first hotel I stayed in in Abancay had a stuffed Condor mounted on a bulls bust on the tv. That town seemed to have something about birds and me. Althoug I stayed at a different sunny hotel on this visit, I got to town early on a nice day and decided to walk the 1 k to town from the bus station. A couple of young boys joined me on our walk into town, one of whom had a small owell tied to his shoulder. Wellll, he thought I needed an owel and he just happened to have one on a string that he was willing to sell at a special price, He could not understand why I did not buy this wonderfull owel that he had at a special price. I much prefer the spirate of Eckecko. But let's move on from birds and talk about spiritual matters and Gods. I like Eckecko. His festival in La Plaz in february. I bought mine with standard issue stuff and i added some US $50s and got them all blessed. I keep mine as a shrine and I am blessed with everything I need. I bought some miniature $50s US for him aand I seem to have enough, although this time I went to fill my wallet, I got $20s. They work. Eckecko represents good posssitive vibes and hope. Carnival is fun. Is Mardi Gra ever going to be the same? Time to pick and eat some purple sweet corn. YUMMMM
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