Day 84 - Puno

Wednesday, 5 November 2014

I first went to the bus station to buy a bus ticket to Cusco, at 10 pm. Then I checked out of my hostel in Puno, left my bags there and went to the lake where the festival begins, and waited for the arrival of of the first Incas, Manco Kapac and Mama Ocllo, to arrive by traditional boat made of tortora reeds from Lake Titicaca to shore. The area surrounding the lake was abuzz with activity, with the locals selling all kinds of stuff, including all kinds of local food; it reminded me of a very crowded Sunday market. 

At about 11 am the boat carrying Manco Kapac and Mama Ocllo arrived from Lake Titicaca, together with a procession of what looked like yatiris or shamans, bodyguards and other followers. They got off the boats and walked along the streets, to the ultimate destination which was the stadium. I found a good place to stand in front of some local women selling some fried fish, and took some really great photos and videos of Manco Kapac and Mama Ocllo.

Then I went off to have lunch at the local market, and I tried the typical local dish here in Puno, called 'thimpo de trucha y karachi', which is trout and another small fish called karachi, steamed in some kind of sauce. Karachi is a small but flavourful fish, but full of bones! The fish dish was delicious, but what made it even tastier was a chilli dish called 'rocoto', which is supposed to be spicier than 'ahi'. While it was spicier than ahi, it was still not our cili padi. What can I say. For me, the spicier the better. And 3 months without spice is a big sacrifice for me!

Then back to the stadium to watch the festival. I paid 2 soles to enter the stadium. I found out later that the price for tourists to enter the stadium was 20 soles! I think because I didn't say anything except 'un' which means I wanted 1 ticket, the lady at the ticket counter assumed I was local and gave me the local price. Whatever the reason, I was in.

The yatiri or shaman was giving a speech when I entered the stadium. Apparently his job is to interpret the way the fire burned or the ashes scattered or something like that and predict the future based on that interpretation. Then Manco Kapac gave a short speech to the people in Quechua, and Mama Ocllo gave a speech to the people in Aymara.

And then there was a traditional song and dance competition by 9 groups, and the winner would get to perform in the festival known as Fiesta de la Candelaria, in honour of the Virgin Candelaria, the patron saint of Puno. This is a festival apparently recognised by UNESCO for its cultural significance. I watched all the performances, all were pretty much the same kind of music and dance with perhaps 1 or 2 stand outs. It was a really hot day today, and I sat at a part of the stadium where there was no roof, and even for someone who should be used to the sun, I was feeling a little 'burned out' when the competition was over.

Then back to town, near the main square where school students performed dances on the streets all day and into the night. I watched as many performances as I could, but at about 7 pm I started feeling a bit off, I think it's the contrast in the weather; it was blazing hot earlier in the day and suddenly after the sun set it became freezing cold. So I went into a cozy restaurant to have something to eat and to just relax for a while, and at about 9 pm I went to collect my bag from the hostel, and made my way to the bus station. 

On the bus I took a piriton and went straight to sleep hoping I would not fall sick.