Peru - Lesmahagow Work Party 2009

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Peru - There and back Again

Sunday 19th July 2009 - Pisac Market

Today we headed off to the tourist market at Pisac. Via public transport. And amazingly we all managed to get on to the same bus at the bus station. The roads in this area of Peru managed to make the really poor road conditions of South Lananrkshire seem pretty good!!

The market was busy and bustling, and on one of the corners was a woman and her children all dressed in national dress. Purely for us tourists with cameras, in the hope of receiving a few soles (pennies) in exchange for taking a photograph.

Well I never!!!! It was the same woman and her children that had been in the exact same corner over 18 months previously. I could hardly believe my eyes.

No doubt this was their pitch!



The market is a wonderful place. Full of colour and wonderful people trying every which way to part us tourists from our cash. And very successfully by the number of bags I could see being carried all around me. Quick lessons being given on how to play the pan pipes, fashion shows demonstrating the latest Alpaca jumpers and cardies. Wonderful sales pitches extoling the delights and beauty of the Incan jewelery and colorful artwork all around.


It was a great experience, and amidst it all I walked into a wedding party coming out from the local registrars office!!


Back in Urubamba we went to visit the local ceramics place for yet some more retail therapy. Urubamba is turning out to be an amazing place. Streets full of daily life and shops not wholly dependent on tourism. A town with a life of its own and people who get by with or without us passers-by.






As it was Sunday, we had been invited along to a local church in Urubamba. The one which the boys from the home attend, and we had been invited to go along and spend a few hours in worship with the boys.

Several of us went along to the service, and joined the kids in this celebration of worship and communion. It was a really great experience and the pastor's wife translated the sermon into english for our behalf, which was such a nice touch. We were made very welcome from everyone around us including all the locals from the community; and all the boys seemed very pleased that we had come along to join with them in their worship.

It was a fantastic way to round off yet another truly amazing day in Peru.

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Photos

Musicians
Musicians just outside the church, Pisac

Wedding Crashers
Wedding party at Pisac