Surviving Pau-car-tam-bo!
Whew!
Well, after 2 days of rest and healthy eating I can say I officially survived Paucartambo, THE festival of the Andes (as in all the Andean countries, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile parts of Argentina and Colombia). I´m not sure that I can actually describe what Paucartambo IS (in addition to exhausting as very little sleep and more than a little beer are involved in the festivities of course but I will try) Also, Wikipedia is lacking in a good entry, or even one in English!
So, Paucartambo is an extremely small town wedged in a valley between the Andes with a river running through it- it is passed through mainly by people going to the jungle which is another cople hours away. Usually there are only about 500 people or so living in the town which is entirely adobe, cobblestone and rather than having blocks, the streets are layed out like steps. (a little crazy). Every year on the 16th of July, over 5,000 people from around Peru and South America (and not many gringo tourists) flock to this teeny town and all of the houses which are usually shut for the year are opened and everyone rents floor space for the weekend. So, I spent a lovely weekend on the rather dirty floor of a rather dirty adobe compound, no shower, no real toilets, basic Andean living with about a million of my closest friends (haha).
The Fiesta del Carmen (or Mamacha Carmen) goes back all the way to the 17th century when the cult surrounding Carmen truly got underway, this weekend is celebrated every year as a reenactment of the history of the culture and its people and their relation Carmen. She is revered, prayed to and celebrated. During his last visit to Peru Pope John Paul II blessed and held a coronation ceremony for the statue of Carmen which was brought to Cusco from Paucartambo especially for his visit.
So, aside from historical details, which I am admittedly sketchy on, the festival is absolutely the most crazy, mindblowing thing I have ever seen. I am not catholic but the power Carmen brings to the people is awe inspiring and I even felt myself caught up in the moment throughout the weekend. The craziest part about the festival asied from the emotion and adoration is the dancing. There are 17 seperate dance groups each of which represent a sector of 17th century society (bread makers, slaves, indians, Chileans, french influences, Devils (sacras
), Kings, princesses, traders the list goes on and on.) Each group has their own specific costume (there are between 30 and 60 musicians and dancers per group) and each has a specific, exquisitely designed and painted mask. The dancers and musicians perform their dances (each according to their historical role) ALL weekend long, as in from Saturday morning until Monday night. Its all marching band horn and drum music and each dance is different and unique. The first day (Sat) they march in procession all day long around the square and then all the revelers run around all night dancing at each of the ¨homes¨ (courtayrds in huge adobe compounds) of the dance groups. Sunday there is more dancing and in the afternoon the Virgin is removed from the church and brought around the city on a huge platform, carried on the shoulders of 50 men. She is then brought back into the church carried only by single women amid flower petals, dancing music....words can´t really describe the emotion involved when she rounds the corner and the the reaction of the crowd which they first see her. 
On Monday there is more dancing and the groups and onlookers all go to the town cemetary- certainly the craziest most beautiful thing I have EVER seen in a cemetary- to pay a visit, dance and pray for members who have passed on. Later the war between two of the dance groups (representing people from the jungle and people from the highlands) which inspired the Carmen cult and was a war for the favor of Carmen is reenacted and she is brought back over the river and returns with one group in victory, the other in defeat. A final dane around the square with all of the dance groups is done (and we are talking hours here) and then the groups retreat to their ¨homes¨ for further celebrating and prayers or thanks.
Whew. I´m not sure I did a good job explaining that at ALL but hopefully the pictures will help illustrate my point. The costumes and masks are absolutely unbelievable and the amount of dancing is mindblowing, how the dancers can even move their feet after four days is a marvel in itself as I felt after just two days as though my legs would fall off from dancing and walking around the town with the dance groups.
The devotion to Carmen is amazing and its all so remarkable because she lives in a rather modest church in a teeny town in the middle of nowhere in Peru and she literally draws worldwide devotion and worship. What I found incredibly interesting was the position of the crucified Christ in the church...it was halfway down the aisle, on the side and Carmen, a female virgin takes absolute center stage on the alter attracting crows by the hundreds all day long.
After two days of rest (the trip back was a bear, we were supposed to leave at 9pm on Monday night and didn´t end up getting out of Paucartamble until 11:30, got home to Cusco around 4am, no heat in the car, flat tire etc etc etc) I can officially say that I will make it a point to return to this amazing festival and learn more. I have a friend who has gone 12 times and she is still learning herself. Another friend usually dances but was unable to this year and I´d like to see her out there, mask and all celebrating the beauty and glory of this amazing festival. It certainly touched me, in a way I can´t quite explain, I´m not usually one for iconography but there is something special about this female icon who so many people trust and pray to for salvation, hope and peace.
Until then, after four days in that little town I will look back on the memories of Paucartambo as some of the strongest and best of my entire time in South America. The amount of dancing, revelry and celebration was both exhasuting and exhilirating and I feel privledged to have been able to take part in such a special event.
So, I am currently in Bolivia, in Copacabana, on the far side of Titicaca...enjoying a few days rest, away from the madness of Cusco and have officially exited one Peruvian visa in order to get a new one on the way back in. More news from La Paz...until then...enjoy the heat and summer wherever you are!!
Well, after 2 days of rest and healthy eating I can say I officially survived Paucartambo, THE festival of the Andes (as in all the Andean countries, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile parts of Argentina and Colombia). I´m not sure that I can actually describe what Paucartambo IS (in addition to exhausting as very little sleep and more than a little beer are involved in the festivities of course but I will try) Also, Wikipedia is lacking in a good entry, or even one in English!
So, Paucartambo is an extremely small town wedged in a valley between the Andes with a river running through it- it is passed through mainly by people going to the jungle which is another cople hours away. Usually there are only about 500 people or so living in the town which is entirely adobe, cobblestone and rather than having blocks, the streets are layed out like steps. (a little crazy). Every year on the 16th of July, over 5,000 people from around Peru and South America (and not many gringo tourists) flock to this teeny town and all of the houses which are usually shut for the year are opened and everyone rents floor space for the weekend. So, I spent a lovely weekend on the rather dirty floor of a rather dirty adobe compound, no shower, no real toilets, basic Andean living with about a million of my closest friends (haha).
The Fiesta del Carmen (or Mamacha Carmen) goes back all the way to the 17th century when the cult surrounding Carmen truly got underway, this weekend is celebrated every year as a reenactment of the history of the culture and its people and their relation Carmen. She is revered, prayed to and celebrated. During his last visit to Peru Pope John Paul II blessed and held a coronation ceremony for the statue of Carmen which was brought to Cusco from Paucartambo especially for his visit.So, aside from historical details, which I am admittedly sketchy on, the festival is absolutely the most crazy, mindblowing thing I have ever seen. I am not catholic but the power Carmen brings to the people is awe inspiring and I even felt myself caught up in the moment throughout the weekend. The craziest part about the festival asied from the emotion and adoration is the dancing. There are 17 seperate dance groups each of which represent a sector of 17th century society (bread makers, slaves, indians, Chileans, french influences, Devils (sacras
), Kings, princesses, traders the list goes on and on.) Each group has their own specific costume (there are between 30 and 60 musicians and dancers per group) and each has a specific, exquisitely designed and painted mask. The dancers and musicians perform their dances (each according to their historical role) ALL weekend long, as in from Saturday morning until Monday night. Its all marching band horn and drum music and each dance is different and unique. The first day (Sat) they march in procession all day long around the square and then all the revelers run around all night dancing at each of the ¨homes¨ (courtayrds in huge adobe compounds) of the dance groups. Sunday there is more dancing and in the afternoon the Virgin is removed from the church and brought around the city on a huge platform, carried on the shoulders of 50 men. She is then brought back into the church carried only by single women amid flower petals, dancing music....words can´t really describe the emotion involved when she rounds the corner and the the reaction of the crowd which they first see her. On Monday there is more dancing and the groups and onlookers all go to the town cemetary- certainly the craziest most beautiful thing I have EVER seen in a cemetary- to pay a visit, dance and pray for members who have passed on. Later the war between two of the dance groups (representing people from the jungle and people from the highlands) which inspired the Carmen cult and was a war for the favor of Carmen is reenacted and she is brought back over the river and returns with one group in victory, the other in defeat. A final dane around the square with all of the dance groups is done (and we are talking hours here) and then the groups retreat to their ¨homes¨ for further celebrating and prayers or thanks.Whew. I´m not sure I did a good job explaining that at ALL but hopefully the pictures will help illustrate my point. The costumes and masks are absolutely unbelievable and the amount of dancing is mindblowing, how the dancers can even move their feet after four days is a marvel in itself as I felt after just two days as though my legs would fall off from dancing and walking around the town with the dance groups.
The devotion to Carmen is amazing and its all so remarkable because she lives in a rather modest church in a teeny town in the middle of nowhere in Peru and she literally draws worldwide devotion and worship. What I found incredibly interesting was the position of the crucified Christ in the church...it was halfway down the aisle, on the side and Carmen, a female virgin takes absolute center stage on the alter attracting crows by the hundreds all day long.After two days of rest (the trip back was a bear, we were supposed to leave at 9pm on Monday night and didn´t end up getting out of Paucartamble until 11:30, got home to Cusco around 4am, no heat in the car, flat tire etc etc etc) I can officially say that I will make it a point to return to this amazing festival and learn more. I have a friend who has gone 12 times and she is still learning herself. Another friend usually dances but was unable to this year and I´d like to see her out there, mask and all celebrating the beauty and glory of this amazing festival. It certainly touched me, in a way I can´t quite explain, I´m not usually one for iconography but there is something special about this female icon who so many people trust and pray to for salvation, hope and peace.
Until then, after four days in that little town I will look back on the memories of Paucartambo as some of the strongest and best of my entire time in South America. The amount of dancing, revelry and celebration was both exhasuting and exhilirating and I feel privledged to have been able to take part in such a special event.
So, I am currently in Bolivia, in Copacabana, on the far side of Titicaca...enjoying a few days rest, away from the madness of Cusco and have officially exited one Peruvian visa in order to get a new one on the way back in. More news from La Paz...until then...enjoy the heat and summer wherever you are!!
posted by WanderLust at 7/20/2006 03:21:00 PM
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