Journal Post, Observation # 5- Candelaria

Where have I been this last week you ask? Well, I will tell you. I have been in Puno, dancing way more than anyone should. Remember when I told you that I was going to do some dancing? Well, just a bit of back story. It is a bit complicated and in my opinion, kind of looney, but here goes. As far as I understand, there is a Virgin (miraculous appearance)in the Canary Islands and this Vigin was called Candelaria. Somehow, the same Virgin made an appearance in the mines in the Andean Highlands and now, every February, there is a huge festival to worship/celebrate/get super wasted. Now, I read a newspaper article here the other day that described this initial event in detail, but what most made me think is that the people of the regious (Aymara and Quechua) already worshiped a mother Earth figure and currently, they call the Virgin of the Candelaria "Mamacha Candelaria" or Mother Candelaria. Interesting, the splicing of pagan worship with Catholicism. Just my perspective. Anywho, nowadays, there is a rip roaring party for a week in which a LOT of people dance in intricate costumes and LOTS of musicians play (we're talking 50 people marching bands in abundance) and LOTS AND LOTS of BEER is consumed. My role in all of this had nothing to do with the Virgin,(which is a believe that I have always found silly) and nothing to do with getting stone drunk. My part in all of this was some intense dancing. For those of you who have never seen Saya, (or Caporales) dances, let me just say this. I have lost 14 pounds in the last two weeks. Yes, it is vigorous. And we are talking 4-5 hours daily dancing for 5 days straight. Yeah, it was quite a deal. There are many things I could write about Candelaria, and it will surely be the subject of many posts to come, but for today, I think I will cut this off with a picture.