Back to Pisac for a little festival
Trip Start
Jul 07, 2011
1
10
12
Trip End
Jul 18, 2011
Where I stayed
What I did
Virgen del Carmen Festival, Pisac
Lima, Peru
Saturday, July 16, 2011
We had already been to Pisac with Isaac and preferred him, his stories,and his driving. So we arranged for him to take us back to Pisac for a couple hours of the festival before returning to Cusco for an afternoon flight.
I'm so happy we went!It was the perfect morning activity. After about an hour or so of the parade, you've seen enough. The main square was cleared of all the vendors, so I could get a better look at the plaza and the people. The vendors on other streets surrounding were still out in full force because there were quite a few tourists visiting.
I was pretty upset at a few American women whom I observed trying to snipe pictures of the kids in traditional clothes. FYI, children dress up in those close and want you to take pictures in exchange for a few cents. If you're going to take their picture- please don't run away from them as if they are trying to take advantage of you. They are children, they aren't begging. You get to go home and frame a photo of a child in a beautifully woven traditional outfit that he or she put on to try to make some extra money. Poverty in the region is very real. You're not actually going home with an authentic photo of some child you connected with along your travels. Just because you run away without paying does not make it authentic. Come on... give me a break. I watched one woman get up very close to a little girl who looked to be about 8 holding her baby sister...probably 2... the woman had a shit eating grin on her face, so proud of the GORGEOUS shot of the kids she got to take home.
The little girl timidly held out her hand for a few soles. The woman proceeded to say no no and walked into the restaurant where she was eating lunch with her husband and another couple. Because she didn't speak Spanish, the little girl thought she was going to get some change, so she patiently waited outside the restaurant for a few minutes before realizing the woman wasn't coming back.
I hope that woman felt bad.
So please, if you're going to snap photos of kids faces in these clothes, don't rip them off. It's not right.
On our way back we stopped for lunch at a local spot overlooking Cusco - Isaac ate with us... It was a local spot crowded with some sort of special occasion private party downstairs- we got the empty upstairs window table and Isaac explained the different parts of the city... where he plays soccer, the neighborhoods, where we stayed- I would definitely recommend asking to eat along the side of the road above Cusco if you have a local driver. Isaac got us back to the Cusco airport in time for our flight to Lima....well worth the 40 dollars we paid.
I was sad to say goodbye to the region, but know I'll go back there some day.
