Incas with cell phones

Trip Start Sep 13, 2004

Trip End May 06, 2005

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Flag of Peru Puno, Peru
Friday, November 5, 2004

We took our places at 8.30 for the staging of the emergence of Manqo Qapaq and Mama Oqllo from the lake. And we waited. And we waited. A guy turned up with a boat offering a half hour trip on the lake, which seemed like a good way to pass some time. We were amongst the first to get on. And we waited. And we waited. Lifejackets were passed around, although not enough for everyone on the boat, but it was a token effort. I was told that this in itself was a recent occurrence since a boat had sunk recently with tragic consequences. Eventually we set off, and about 10 minutes and not much distance at all later we turned around. This raised angry calls from the passengers who had been offered a half hour ride, so we did another smaller circle in the same part of the lake. On returning to the shore we couldn't park up where we had got on as the two Incas were now just about ready to emerge and the pier was blocked off. This resulted in a rather precarious scramble along the side of the boat (some carrying small children) and up a stone bank

01 Lakeside at Puno

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In the afternoon it was over to the stadium for the re-enactment of various Inca rituals followed by some traditional dancing, observed (on and off) by Manqo and Mama, who were drinking Inka Cola and consuming other non-traditional fare. We asked if we could get inside the main area to take some photos, and amazingly the answer was yes, so we worked our way around to pose with some Incas and then lazed in the sunshine in the grass, from where we had a far better view of the dances. No-one questioned our presence, but after an hour or so it seemed like enough and we headed off. In the evening there was another parade with bands and dancing, this one done by school children but taken very seriously and the streets were lined with spectators. The less popular troupes were whistled at as a sign that they were no good; the smarter ones had borrowed a small child to place up front for the 'awww' factor.

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