Mother´s Day at Machu Picchu

Well not quite Machu Picchu, but the town below where we are staying tonight ... I just can´t spell it. For reasons beyond our explanation, our trip has co-incided with so many special events - just lucky I guess. First there was the amazing food festival, then the pareade in the plaza at Lima that just blew us away, a couple of minor parades and bands playing in the plaza at Cusco, at today, here, there´s a big community celebration for Mother´s Day.

We we arrived we noticed a small parade going through the markets near the railway station. But Lind and I found the town plaza and all the celebrations (Mike is off browsing the stalls, and Lex has gone up to Machu Picchu for the afternoon - we all go up early tomorrow morning to meet the trekkers).

In the plaza, there´s a huge stage set up, with the most senior ladies in the community seated up there, town mayor with his colourful sash, and concert items from lots of kids. The grandmothers were all presented with beautiful floral arrangements. There seems to be a lucky draw going on for huge, heavy baskets of goodies -LOTS of these. As well they have what looks like hundreds of presents stacked up on stage to give to all the mothers. We had a seat on a balcony overlooking the plaza to watch it unfold ... but had to give up as it took so long for the baskets to be collected.

There´s food stalls all around the outside of the square ... but without Zac I wouldn´t be game to try any of it. It really doesn´t look as appealing as our first experience. We saw HUGE plastic bins of chicken pieces, probably marinated, ready to be cooked, but out in the open. Other pots containd big chunks of some sort of meat ... not sure how this was being cooked, but passed that up quickly too.

The town, Agues Callenties, I think) is a real surprise ... sort of reminds me of Thredbo, as it is nestled in the side of huge mountains, and all the buildings creep up the mountain-side. It´s much bigger than I first thought. We walked through what I thought might be a main street ... the railway line runs through it ... only narrow. As we walked up several streets, they just keep going round corners, and round more corners. There´s a fast flowing stream running through it too ... I seem to remember a mud slide happening here a few weeks before we left home.

Our hostel is another surprise ... once agin lots of character. Just wish we had the room on the end with a small balcony and windows opening to the view up the mountain and down to the stream.

Anyway, I think we could be in for a big night of merry-making .... for Mother´s Day of course.

Almost forgot, on the train on the way up here (some train ride to ... had to zig-zag up the mountain out of Cusco) all the females were presented with a chocolate rose ... for Mother´s Day. What great timing we have!!