Sun Fire Moon

Yanaoca is a small village that is busy celebrating the feast of St Martin. Peruvians are well into celebrations, marching bands, and smart uniforms. We have a bird's eye view from our hotel window whilst we take a rest day. The marching includes schools, local women, and other organisations.

In the evening we head across the village square to investigate the bonfire burning outside the church and join the locals sitting on the surrounding benches under the full moon. The band strikes up and there is informal dancing into which we are invited and happily join in. A little later and there are fireworks - not static, but on long poles that are being carried and waved around. We are just pondering the safety of this when a firework breaks loose and hits Alain’s shoulder. He has singed eyebrows and hair, minor burns to the eyelids, cheek and hand, glasses that are pockmarked on the inside from the sparks and a waterproof which will no longer be waterproof. Fortunately his eye somehow escapes. It seems rather bad luck as we'd just been greeted and invited by the town mayor to join the fun, and we were enjoying it! We head back to our safer hotel.

The next morning it's a bright sunny day. We have had relatively few of these on our trip. The road is small and quiet and heads up and down and up and down over remote and pretty pastures. We say hi to the Alpacas - who wouldn’t? Then roll into a small village (Checca) where we find an exceptionally clean hospedaje and a room with a great view of the square and mountains - setting us back all of 10 Euros.Read more