August: A visit to the U.S. and Arequipa Day Festivities

On August 1 we left for the U.S. for a two week visit with family and friends. It was absolutely non-stop action visiting our friends, camping with our grandson Noah and eating, eating, eating! We each gained about 5 pounds in two weeks! We had a picnic with David's family

   

   

and three days of 90th birthday celebrations with Ellen's family in honor of Bea's birthday.

   

    We had a lovely camping trip to Gettysburg with Noah, staying in the lovely cabin of our friends Claire and David.

    

   

We took a side trip to Harrisburg and the PA state apitol, which is supposed to be one of the most beautiful in the country.     

   We also spent a night in New York with our friends Allen and Eileen, visiting a photography museum (new to us) and visited with my banjo buddies Ellen and Iris.  Iris just happened to be in PA from Michigan!  Throughout it all, we stayed at Layla's who hosted us and various family members as well as lending us her car whenever we needed it!

After long an annoying trip back with late planes and missed connections, we arrived in Arequipa in time for the end of the festivities for the city's anniversary. We missed many of the events while we were away, but arrived in time to throw our bags in our apartment and dash out for the parade on August 14 honoring wheat         Note the names of some of the private schools! This giant truck was hauling a make-believe Misti  Volcano and as it turned people refused to move and risked being run over!   

       

   

  

  

   

  


and the giant all day, all-city parade on Thursday.  Downtown, we missed a fabric festival, and this is what remained. Notice, in the photo of the masked man, the woman in jeans to the right.  David accidentally caught me watching the parade! We never know what we are doing, but luckily things always turn out.  So we got on a bus that we knew, got off where we thought the parade would pass, and voila!  An hour later the parade came by.  What you do is rent chairs in a good viewing location and then you can sit for the duration of the parade (hours and hours).  And each seating section, run by a local entrepreneur, comes with bathroom privileges in the house that you sit in front of!  Part of the entertainment is the shouting of the "sitters" to the folks who dare stand for even second in front of your section.  And when the police come by to move them along, they stand and argue and argue.  Many times the cops just gave up!  What a hoot.  The costumes and dancing were exuberant!        


                         


   

   

   

  

        

        

   

   

 

Friday it was back to work for me and endless preparations. WE ARE GOING TO LEAVE AREQUIPA AND MOVE TO SCOTLAND on October 1. But first we are to spend a week in the Amazon jungle and then go to Argentina where we will visit Iguazu Falls. So stay tuned!