Every
year, on July 16th, a small town in Cusco named Paucartambo keeps the attention
of the tourists and the Peruvians. This village at 100 kilometers East from Cusco
city
(4 hours), is a small town of few thousands people, of white houses, red roofs
and blue doors, windows and balconies. It still retains its Colonial architecture
(17th century) with a stone bridge and narrow cobble-stone streets. This village
is not visited by many tourists, they only pass through it on their way to the
Manu National Park, but they never stop there. Nevertheless, during a week on
July, it is worth to stop and not only take a look, also stay there for a couple
of days.
Weeks before July 14th, it starts the
preparations for the main feast of the community of Paucartambo: the catholic
feast of "mamita del Carmen", the way how the local people call the Virgin
Mary, patron and protector of the town. All preparations must be done in advance
because during a week, no body will work because everybody will be
dedicated
to celebrate and honor their patron. The feast not only includes a procession of
Virgin Mary on the 16th (central day); but it also includes parades with musical
ensembles, masked dancers, fireworks, and lot of beer. Big part of the festival
are the parades with dance troupes, each one with a different kind of outfit.
The masks are important part of the outfit, it are handmade by local artisans.
The feast also includes the dead, on the 17th all the people of the town go to
the cemetery to visit their dead relatives and friends. They carry food and
drink (beer and "chicha": corn beer) to celebrate beside the graves of
their relatives and friends. Also the dancers go to the cemetery to visit dead
former dancers of the troupes.
Another spot to visit close to
Paucartambo town is the "Three Crosses" lookout point. It is 40 km
North of the town, and it can be reach by an unpaved road, after 1 hour and a half
ride. The view of the Andean mountains sinking in a sea of clouds is quite
impressive. It's an ever-present blanket of fog in the region that covers the
forest as an ocean hiding a secret. The sunset is a gorgeous show, everything:
the sky, the clouds under your feet, and the mountains change of colors that
goes from orange to blue. You can camp there, but it's humid, nevertheless, it's
worth to try your luck and wait for the sunrise the next day. Usually it's foggy
at dawn, but you could be lucky and be at the right day, you never know, and
it's worth the intent.
Every
year, on July 16th, a small town in Cusco named Paucartambo keeps the attention
of the tourists and the Peruvians. This village at 100 kilometers East from Cusco
city
(4 hours), is a small town of few thousands people, of white houses, red roofs
and blue doors, windows and balconies. It still retains its Colonial architecture
(17th century) with a stone bridge and narrow cobble-stone streets. This village
is not visited by many tourists, they only pass through it on their way to the
Manu National Park, but they never stop there. Nevertheless, during a week on
July, it is worth to stop and not only take a look, also stay there for a couple
of days.
dedicated
to celebrate and honor their patron. The feast not only includes a procession of
Virgin Mary on the 16th (central day); but it also includes parades with musical
ensembles, masked dancers, fireworks, and lot of beer. Big part of the festival
are the parades with dance troupes, each one with a different kind of outfit.
The masks are important part of the outfit, it are handmade by local artisans.
The feast also includes the dead, on the 17th all the people of the town go to
the cemetery to visit their dead relatives and friends. They carry food and
drink (beer and "chicha": corn beer) to celebrate beside the graves of
their relatives and friends. Also the dancers go to the cemetery to visit dead
former dancers of the troupes.
half
ride. The view of the Andean mountains sinking in a sea of clouds is quite
impressive. It's an ever-present blanket of fog in the region that covers the
forest as an ocean hiding a secret. The sunset is a gorgeous show, everything:
the sky, the clouds under your feet, and the mountains change of colors that
goes from orange to blue. You can camp there, but it's humid, nevertheless, it's
worth to try your luck and wait for the sunrise the next day. Usually it's foggy
at dawn, but you could be lucky and be at the right day, you never know, and
it's worth the intent.
