Celebrating Carnival in Pisac Peru
Pisac, Peru 2003
The town of Pisac held a dance contest as well as religious celebrations at the end of Lent. Groups of Indians dressed in their traditional clothing sought to win the title of Best Dance group. The groups, from different villages or neighborhoods, lined the mile long road from our hotel down to the town’s square…a colorful ribbon of dancing humanity. They danced right up to the moment they went into the stone-paved square to compete and then they threw themselves into the dance with even more fervor.
For someone like me, who suffers from altitude sickness, their endurance was astounding. I did notice some chewing of coca leaf and some drinking from the huge vats of foamy gray beer, but that was after the dancing.
Coca leaf is not a narcotic until it has been chemically processed, but chewing it or drinking coca tea acts as an analgesic or stimulant comparable to coffee. The Indians bought branches of coca leaf and chewed the stuff until their cheeks were full. It reminded me of Qat chewing in Yemen.
It was an overcast morning and that light makes colors ‘pop’. There are no contrasty shadows on the dancer’s faces. My only problem was composition, but I managed to get a diagonal line of male dancers through the center of the shot and I am happy.
Look under the heading Travel Stories for more information about my impressions of Peru.