Sunday, December 10, 2006
8-9 December Back in Trujillo
Got back from Huaraz Friday morning on the overnight bus service. Had time for a quick clean up and then met Andrew at his conference to have a look around his mining trade expo. Intresting to see how a trade fair is conducted in mining and in Peru. Very similar to every one I´ve been to. Lots of stands 3x3m, freebies, sales people, gimmicks, mascots...interestingly the south american version still includes skinny girls in lycra catwoman type suits handing out brochures.
The latinos are obsessed with the female form. Separate to Andrews show, I have formed the impression that to Peruvians (and I´m sure its across latin America) the tighter the pants, the lower the hipster, the more pushed up and out the breasts, the higher the heel, the better! They are not austentacious with jewellery (probably cause it would be lifted off them) but boy they are showy with their bodies. Their jeans and trackie dacks could not be more figure hugging - Dupont Lycra would be making a fortune here, as would 'wonder bra'.
Anyway, back to the point (no pun intended), it was interesting to see what the mining industry in Peru is up to. Andrews company seems to be leading the way with socially and environmentally sustainable development - a new concept here. And they are having some wins, slowly. His stand was the most like something I would expect in Oz. A bloke in a suit as mascot dressed as a local animal, weavers demonstrating their wares from the community, wine tasting from the region, a DVD environment doco made on the development playing, and finally all the stuff on the mine techniques themselves. No lycra lady when I was there...
We then went to the finalie lunch which the Peruvian President was supposed to attend but was a no-show. I was looking forward to meeting him...oh well. Met the equivalent of the DG of EPA (if we had a national version) - Manuell. And a journalist - Monica, who publishes a magazine keeping the miners honest on social, environment and community issues. There were dancing displays from each of the regions of Peru. This was very interesting cause alhough they were all quite different they had common threads of colour, pace and energy.
That night we were supposed to go to dinner with Manuell but Matthew was quite sick so it was cancelled. Andrew gave me some recommendations for night entertainment in Trujillo so I thought I would explore on my own.
HINDSIGHT: We all got sick in Trujillo. Matthew had a throat infection and temperature, Andrew a terrible phlemy cough, Paola sinusitus, and me a heavy cold. And Paola and I also got the Trujillo trots (we think from the official lunch - food was sitting around for long periods).
So...I headed off to my favourite cafe for dinner and shared a table with Ruby and Evelyn, two 50yo Peruvian ladies who spoke as much english as I did Spanish (actually they spoke a little more english, but that's not hard). We had a hilarious time communicating with single nouns and sign language. Lovely people who were very surprised I had survived as long as I had 'solo' and 'sin espanole'. Then about 10.30pm I went to Andrew's suggestion 'Tributa Bar' in a corner of a colonial building on the corner of Plasa de Armas. Found myself a beer (yes, my god, I'm drinking beer - Pilsen is almost ok but I can't manage more than 2 middies for the night. At least it's lighter than Oz beers) and a stool out on the latticed terrace upstairs and waited for the show.
Well, talk about contrasts. A seven piece band played Beatles and John Lennon covers from 11.10pm -4am. In fact they may have played til dawn, I don't know, I bailed at 4am. At home I can outstay the band but not here. They have me beat. The keyboard player can't have been more than 15yo and he was AMAZING. I found out later he co-ordinates all these tribute nights as well as being an accomplished musician. The crowd was older and more conservative than a usual club due to the era but there were still plenty of 'young' people. Although the average age was probably in their 30's. It was not a huge crowd and although it got busy it was never a crush. Something I also noticed when I was out with A&P in Lima at a club. Live bands are common and the crowd is managed much more professionally and limited to sensible numbers. During the evening I chatted to two english speaking blokes. Both well educated - hence the English - Dito worked for an asparagus and artichoke grower (Peru is the largest grower of these two veges in the world and export almost all of it) and Ceasar had his own womens sports shoe wholesale business. They had become friends at university studying their masters. Absolute gentlemen. Put the Egyptians and Turks to shame (ahh but some of that is yet to be written about...).
The contrast was that the day before I was being snowed on at high altitude on a glacier, staying in a town surrounded by grinding poverty; and here I was on the coast listening to live music with educated and entertaining company surrounded by all the trappings of western wealth. (More on the Glacier later)
Got back from Huaraz Friday morning on the overnight bus service. Had time for a quick clean up and then met Andrew at his conference to have a look around his mining trade expo. Intresting to see how a trade fair is conducted in mining and in Peru. Very similar to every one I´ve been to. Lots of stands 3x3m, freebies, sales people, gimmicks, mascots...interestingly the south american version still includes skinny girls in lycra catwoman type suits handing out brochures.
The latinos are obsessed with the female form. Separate to Andrews show, I have formed the impression that to Peruvians (and I´m sure its across latin America) the tighter the pants, the lower the hipster, the more pushed up and out the breasts, the higher the heel, the better! They are not austentacious with jewellery (probably cause it would be lifted off them) but boy they are showy with their bodies. Their jeans and trackie dacks could not be more figure hugging - Dupont Lycra would be making a fortune here, as would 'wonder bra'.
Anyway, back to the point (no pun intended), it was interesting to see what the mining industry in Peru is up to. Andrews company seems to be leading the way with socially and environmentally sustainable development - a new concept here. And they are having some wins, slowly. His stand was the most like something I would expect in Oz. A bloke in a suit as mascot dressed as a local animal, weavers demonstrating their wares from the community, wine tasting from the region, a DVD environment doco made on the development playing, and finally all the stuff on the mine techniques themselves. No lycra lady when I was there...
We then went to the finalie lunch which the Peruvian President was supposed to attend but was a no-show. I was looking forward to meeting him...oh well. Met the equivalent of the DG of EPA (if we had a national version) - Manuell. And a journalist - Monica, who publishes a magazine keeping the miners honest on social, environment and community issues. There were dancing displays from each of the regions of Peru. This was very interesting cause alhough they were all quite different they had common threads of colour, pace and energy.
That night we were supposed to go to dinner with Manuell but Matthew was quite sick so it was cancelled. Andrew gave me some recommendations for night entertainment in Trujillo so I thought I would explore on my own.
HINDSIGHT: We all got sick in Trujillo. Matthew had a throat infection and temperature, Andrew a terrible phlemy cough, Paola sinusitus, and me a heavy cold. And Paola and I also got the Trujillo trots (we think from the official lunch - food was sitting around for long periods).
So...I headed off to my favourite cafe for dinner and shared a table with Ruby and Evelyn, two 50yo Peruvian ladies who spoke as much english as I did Spanish (actually they spoke a little more english, but that's not hard). We had a hilarious time communicating with single nouns and sign language. Lovely people who were very surprised I had survived as long as I had 'solo' and 'sin espanole'. Then about 10.30pm I went to Andrew's suggestion 'Tributa Bar' in a corner of a colonial building on the corner of Plasa de Armas. Found myself a beer (yes, my god, I'm drinking beer - Pilsen is almost ok but I can't manage more than 2 middies for the night. At least it's lighter than Oz beers) and a stool out on the latticed terrace upstairs and waited for the show.
Well, talk about contrasts. A seven piece band played Beatles and John Lennon covers from 11.10pm -4am. In fact they may have played til dawn, I don't know, I bailed at 4am. At home I can outstay the band but not here. They have me beat. The keyboard player can't have been more than 15yo and he was AMAZING. I found out later he co-ordinates all these tribute nights as well as being an accomplished musician. The crowd was older and more conservative than a usual club due to the era but there were still plenty of 'young' people. Although the average age was probably in their 30's. It was not a huge crowd and although it got busy it was never a crush. Something I also noticed when I was out with A&P in Lima at a club. Live bands are common and the crowd is managed much more professionally and limited to sensible numbers. During the evening I chatted to two english speaking blokes. Both well educated - hence the English - Dito worked for an asparagus and artichoke grower (Peru is the largest grower of these two veges in the world and export almost all of it) and Ceasar had his own womens sports shoe wholesale business. They had become friends at university studying their masters. Absolute gentlemen. Put the Egyptians and Turks to shame (ahh but some of that is yet to be written about...).
The contrast was that the day before I was being snowed on at high altitude on a glacier, staying in a town surrounded by grinding poverty; and here I was on the coast listening to live music with educated and entertaining company surrounded by all the trappings of western wealth. (More on the Glacier later)
# posted by The Essence of Good Taste @ 6:44 PM 
