Peruvian Funerals & Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (Peruvian Style)

Earlier this week, Humberto's aunt passed away. We had visited her in the hospital the previous week and when we went back last Monday, a nurse told us that she passed away 2 hours earlier. That meant that Humberto was one of the first to find out and so we spent the next 1/2 hour in the hospital calling family members. Later that evening we went to his cousin's house (one of the son's of his aunt) and hung out with the family. This was to be my first of many family visits that week and you can bet I was the only gringa in sight and the butt of many jokes (all out of love, of course).

The next night was the wake and we went to a community center-type place for the open-casket event. Families brought huge bouquets of flowers on easels with signs on them identifying who they're from and they covered the room. We spent the night talking with his entire family. My Spanish is improving, but when you're in a large room filled with nothing but fast-talking Spanish speakers, it's going to be a little overwhelming. Humberto did a good job of staying with me most of the night, but when he went off to talk to someone, it was reassuring to know that one of his family members would keep me company (and giggle at my grammatically incorrect Spanish).

The funeral the next day was something else. Fortunately, I haven't been to many funerals, let alone a Peruvian one, and this was quite a show. We started back at the same community center where the priest held a service (it was all in Spanish, so I stood when the rest of the crowd stood, said "Amen" when they said it and sat when they sat). Then, the closest members of the family carried the coffin to the hearse while a band played and we all hopped into buses or taxis and drove to the cemetery.

The cemetery. Most unusual. Walls 2 stories high filled with coffins, and in front of each coffin was a little window with a shadow-box-like themed displays on the inside. I wish I had better pictures, but I was trying to take them discretely, so only one came out well. Some of the displays had mini bottles of beer, others had ceramic animals or pictures. It was very interesting.

When we got to the location where the coffin was to be placed, the priest said more prayers, some family members spoke (and cried) and then a forklift raised the coffin to its final resting place on the top level. Two men cemented it in and we all shared our sympathies with the immediate family.

The most interesting cemetery I've ever seen

We went to his cousin's house again for the reception, where cases of Cusquena beer and plates of food were awaiting us. His family welcomed me without judgment or apprehension and if I hadn't been exhausted out of my mind, I would have stayed longer.

Let the Makeover Begin...
With Jessica in the house, I now have a fellow anal-retentive nester. And so we've started taking a little more pride in (which we already have a lot of) and spending a little more money on making our part of the house feel like home. We bought another storage unit for the kitchen, additional towels (and pot holders!!), a hot water maker and various other items to get the kitchen up to snuff. Next week we're going to buy a new stove with an oven (!!!) for about 250 soles (about $80). Fabulous.

Jessica cleaning the kitchen (it hadn't been swept in years -- so we assume)

Our new shelving unit -- we now have so much space!!

Gabby supervising (and our new mattresses)

We also bought new mattresses. Mine was so bad I could feel the boards through it. I put the new one on top of the old one and now feel less like an old lady when I get out of bed in the morning.

And...my studio is ready. My table came on Thursday and I moved it into the extra room in our house. It was handmade in Lima and shipped here, thanks to Alvaro, Niki's boyfriend and fellow housemate (whose family is in Lima). The space is awesome and I can't wait to start taking clients. I've spread the word around the neighborhood and am putting my business cards in as many business as will take them (Humberto has them prominently displayed in his hotel right on the main square -- woo hoo!).

My business card

I'm trying to eat a new food a week here. Last week was ceviche (I've eaten ceviche before, but not here) and this week was submarino. It's Humberto's favorite dessert/drink and it's made with chicha morada (sweet purple corn juice) with a scoop of ice cream. Very tasty, but unless there's a slice of chocolate cake in there, it's not going to be in my top five.

Submarino

With Susie in town, I had an excuse to visit more of the Sacred Valley, a tremendously important and spiritual region just outside of Cusco. We took a day trip to Pisac, Urubamaba (just for lunch), Ollantaytambo and Chinchero. The ruins in Pisac and Ollantaytambo were gorgeous and full of energy. All I had to do was put one hand on the stones and I could feel it surge out the other.

Pisac ruins



Ollantaytambo