The blogging adventure will continue again once I have moved to Hereford, end September 2022: Trujillo life .......... so contented!

Hmmmmm ..... a couple of words have mysteriously turned into links to adverts ....... advertising by stealth courtesy of "blogger" ...... I have put no links into this blog other than to a "you tube"-video......

And a big thank you..... monthly readership is up to around 750 page views!

One of the suburbs of Trujillo has as it's theme philosophy with street names and a central park devoted to the great philosopher's from Greece, Rome,France, Germany and Spain.

As I start start week three living in Trujillo (and week five in Peru), I feel so much a part of this lovely city, the historic centre has colonial gems tucked away behind doors and portico's that are truly amazing. The main square is picture book perfect and self-consciously so, but that is it, all the surrounding streets are full of the bustle of daily life. I still find it odd that in the centre their are no buses, few cars but thousands and thousands of taxis! Every taxi seems to beep it horn as it passes anybody who might, however vaguely, want a ride - there is a stalwart group of citizens here try to pressurize the municipality into passing a by-law prohibiting the use of horns within the historic centre ~ I so hope that they succeed, the horns are a sonic "blot on the landscape".

Things are progressing well at the conservatoire my timetable seems to grow weekly and as each day passes new opportunities and requests come along. I have several 14 hour days and return home around 9:30pm absolutely dog-tired, by so happy, I feel useful and motivated in a way I have not felt for years! Sadly (je,je) after such a long day I have to stop off at a roadside "comedore" for a sustaining snack, and people joke with me now at the conservatoire about my nocturnal eating habits and my passion for Peruvian cuisine.

Opera Competition
This last two weeks have seen an international opera singers competition hit town, I went to the knockout rounds, the semifinal and lasy night attended the winners gala concert. The competition attracted some 44 contestants fdrom all over Latin America, Trinidad and Tobago, Nigeria (!) and the Ukraine!

I picked the eventual runner-up (in pink dress above) early on in the competition, so am pleased I can still spot a good singer, and, in my opinion on the strength of last nights performance, she should have been the outright winner, with a performance of the Doll Song" from Offenbach's Tales of Hoffman that was amusing, stylish and sung with immense style and precision ........ so congratulations to the rising opera star Natalia Dopwell of Trinidad and Tobago, by comparison the winner Andrea Aquilar of Chile, was good, but for me lacked that extra sparkle.

Trujillo Symphony Orchestra

However it was an excellent evening, although I felt the orchestra could have done with a great deal more precision as winds and brass seemed incapable of playing exactly on the beat, and wind solo's were wayward, despite the best efforts of the conductor. I was also shocked to see a member of the UPAO Univerity Choir taking pictures whilst actually singing! However, on the plus side, there was beautiful cello solo in the accompaniment to Puccini's Vissi D'Arte.

My other gripe was with the lack of respect payed by the audience, who seemed to think talking on phones and not controlling young 3 years old's was perfectly acceptable behaviour! .......... But, again I say an excellent evening rounded off with a trip to a Parrillada with my friend Nick for a large steak and chips washed down with a couple of Pisco Sours! I was pleased that Nick enjoyed the concert as opera was anew experience for him.

On the subject of Opera, plans are now well underway for La Serva Padrona next April, I have a good authentic score, have my soloists and as this is a chamber opera we are going to work together to produce a witty Spanish translation of the libretto and it is hoped to give 4 performances in the courtyards of some of the lovely old colonial houses of Trujillo.

The original entrance gate to the old(er) walled city of Trujillo

This last week also saw the launch of another new venture by me, a junior (12 - 16 year old's) chamber orchestra that is going to specialise in baroque music. The enthusiasm of these youngsters is so vibrant and they are keen, especially as I have promised a concert for them at Easter. They will be a maximum of 12 players and we are exploring the differences between playing sitting down and standing up!

Spot the ballet-master.

Earthquake practice

Waiting for the all clear!

Thursday saw the centre of Trujillo engaged in "Earthquake" practice, which was a rather half-hearted affair as we all, (on the signal of the cathedral bells being run) ambled down to the main square, stood around waited for another clang from the bells and ambled back. As several of the female professors said to me in reality we would all be running home like crazy to make sure or families were OK, not standing admiring the view in the main square!

Football Latin American Style

Last Saturday night (10th), my mate Nick took me to a football match, it is nearly the end of the season and we were to see the local team Universidad Cesar Vallejo play Alianza, Lima. Nick had suggested that I leave my camera and valuable items at home, actually as it turned out we were sitting in a very safe part of the stadium and I so wished I had my camera.

The game was a bit dull, as the teams had nothing to gain in terms of their league positions by over exerting themselves, but we were treated to a good display of dramatic rolling on the ground and holding of legs and the calling of medics, despite players only being tapped on the shoulder! Bags full of scraps of paper were distributed before the match so that when the teams entered there was a kind of ticker-tape cloud accompanied by toilet rolls being thrown and the lighting of flares. Slightly worrying that the flares were held by random members of the crowd! The referees were treated to the full range of abuse about their parentage and objects were thrown at them, and all this before the kick off!

Fortunately we were sitting in an area of the stadium that was more family friendly and well behaved (having paid S.20 (£5)) whereas the rowdier elements ere in the S.5 area. The supports of Alianze, Lima are famous for their "antics" including chanting, gesticulating and taunting the large presence of riot police into some confrontations all accompanied by the biggest drum I have ever seen. The banging of this drum went on for teh entore 90 minutes, I was a curious how it got into the ground as we were all "frisked" on entry, but then if the security guards could "miss" flares then an 8 foot wide bass drum would be so hard to spot! Especially stuffed inside the jacket of a supporter!!!!

The flares in the crowds were slightly unnerving! Health and Safety? Never heard of it!


Alianza fans like Millwall supporters are famous for causing trouble!

Anyways, it was a fun evening and only my second football game ever, the last being 42 years ago when I went to Wembley to see an under 21's international. Nick suggested we beat a hasty retreat after the match, as Alianza fans were known to give rival supporters a "friendly" thump on the head if they felt like it! So we hot-footed it to a local restaurant for "Chifa" - Peruvian Chinese food - not a Chinese chef in sight but lovely food!

Trujillo is famous for its ornate windows .....

Honouring the flag .... "the great and the good" of Trujillo

Nationalism

EVERY SUNDAY - various organizations are invited to parade around the central square and take part in a ceremony to honor the Peruvian flag and constitution, sing the national anthem and generally be terribly patriotic. This weekly ceremony is overseen by the Mayor and other worthies. I was amused to see tat along with various military, police and other services the local diabetic society marching and also teh female secretaries of the municipality all in matching black suits with handbags slung at the same angle over their shoulders! I was more frightened of the secretaries than the police!

The fire service were parading their clapped out second hand USA fire trucks, all minus many of the necessary equipment needed to fight fires effectively, but special applause goes to the guy matching in an environmental hazard suit!

Apparently it is the turn of the conservatoire in April around the anniversary of it's inception ...... can't wait!

Loving the attention!

Young Marinera dancers

Master Trujillo!

Military Police to keep us under control!

No idea .... but the groom looks non too happy!

Axes at the ready! By the left, quick chop!

Phewy, it's hot in here!

Sports day ..... procession!

Miss Trujillo Sports (4 years) and her entourage!

Processions seem to be a national sport in Latin America - at least here in Trujillo ( as opposed to La Anttigua, Guatemala) they are devoted to things other than taking Jesus and Mary for a walk!

Friday it was devoted to sports for the under 11's .......

No procession is complete without Disney!

Don't tell the IOC they are using the logo!

Anthropomorphism
Warning ..... friends of Johnny Morris and "Tales of the Riverbank" , Hammy the Hamster, Roderick the Rat and GP the Guinea Pig ........... (of course you will need to be over 50 to remember this series) ............. here is an episode .......

ahhhhh, how sweet and anthropomorphic, but I digress, Guinea Pigs are not pets in Peru but are farmed in the same way as rabbits and chickens are farmed, they are a native species an dwell suited to the climate especially in the mountainous regions of Peru. To quote an official guide .........

"Cuy", alternately called Cobayo or conejillo de indias is a guinea pig or cavy. The taste is compared to rabbit, thought delicious, and though difficult to accept for people in other countries who regard guinea pigs as pets, the cuy is a staple of Andean cuisine. They are called "cuy" for the sound they make cuy, cuy.

It's the head, that makes it so difficult to eat

Spatch-cooked they look more appetising

The cuy has a place in pre-Colombian Inca tradition. Consumed only by the nobility or used as a sacrifice and a means of foretelling the future via the entrails.

Cuys are today raised commercially and form a nutritious part of the Andean diet. An important part of the Novoandina cuisine, cuys are prepared in various ways according to region, but in Peru, they are usually served with potatoes or rice and a savory, spicy sauce. In the Huancayo region, the cuy is preferred fried with a sauce of pepper and achiote. In Arequipa, it is prepared baked as cuy chaktado and in Cuzco, it is baked whole, as a small suckiling pig, with a hot pepper in its mouth. In Huanuco, Tacna and Cajamarca, the preference is also for fried Cuy.

Cuys are available in the markets, already skinned and cleaned, but many recipes begin with instructions to skin the cuy in hot water, then remove the internal organs and cleanse well in salted water. Following this, hang the cuy to drain and dry. Since cuys are small, recipes call for one per person, unless the meat is cut into smaller portions. Most often, the cuy is split apart and cooked whole, with the head still attached".

and ......... I am about to take an hours journey out of Trujillo into the Sierra region in order to have a Sunday lunch of Cuy.

Mr. Cool in anxious anticipation .....

One of four dining halls

Well Nick took me to this restaurant complex about in the countryside like a mini-theme park, huge restaurant seating about 1000 people in four areas, swimming pools, an aviary, horses, and activities for children. Not what I was expecting but it was fine, although we both agreed that better Cuy could be had elsewhere, anyways I had Cuy. Just like chicken/rabbit though fattier, nothing too exciting, which i why i want to try it again maybe prepared differently and I think I could eat a whole Cuy next time. The half seemed a bit meager to me.