Onwards and upwards with my daughter’s posts.
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Here we go, it’s part 4.2 of the Andes series. Don’t forget this is the second half of a story; you really need to read the first half first! Part 4.1 is Dia de Arequipa (part one). Hope the suspense from yesterday didn’t kill you! 🙂
Every school that is any school has its band, some type of dance group, or at least batallones out for the festivities. What is a batallón? Just what it sounds like – a battalion. Silly you think, to call a bunch of marching students this? Maybe so, but so caught up in their history it is that never will it change. Dressed up in their school uniforms, the “best of the school” are lined up here on parade. A few from each grade to represent the entire school, chosen for their grades and marching skills, here it is an honor to be one of the few chosen. Every child has to know how to march in their own school, but the ones chosen to march outside the school walls and put forward the school name are picked carefully. Strange how something that would be considered to be a chore in the United States would inspire such hard efforts here in Peru. Oh, look, they are moving out now. Why do you laugh? Ah, because they are goose-stepping. Yes, well again, it is something that is very caught up in their history.
Shall I tell you a bit about this part of the history? Peru was under military control for many years, not too far in the distant past, and everything was run by those standards. Due to rampant terrorism, dominated in the majority by the Sendero Luminoso or Shining Path Guerrillas, all schools were required to adopt what is called the uniforme único, the “only uniform.” This regulation uniform was to help protect the rich children from being kidnapped based on their clothing and held for ransom. At the same time that the uniforme único was implemented other military procedures began to creep into the schools. Do you begin to see where this fascination with parades and marching comes from? Just wait till they get before the grandstand and begin to really kick up their heels. Shall we head over that way now?
The spashes of color and swirls of dancers’ skirts are all over the place. Nearing the central plaza the crowds grow thicker and it is much harder to get a glimpse of anything, having to walk at the back of the crowd as we are. No matter, reservations at one of the restaurants on the plaza await. Balcony seats with a clear view of the streets and events below with all of its participants – marchers and spectators alike. Today seats like those are hard to come by and very expensive, even if you know someone who might… make the process easier… shall we say. Ah, here we are! Come, shall we ascend to our table and watch the events unfold below?
First come the pendants, decrying the schools to follow. Accompanying the pendants are the galardones – the awards that each school (battalions and bands) have won in contests. Next comes the band, playing their marching tunes. Here they stop, turn, and walk up into the Plaza, crowding together with enough room to still play and do a 90 degree turn. So now they are facing the street but standing up away from it. Following the band is the batallón marching smartly along in their neatly pressed uniforms and white gloves. Have you noticed that all the people marching have white gloves? Probably pointless trivia, but interesting none the less. The dancers follow, and the band either strikes up a new tune or keeps silent as some other music is broadcast from some speakers for the dancers to take their cues from. Colors all over dart out at you. Bright bold colors from dancers and bands alike – no dull colors today. Once the dancers pass, the band moves back into the street and takes up the vanguard, following with some music of their own as they make their exit. Fear not though, this is still early in the parade… there are many many more to come with their gay festivities!
Ah… I can see you tapping your foot to the beat. Do you know, I wonder, that the beat you are tapping out is the beat of the call? Subtle is it not? Everything is falling into place, then, and the strings are being irreversibly placed onto your heart…
Still more to come in this series, but this chapter is finished. Hope you are enjoying.
I can see I´ll have some reading to do when I get home. I´m in Riobamba, Ecuador, same Andes mountains as your beloved Peru, and barely able to get to an internet cafe. Just finished two weeks with the medical mission, looking forward to a few days in Quito and reading blogs again when I get home this weekend. Completely out of touch with the news, too, which has been a blessing. Hasta pronto.