Santa Rosa

I mentioned before that every city and town has their own patron saint. Well this past week we celebrated Saint Rose (Santa Rosa) in Chocta. I thought it was a funny coincidence that I was also born in Santa Rosa. Funny how things like that happen! Anyways it was a fun filled week where no one worked. My host dad said the fiestas is the work. An engineer with whom I am working with, came to survey materials that he had brought. I accompanied him to the plaza where we asked to see the materials. They flipped out and soon half the town that was in the plaza had grouped around us demanding why we would come during fiestas and that he needs to come back in 4 days when the fiestas are over. Wow. This week of fiestas is no nonsence!

Starting Monday vendors came and set up their tents in the plaza. Tons of clothes, shoes, house supplies, you name it. Also a few carnival type games and 5 or 6 cantinas where you could buy salchi pollo (fried chicken with french-fries) but more importantly beer. These tents were full of people all day and into the nights/ early mornings! People came from all over Amazonas! It was funny to get weird looks again after being so well known here for the past 6 months. The majority of people kept an even buzz throughout the week, including myself. I was constantly offered chicha (refreshing, not strong thank goodness) and food from the “party committee” the whole week. My host mom said it is because I collaborated in all of their fundraisers.

Monday and Tuesday were just “novenas,” or gatherings in the church to tell the history of Saint Rose and pray to her. Afterwards, the institutions (the schools, health post, me, etc.) would take turns serving coffee and bread. These went on for 8 nights. Wednesday night was the “Reinado,” or the beauty pageant. And yes, I participated as one of the candidates. It was super fun! The community members had a blast dressing me up like their doll and teaching me how to walk. TJ came to support me and we had tons of laughs. But, al fin, I lost. Unfortunately the winner was the person who had raised the most money and I only ended up with just under 100 soles (35 bucks). The winner supposedly put down 1,820 soles, which is incredibly hard to believe but that’s what they tell me! One of the judges/ high school teachers told me I had won with points and my question response. I was confused why they tallied points and had judges if in the end they just need to count up the cash! But after a few tears, I left with good memories and laughs. From Wednesday on, the winner of the beauty pageant became the Reina, or the Queen of the fiesta and had to accompany the band that arrived Thursday afternoon wherever they went.

Thursday was scheduled to have a tournament of womens soccer and mens volleyball between the neighborhoods. But in the end no one coordinated. (surprise surprise) In the night there was a festival of dance at the high school. Professional dancers came to perform, and I was very impressed! Each grade of the elementary school also put on a typical dance. I especially loved the costumes that the dancers wore from long skirts for the marinera to tribal outfits for a jungle themed dance!

Friday we hosted elementary and high schools from the area to play in a volleyball and soccer tournament. That was fun and I even joined in on a few bets on the teams. I lost 6 soles ($2) betting on Chocta to win, but it made the games more exciting and the crowd more animated. How they loved taking my money!! Friday night was my turn to bring coffee and bread to the novena and also to put on a movie. Unfortunately the band was also playing that night so most people were dancing and drinking and only a few came to watch my movie (the biblical story of the creation of the world). But it is all good, I am used to that by now ;).

Saturday was eventful! It started off with my host family hosting the breakfast for the band at 5am! We woke up at 3am to start cooking and preparing the house. They came, ate, we danced, and then were gone by 8am. It also was the tournament of volleyball and soccer between adults of the surrounding areas. That was fun. Tons of people united at our soccer/ volleyball court including vendors selling food, sweets, and tons of beer. The band came and I danced of course. I am quite famous for loving to dance. But it is true! I love dancing to cumbia! Plus its so cold here lately you have to dance to keep warm! Later that night TJ and Hilary arrived spend the night. The band played some more in the plaza and we danced some more. We burned the castle of fireworks like the one in Luya but smaller. Then everyone headed over to the high school where Besito SENSUAL (yes, “sensual kisses”) was performing a consert. So much fun! The blacktop was packed with people dancing their bahokis off even when it started to rain! The group was super interactive and Hilary and I even got a dance with them on stage for a bit. I love . cumbia groups because they will have a line of dancers (always with tight pants, usually white or a bright color) in the front with the singers. “Gracias a las bonitas gringitas” they said as we left.

Sunday we slept in until 9:30 then went to a mass followed by a parade. After that TJ and I hung out with our friend who works in the health post in Cohechan. We danced a bit, had lunch… I tried to sneak in a nap but my friend Shaka found me and pulled me out to the plaza. Once the sun went down the kids brought out these really cool lit up lanterns they had made. The designs ranged from geometric shapes to horses, to a model of the high school. Really beautiful! We paraded through Chocta and ended in the plaza where I was unexpectedly elected to judge which one was best. The winner (the high school) won 30 soles. After that, we danced some more with the band and then called it a night.

Finally Monday, the last day, was the cutting down of the Humisha (a tree). The person who cut it last year needs to bring all the food that was under it back and provide lunch for the whole town and pay the band for that day. He brought the food but unfortunately no lunch nor band. Everyone was very upset that he “ruined the fiesta,” but in the end got over it. A new person cut down the tree and took the food under it with him, to return next August. Without the band, I went to a friend’s house to take a nap (so no one would find me) and went out again at night to dance one last time.

Tuesday I was in bed almost all day. I had come down with a cold and generally just really exhausted from the week. When I was reading in bed around 7pm, a member of the party committee came down and invited us to a dinner. And I thought it was all over! But all the vendors and out-of-towners had left and only a handful of people were invited to this dinner. It was quiet and peaceful, and we all agreed that although the fiestas were fun, it is nice to have our town back.