Parties in Peru

Last weekend I was lucky enough to go to two parties. On Friday it was Eduardo's (the father of my family) cumpleaños - birthday to you and me. The house is an "interesting" design and the integral garage converts into a good party space with easy access into the kitchen and sitting room (all the internal walls are glass!). So the car was taken out and chairs were put all round the room. Some slight differences to parties at home....

- the only drink anyone brought was rum, the choice was rum and coke (cuba libre) or coke on its own, good thing that I like rum and coke then

- you need a good party coat in Cusco as you're likely to be wearing it all evening. The houses are not really built for insulation despite the fact that it's often freezing at night and in this case the garage door doesn't fit that well

- all the men sat together and all the women sat together, men only asked their own wives to dance

- and the most surprising thing for me! When food was served at midnight, the women all went up first, filled up their plates and took them to their husbands. Fortunately as a foreigner with special status I got to serve myself at the same time as the women. Single men were last of all.

The party on Saturday was a bbq, started at midday and went on to midnight. Highlights were more rum and coke, the men building an earth oven to cook the potatoes in and also taking control of the bbq, flames and all. It must be something about male nature that as soon as cooking involves fire and building it's their job!

This weekend there is talk of an outing to a local fiesta, leave at 4pm and come back at 4 or 5am - no sleeping possible. I'll let you know what happens if I go, still trying to work out how much clothing I would/could wear!