HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Dear family and friends,
We would like to wish everyone the very best for 2008! At 4 pm Bolivian time I am not quite sure yet what will happen here tonight at 12. Many are planning to visit the main square for fireworks and partying, if it is not raining. More will be revealed tomorrow...
This picture shows us before entering a mine in Potosi; we looked quite different by the time we got out!

Bonno´s Christmas present

Since last November Bonno has been playing with the Andean Music group Los Masis. They practice at least once a day and during the last week they have also done a daily performance. They played in hospitals, retirement homes, churches and made an appearance on local television. Bonno has loved the whole experience and is so involved with the group that his Christmas wish was a Tarabuco poncho. This is a hand-woven woolen poncho which men in small towns and villages wear and is worn in some of the Masis performances. The first photo shows Bonno trying on a poncho in Tarabuco, the second is of Bonno with his own poncho and very long hair!

Happy Christmas!!

Hope everyone has enjoyed a great Christmas! We had a fantastic time! We bought a large branch of a pine tree, which we decorated with home made biscuits and sparkling lights, and a nativity scene, which includes many fluffy lamas. In the morning we went to the Cathedral for mass, which was incredibly lively as well as moving. The congregation was busy answering mobiles, catching up with old friends and receiving blessings for cribs, toys and themselves. The message of peace seemed particularly poignant after all that happened in Sucre a month ago. There was lots of energetic Andean Christmas music performed by the group Los Masis, which included Harriet and Bonno. I was very proud! Afterwards the band paraded through the streets to return to their headquarters for a party. Henry contributed by saluting the Christ child on his bagpipes. Harriet´s (Henry´s student who is here as the boys´ personal tutor) parents were visiting Sucre and we had a lovely meal together which slightly resembled an English Christmas lunch with chicken, sprouts and bread sauce. We didn´t manage a Christmas pudding but Harriet and her father cooked a delicious chocolate torte.

Festive Times

Christmas decorations have now gone up around Sucre (one week beforehand) and we are getting in the festive mood! Sinterklaas brought us a great box of goodies for the Fifth of December when Dutch children receive their presents from the Saint. These included pepernoten (tiny spicy biscuits), marzipan, chocolate coins and cigarettes. We had great fun when two of Henry´s cumpadres from Kalinkera, Paulino and Ascenzio, came to Sucre and stayed for a couple of days. They had never seen anything like it, but loved them. Moreover Paulino had never been to town before with all its mod-cons such as cars, showers, tables, chairs and cutlery and it was a pretty nerve wrecking experience to him! The idea of chocolate cigarettes must have been quite absurd to them, but made for a nice cultural exchange. I imagine they had many stories to tell when they got back to the village!

Paulino was badly injured in a fight two years ago leaving the left side of his body paralysed. Fortunately he is now able to walk again, but moving his left arm and leg remains difficult. Henry took him to several specialists to see if anything could be done. As doctors don´t speak Quechua, the only language in places like Kalinkera, and charge for all their services, as a national health service does not exist, Paulino and Asenzio very much depended on Henry´s help. The consultants at the hospital did not think that there was much they could do at this stage and he ended up with acupuncture treatments. We hope this will make a difference!

Salar of Uyuni

As life was unsettled in Sucre, schools were closed and it was difficult to get on with work, we decided to undertake one of our planned trips. We started in Potosi and visited one of the colonial mines which is still operating today. We were all impressed by the physical duress the workers are under. For ten hours a day, or more, miners crawl through minute, unprotected, passages carrying weights of over 50kg. During this time they have no food and only coca leaves keep them going. Separating minerals is done chemically in large open bubbling containers, which are manned by completely unprotected workers. After just an hour in the mines we came out dripping with sweat and barely able to breath from the dust! To perk us up we were allowed to hold a burning dynamite stick before it went off five minutes later into a massive explosion!

We went on to the Salar of Uyuni, a massive salt lake in the south of Bolivia; a tremendous experience standing on this vast white plain, which looks like ice, in the heat of the midday sun! One part of the Salar was covered in rain creating the appearance of a giant mirror or flying through the clouds. Close to the Salar, at altitudes of about 4km, are several lakes in which flamingos live. The chemical composition of one, the Laguna Colorado, gives it a red appearance, whereas the Laguna Verde turns a beautiful turquoise green when stirred by the wind. At about 4700 are steaming geysers and endless deserts, in which it has not rained for 30 years. A magical environment, which to me was also slightly menacing, as I would wake up in the middle of the night feeling suffocated from altitude and to attend to a vomiting Laurence.

Sucre Riots

Last year the first indigenous president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, started the process of creating a new constitution, which is to recognise the rights of the indigenous population. The consequences are tremendous and the opposition is fierce. Many fear that Morales is about to turn Bolivia into a communist state, in which the Bolivian flag will be replaced by the indigenous flag and people will lose all private property to the state. In Sucre the opposition concentrated on the right to reopen the issue of capital status, which is at the moment shared between La Paz and Sucre. For many weeks the inhabitants of Sucre participated in vigils and marches to bring the issue to the fore. The University played a key role and declared that students who did not take part would lose their right to sit exams, whereas members of staff were at peril of losing a months´ salary or even their job. Two weeks ago (23.11.07) the crisis escalated. The campesinos (the rural population) marched on Sucre to demand that constitutional reforms were no longer delayed by the discussions on capital status. It was said that the campesinos were about to block all routes into Sucre and that water supplies would also be cut off. The police who were placed in charge of protecting the members of the constitutional reform committee and campesinos came under attack. Three people died in the riots that followed, the police station was burned and looted, and eventually all police officers were forced to retreat to Potosi. Prisoners were set free and for a week the city was without police. For three days living in Sucre was a frightening experience. For much of the time we were locked in our house, while the streets were filled with teargas. Angry mobs went around day and night chanting, shouting and blocking the roads with flaming car tyres. After the retreat of the police the town calmed down and things went back to normal. New talks on the constitution have now been opened. The photo above was taken from our balcony during the riots.

My trip to Incahuasi

Last week Monday the local paper, El Correo, published an article on an extraordinary find in Incahuasi. Below the church a mummy was found of what appeared to be an Inca chief. Deposited in a coffin the body was adorned with bracelets and pectoral in Inca style. Local dignitaries called for experts to come and visit the site and confirm its importance. Three days later it reported that the University of La Paz has responded and a delegation was on its way. The University San Xavier of Sucre, however, the newspaper added, had ignored the call for help. As Incahuasi lies within the area of responsibility of the Sucre museum it was clear that something had to be done. A journalist turned up at the museum and the next day it was reported that Sucre was not only going to send its two resident archaeologists but also an expert from London University (?!) (Please note that La Paz and Sucre are currently locked in a battle over Capital Status).

We left the following Tuesday for a 10 hours drive along dirt track roads along sharp mountain drops. Having arrived at Incahuasi it turned out that none of the members of the special committee instantaneously formed to deal with the discovery was present and we were to wait until the next day to view the treasure. In front of the church about 40 youths had gathered to await the latest news and maybe to reenter the church. The committee gathered the next day and many pictures were taken of all the dignitaries. Again a crowd had formed ready to push into the church. It was decided that only a few select members could enter under surveillance of the local police. The committee expressed it concerns about the archaeologists entering the church and possibly removing valuable artefacts that were to form the first museum in Incahuasi and attract many tourists. After reassurances were made we were allowed in, accompanied by what turned out to be quite a large crowd after all.

The first view was shocking; the floor had been completely removed and ground was dotted with holes, dug by treasure hunters. Human bones were everywhere. To deal with the large quantities of bones large rubbish bags had been filled. Skulls were lined up along the edges. The coffin of the alleged Inca was opened and we were advised to wear face masks. In it was a body, still in the process of decomposition, with some remains of flesh and rotting textiles, but no signs of any adornments. No one had ever seen the bracelets or pectoral reported in the newspaper. We were looking at a modern cemetery with at the centre the body of a male, who had clearly not been dead that long. There was not much for us to do but to retreat with the announcement that an official meeting would be called later that evening. The meeting was announced with gunshots, and some hours later at least one hundred villagers appeared. This was not going to be easy, as news had already spread that hopes of a great tourist attraction at Incahuasi had been dashed by the specialists. The atmosphere was tense with angry looks being exchanged between different factions within the committee. Edmundo, museum director, instructed us to speak for 30 minutes and them make a quick retreat. I was encouraged to take an active part in the process and was given the role of explaining, in my still developing Spanish, that the person presumed to be an Inca was a recent dead, as his body was still very much in the process of decomposition; a male, as parts of the genitals were still visible; between 40 and 50 years old and buried in a modern coffin constructed with a mechanical saw. Oh joy!

Afterwards we made a quick escape to a backyard where tea with alcohol was served and hid from the rest of the population. Fortunately one of the older committee members had begun to talk to us about discoveries made on hill slopes surrounding the village, which we visited the next day. These turned out to be genuinely interesting with settlement and burial features, which date to the Pre-Inca period. The material is now being analysed and will very likely provide the basis for further survey work next year.

Show your face!

There have been a few requests for Laurence to show his face. Teri was also very glad to hear he hasn´t changed. I am going to ask him for his comments in a moment (he says that he hates being in pictures like that!). The boys have now started school where they learn all sorts of useful things (apart from Spanish of course!) including German and knitting. Laurence´s first comments: "there are some annoying boys in my class and two bad teachers!" Bonno: "Knitting could be useful because we have no television!" We also didn´t manage to bring toys because of luggage restrictions, but this so far has not been a problem. The boys make all sorts of things with cardboard boxes and plastic bottles, miniature doggy play areas and all sorts of waterworks involving mud. Mignon´s game boys are top of the pops of course, also with the local children.
Sorry I haven´t got the blog thing sorted completely yet, not sure how to turn pictures. I´ll try adding a second one.

Henry´s Research - "Digital Indigeneity"

Henry´s research focuses on the Sucre-based musician and indigenous activist, Gregorio Mamani. He was brought up in Tomaykuri, near Macha in Northern Potosi, a rural community neighbouring Cayanguera (Kalankira) which formed the focus of Henry´s previous book. Unlike the llama herders and potato cultivators of Kalankira, Gregorio works as a professional musician and has been famous in the region since the mid 1980s for his many cassette recordings and more recently VCDs (DVDs). Some of the latter, in support of Bolivia´s "indigenous president", Evo Morales, were clearly highly influential in the 2005 elections. In his house in Villa Armonia on the outskirts of Sucre, Gregorio has created his own recording studio and has several computers for editing and duplicating his productions. He´s an outspoken voice for indigenous rights and against music piracy. This publicity photo was taken by Henry and may appear on the cover of one of his next productions.

The story of Tanga Tanga

Sucre is flanked by two mountains; Sica-Sica and Churuqella. They are quite a climb (about an hour) but we managed to conquer both. At the top there is no cafe or souvenir shop, but a chapel as summits are considered very special places. On the way we met several people who were about to make offerings. One of them gave us some coca leaves which people chew to defeat hunger, thirst, altitude sickness and fatigue. Coca leaves are also sacred to the earth mother, Pachamama. On this picture the boys are having a first chew.

Associated with the mountains is a special story, but I will hand over to Bonno for that:

"When the Spanish had almost completely conquered the Inca empire there were only general Tanga Tanga and his men left. The Spanish made a threat that if Tanga Tanga would not pass over a large quantity of gold, silver and precious gems then Atahuellpa, the great Inca leader, would be killed. After a period of time Tanga Tanga heard the news that Atahuellpa was already killed, so Tanga Tanga ordered his men to bury themselves, the treasure and him self at the foot of Sica-Sica and I am now searching for it"

Museo Charcas

This painting of a camel (that is what they call it, but it is more likely meant to be a llama!) was found in a cave in the surroundings of Sucre and is probably 1500 years old. It is one of rock paintings on display in the Charcas Museum along with mummies and artefacts of the Prehispanic periods. My first job for the museum is to write English texts with the displays, which hopefully will attract more visitors. It also gives me the chance to become acquainted with the local cultures before we start undertaking fieldwork. I work with Edmundo and Maximo (Mimo) who have learned the tricks of the trade in the field from foreign archaeologists (from Argentinia for example) as courses in archaeology are rare. The first University Department in Archaeology was only established in 1982 in La Paz. Archaeology is still very much a luxury and people tend to go for subjects such as law and medicine to secure their future (probably the way things will go in the UK with the current loan system).

La Entrada

Our second weekend here was a very important occasion in Sucre: La Entrada del Virgen de Guadaloupe. Thousands of people practice for months (unfortunately we experienced some of the practising first hand as live very centrally) for a parade that goes on for the best part of the day; amazing costumes, dancing, fireworks and lots and lots of noise!It has inspired Bonno; he now wants to learn to play all Andean instruments and of course wear one of those fantastic costumes. Much more interesting than a solitary piano lesson!

Sucre is beautiful

Sucre is said to be the most beautiful town in Bolivia and I can believe it. It has many streets with white colonial buildings around the central Plaza and Cathedral. From our house it is a ten minutes walk to the central Plaza with many cafes and restaurants. The Charcas Museum where I´ve started working is only around the corner. Sucre is surrounded by hills and seems to have a very pleasant climate. It has been warm in the days (20-25 Celsius) and often cooler in the morning. It is now spring, but summer is on the way which is also the rainy season. Today we´ve had the first real rain in a month.

Daily life

Daily routines took over with a vengeance! As we have no hot water in the taps all the washing up and cleaning (and there was quite a bit of that with 200 years of dust!) was done by boiling a kettle. Any water that we drink needs to be boiled for at least 5 minutes. Any raw fruit or vegetable we eat needs to be soaked in iodine for 10 minutes. Paying a bill cannot be done by direct debit but involves queueing for an hour. Having the rubbish collected means listening out for the rubbish collector and his little cart to come around. The house has no gas connection and we bought a cooker with a gas tank. It was clear that if we were going to do any work we needed help and we found Dona Martha. (We tried taking a nice picture of the whole household, but Laurence did not think this was such a good idea)

Arrival in Sucre

Having arrived in Sucre on Saturday morning very early we found the house we were looking for the following Sunday. It is a colonial house probably from the late 18th century in the centre of Sucre. It has a central patio and lots of large rooms. In a way it is the opposite from our house in Ascot; lots of space and very little in it. The house was completely empty when we arrived and we spent the first week shopping. This is shopping Sucre style at the Campesino market, where anything from car-tyre sandals to wardrobes is being sold. Henry caused quite a stir by negotiating in the local language Quetcha, especially amongst the cholitas (the ladies). We now own some very solid furniture made from real wood (I know because one of the chairs fell against my thumb, leaving a blood blister) and some amazing bedding (we have panthers, acrylic stars and Maisy Mouse; any sheets we could lay our hands on).

Early Days

On the 16th of September after 24 hours of travelling we arrived in La Paz, the highest capital in the world (4000m high) with the highest airport in the world. Fortunately none of us suffered too badly from altitude sickness, we were just all wiped out. We stayed with our friend Susanna for a week, who lives in an apartment on the 17th floor with breathtaking views, even more breathtaking as the windows open fully (a bit of a worry with two cats and two boys!).With the help of the staff of the museum MUSEF and especially Varinia, we obtained courtesy visas within a week and left for Sucre on Friday night by Buscama (bedbus).