Museum of Gold

I was sick like a dog on Thursday but I did go to see the museum of gold and it was very interesting. The building itself is not very impressive and the jewerely and other artifacts could be displayed better - they are now very cramped together and it would be nicer to be able to contemplate them a little spaced out. The gold objects were amazing, especially the necklaces and pre-Inca table utensils. It is usually very difficult for me to find a piece of jewerly which I consider interesting - mostly all modern pieces are alike. I could easily wear the pieces displayed in the museum - they are beautiful, whether they are delicate and full of details or big and simple - they are beautiful. There were also a few very well preserved mummies there and a part of the museum was dedicated to memorabilia connected to military and various wars, which wasn't so interesting to me so I passed through it quickly. The entire trip to the museum was interesting because I took a bus which took me through different districts of Lima. Some were very poor ones, others, like Montericco where the museum is located, is in a way a suburb with big expensive houses and high walls around them. I was just sitting on the bus (it took me 1.5 hours each way), inhaled exhaust and watched. The only bad thing about Antigua, Panama City and Lima is the air pollution. I can literaly see what I breath in and it is a little scary...

I also went to the Museum of Anthropology and History of Peru. It is located in a beautiful building with a big courtyard and everything is very nicely displayed. I saw the history of the first settlers, and all the different groups of people which inhabited Peru over thousands of years. There were many amazing pieces of pottery, fabrics (very beautiful designs and textures), all kinds of spears and farming tools of those who were not hunters-gatherers but settled on the land and became farmers. It was nice to sit on a bench in the couryard and digest all the interesting things I learned there.

Now about last night... It is hard for me to leave Lima because I made so many friends here. First I met a group of Polacos, the first Polish people I met during my trip. They went to Cuzco. If they were going to take the Inca trail I would go with them but they decided four days` walk up the hill was not something they could do because of various health issues. They will reach the ruins by taking a shortcut. And my buddies at the hotel Espania are another group I like to spend time with. Yesterday evening, still with a fever but I couldn't miss that, I joined them for dancing. It was a disco to which people from Ayahucho (I don't remember the spelling exactly but it's the town between Lima and Cuzco) go. They were mostly Quechua Indians and the live music was partly sung in Spanish and partly in Quechua. So I learned that Aristoteles and Aristofenes are Quechua Indians. Which brought back to my mind my conversation with Russell, the person from Panama who gave me a lift and showed me around the area. I was telling him about my mixed opinions regarding the future of indigenous peoples and whether they should assimilate or separate to survive. His opinion was that the only way for them to survive is to join the market society. Which brings me back to A&A and their six brothers and sisters. All of them graduated from universities. Some studied law, others business management, education, or anthropology. Their aunts and uncles helped to support them while they studied. The entire family helps to pay the tuition. They joined the market society but at the same time they didn't loose their roots at all. Yesterday at the disco I saw people of various ages but mostly young people who were telling me their first love is the Quechuan language and Quechuan tradition, including music and dance. I don't know how strong is this trend to move forward and take from the market society what may be of benefit but to keep what is best from the culture of the ancestors, but, it seems, there's hope that there's a middle way. So last night I listened to really great live music and watched people dance the dances they most like. It was very nice. However... lot's of Sangria was drunk that evening... but I am Polish so I understand. It seems the best conversations happen when aqua de fuega is running freely like a river...