So, today I was suppose to give a presentation on ethnographic research methods to members of the Institute on Aymara Studies. The presentation has been postponed...hopefully until tomorrow. From time to time, classes or events are cancelled because of the unpredictability of weather. Normally because with too much rain Lake Titicaca floods over onto the highway. This was not the case today.
Wwhen I went downstairs for breakfast this morning, Jeny mentioned that four French tourists had left early this morning in order to compensate for the additional time they would need to travel to Bolivia. I thought it was a peculiar comment, and I asked why the trip would take extra time.
"Oh, because they were reporting on the radio that they are blockading between Puno and Ilave" she commented. I immediately dropped my bread and ran for my phone. I called Juan, my internship coordinator, and asked him if he had heard about the news. He had not, but would confirm it with me after he made a few calls. Sure enough, four of our participants had already emailed to inform him that they were unable to arrive because of the strikes. Juan called back, offering that we could attempt to pass through the blockade. As tempting as that sounded (pure sarcasm, Mom, I promise) I thought it best to wait until tomorrow.
Having been in Puno for two months, I am extremely use to parades and manifestations. There is some kind of march literally every day. It's really funny when the tourists that are spending their token day in the city of Puno witness one of the parades. "Wow, how lucky are we to be here on a parade day!" I have heard over and over again. Oh, if only they knew....
The primary purpose of these gatherings is to dance, or as they say here desfilar. Oh, I would like to take this opportunity to complain about the damn university next to my house STILL is practicing for a parade coming up on Friday. Every night for the past 2 weeks from 5-10 there is music blaring on the street. The worst part is that they play the same damn song over and over again...I am really, really looking forward the end of this week, and I also don't mind if I never here this particular song ever again.
Sorry, let me refocus....Occasionally, there is a march in protest of something. Typically here in Puno the protests focus on issues of education. I think teachers spend more time striking than actually teaching in the classroom. Take, for example, the professors who have effectively cut off the only viable route from Peru to Bolivia.
As you can see on the map-------------------> There is really only one road on the southern side of the lake from Puno to the border with Bolivia. It cuts through all the main cities of the southern provinces (Chucuito, Juli, Ilave, Yunguyo, Desaguaderos).
In reality, I am not quite sure how intense these strikers are today. From my knowledge of the culture of blockades in Bolivia, as well the information provided in the U.S. Embassy Security Briefing I attended in August (that effectively scared the crap out of me ), I don't think I am going to try to make my way through the blockade.
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