In a
country not short on spectacular landscapes, for me the Mantaro Valley, in
Peru´s Central Andean Highlands, is one of the most beautiful. I may be biased. This is where my husband was born. These are
the mountain streams where he learnt to swim, and the rural setting chimes with
my own cherished memories of a childhood spent roaming the Devonshire moors in
Southern England.
 |
| La Huaycha Hernan Ponce Sanchez |
Although at
more than 3,000 metres above sea level, the adventures and tales told
here, like most things in Peru, seem more dramatic, more vibrant, shot through
with the Ponce family´s own special brand of magic realism.
Tio Hernan
was born here in the small town of Concepción, and the play of light over the
valley´s streams and terracotta roofed villages is a favourite theme
in the young artist's paintings.
 |
| Huaytapallana- Morada Campesina Hernan Ponce Sanchez |
Tello also visited and studied the valley on various occasions. In 1942 the expedition to the Alto Urubamba river basin stopped off for three days in Huancayo, the region's largest town, before heading southwards, and Hernan tells us this story of how a singular purchase the archaeologist made there was to bring unexpected consequences further along the road.
If the (strawberry pink) jumper fits
In which it is proven that first impressions can be deceptive
On the eve of our
continuing journey southwards from Huancayo, Tello asked some of us to
accompany him to purchase some items, one of which being a woolen jumper. And
so it was that Mejía Xesspe, Pedro Rojas Ponce, myself and the archaeologist
found ourselves, late that afternoon, on Calle Real, the busiest commercial
avenue in all of this central region of Peru.
