It is time to describe one of my first trips. But first I must correct myself on the previous post , was not in Cuzco where I experienced this profound relationship between music and my travels , but it was on this trip. Of course I must say that it was not even fully aware of this link .
The year was 2000 if I remember correctly, when for a college course had to go to the instalations of UNALM in Jauja . It was a fun and interesting journey , as it was with the company of several of those who are now my best friends and at that time we were just getting to know each other.
The trip was made by bus from the same university in Lima for a period that should take us about 7 or 8 hours. We arriving at our destination for the night. This time we served many of us to talk, listen to music and read. We also make a visit to the city of Huancayo, which only lasted an hour but it served us for supplies. I well remember that at that time a musician friend had brought a homemade recording of 2 songs he had composed with his band. Speak of the first , because the second it was not even finished but his notes persecute me until today .
It was night on the lonely road route to an unknown and isolated destination. Meanwhile a group began to talk about horror movies that were more impressed. While my friend lent me his walkman to listen for the first time these songs, the first chords mixed with the essence of wild, mysterious journey, and with the comments of the films, especially an unknown to me : "The Blair Witch Project" . I turned up the volume and let myself trapped by the Space Bee looking out the window at the darkness outside. Something caught me since that time and did not abandon me during the whole trip .
Regarding the stay itself is not much to tell or tips I can give you, because as I already said , we stayed at the university facilities. The weather is wonderful, located more than 3000 meters above sea level , is very different than the coastal area. The air is clean, dry , the sky looks different , as if the clouds had been drawn by an artist in his prime. We even had the opportunity to do outdoor activities that were interrupted by lightning storm before which we take refuge in the corresponding bungalows. I should also add that what is told about the movie Blair Witch inspired some guys to make jokes at night to scare the unwary with the sound of the stones, this plus the fact that we were near a cemetery , and pretty isolated from other towns, some gave their results.
Definitely something in the highlands I discovered in that trip, like a spell of mutual consent between the serenity of the mountains and the spirit of who ventures into this land. So the book I recommend is "Beneath the Wheel " by Hermann Hesse. For some reason this reminds me so spiritual relationship with nature . It was the first book I read from him, and he came to me by accident while looking for a book to read in the small collection I had. Its cover was not very flashy and looked old so surely had to go unnoticed for long. But once in my hands was devoured with almost nonstop momentum past the last page. From there I became a regular reader of his works. This is a critique of submission of a noble and young soul ripped violently from their own childhood to the expectations of a parent looking done through the sacrifice of his own kid. The story is set in a small rural village as it could be any of the provinces we have here, a true story that leaves much to ponder.
The photos I show are referential , because I do not know if anyone of us took pictures but still I do not have access to it if they existed .
Now I leave the song that I mentioned , obviously when I heard it was in an acoustic version with just two guitars ... amazing!
