La Cena Mistica

Thank goodness my husband Kiko is Peruvian! As an expat, I experience Peru quite differently from foreigners here without a Peruvian expert. I've been able to reap the many benefits of his Spanish fluency, cultural knowledge, driving prowess, personal contacts, family ties and patience (ok, his patience isn't necessarily Peruvian but boy is it helpful!)

On the Saturday of Mother's Day weekend, I was able to enjoy the fruits of his personal contacts. We packed an overnight bag with a few things (including leashes, bowls, food, brush, ball, and toys!) and drove south to the small town of Lunahuana. It's a very pretty area where people go for adventure sports like mountain biking, horseback riding and river rafting. The river runs through a beautiful, fertile valley surrounded by dry, desert hills on both sides. It's weird to see the farmland stop suddenly where the effects of the water can no longer reach. 

We stayed in a little bungalow at Refugio de Santiago, a casa hacienda where Kiko had previously visited and gotten to know the owner, Fernando. These places are kind of like bed & breakfasts, where the owner lives and works on site, and visitors get to see the real Peru. Rural tourism and eco tourism are great ways to see the country! Our host was anxious for us to try his fresh pink tuna juice, a deliciously pink cactus fruit drink, which we enjoyed with our tasty lunch of pato (duck) and cuy (hang on, that's guinea pig!) After lunch we walked down to the river and then hiked up a hill while the dogs followed new scents.

Part of the charm of a casa hacienda is interacting with the owner and meeting new people. We had pink tuna pisco sours with an American (who grew up in South America and works in Lima at the U.S. embassy) and his Venezuelan wife and made plans to meet up at dinner. After a short nap, Kiko and I cleaned up a bit and found our way to the pre-dinner festivities. Besides the couple we had met earlier, there was a family staying there to celebrate the matriarch's 70th birthday - the birthday "girl", some of her kids, their spouses and a few grandchildren. Everyone was sitting around a nice, warm fire, and as soon as Kiko and I were seated, our host, holding a bottle of coca-flavored pisco, began to give us instructions for the purification ceremony. He demonstrated that we were supposed to pour some liquor into the shotglass, say what we're grateful for, take a sip and throw the rest onto the fire, being careful when the alcohol hit the flames. I was almost the last to go, so I had some time to plan my speech in Spanish. When Kiko finished his speech and gave the bottle and shotglass back to Fernando, we found out that we had to go around again. Kiko said I could speak English this time, so it wasn't as stressful. After I finished, it was Kiko's turn again. He told the story of how we're trying to get my permanent resident visa, and one way to do it is to get married (again) in Peru. Our 27th wedding anniversary was earlier in the week, and this little getaway was to celebrate that as well as Mother's Day. Then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! I was so surprised, and it was so special because I was the one who originally proposed to him in 1983. At least I had the presence of mind to say, "sure!"

I thought we going out with everyone to have dinner in the garden, but Kiko and I were the only ones heading out the door. As soon as we were outside, I saw tiki torches on the ground on both sides of the walkway, lighting a path where Kiko was leading me. A few people were following us, and we just kept walking up the path toward all these little bright lights on a hill. I was so confused, I didn't know what to think. It was dark except for the tiki torches, and it seemed like we walked forever! Finally we ended up on a plateau, and in front of us was a table set for two, with a white tablecloth, candles, flowers, the romantic works! After I sat down the harpist began to play! I hadn't noticed him standing next to the hill, the one with what looked liked hundreds of tiki torches lining it from bottom to top! And it wasn't even a hill, it was a huaca, a sacred monument build by an early Peruvian civilization such as the Incas. I was so overwhelmed at this point, and that's when the guests who had been following us came over to give us hugs and take pictures. Apparently I was the only one who didn't know what was going on! My darling husband and I had a delicious dinner under a clear canopy of stars, listening to Peruvian harp music on an ancient civilization's sacred ground - la cena mistica (the mystical dinner). Words cannot do justice to the scene, or the feelings.

We danced, and talked, and I shed a few tears. We wanted to stay longer but the tiki torches were getting dim, and we were concerned for our harpist and server walking in the dark with their hands full, so we reluctantly walked back down the path to the hacienda. Everyone else was just finishing up with dinner, and we walked back to our patio with our neighbors to share some wine, champagne and conversation near our own roaring campfire.

My Mother's Day was filled with more excellent food, drinks, a hike, a tour of the many organic fruit trees on the grounds, some reading, and visiting with nice folks. It was a fun-filled, down-to-earth Sunday, which followed the heavenly Saturday evening under the stars.