We were picked up and transported downtown to the church where we met the chorusters from home stays and a few youth from the Catholic school who were going to sing with us this evening. We loaded into buses toward the other hotel our group occupied. While our cabin was quaint, this hotel had a large pool with a giant water slide. Foiled again. We enjoyed a buffet lunch in the blazing heat of another Hojancha afternoon and I caught up with Mama Heidi, one-on-one, for the first time in more than a week. We also circled around one of our local hosts for a song of thanks. Singing is the gift that keeps on giving.
Our buses took us up the hill to the town of Huacas, a small town with a population just over 800 people. We were met by Amiel from Bosque Modelo who grew up in Huacas and still has family living in the community. He took us on a tour of the local church which was built in 2002 and the local store which just expanded into a full restaurant with a beautiful teak bar. We also stopped by the oldest house in town and learned a bit more about the history of the community. As the tours broke up, folks began to mill about the town, some wandering toward a very old tree and others back toward town center.
I was drawn to the gathering of our younger chorusters and the Hojancha teens sitting outside the community center where our tech guys were busy setting up for our show. It's amazing how, at the age of 32, stepping into a group of teenagers can still be intimidating. Maybe they thought so too because they were already engaged in an ice-breaking game of truth or dare. I will skip the details - it's never polite to share outside the group - but here are some highlights of the Dare portion of the game: me singing Lady Gaga at full volume standing on a park bench; Charlie getting a kiss on the cheek; Mike Klein, our resident hottie, kissing the hand of a thrilled teenage girl; Liana as Justin Bieber - 'nough said. Another trip highlight.
The concert this evening was well attend by both community members and moths the size of small bats. Concert highlight: singing Donde Estas, Yolanda (Where are you, Yolanda), and our friend Dominic finding a real Yolanda in the crowd and bringing her up to dance during the song! Post-concert highlights: the scorpion... and a wonderful dinner with tender, marinated beef. It was a perfect compliment to a bit of flask tipping on the bus and a peek-a-boo photo shoot. Back home the party carried on into our cabin. Kevin got to say a quick hello to the group on a video call while I looked for the whiskey bottle. There is never a dull moment. Ever.
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