Primero De Enero
DIANNA KUCY AND ABBY MAYER
Arriving at Primero De Enero, the energy and positivity immediately radiated off onto our entire group. The people jumped at the opportunity to help us off the boat and carry our luggage for us. As we got off the boat we were led through a luscious, tall palm-lined path that connected the village to the river. The brightness of the flora mimicking the aura of the villagers. Walking into the village, we were greeted with applause and hugs from the people, making us feel right at home. Before beginning our trading, some of the village kids performed a traditional dance for us, allowing us to join in with them at the end. After the dance, many of the kids and an older lady from the village gave us each crafts and jewelry they had made. It was a such a sweet and welcoming gesture, allowing us all to feel like a part of the community. We were then brought over to learn about some traditional Peruvian food, and they let us try some of the food they had prepared for us. Even without speaking the same language, I felt so connected to and cared for by everyone in the village.
Following Primero De Enero’s heartwarming welcome, we began the trading process. Since we had far more clothes than the villagers had crafts, we decided to raffle off the remainder of the clothing. After we finished distributing the clothes our group was led outside to a tall, thin palm that was decorated with colorful streamers and crafts. We were invited to dance around the post while the other villagers played music and splashed us with water as we skipped around. While dancing, a machete was passed around and we all took turns striking the stalk in hopes that it would fall and we could collect the goods that were tied on the upper part of the palm, it is a very similar experience to opening a pinata. Eventually, we were able to knock the palm down. We all ran over in excitement and collected the gifts the villagers generously prepared for us.