Dancers in colorful costumes floated across the dance floor. The audience clapped their hands to the beat of the music. Cheers and “bravos” were heard at the end of each performance. I had heard a lot of good 
things about “Brisas del Titicaca” in the district of Breña here in Lima. They were all true. I had been invited to this Peña by my good friend Larry Pitman and his wife Lucha. Larry’s son, Andy, was visiting from the US and he wanted me to meet him. A group outing was arranged and my friend Steve and I arrived in Peruvian fashion (a little late) to enjoy the festivities. The others were already on their appetizers as we were seated by the hostess. The music was loud and the audience raucous from the moment we arrived. I knew it would be a good time. Professional dancers performed to live music. Each routne was a tribute to one of the many forms of dance here in Peru.
The Marinera, Tondero, Huayno, Diablada, Huaylash and Scissor Dances were all performed. Each had its 
own set of costumes and music. The dancers were truly incredible and very talented. Between performances, the band played dance music and the audience filled the floor. The all had an incredible time. The entire thing lasted five hours and I was exhausted by the end. It was also nice meeting Larry’s son. He seemed like a nice guy. Married to an Israeli girl, they spend their vacations between the two places visiting relatives. His wife was busy with a big project and wasn’t able to come this trip.
The writers’ group met this past week. I was disappointed as this will, in all likelihood, be our last meeting. Only Victoria and Amanda were able to make it. I had thrown together an article on the Temples of Cahuachi for a critique. Both offered me some excellent advice on how to improve the article. I hope to have it revised and off to LiP for publishing before the end of this week. My entries to my website have made up the bulk of my writing since returning from Nasca. I hope to get back to the keyboard in a serious way soon. The storyline of the second book is slipping away from me. I am going to have to make a concerted effort to get back on track with it.
This past Friday I had coffee with Larry again. We talked about his son’s visit and how short it was along with a plethora of other topics. Larry had come from a class with a new student who canceled on him while he was waiting. I think he will suggest another teacher for the student as he was slightly upset at the no show for the first day of class. I guess that’s the chance you have to take with students who are businessmen. Otherwise, we enjoyed our coffee and I wished Larry a Happy Birthday, I still have no idea how old he is.
That’s it for this entry. Come back in a few days to read about my last outing with Amanda. Have a great week everyone. As winter closes its chilly grip on Lima I hope all my friends in the northern hemisphere have a great summer.