“Today we heard that the committee of the Anglo-Peruvian Society has made a most generous contribution to our cause…….and the wood arrived!

First, great thanks to the APS committee who invests so much time raising funds for Peruvian causes. We are so grateful to be one of them. Muchisimas gracias!

The wood, aguano, arrived straight from the Peruvian rainforest. 173 planks 10″x7″ for the deck below and 160 battons for the ballast grating.

All the planks weighing 20ks each, and newly cut, were manhandled from the truck onto the quay, then individually stowed in the aft hold to dry. The strength and endurance of the crew, Maximo, Antonia, Teo, Alex and Edwin working in the hot sun was truly astonishing.

“While work continues on the Yavari in Peru, in West Ham, East London, the 16 young Hammers are busy organising their fund raising events and were thrilled to receive a very generous donation from the Premier League towards their Peru Expedition. Great thanks to the Premier League for their support and encouragement.

Very warm thanks too to Iberia for their invaluable contribution to the young Hammers’ travel expenses. So much appreciated. Muchisimas gracias!

We have just received a most generous donation from Michael Palin. He knows the Yavari well from his visit in 1996 when filming BBC’s “Full Circle” so he has seen our need! Thank you so much Michael. So much appreciated.

Ian Biles’ farewell lunch of quinoa and chicken Puno-style

On the Yavari we said “goodbye” to our naval architect, Ian Biles who had dedicated two weeks to assessing and instructing Captain Carlos, Maximo and crew on the work to be done. We owe him huge thanks for making the impossible possible. He left us with a comprehensive job list which we are following when not diverted by the weather. It is the rainy season. Rain is one thing but the hail is ferocious and penetrates the ship where rain does not. Unfortunately urgent repairs have had to take precedence over Ian’s job list.

At the workshop shaping the seal for the watertight doors

The weather also seriously affected this year’s Fiesta de la Virgen de la Candelaria.

Puno is the folklore capital of Peru and this Fiesta de la Candelaria has been recognized by UNESCO so dancers and their musicians come from all over the Puno region and beyond and spectators come in their thousands.

On the first Sunday in February, 116 groups of 300-400 dancers, each group representing a community, come to display their traditional dances and dress – and compete with one another, the music being provided by panpipes, flutes and drums.

On the second Monday, the tribute to the Virgin comes from 89 groups of 800-1000 dancers and bandsmen playing trumpets and tubas introduced by the Spanish. In a procession known as “Trajes de Luces” (Costumes of Lights), the performers express, in their dances and elaborately psychodelic costumes, a parody of the Spanish Conquest.

Some 60-70,000 Archangel Michaels, African slaves, Spanish overlords, demons and devils and their accompanying womenfolk dance through the streets to the music of their brass bands.

This year the procession started in sunshine but was suddenly attacked by a storm of hailstones as fierce as ice-cubes followed by a very thorough rain storm. The spectators disappeared under umbrellas and plastic sheets and in time all but the diehards disappeared altogether. Notwithstanding re dancers…………………..until dawn the next day.

Not surprisingly our welder did not show for work in the morning!

Until next update.

Maximo sawing planks for the hold deck.