I spent three nights in Puno where I stayed in the Puno Plaza Hotel, right on the main square–the Plaza de Armas. My days were so busy I never had the time or energy to roam very far, so my views of Puno were limited to those from my hotel balcony. Sound dull? Not if you’re an inveterate people-watcher like I am.
Let’s start with the truly dull stuff. Puno is a city near Peru’s southern border with Bolivia. It’s located at an elevation of 12,421 feet and has about 100,000 residents. The city’s cathedral dates from the 17th century. I was never around when it was open to visitors, so I don’t know what it looked like on the inside.
Puno's cathedral
Now to an unexciting photograph that’s worth some time examining, starting with the tall white building.
The street at the other end of Plaza de Armas, opposite the cathedral
Since earthquakes are a fact of life in the area, there are few tall buildings. Few new buildings exhibit any signs of exterior style; most are akin the shop building in the foreground–boxy and utilitarian. Also, note its location in the middle of the block. It is unclear whether it is attached to another building or not. Lots of non-commercial buildings have only small windows, if any, facing the street, and they usually have some sort of ironwork over them. I also gathered that property taxes are a function of a building’s state of completion; there are lots of unfinished buildings with rebar sticking up from the flat roof. Maybe they intend to add another floor; maybe not. All of these factors make this building rather unique.
The swan
Next, note the absence of any vehicle on the street. It’s 4:30 p.m. on a weekday! I didn’t notice this fact at the time; it was a portent of things to come.
On the other hand, there is what looks to be a woman walking a bicycle. She really has a sort of backwards tricycle. Lots and lots of bicycles and tricycles have been converted to shops on wheels by entrepreneurs of various sorts. This woman sells ice cream cones.
Ice cream vendor in Puno
Curiously, at least for me who worked in downtown DC, there aren’t many people walking around given the hour. There were more when I went out later to dinner and walked along this block. The street converts to pedestrian-only at the next intersection, and numerous restaurants and shops can be found in this pedestrian zone.
And now, the people. What do you think was happening on this park bench?
Three People on a Bench @ Time 1
Just a minute later,
Three people on a bench @ Time 2
In this first photo, there is no eye contact between the man and the young woman. A minute later, they are both smiling.
What did he say to her? And what about the older woman whom the younger one is sitting close to? She seems so resolute at ignoring what is happening beside her. In another age, I would have thought she might be the duenna.