JPG Magazine: Stories: Photo Essay: Oxapampa

Oxapampa

By claudia luthi

3 July 2008

Oxapampa (Cerro de Pasco, Peru), where I have never been before, is something like a mythical place, a mixture of dusty wild west town, exuberant "cultura chicha" and german-austrian pulcrity. (You can read a brief history here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxapampa.) It was a most surprising scenery we discovered when we drove into the vastly arranged town of these cattle raisers, and stepped off the micro-bus at the Plaza Mayor. And from then on, during five days, walking through its streets, and over the bridge to the other side of the river, or driving to this place called "la Suiza", in the back land, or on a 8 hour hiking tour into the National Park Yanachaga-Chemillen, on a minimal path along the steep slopes of a high mountain, covered with tropical forest. Where ever I directed my steps and eyes I was taken in by the sights and the people we met. People were most friendly and helpful without harassment. I had no, absolutely no problem photographing them. They just naturally let me take their picture, with no sign of distrust or embarrassment. There are no robbers and no beggars in Oxapampa. The only truly unfriendly and odious person was the priest. Other than him, no misery in Oxapampa. It is such an unusual town for Peru, that one thinks to have landed in foreign country.

Just one anecdote: on saturday night there was the election of "Miss Selva Central" in the Club Social. We went there, just to have a look, out of curiosity. But suddenly a woman rushed out and grabbed my brothers arm and begged him to be member of the commitee of evaluation, because they needed a third one, and who could be better than him, a neutral and democratic swiss architect. My brother couldn't refuse, but with the condition, that we all get invited. So there we were, from 8 p.m. till 2 a.m, placed on honor seats in front of the scenery, bearing the endless show of the misses of the 9 provinces of the region (the girls ranged form slim native ashaninkas to opulent german cow girls), interrupted by typical dances and gags and shows of young local talents...Then, the arrival of a brazilian circus with eight african lions, travelling along with them. (They were traveling overland, thousends of miles with immense oscillations in altitudes, climates and temperatures). They arrived at nighttime, attracting children and adults, who stood all in aw around the lions cage, under the dim light of a street lamp. They seemed to come from another time and world. (I really, really thought that it wasn't allowed anymore for circuses to make shows with wild animals. But, there they were, those amazing lions from Africa, piled together in a appalling circus cage with four wheels, for the amusement of old and young.)