today was just simply incredible.
besides the fact that i burnt my face and hands harder than ever, b52´s red lobster styles, it was all worth it.
this morning at 5am, i was woken up by IVAN (the great), my camera assistant. he was at my room´s door, lightly tapping for about ten minutes with his eye in the keyhole, refusing to come in. finally after i said for the forth or fifth time "its okay IVAN, come in, please" i bounced out of bed and knew that i had a huge day head of me.
we started the day by walking with RODOLFO (my guide) and IVAN, over a small mountain in order to get to lago titicaca.
it was hard to put into words... all i could do was hold onto myself and sigh. after awhile, i took my camera out and started to document where most probably PACHA MAMA will be filmed. IVAN was so kind, without even asking him, he turned off his radio as i filmed a panoramic view, off the cliff where we were standing.
it was almost time for the ballot box to open, so we made our way back to the town´s abandoned school, where the voting would take place. at 6am the notary, a very spunky cholita, opened the ballot box and people who had been waiting there since 5am began to move closer to the voting booth... a small wooden table outdoors, with two cardboard boxes.
after a day of great food, beautiful people, picture taking, being part of a radio interview and taking part in the electoral process by helping them record the ballots... they gave me a copy of the official results as a "thank you" for helping. i finished my day by sound recording a particular kind of aymara music that i have been searching for about five years.
as the sun set, we piled into the broken down mini bus and attempted to get the final votes to the presidential palace on time so that they could be included in the final results.
the ride back... no joke... was even worse then the ride there. same road but at night, no heat, 2 degrees in the car, five hour drive, two stops of the men pushing us out of a ditch and 14 people in a 10 seater mini bus.
nuff said.
it was at this point that i was calling out hajra´s name for help, mercy and prayer while listening to my ipod as refuge.
possiblyly the only things that kept me from going clinically insane.
but really, looking back on it... who really cares.
i was part of history. today were the presidential elections, where latin america´s first indenginous president was running for re-election... and he fucking won.
73% of the overall vote.
!YEAH BASTA!
to see the pictures in the proper chronological order... cut and past this link please:
http://s185.photobucket.com/albums/x128/cpphatz/Lake%20Titicaca/
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