Encaustic Journal Entries

Last One Standing-
PRIVATE COLLECTION
"The houses are crammed onto the mountainside. It looks as though just the shift of the ground, any force, great or small, would send them all toppling down..."

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"There once was a woman who walked up and down the streets, asking people for soles if they wanted to take her picture holding her lamb. She knows her place in society. That she is an object to be photographed by tourists. Her only job is to wear the clothes her ancestors wore, and carry livestock around the streets of Cusco in order to make enough money to contribute to her family. Never a moment's rest..."

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"I spent a great deal of time watching the women on the islands as they set up their booths. How is what they do so different than what I do? Well, I don't sing and dance to get people to buy my work...but maybe I should..."

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"Rosalinda had the most exquisite hand woven hat I had seen yet on my trip. She and her family live on one of the floating islands in Lake Titicaca. Her hat looked as though someone had crafted it with a lot of love and care, so when it flew off and into the water on the boat tour we were sad, but not Rosalinda. She peered over the edge and watched it disappear, out of sight forever..."

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"I stepped into his one room hut where he proudly showed off his television set and his son..."

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"On the train ride from Puno to Cusco I sat at a table by myself and watched the sun rise. It was freezing so I wrapped my alpaca scarf over my head, with my sunglasses on, and drank my cafe con leche and pretended I was a worldly traveler going someplace exotic, oh yeah, and that I was a famous writer...and I let my mind wander until I decided I liked being me. I wrote in my journal about my exotic trip through Peru..."

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"A voice beside me said Welcome to my country! and I was a little taken aback. I was in downtown Lima, no, La Plaza de Armas, on my way to La Catedral de San Francisco, when Xonathon introduced himself to me. He told me it was closed for siesta, and lets grab a pisco sour in the meantime..."

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"My first night in Puno and my phone is dead. Not to mention I'm already receiving warnings that my bill is skyrocketing. The internet is not working right at this hotel. I can't wait for the restaurant to open so I can eat and for the gift shop to open so I can get one of those alpaca sweaters. It's starting to get really cold here. Don't think it's a good sign when my room has a space heater. On top of all this, my temple is a heart beat as soroche has hit me hard. I am seeing stars I'm in so much pain. I couldn't even walk the three flights of stairs it took me to get up here from my room. I think it's about time to get my sketchbook out and do some drawings..."