My Pilgrimage to Ayabaca

Ayabaca

So I made my pilgrimage to Ayabaca.  No, i didn't go on foot, I am not that brave.  But after seeing how high up Ayabaca is set in the foothills of the Andes and the endless mountains surrounding it, I have a newfound respect for those who make the long pilgrimage on foot with children, baring crosses, or carrying fallen members of their group.  It was an amazing experience!

Edgar and I let from Piura early Saturday morning.  I knew that I was not going to enjoy the trip when I asked Edgar why someone was filming us on the bus.  He said it was in case the bus goes over the mountain and they have to identify or look for our bodies.   That definitely left an uncomfortable feeling in my stomach as I was reminded how much I love trips into the mountains on buses that sometimes look like they are held together with duct tape.  But I try to remind myself that tons of people make the trip every single day and these people know what they are doing...I hope.

About an hour or so as we began ascending into the mountains (about 3 hours into our trip), we stopped at this little town of only about 3 or 4 houses where we could use the bathroom and buy snacks.  Edgar knowing my love for tortillas pointed out a lady selling tortillas and cheese.  One of my absolute favorite things about the country.  It is something only usually found in the sierra, exactly where we were. The only other time I have had them when we were not in the sierra was in Edgar's house because his family is from the sierra and his mom makes them from time to time.   So we got our tortillas and something to drink, and watched the driver and his partner throw buckets and buckets of water into engine of the bus (always a reassuring sign).

We continued higher and higher into the mountains.  With as much fear as I have of heights it was impossible to keep the curtains closed of my bus window, the views are absolutely amazing.  So I snapped lots of pictures even though I was scared to death!   

Late afternoon we reached Ayabaca.  It is a little city that appears in the middle of nowhere set on the side of this mountain with again, spectacular views.  Our first task was to find a hotel room.  Even though the actual party celebrating Senor Cautivo was a few days before the city was still full of people.  Many of those who had made the pilgrimage were no longer there, only a few lingered.  There was more people like us, who thought they would make the trip after all the craziness.  The hotels were well aware of people like us and were charging outrageous amounts for a room.  I thought we would save money on hotels on this trip but I was very wrong. 

After we got settled we set out to see what was going on and find something to eat.  We walked over to the church, the center of the pilgrimage.  We waited in line and entered a room off to the side of the main entrance of the church.  It was filled with hundreds of purple robes adorned in gold designs and jewels.  Edgar told me they are the robes that they change the figure of Senor Cautivo just as robe of a priest is changed depending on different celebrations within the church.  He said he was there one time out of pure luck when they changed the robe.  There is a committee responsible for the figurine, so when it is time to change him the lock all the entrances of the church and bring him down into the room, he just happened to be left behind one time in the church to see it take place. 

We waited in line for stairs that entered into the church and went up and behind the figurine of Senor Cautivo that we displayed high on an altar.  The altar was covered in flower and candels and there were people in the church burning candels in observance.  When we reached the top, the case of Senor Cautivo is enclosed however one of his purple velvet cloaks hands outside the case.  The tradition is that many people carry cotton and rub the cotton along the window of the case and make wishes.  Another part of the tradition is to touch touch the cloak and make a wish.  I wasn't sure what to expect or what to do, so I watched others before me.  People were in tears many would linger for long periods of time rubbing their faces into the cloak as well.  There was a very solemn feeling in the air, almost as if I were at a funeral. 

The altar of Senor Cautivo

When I got to the cloak I touched it, made my wish, with a little hesitance.  I have always been taught that church is not a place for wishes or to ask for miracles, you pray, praying is NOT wishing, so I wished for nothing more then something I would pray for.  Edgar did the same behind me.  Then we made our way through the various people crying and hugging in the stairwell down into the church. 

The pews had been removed from the church to make room for the people who made the pilgrimage on foot to sleep.  There were not many anymore.  The really interesting and confusing thing was that the floor was absolutely covered in candle wax.  You could not see the floor at all.  Edgar said that people burn candles in observance of Senor Cautivo, some burn handles in holders, some on the floor and other let then candles burn completely out in their hands.  Afterwards, people from the town come and scrape up the way and sell it as a momentum of the celebration.  There were many people still burning candles on the floor. 

Candles burning on the floor of the church

We hung around in the church for awhile, took pictures, observed the different people and their traditions.  It was truly very interesting. Afterwards we walked the streets and checked out the vendors selling mountains of Senor Cautivo relics.  Later we found a lady selling tortillas and coffee and we ate our dinner. Edgar found a vendor who had cow heart on a stick....he was really excited.  It was difficult to be outside because it was incredibly cold, I am not used to that kind of cold.


The next morning we got up and went and checked out the city during the day light.  We found some great spots to take pictures.  We were so happy that we had visited the church the day before because now the line wrapped around the church a few times, where the night before we had only waiting minutes.  There were the normal vendors and people putting on shows.  There was a guy with a monkey and if you gave him a sole he would pull a little slip of paper out of drawer that held your future.  I did it, but I am pretty sure it wasn't my future, but the monkey was cute. 

We had decided that after how much the hotel cost and after we practically had seen all Ayabaca had to offer that only one night was sufficient so we bought our tickets to come back home.

Beautiful views

I just kept thinking about this pilgrimage, over the past week or so it has been one of the most amazing things I have seen.  But I couldn't completely wrap my mind around the very intense devotion these people have to this saint.  They also are devout Catholics and believe it is a very important pilgrimage to make as a catholic.  Which is interesting to me as well as a Catholic knowing that we do not have these particular ways of celebrating Catholicism in the United States.  One thing that has always fascinated and made my proud of my religion was the very old beliefs and traditions, however, this one was not one I had ever heard of.  The more intriguing part is that Senor Cautivo isn't even a saint that once lived or did anything spectacular.  But it dawned on me why this is so important, even though Senor Cautivo isn't a person, he is a figure and the story of how he came to be has to do with a miracle of God.  So these people make this pilgrimage not necessarily to see a figurine but because it puts them close to God.  That is the explanation for the extreme emotion, being close to Senor Cautivo is being close to a miracle they strongly believe in.  Although it was a little strange and uncomfortable to me in the moment, it was also something beautiful. 

I believe very much in my religion, but it made me feel like we weren't apart of the same religion.  These people have an incredibly amount of faith that I am not even sure I can compare to.  I have such respect for their beliefs even though I think the way the practice it might be a little different but it is something so sacred to them that made me wish I had something to compare it too.  However in the end, when the priest began his mass, it was the same as it would be if I were sitting in church back home, at the end of the day we are the same.

Us waiting for our Tortillas

The windy roads

Those who spend the night on the floor of the church

 

Senor Cautivo

I may walk away from my two years only have given my community something small, but I will definitely walk away with a mountain of incredibly experiences my community has given me!

Last week was the pilgrimage to Ayabaca.  This was something I have heard about, but finally experienced.  Let me give a little background information.  Senor Cautivo is the patron saint of Piura.  Basically his story is like this, many many years ago the people of Piura wanted to have a figure to represent them.  So they locked three men into a room to carve the figure.  The request of the men was that no one was allowed to come in for 3 days.  So the people of the town slipped the food to them through a tiny door, but there came a point that the plates were not being returned, and when they would knock no one would answer. In the end, when the people of the town became worried enough, they opened the doors, and there was this beautiful figure of Senor Cautivo and the people who created it were not there.  The believe it was an act of God.  Therefore Senor Cautivo has become the figure of Piura, and since more then 90% of peruvians are catholic it is also a catholic figure as well. 

So every year, in October, people from all over travel to Ayabaca, many on foot, to make the pilgrimage to celebrate their patron saint.  There are many routes to take, but one of the primary routes takes the people through Chipillico.  So the people of Chipillico prepared for the pilgrimage by painting and cleaning up the church and filled the plaza with tents where everyone would cook for the travelers and provide a place for them to sleep in rest. My host Mom participated in this with her "business" and took pretty much everything from the house and set up her little tent to cook.  The food is relatively inexpensive, in terms of dollars, the largest plate of food you could by was no more then 3 soles which is equal to 1 dollar. 

Since my host Mom was cooking in the plaza I went for all the meals and helped clean tables and wash dishes and run to buy more food when needed.  I was also asked to you my americaness to help bring in travelers.  Most of the travelers came in large groups, and when they reached the city center they would pull out instruments and play their music, so they would come in dancing and singing.  Most of them wearing purple with information about where they are from.  Some of the groups also had representatives that would come in crawling not on hands and knees but more of an army crawl, they believe that they were the ones being sacrificed for their beloved Senor Cautivo.  Other groups came into town bearing large crosses made of wood (with wheels), this was to signify the struggle Jesus underwent.  It was incredible.  They would stay and rest, wash clothes, eat.  Some would stay a few hours and go back on walking.  Others would stay for the night. 

One night I was hanging out in the Plaza with  Edgar until about 11:00 watching everything. When we got up to leave we realized there were people sleeping for all parts of the plaza and the town.  It was like a giant sleepover with hundreds of people sleeping wherever they could find space.  We had to search for a little trail to get out!  However it was a surreal experience, I am used to Peruvians generally being rude to each other.  No one trusts anyone.  However, it was amazing to see all these people sleeping and the people of Chipillico with their tents for them to sleep under were kind of hanging out keeping watch in a way.  It was like everyone felt a part in th pilgrimage even the ones that couldn't go were doing their duty cooking and having a place for these people to rest.  I just really was a heart warming moment.  It made me love the people of Chipillico even more.

So this weekend Edgar and I are going up to Ayabaca to see where it all ends.  No, I won't be going on foot, but I will be going in a bus.  I am really excited so see what it is all about.