We stayed in Sauce this year for Christmas (last year we joined our extensive family in Lima) and joined in with the 'pastorale' on Christmas Eve in which children and youth enacted the Christmas story with a distinctly jungle flavor starting with processions all around the community which included Maria (Mary) riding on a mule led by Jose (Joseph) and accompanied by many angels, shepherds and kings. Also in attendance were Gypsies and 'Nativos' (children dressed up as indigenous amazonian tribespeople). I can only imagine that the gypsies are a holdover from Spanish nativity plays brought over during Peru's colonial past.
Many different groups converged on the Catholic church in the Plaza de Armas (main square) of Sauce and put on small dramas of the Christmas story in front of a nativity scene inside the church. Our dogs Bondo and Bondette wandered in amongst the actors which got a bit embarassing so we decided to leave at that point. They are delightful dogs but mostly uncontrollable.
Personal news is that we are soon going to make the move into the house we have been slowly building for the past almost four years. It's far from finished but now has a liveable bedroom with bathroom and the beginnings of a kitchen so we plan to spend New Years Eve in our new house.
Greetings from the heart to all our friends, family, ex-volunteers and supporters. We welcome all visitors to come see us in Sauce during 2015. We hope to have our sailing catamaran back in the water over the next few months following an extensive upgrade which has taken far longer than expected as these things tend to do.
Jungle-style Mary and Joseph. Looks like Joseph has been celebrating....
Inside the Catholic church with saints,'nativos', angels, Santa, kings and shepherds and some dreadfully out of tune singing. Winchester Cathedral this ain't!
