Pantoja y La Valeriana

Right outside of La Valeriana, I stopped to look at some paintings that were set up outside on the patio. Various easels sat propped-up next to a bundled-up Peruvian man on a stool. The paintings depicted various provincial scenes from Cusco, but featured unique color choices. Commonplace street scenes were depicted in bright pinks, deep purples, and lush greens. Noticing that I was intrigued, the painter invited me to sit down on the stool next to him to peruse his works. I did so, and talked to him as I looked through his canvases with the hope of finding something to take home. 

As I sat down, the painter and I exchanged introductions. I couldn't distinguish his first name, but I did make out that his last name was Pantoja. I started at the name, confusing Pantoja for the name of one of the actors from the movie Pantaleón y las Visitadoras. He noticed my reaction, but fortunately misinterpreted it as an informed response instead of the error that it was. He reacted with a "Sí, ella! La Pantoja! Ella es mi familiar!" After this interaction, I googled "Pantoja" and found a very famous singer, Isabel Pantoja. My guess is that is who he was talking about, and not a fictional character from the movie Pantaleón y las Visitadoras. 

In any case, after talking to this Pantoja for a while, I learned that he was a self-taught painter who had been working in a painter's coalition since 1976. He had been working at a desk job, but he didn't like how late he got home from work because it kept him from being with his family. He shared his disdain for the "portfolio pushers," the painters who try to push prefabricated paintings on tourists for cheap prices. Disdainfully, he told me how they "don't do any of it themselves." Soon, the conversation turned to my reason for being in Cusco. I explained that I was a student from the United States, originally from Iowa. To my amazement, he knew where it was! "By the Mississippi," he remarked with confidence. This shocked me--many students I've met from the U.S. have demonstrated far more geographic incompetence regarding to my home state. He complimented my Castellano, which I found interesting; why did he use the term "Castellano" and not "Español"? 

After buying a small painting for my dad, I left the painter and went into the café. I ordered an Americano and a "lemony cake," listening to acoustic covers of some rather unlikely artists, such as Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, the Beatles, and Madonna. Through one of the large café windows, I saw an ornate statue of the Virgin Mary staring at me from an alcove in the Cathedral next door, serving as a staunch reminder of Cusco's traditional culture. Two small chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and floral designs covered the walls, lending the café a delicate elegance. From my seat, I saw various vendors approaching the customers seated outside. 

Next to me, a group of Germans sat at a round table. I first noticed them when one of them ordered an Americano with impressive volume. The whole group demonstrated their mastery of "gracias" when the waiter took their menus. Interestingly, however, they reverted to English when the waiter asked them a question, articulating the English word with Germanic conviction. I was struck by seeing Germans and a Peruvian using English as a basis for this rudimentary communication. By virtue of seeing it in action, I suddenly understood what a "lingua franca" was, and how English operated as one.

In front of me, a Peruvian family sat at a table. The mother and father sat opposite from each other, and the boy and girl similarly sat on opposite sides. Both kids had backpacks seated next to them. The little girl wore a hot pink jacket, and boasted both a matching scrunchie and backpack. The little boy's backpack, however, was a far more the understated green color. Was this trip to the café an after-school treat? The kids certainly seemed excited to be in a place where desserts were the prevailing menu option. 

In my trip to La Valeriana, I saw several groups of tourists. I also saw, however, several specimens of everyday Peruvian life. I enjoyed the opportunity to talk to a Peruvian artist (even if I still don't fully understand his Pantoja connection) and observe a Peruvian family. I am still unsure, however, if La Valeriana really is a place where locals come regularly to eat food and relax, or if it's just a place where tourists come feel as though they're getting an authentic Peruvian experience.