A photo exhibition we almost attended

As a rap-up to Mochica Identity Week 2009 there was a photo exhibition held this morning in the auditorium of the Lambayeque Regional Government complex. It was scheduled to begin at 10:00am, but because nothing starts on time in Peru we arrived at 11:30.

We were just in time to see the maintenance crew removing the last of the chairs. The exhibition had finished at 11:00. But if we had been on time, this is the room where we would have seen the photos depicting whatever it was they were depicting. I’m sure we would have been impressed. In normal times this is also the room where discussions, debates and decisions take place regarding the governing of the entire Lambayeque Region. The only discussion we heard was the maintenance crew trying to decide when to break for lunch.

The complex itself is very attractive. Instead of one massive building it is comprised of many smaller offices – as I understand it one office for each department. The buildings and landscape are well cared for.

Another maintenance crew was setting up for the big banquette tonight to mark the finish of the week and to honor participants and other contributors. I don’t know what time the banquette is scheduled to begin but it doesn’t matter because we’re not invited. Not that we expected to be invited. True, we had a lengthy discussion with the Director of Tourism for the Lambayeque Region earlier in the week, and with the sub-manager of the Chiclayo Department of Tourism. We also agreed to get together in the future to kick around more tourism ideas, but that didn’t obligate them to invite us. Still, they seem to have forgotten the time I spent posing for those stupid photos and being humiliated on national TV on Tradition Day when I had to explain I don’t speak Spanish! They could have invited us!! WOULD IT HAVE KILLED THEM TO INVITE US?!...HUH?! THEY CAN’T AFFORD TWO MORE LOUSY PLATES OF FOOD?! I HOPE THEY CHOKE ON THEIR RICE WITH DUCK…THOSE INGRATES!!!

Tom