A Child's Smile Lights Up Hope in the Universe

It is very hard to send a message, especially during Christmas time where it is easy to fall into the obvious but, in a dark period like the one We are living, dominated by selfishness, greed, ephemeral success , we all have an urgent need for sincere and pure Smile, full of Life, capable of urging our emotions, to dust off our values and ideals, all too often shredded in this perverse mechanism.

We always complain about the world in which we live, but we often delegate our responsibilities to others. They, the Children, would all have the right and yet, they do not complain, they do not delegate, they face life with dignity and lightness, despite the conditions to which We adults subject them.

The children live a true life, made up of colours, smiles, curiosity, they don't ask for anything in return, just be heard, taken into account, they just want to feel part of this adventure called Life.

They think, "naively" that we are all equal, without distinction, do not exist in their minds and especially in their honest hearts, differences of color, race, religion, there is no envy or malice.

Children dress only of their dreams, give smiles to all those willing to receive them, they do not ask for anything in return just a pleasant look through which to transmit all the Human warmth that a pure soul can give.

To play they have the essential, a kite, a white chalk, a small flute, just nothing to smile, and then that feeling of being in harmony with the essence of the world.

These days we need to rediscover that word abused and too often forgotten or erased that is Humanity, We are stealing the future from the new generations, We are Denying THEM the right to grow up in a more equal, more supportive, more human-like World, which "should" be the primary purpose of the Mankind.

Being in the Christmas time I try to translate into words the gestures of the children I met in my wandering around the world, as I wish for a slightly more just future:

Say hello to the children of your city, inexhaustible source of joy and imagination, give them a hug on my part and fill it with Love.

Merry Christmas

Amantaní, Lake Titicaca, Peru

The island of Amantaní, is an island on the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca a place of about 3663 peasant people  According to a 1988 census, divided among about 800 families Quechua speakers.

It is a haven of tranquility and bucolic landscapes still unknown to most travellers. It preserves ancient traditions and the possibility of knowing an authentic life in community.

The ten communities that live in Amantaní are dedicated to: agriculture, livestock and artisanal fishing. The almost 4000 people work cooperatively and provide mutual assistance. When staying with local families traveller can share its activities, rituals and participates in folkloric events. With some effort the traveller can also learns Quechua, the first language of the Amantaneños.

According to Andean mythology, from Lake Titicaca emerged the sons of the sun god, Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo Huaco, who founded the empire of the Sun. In Amantaní itself there are several milestones that celebrate the Andean worldview. One is the Pachamama ceremonial center, at the highest point of the island, dedicated to the female genus, The other is the Pachatata, representative of the masculine, on the Coanos hill.

As you go through the wilderness you feel no more fear than that of exposure to nature and once at the top of one of the hills, You can enjoy one of the most breathtaking views in earth, the deep blue Titicaca lake with the Cordillera Real as a backdrop.

At Dusk descending among the beauty of nature, you reach the central square where a Festival in Hohour of Our Lady of Candelaria is taking place

In this sqare, Plaza de Armas, a paved rectangle in the middle of the village where the municipality, the school, the church and some wineries coexist, already falls the night and also the first drops of rain but, the show must go on and doesn’t matter if soon, the entire place will be inundated by a tremendous seasonal storm.

It is in these minutes of waiting that one feels the rhythm and dynamics among the inhabitants of the island, the time seems eternal, and the folks carry on dancing and laughing, in a word, enjoying the gift of Life.

As the storm breaks out outside, inside, the cold and altitude sickness are healed by a muña tea, the plant suggested by the ancestral wisdom of the Amantaneños.

Here, in this timeless place, where life flows slow and and with bucolic nuances, I have perceived what I have never experienced and that, I have been told so many times, the simplicity of the world and the centrality of man in it. 

Sunset seen from Pachamama Site.

Even in moments, seemingly relaxing, women are always engaged in the production of things that somehow always help the family economy. Titicaca lake shore

A solitary boy is seen strolling around the shore of Titicaca lake

A group of Women is seen in Tradition costumes on the shore of Titicaca lake.

A couple of sheep are seen at the backyard.

a little girl is seen in a field during the day, surrounded by nature, with the lake Titicaca in the background. A field of potatoes can be a playground for children as their parents are working nearby.

At 5 o'clock in the morning, Maria starts her day washing up and tidying up the kitchen. To carry out the family in the general sense, it is only one of the activities of the women, they also work the fields, they care for the guests, and other related activities.

For many kids, the backyard is like a playground, they are safe there, close to the family and, they are happy playing with any object found around.

The almost constant “lack of” water, most of the time does not even allow basic hygiene.

Father and son are seen early in the morning get ready for a new day of work.

A curved old peasant, intent on finishing the daily work during sunset.

A man is seen resting after a long day of hard work.

A detail of a plant of Quinoa.

The hillsides are terraced, mostly worked by hand, and planted with wheat, quinoa, potatoes, and other vegetables.

Women are seen going back home during twilight.

A woman with traditional costume performs during the festivities of the carnival in the central square of the island, where all the communities, from all parts of the island, are gathered for the festivities.

Pamplona, Saint Fermin

The Running of the Bulls, Encierro, of Pamplona is the most famous of Spain, but not the only one. It is the highest profile event of the San Fermin festival, which is held every year from 6–14 July.The first bull running is on 7 July, followed by one on each of the following mornings of the festival, beginning every day at 8 am. The Encierro begins with runners singing a benediction, El Cantico, It is sung three times, each time being sung both in Spanish and Basque. The benediction is a prayer given at a statue of Saint Fermin, patron of the festival and the city, to ask the saint's protection. Though there is no formal dress code, the very common and traditional attire is white pants, white shirt with a red scarf around the waist and a red handkerchief around the neck. Despite The protests of pro-animal rights groups, the show go on. Normally On the eve of the festival, dozens of semi-naked activists try to draw attention at what they see as animal cruelty, only, for entertain the folks. Bullfights are protected under the Spanish Constitution as part of the country’s cultural heritage.