Story
Story 140
I had the honor of participating a big ceremony of one of the toughest indigenous people in South America called Mapuche.
The ceremony is held every other year, the tribal people do not sleep during the two-night event.
Photography was prohibited during the ceremony, but "Lonco" (or Longko in the Mapuche language), a tribal chief of 50 families allowed me to take his picture in his private space.
He has been in his position for 49 years.
"Even when the face of the earth is frosty, there is always heat in the earth. To feel it, you must stand and step firmly on the ground. Step on the ground with bare feet strongly. You feel vibration and heat at your feet, that's the energy of the earth. At that moment, you are accepted by the earth, and you are united with terra."
The dance which was offered to gods of the earth kept going on and on day and night. The sound of Cultrun (a ceremonial drum of Mapuche), Trutruca (a Mapuche trumpet), and Pifilca (a wood flute) never died away.
I surely felt the vibration and heat of the ground through my bare feet.
The air of excitement of the people at the two-day ceremony made enormous impression on my heart.
Now I understood why the Mapuches call themselves "Gente de la tierra" (The people of the earth).
(photo & story by Tengyo Kura, Temuco)
Story 139
There are flowers that bloom in one of the driest places on earth.
They bloom only when enough rain falls.
It takes three years, or four years, and sometimes more than ten years, but they will bloom.
Now the world seems merciless and toughest ever to mankind.
But I believe in that there is always humanity among us no matter how the world treats us.
When I saw beautiful flowers in full bloom in the driest desert in the world, I was struck with awe by the power of nature.
And I felt that nature told me that we should keep our hope in humanity as flowers can bloom even in this barren land.
We can bloom flowers of love, peace, and freedom if we don’t forget that we can do it.
(photo & story by Tengyo Kura, Atacama Desert)
Story 138
When I meet any trees that seem to tell me something, I feel that I know the reason why I am there.
Those trees stay there for some months to some hundred years or longer.
I come to them and share a moment with them.
They tell me stories of what they have seen there.
Sometimes wind companies with us, then trees seem to be emotional while telling their stories.
When I feel like something bad is going to happen and I feel anxious about it, I go to see trees and listen to them if it is going to be alright.
Trees connect the land and the sky, they always remind me of that what I see is not everything of the world, so I can relax and I can try to have a good time anyway.
Trees are my mentors, friends, and great storytellers.
This 800 years old tree told me about another old tree in the southern part of Chile called "Gran Abuelo" (Great Grandfather) which is one of the oldest alive trees in the world.
Someday I will pay my visit to Gran Abuelo and I will tell him about the 800-year-old friend of mine.
(photo & story by Tengyo Kura, Radal Siete Tazas National Park)
Story 137
Wherever you go, you will be there.
One poet said.
To keep drifting and to not return, it is the best way to die.
Another poet said.
Sometimes, where you go to is more important than where you came from.
But we always want roots and wings at the same time.
It's hard to love someone who don't love you.
It's hard to leave someone who you love.
At the end of our journey, we will finally hear from who we love.
"Stay here, soon I will take you there."
I wish you that you will return one day and you will find where to stay.
(photo & story by Tengyo Kura, Cusco)
Story 136
In the ancient times, the Titicaca people passed down a legend saying that a rainbow was a handle which Creator held to move the world.
The Titicaca people thought that the position of planets and stars in the sky seemed different when the world was moved by the mighty Creator.
It was believed in that not only the position of planets and stars changed, but also other new events were expected when a rainbow appeared.
People's birth, death, departure, coming home, and harvesting, natural disasters, new seasons.
A change came with a rainbow in the folklore of Titicaca.
Now I am standing in front of a big rainbow over Lake Titicaca, and tomorrow I will leave Bolivia for Peru.
I wonder if this is a message from Creator.
"Prepare for a change, vagabond."
(photo & story by Tengyo Kura, Lake Titicaca)
Story 135
On my way to Paraguay from Argentina by bus, my next passenger was a quiet nun.
On the other side there was a very friendly old couple who loved traveling a lot.
The couple was interested in talking to me, so we enjoyed exchanging stories for some time.
After we crossed the border and our bus entered Paraguay, the nun started talking to me.
"I love this red soil of Paraguay," she said.
"When entering Paraguay, the soil becomes red, and makes a beautiful contrast with green trees."
The nun was born in Argentina, and now serving in Paraguay for more than 30 years.
"Terra of Paraguay has the same color as our blood."
She gently continued.
"In here, humans live as a part of the earth, and the earth holds humans like their mother. That's why the people in Paraguay are simple and pure."
While I listened to the nun's story, I kept watching the scenery of the red soil passing by from a window.
"Asuncion, the next stop is Asuncion."
A conductor announced to us with a relaxed voice.
(photo & story by Tengyo Kura, Asuncion)
Story 134
This was one of the hardest places to leave.
I would love to gaze at the magical colors forever.
When it was time to leave, I could not just walk away.
I frequently stopped and looked back to engrave the unreal beauty of nature again and again.
It was really difficult to leave there.
But the same time I knew that life would show me another beautiful thing that I appreciate when I look forward and keep walking.
In life, it is okay to stop and look back sometimes in order to appreciate things awaiting you ahead.
(photo & story by Tengyo Kura, Cerro Hornocal)
Story 133
It was a carnival day when I saw the boy.
The region is famous for its unique carnival.
Devils are the main figures of the carnival that makes it very different from the original carnival concept.
In specific sites bunch of people disguised in a devil gather and visitors spray white cream-like liquid to the devils and to everyone after all in a loud music.
It is a fusion of the Christian culture and the indigenes religion.
I came back to the town center from the festival site, and walked to my friend's house.
Then a boy in a colorful gorgeous costume of carnival appeared out of nowhere.
He was walking rapidly and quietly, no one seemed to have noticed him in spite of his outstanding look.
I was fascinated by him, and followed him.
Suddenly somebody held my arm and stopped me.
I was surprised and looked at the person holding my arm.
It was one of my friend's family member.
He freed my arm and said, "Don't follow the boy. He is the sacred one."
He saw me following the boy.
"The sacred one?" I asked him.
"Yes, when you follow him, you might not be able to come back," he continued.
"Oh, really?" I was a bit confused.
"Sometimes special children are chosen by holy spirits. Those children can enter the spiritual world and come back to the material world freely."
"Wow," I looked at the back of the boy getting away.
"We don't know where the boy is going now, but it's safer to let him go alone because you are not able to go back and forth," he said.
"Thank you for the advice, I will not follow him."
I could not see his figure anymore, but the moment I saw the boy was imprinted in my mind and never faded away.
(photo & story by Tengyo Kura, Humahuaca)
Story 132
"You will be my company, won't you?!"
When I passed a small shrine on my way to a bus stop, an old lady sitting inside the shrine shouted at me.
It was a very hot day.
"I have waited for somebody to help me all day long here, but nobody showed up until now. I almost became a stone!"
I had no idea what she was talking about.
She gave me a sharp gaze, and asked me once more.
"Can you be my company, huh?!"
Her upper body (even with her hat) was fitting snugly in the tiny shrine room as if she was worshiped there.
Without understanding the situation well, I accepted her request anyway, and we began to walk arm in arm.
On the way, she asked me to pick up some rugs on the street.
They were wet.
I assumed that she washed them, and put them on the ground to dry.
I was not sure if I should tell her that her rugs were still wet, but she seemed pretty certain that her mission was accomplished.
So I picked them up.
The wet rugs were too heavy for her to carry indeed.
"Are you travelling alone?!"
She asked me in a loud voice.
"Yes."
I replied.
She continued "Life is short but long as well. You need a company sometimes as I did today."
I smiled, and responded.
"Sure."
Only walking for three minutes, we already arrived at her house.
There was a courtyard after the entrance, and one lady was doing her laundry there.
The old lady again shouted.
"I have waited for somebody to come at the shrine all day long! I almost became a stone there!"
The laundry lady dubiously looked at me who was carrying backpack on his back and some wet rugs in his hand.
The old lady opened a door to her room, and told me to put the rugs down on a dirt floor.
I hesitated a bit to put the washed rugs on the dirt floor directly, so I looked at the old lady.
Sitting on her bed she seemed confident with her decision, I followed her order.
Then she asked me in a loud voice.
"How much for this help?!"
"No, no. It's fine."
I said.
She replied "Oh, thank you! Remember, you need a company when you do something illogical!"
She pointed at the wet rugs on the dirt floor and grinned.
After a few seconds silence, I realized that she taught me something important by teasing me.
"Thank you, I will remember that."
So saying and smiling, I left her room.
"I will pray for you to meet a nice company on your way, a journey man!"
She shouted at my back.
I greeted the laundry lady (this time she gave me a friendly smile back), and crossed the courtyard.
As opening the door to the outside, I heard the old lady's shouting again behind me.
"I was waiting for somebody all day long! I thought I was going to be a stone!"
I shook my head with a bitter smile, and headed to a bus stop under a burning sun.
The feel of the wet rugs still remained in my hands.
(photo & story by Tengyo Kura, Humahuaca)
Story 131
He was worn out, and damaged all over his tiny body.
However, he still held full of energy strong enough to open my closed fingers.
He was a beautiful creature with his splendid horns.
His name is Escarabajo Rinoceronte.
Hope to see him again someday.
(photo & story by Tengyo Kura, Coronel Baigorria)