'Not much is known about the Inca ruins, since no one can read their writing.' Photo: by Eduardo Flores on Unsplash.
‘Being locked in together was beginning to take its toll.’
Tour de force: Elaine Bright remembers the FWCC Plenary in Peru
2016 was the year of the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) World Plenary in Peru. Adventurous Friends attend the Plenary for many reasons but the defining experience is of spending two weeks cooped up with each other.
After a boneshaking flight, attendees disembarked wearing every piece of clothing they would require for the period we’d be locked down. I’m not sure if they just didn’t want to put a bag in the hold, or thought this method would give them a speedy route through the airport. But then this bunch of dishevelled, tired people was inspected to see if we had drugs. The average age was around sixty, so there was enough to fill a pharmacy!
The conference centre had not anticipated our high expectations of fresh water, some food and the odd warm shower. But there was an opening night with a band and we unveiled a banner over the stage. Unfortunately it read ‘Wordl Plenary 2016’. As FWCC general secretary Gretchen Castle said, ‘Perfection is overrated’.
Getting laundry done was a hit-and-miss affair. Knickers were a weak point. It’s a good job the diet was sparse as I got a pair of someone else’s that were two sizes too small.
Being locked in together was beginning to take its toll, which was obvious by the acts in our four-hour talent show. One group made an escape into Pisac. One orange juice with a sideshot of bacteria was consumed, together with local kebabs – later discovered to consist of guinea pig with a sweet chilli dip. I don’t think the movement we were looking to create was meant to be in our bowels. A stomach bug broke out, so social distancing had to commence.
By day seven, health restored, we assembled outside to find ten ramshackle vans for the visit to the Sacred Valley. Each van held eleven people. Only one window opened and there were no seat belts or suspension. The drivers numbered the vehicles so we knew our group, except there turned out to be two number twos!
Not much is known about the Inca ruins, since no one can read their writing. But after experiencing the many steps at Machupichu I suspect they all died of exhaustion. Also I don’t think it was safe to be a virgin at that time.
By day ten everyone was hungry all the time. The lady selling snacks from her house next door never had it so good. By the time I went in she was looking at a brochure of Caribbean cruises. I was tailed out by a dog so huge that I felt it wise to share my Kit Kat with him (dogs live in groups in the road, which makes tuk-tuk travel interesting).
I ventured into Pisac to exchange currency and buy more diarrhea pills. The bank was closed but a guard with a gun appeared and led me up the street to a currency exchange in someone’s lounge. At this point I was ready for my demise. But being locked down together did show me something: everyone was in the same boat, rowing in the same direction. And you can cope with a lot if you can laugh about it.
Elaine is the finance officer for FWCC and the Friend.
