Tourism and Magic in Pijal: A fine line between fantasy and reality

During our time in Pijal we were told about many of the legends of the area. All of the important landmarks in the community seem to have an accompanying mythical creature posing a danger to late night wanderers. For example, the people of Pijal say that the rainbow starts at the Gallo Poguio (a spring in the lower part of Pijal) and end up in the mountains at the San Francisco waterfall. The rainbow can be dangerous to get too close to, especially if you are wearing red or yellow. At first we thought this was just an old story that is passed down out of tradition, but the reality is that many people in Pijal believe to this day that the rainbow can be dangerous. Our host mom told us that her mother died from being too close to the rainbow. These are the sorts of statements that are difficult to respond to.

Just as the border between fantasy and reality, superstition and logic, are blurred in the stories of Pijal, the tourism project in the community is similarly difficult to delineate. Members of the area have formed the group Sumak Pacha (Kichua for Pure Nature) to build up tourism infrastructure in the area. The main intent is realistically to bring money into the community, though the preservation of culture and tradition are also important. Tourism is an idea in progress in Pijal, and it sometimes seemed that people have an unusual, fantastical, idea of how it will develop. We had trouble discerning what activities and locations were already in place and ready for tourists, and what things the community hopes to develop. It is an interesting sociological/ psychological dynamic that exists between the members of the tourism group. There is a definite diffusion of responsibility and slowness getting projects completed, especially when the eventual payoffs are abstract and uncertain. The community seems to have developed some dependence on the NGO working with them, and with the help they have not gathered their own momentum in finding grants or building up the program. Despite these issues, the current tourism infrastructure that Sumak Pacha has in place is a good start: the host families are well-trained, there are many members of the community happy to show visitors around, and the community is rich with unique traditions and culture. The issues Pijal faces in taking their efforts to the next level seem unavoidable given the current situation. I imagine that they will be resolved with time and as more tourism, little by little, brings the needed finances to the community.

Photos: Always-smiling Don Miguel with an Arete de Inca flower; Dressed up in traditional clothes on my birthday; Sitting exhausted with the huge pile of corn we helped harvest, husk, and carry home.