rodeo? bull fight? dancing? chickens? did i dream it?

I am in Cusco for the night waiting to pick Mel up at the airport TOMORROW! I can´t believe it´s already here. And that means that the festival is already over and all of that means that time is passing so quickly.
The festival was really fantastic. There were people out and dancing and drinking and carousing 24 hours a day for four days. It was exhausting and fun. I did realize that everyone I know if Ollantaytambo was either dancing or working for a Cargo (the ¨homes¨of the different dance troups) so I ended up by myself for most of the festival which was kind of odd.
There were 15 dance troups in all with completely different costumes and different dances and different personalities. Part of the phenomenan is that everyone wears a mask and between the masks and the costumes, you never know who anyone is. After the robbery in Ecuador, seeing people in masks has freaked me out but I think I´m over that now after the festival. On Sunday there was a ¨Corrida de Toros¨which was like a cross between a rodeo and a bull fight. Matadors working bulls but they don´t kill them anymore which makes it all much nicer. And lots of spectators jumping into the ring to take passes with the bulls which was just pissing of the matador but he was a big putz so it was funny.
In between bull fights, they would send in a herd of wild horses and then one would get roped and separated and then someone would jump down from the crowd and jump up on it and they would let it go and then they would get bucked around until they fell off. It was rad. The first guy to go jump on a horse happened to be sitting in front of me and when he got back I gave him a beer for congratulations and later on that night Guillermo was introducing me to his brothers and it happened that they were the guys sitting in front of me that I had given beer to so that was really fun. Cause then it was some more people to know during the festival and their younger brothers and sisters are in my English class which I also had no idea of that connection. I enjoy that about Ollantaytambo.
Another fun thing was called the ¨Aranko de gallos¨which is where a corn on the cob is tied to a rope that someone can move like a piñata and people ride by on horses and try to grab it and if they do then they win a baby chicken. And then at next year´s festival they have to bring seven chickens. Not sure how that is ¨winning¨exactly, but it was very fun and funny to watch.
I will get photos worked out soon. I have misplaced my charger and the camera is dead so I can´t pull photos off of it until I find the charger. And if I can´t find it I will have to do some serious research to find another one somewhere. Surely in Cusco, but who knows where?
Hope all is well, I can´t wait to see Melanie tomorrow.
Love you,
em