the blind musician

the blind musician

patiently plays his flute for

an empty white cup

This blind musician was sitting on a busy street in Puno with people rushing by, completely ignoring him. He was playing such soulful music, so I stopped to listen and put a coin in his white cup. He stopped playing to scoop up the coin and pocket it. I wanted to hear more, so with my limited Spanish I asked, "Musica, por favor." And he immediately began playing again.

cold night in Puno

cold night in Puno –

the beggar shares her blanket

with her two best friends

The sign propped up next to this woman sitting on the street on a cold night in Puno explained that she was handicapped and needed help. I thought the red band around her head meant she was blind and these were her seeing-eye dogs, or guard dogs, or both. The dogs seemed utterly content, one curled up against her, the other wrapped in their thin blanket. When I approached, she did not hold out her hand and only the dog on her lap lifted his head to gaze at me. I put three soles, about one dollar, in her white cup, one for each of them, hoping it would help a little with food.