Don Manuel Wang, a master of Chinese ceremony from Peru

I remember the hot but cozy town of Piura, the dusty road between algarrobo trees, banana chips, the change of desert landscapes to mountainous ones, seibos trees, bizarrely shaped mountains, the town of Kanchake, the town of Faique, the riot of vegetation, the mountains getting higher and higher, winding narrow road, clouds below, Huancabamba, harsh mountain nights, lots of coffee, eucalyptus and bromeliads, winding mountain road again, Sapalache, spring somewhere in the middle of the mountains where huge buffalo grazed, beautiful and friendly people everywhere. The Piura region is connected to our family, we have visited it many times. It is one of the most amazing and mystical places in the world.

On one of our trips we stayed at the Hotel El Retiro, which is owned by my father-in-law's friend Don Manuel Van. The hotel is located near Canchacaque in a place called La Filadera. The hotel is in a strict colonial style, there is a stunningly beautiful garden with fruit trees, a mountain river gurgling nearby and everything is shrouded in mist. It is a special place, where time flows according to its own laws or it simply does not exist.

Don Manuel was over 70 years old when I met him. He was a sturdy, tanned, black-haired, rather handsome man. Don Manuel had a very strong character and a great sense of humor. We couldn't understand how he managed all the hassle of the hotel and the huge garden with only a couple of helpers coming and going. Everywhere was clean and tidy. He did a lot of things himself despite his arthritis. But the most amazing thing was the Chinese ceremonies. Every meal was like the most exquisite feast. Whether it was the simplest of dishes, they were served leisurely on a tray, the table was beautifully decorated, and Don Manuel came out to us well combed in a dazzling white shirt. And he did the cooking himself. During the evening ceremony, Don Manuel's friends and guests would gather over coffee and tell legends, stories and tall tales. If every day was filled with significance, the holidays at El Retiro were especially celebrated! At Christmas, Don Van would decorate the entire hotel, buy lots of toys, make hot chocolate and treats and invite the local peasant children. New Year's Eve was celebrated on a town-wide scale and it was a lot of fun!
One day he brought mangoes, mamey, tumbo, cocoa, bananas and grapefruit from the garden, put them on a red tray and put them on a table covered with a blue tablecloth, then invited us to taste them. I had my camera with me at the time, so I was able to capture this tropical feast, then, working on a painting in the middle of a gray winter, I remembered many, many bright and warm .

I wanted to sign the picture in Chinese, since I'm learning it, I got a Chinese name 武士安怡 .