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Holy Week is fast approaching! During this time, Cusco is a very popular destination for domestic and international travelers, as the erstwhile Imperial City of the Incas celebrates the event in its own Andean-Catholic style, notably with feasting, folkloric music and dance, processions of the Black Christ.

Palm Sunday

Left to Right: Palm Sunday Dance Troupe, Crowd Watching the Dancers

The syncretism of pre-Columbian Andean beliefs and Catholicism makes Cusco’s Holy Week unlike any other you’ll see. The day starts with mass in Cusco’s ornate Basilica Cathedral. In the Plaza de Armas of Cusco, the city’s main square, religious reenactments are followed by folkloric dances whilst vendors circle with their wares which promise good fortune.

Sample guinea pig and other dishes at the Festival de Sabor Andino (Festival of Andean Flavor) in the main square of the district of San Jeronimo, including Holy Week’s most traditional eats: roast suckling pig with Peruvian potatoes, tamales, and large rounds of ch’uta bread.

Holy Monday: Cusco’s Lord of Tremors

Monday of each Holy Week, the Lord of Tremors is taken out from the Cathedral of Cusco in procession with musicians and devotees, while the faithful strew purple ñucchu petals, which in ancient times were used as an offering to Inca gods but now are said to symbolize the blood of Christ.

Originally christened as Lord of Good Death upon its arrival to Cusco, it was long forgotten in an altar in the Chapel interior, darkening over time by the resinous nature of its construction materials, and the smoke of candles and incense. On Palm Sunday, 1650 an earthquake of devastating magnitude ravaged the city, tumbling temples, convents, and estates. The initial quake, believed for a long time afterwards to have been the world’s most severe on record, was followed by an unceasing stream of aftershocks over the following days. As buildings damaged in the initial quake crumbled during the aftershocks, the faithful carried out processions seeking forgiveness, carrying different virgins and saints, with women covering their faces covered in ash as a form of punishment against their own vanity and the men dragging heavy chains which wrapped about their necks as they bargained for salvation, but the aftershocks continued.

It was not until the Christ was taken out in procession and placed in the Plaza de Armas to be adored that the aftershocks ceased, giving birth to the cult of the Lord of Tremors, also often referred to as the Black Christ, who became the city’s patron saint.

In Cusco the processions continue to this day each Holy Monday. Some of the faithful believes that the color of their indigenous Christ darkens as he realizes miracles, and that the weight of the litter which the most devoted bear is the weight of the sins one carries, and that his face will express the nature of the coming year. 60 thousand devotees gather to receive his blessings.

Good Friday

Left to Right: Easter Spread in Pirwa Colonial, Dining Together in Pirwa Colonial

On Good Friday, the Hampirantikuy Market springs up to sell medicinal plants and plants for good fortune or of religious significance and devotees walk the Stations of the Cross from Plaza San Francisco to the Lord’s Cross in Sacsayhuaman Archeological Complex, the Inca fortress of the giant stones overlooking Cusco.  Unlike other places, Cusco does not celebrate this day with fasting, but with feasting. The tradition is to prepare 12 dishes.

Holy Week in Cusco fills up FAST, but Pirwa Hostels has four different locations in Cusco, so we’ve still got availability!

For an unbeatable view of the dancing and processions, try the Pirwa Posada del Corregidor! The in-house restaurant, Plus Café, has balconies overlooking the Plaza de Armas of Cusco, which is a great way to see the happenings without jostling for a spot at street level. (The photo at right was actually taken during the Inti Raymi Festival, but it’s a good representation of the way the plaza fills up during festivals, and the view from the Plus Café balcony.) Pirwa Suecia B&B, located a half block from the Plaza de Armas, is good spot if you wish to be close to the action.

If you’re looking for shared dormitories and fun common areas that include a bar and lounge with billiards, darts, ping-pong and more, then try Pirwa Colonial Backpackers. Pirwa San Blas Familiar would be a great choice as well, as it’s located in the bohemian neighborhood of San Blas 4 blocks up from the Plaza de Armas. Besides its picturesque nature, this area also boasts a concentration of artists’ galleries and studios, which during Holy Week will go into overdrive displaying unique and colorful wares during art fairs.

For Catholics, the feast day of St Patrick on March 17^th celebrates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. In countries around the globe the day has become synonymous with Irish national pride. Even though this isn’t a holiday which is celebrated very widely in Peru, Pirwa has always sought to be a gathering place for travelers from all over the world, and we’d never miss a reason to throw a party!

Celebrants often wear shamrocks or the color green, as the color became associated with St Patrick’s Day because St Patrick used  the three-leaved shamrock to explain the trinity.

Parades are common in many countries, and the lifting of Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol means that revelers often feast and drink a good amount of Irish beer (dyed green if you want to go there!) or whiskey.

Plans at Pirwa Hostels are well-underway for our annual St. Patrick’s Day party at Pirwa Colonial Backpackers on the 17th. There’ll be irish specials throughout the week, and those of you who are Irish can sidle up to the bar for a welcome drink on the house.

Pirwa Colonial Backpackers is located in Plaza San Francisco, only two blocks from the Plaza de Armas of Cusco, the city’s main square, and you can expect things to be starting around 9:00pm.

We hope that all our backpacking friends, Irish and otherwise, join us for our St Patrick’s Day celebrations this year!

Pirwa Puno is pumped for this year’s Virgen of Candelaria Festival!

This festival in honor of Puno’s patron saint is one of the year’s most spectacular festivals of Peru and South America. Considered the folkloric capital of the country, Puno offers a vibrant display of costume, music, and dance in honor of the Mamacha Carmen. Folkloric dance competitions and parades create a spectacle involving more than 40,000 dancers and 5,000 dancers as well as tens of thousands of more indirectly involved embroiderers, boot makers, sponsors, and others.

Dancing Through History

Puno has almost 300 different classified dances with distinct music, dress, and choreography and charged with symbolism and significance. Different neighborhoods of the city and communities of the countryside train well in advance to represent their area and dances, investing heavily in elaborate folkloric costumes that pertain to each dance. To watch them perform is as if you were watching the millennial history of Puno dance past you.

Dances like the Phusa Morenos or Siku Morenos emerged from the black slave community of Puno after the conquest. They are danced in costumes of the devil, angel and Afro-Peruvian. These dances led to the famous Morenada (Black Dance) and Diablada (Devil’s Dance). Other dances, like the happy mestizo dance known as the Pandilla Puneña date back to the post-colonial Republican era. With the women clad in braids, bowler hats, many-petticoated skirts, shawls, and little boots they represent the typical Andean women.

Its pre-Columbian dances of Aymara and Quechua roots include the Los Maris or Cahuiris, in honor of the gods of lightning and thunder of the same name, the Llullmitha with its long dragging dresses and representation of the sown fields, the alternating male and female circles of the Markheta, and the Inca Huallatha. Ancient dances like the Llamerada and Llameritos were some of the oldest, danced by the shepherds and llama drivers of the Andean altiplano.

Programmed Events of Virgen of Candelaria 2012

Jan 26^th the Queen of Folklore will be elected and crowned. On Feb 1^st the actual statue of the Virgen of Candelaria will be transferred in procession from the San Juan Bautista Sanctuary where it normally resides to Puno’s Cathedral. The procession in honor of the Mamacha Carmen is on February 2^nd, when the dancers from the countryside descend upon Puno with their instruments and vibrant costumes (studded with gems for the Morenada, with feather caps, or as Condors and Llamas.

The Indigenous Dance Contest, with dances performed in native and typical dress, will be on Feb 5^th at 7:00am at the Enrique Torres Belón Stadium. Afterwards, they will take to the streets and continue dancing in parade. The “Urban Festival” on the Octava showcases Colonial and Republican Era (‘Mestizo’) dances, mostly performed in bullfighters’ dress. This is when the barrios of Puno present their own troupes. The competition will take place on Feb 12^th at 7:00am in the Enrique Torres Belón Stadium. On the following day the dancers all participate in the Folkloric Parade to the Virgen of Candelaria. After dancing before the Virgen they will continue on to the cemetery. Feb 14^th is the concert of the musical bands, and Feb 15^th is the Parade of the Sicuris and Zampoñas. The festival finishes with separate parties and dances of the groups in their respective neighborhoods on February 16^th through 18^th, although prizes will not be awarded until March 25^th.

Remember that for this festival PUNO FILLS UP FAST! Try and make your plans as far in advance as possible to make sure to get the most of your trip. Pirwa Travel Service can help with transport, excursions and tours (after all, you can’t go to Puno without visiting the world’s highest navigable lake, Lake Titicaca, and its famous Floating Islands of Uros!), and Pirwa Puno Backpackers can provide comfy and cheap lodging within walking distance of the main square and the harbor.

As we ‘ve all discovered upon waking up hungover in strange places, drinking close to where you plan on spending the night is never a bad idea… That’s why Pirwa Inclan in Lima’s in-house bar and rooftop terrace, or Pirwa Colonial in Cusco’s in-house bar is the perfect place to spend your

Halloween night!!

We’re cross-country partying and invite you to come drinking and dancing with us!

Once we’re drunk enough we may hit the streets to stop by some of our favorite spots in Lima and Cusco, but we’ll end the night back at Pirwa with you a safe distance from your bed…

You don’t haaaave to dress up, but we’ll make it worth your while with some drink specials and are always there to help you put together a ridiculous outfit to match our own!

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What is it?

Sacred Mt Pachatusan, whose name is quechua for “He Who Sustains the Earth”, has the honor of being a preferred site for traditional pre-Columbian rites- such as offerings to the Apu (Mountain Deity) or Pachamama (Earth Mother), purifications, and Ayahuasca ceremonies- as well as the site of one of Peru’s largest pilgrimages, the Lord of Huanca. The Huanca shrine is nestled in a spot of great natural beauty along the flank of Pachatusan almost at the Río Vilcanota River shore near Chinchero.

On September 14^th each year Peruvians and foreign devotees undertake the cold 4-6hr hike to the Lord of Huanca, to be greeted by the wounded Christ painted on the shrine’s rock walls centuries ago and make their petitions, cleanse themselves in the curative waters of its spring, and leave with renewed optimism for the year ahead. About halfway along the route up to the Sanctuary, you’ll come across vendors selling religious items and miniature representations of desires (houses, cars, legal papers) to leave at the base of the image. Prized items like the car at right are brought to be blessed. The 14^th is the central day, but festivities are ongoing for a week. San Salvador, 2km from the village, puts on an artisan handicrafts fair during the Lord of Huanca feast.

Much like the Q’ollur Rit’i pilgrimage, the site began as a sacred stone cluster, like many pre-Columbian huacas, or natural shrines, and then the painted Christ appeared, providing the veneer of Christianity, and finally a traditional temple built around it. Like Q’ollur Rit’i, its origin legend shows Christ appearing to a humble Quechua from the countryside, in the case of Huanca, showing the wounds that showed his solidarity with the maltreated and Quechua population.

The Legend

Under Spanish dominance, conditions in Cusco and the Sacred Valley declined rapidly. Mining was a prominent activity, and the Viceroy imposed forced labor to extract the resources. The origin legend of Lord of Huanca says that in 1675, when the Marquis of Valleumbroso discovered a rich vein, Yasos mine was created and among the forced laborers was Diego Quispe, from Chinchero. After defending a fellow indigenous worker being whipped by the foreman, he was imprisoned for a severe punishment the following day. Fearing the next day’s pain, Diego opted for escape, taking the path to Chinchero across the mountains of Huanca. When daylight came he took refuge in a cavern of rocks piled together, praying throughout the day as he listened to the steps of passing Spaniards. During the moonless night he was dazzled by an apparition of Jesus Christ, wounds from his final whipping still fresh. Christ said to him to depart in the morning for Chinchero and present himself to the priest for communion and then return. Beaten by fatigue, hunger, and a cluster of emotions, Diego slept until being awoken by Christ’s voice “Diego…arise…” Leaving a humble silver cross at Christ’s feet, Diego did as told. When he returned later, it was with a small group including the local priest, the only people he trusted to give away his unauthorized presence in Chinchero. In the presence of these other witnesses, there appeared Christ again, and the first pilgrimage to the Lord of Huanca was undertaken.

How to Get There?

Mt Pachatusan is located in Calca Province, about 48km from Cusco, and is accessible from Cusco’s San Jerónimo district or San Salvador (from Cusco it’s 20 minutes by car to Pisaq and an additional 10 minutes from Pisaq to San Salvador). From San Salvador one begins the hike to the Sanctuary on Pachatusan. If you begin the hike from San Jerónimo you can expect about a 4-6 hour hike.

Remember that Pirwa Travel Service has information desks in all Pirwa Hostels and B&Bs (of which Cusco has four!) The friendly staff at Pirwa Travel is always ready to help you organize your travel plans or help arrange transport or tours.

If you’re not sure you want to undertake the hike due to the altitude or cold, you can watch the festivities in Cusco´s Plaza de Armas, where costumed dancers are hardly ever in short supply. (Yes, that’s Cusco’s main square at left.) Grab a set at a balcony table in Pirwa Corregidor´s in-house restaurant Plus Café and you can watch the show without jostling with the crowds.