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.

Matador Assistant by Jorge Vera

Although bullfights take place in Peru throughout the year, it is during the October/November bullfighting season that the most prestigious bullfighters of Spain and the Americas come together to compete in the world’s second-oldest bullring, the 244 year old Lima’s Plaza de Acho. This year the Feria begins on Nov. 2^nd and ends in December, with 05 scheduled events featuring the world’s best bullfighters each Sunday afternoon at 3:30pm. The bullfighter executing the best moves wins the 18k Escapulario de Oro and the best bull wins the Escapulario de Plata.

Bullfighting’s popularity in Peru is rising alongside rising protests on the grounds of animal cruelty. For a unique look into Peruvian culture, you can join in with the spectators or with the protestors according to your personal conviction. Those interested in watching a match, though, should be aware that in Peru it is to the death (and, as always, the bull has the disadvantage.)

Passageway in the Plaza de Acho

How to Get There

Tickets are sold at Teleticket shops at the Wong and Metro Supermarkets chain. You’ll have the option of sol, sun, and sombra, shade. Sol is cheaper at around US$20, with prices climbing up to US$120 for first-row sombra.

You can check newspapers for restaurant offers, as varius locales offer special pre-event menus and then bus their clients to the bullring, a good option for those worried about going to the Rímac neighborhood and the Plaza de Acho bullring by themselves. (The area around the bullring is not the best, and anytime there are .)

Ancient Ceremonies, Camping & Festivities in Lima this October

Thousands are expected to visit the sacred city of Caral this October as it celebrates the 17^th anniversary of its archeological study. Several celebratory activities have been planned, including the traditional offering, and new findings will be unvieled. The Sacred City of Caral was an architecturally complex urban center whose inhabitants today are the most ancient civilization in the Americas and on the of the three oldest in the world. This adobe city has withstood the ravages of time and nature for 5,000 years. Located in the Lima neighborhood of Barranca, it was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1991.

Friday, October 28^th

Events kick off at 7:00pm with a pilgrimage along a path lit by the illuminated buildings of Caral to nearby Gozne Hill, at whose foot their will be an “Offering to the Pachamama” (Mother Earth) ceremony at the foot of the hill, in thanksgiving of fruits received throughout the year. The ceremony will last until 9:00pm, afterwhich we will camp and have a bonfire along Gozne hill near the House of the Archeologist.

Saturday, October 29^th

The anniversary festival has been christianed “Caral Raymi” will last from 9:00am to 4:00pm. The festitivities will seek to revive the traditions of ancestral Andean gatherings through music, dance, and food and drink. In the morning a guided tour of the city will be offered to the attendees, during which the archeological team (PEACS- the Special Caral-Supe Archeological Project) will present in the buildings of the city its latest findings and conservation and research advances, including a palace or elite residence built of quincha, a timber or reed framework stuffed and rendered with mud. Throughout the day in the reception center there will be catu, or Andean Market, through which you’ll be able to experience the customs of the Andean market, where not only products but also knowledge were exchange.

Nearby Accomodations with Pirwa!

For a budget-friendly place to stay near Caral, which is in Barranco, you needn’t look any further than Pirwa, which offers two different hostels in neighboring Miraflores, a relaxed oceanside neighborhood that many consider the best base for travelers from which to explore Lima. This is due to it being a safer and greener area than much of Lima, with gardens and parks (including lively Parque Kennedy), nightlife, banks, and the beach all nearby. Relax in our common areas with travelers from all over the world, take advantage of communal kitchens and grilling areas, and enjoy the security of your own safety lockers and the comfort of cozy rooms with comfortable beds and 24hr access to hot water. For more information on Pirwa’s Lima accomodations, click here. Or, for those wondering what other sights to see in Lima, visit Pirwa Travel Service.

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.

Sanctuary Garden is an area of privately-owned property within the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu zone. It boasts recently discovered archeological sites including Inca terraces, irrigation canals, shrines, storehouses, towers, tunnels, and more, in an area that still has not been fully explored. Part of the Inca Trail Network crosses this area as well. Not many agencies are permitted to operate within the Sanctuary Garden, and Pirwa Travel´s 3-day route is exclusive! Here, in an area bordered by sacred peaks, you´ll traverse mountainous terrain and lowland tropical rainforest in an uncommon experience, finding mysterious Inca ruins nestled in lush surroundings. In this trek through time you´ll come to know the mystery, nature and history of the Andes as you journey to the Lost City of the Incas.

On the first day we´ll travel to Piscacucho (2720m above sea level) at Km 82 along the railroad tracks. From here we´ll begin the trek along the Urubamba Riverside, following it downstream to the Salapunku ruins (Reception Gate; 2623m), whose walls of massive stone resembling those of Sacsayhuamán defended the entrance to the Sacred Valley. We´ll also stop by the Q´anabamba (Green Meadow) enclosures and Q´oriwayrachina (Where the Wind Refines Gold; 2520m), where a massive rock extending into the Vilcanota River and sustains the remains of a circular watch- or communication-tower and stone stair. After crossing the river we´ll arrive at our Q´ente campsite for lunch and a rest, having traveled about 7km in 4hrs with a “light to moderate” degree of difficulty.

After resting we´ll walk along the Vilcanota and cross the Cusichaca River to the community of Chamana (Shaman´s Land). We´ll follow an original Inca Trail to the Inca Trail of Willkaraqay, (Sacred Storehouse;2790m), a possible military base as well as rest stop and trading post. Inside the egg-shaped outer wall you´ll find more than 30 rooms and a semicircular watchtower overlooking the western Cusichaca River Valley. From here it´s downhill to Patallaqta (Village in the Heights), also called Q’entemarka (Place of the Hummingbird), a daunting complex of more than 100 buildings organized into blocks complete with streets and alleys. Along the eastern strip of Patallaqta we´ll continue in the direction of our final stop of the day, Pulpitutyoq (2500m), an Inca shrine which we´ll reach through a round stair.  Then it´s back to our Q´ente campsite for dinner, having traveled around 4.5km over 4hrs. The degree of difficulty is slight, with a short arduous stretch which is the ascent to Willka Rakay.

The abundant flora and fauna of the 2^nd day´s route will astound you as we follow the left riverbank, passing the extensive Andean terraces whose layout in the shape of a hummingbird earned it the name Machuq´ente, “Old Hummingbird”. Continuing in the direction of the Vilcanota River, we´ll find one of the Sanctuary Garden´s most stunning archeological complexes “Young Hummingbird”, Waynaq´ente, whose master stonework, best represented in its finely carved double-jammed gate, suggests that the site had a ceremonial purpose. The grade of difficulty until Waynaq´ente is high, with a 300m ascent, but from there the trail levels and the degree of difficulty is light.

On the 3^rd and final day we´ll have an early breakfast and catch a train, switching to bus at Machu Picchu Pueblo (colloquially known as Aguas Calientes) before arriving to Machu Picchu Archeological Complex, the legendary Lost City of the Incas. The guide will explain what is known and what is theorized about the site´s purpose, construction, and abandonment as well as give you some basic insight into the Inca civiliazation. Some of the key areas that the guide will highlight are the main plaza, circular tower, cemeteries, royal rooms, and the Temple of the Three Window. The tour will culminate at the spiritual center of every Inca city: the Intihuatana, the shrine to the sun god, which aligns with the sun during the equinoxes and the winter solstice, appearing to temporarily hitch the sun. After a 2 hour tour of the site, there´ll be free time to explore independently and take photos before returning to Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes) for lunch and the return trip to Cusco.

The Andean town of Andamarca in Peru’s Ayacucho region receives 1000s of visitors during Qatun Yaku Raymi (Big Water Festival) on August 20^th-26^th. Andamarca was the historic capital of the Rucanas (Working People) from 700AD up to their conquest by Incas.  In this dry climate, the pre-Inca agricultural terraces rely on an underground irrigating system and water is not only precious but still revered as a deity in pre-Columbian rituals.

The Water Festival begins after the annual cleaning of the water canals in preparation for the coming of the rains. It kicks off the September`s agricultural activities and brings communities together in a celebration of the fertility of the soil. Throughout the celebrations there will be artisan and food fairs as well as dance contests, though the central day of the festivities is August 24^th, when the traditional Water Festival is held and a famous execution is reenacted. During the ancient rite of Pagapu, which never fell from practice, offerings are given to the Pachamama (Mother Earth) and other natural deities such as the Apu mountain divinities. It all unfolds amid the sights and sounds of qarawi songs and Technicolor scissor dancers.

Reenacting the Death of an Inca

More than 160 students and artists recreat the capture and death of Inca Huàscar, who vied for the Inca throne against his brother Atalhualpa for 5 years, only to be captured in Andamarca in 1532, the same year Atahualpa himself was captured by the newly arrived Spanish conquistadors. Atahualpa ordered Huáscar´s execution from captivity to avoid an alliance between Huáscar and his Spanish captors.

The Blessing the New Water

In August communities unite in a colorful jubilee to celebrate the blessing of the water, which in fertilizing the Pachamama and renews life in the staggered Andean terraces and the community itself. During the Water Festival the image of San Isidro Labrador is processed along the Negro Mayo and Vizca Rivers and the water canals until reaching Tortora Pond for the blessing of the water. At the same time, Pagapu ceremonies are carried out to honor and ask the natural pre-Inca and Inca deities for strength and fortune. Offerings are rendered and symbolic dances performed by an innumerable cast of traditional characters.

SCISSOR DANCING!

In its enthusiastic attempt to highlight and protect endangered aspects of the world´s cultural heritage, UNESCO surprised many the week it declared, along with French Cuisine, the importance of Croatian Throat-Warbling and the Peruvian Scissor Dance. To the doubters out there: get yourself to northern Peru and see something you´ll never forget!

The Scissor Dance (Danza de las Tijeras or Galas) originated deep in the Peruvian highlands and is marked by the enthusiastic acrobatics of dancers who, snapping scissors in hand, move to music of violins and harps. The movements and steps honor natural deities such as apus or wamanis and the pachamama and were originally danced by the holy men of the day, the “Tusuq Laylas”, whom the Spaniards considered the devil`s spawn, forcing them to flee into the mountains to escape persecution. Their reintegration into their villages was dependent on the condition that their dances honor Catholic deities.

Legend says that their skill and ability to engage in dance competitions of 10, 12 hours where they dance intermittently with their competitors, comes from a pact with the devil. (They must pass the devil´s tests in the related Atipanacuy ritual which takes place in December. In Atipanacuy, along with the scissor dances come spectacles in which these “sons of the devil” spill their own blood in the name of Christ, running metal spikes through their bodies and engaging in other bloody feats until reaching masochistic ecstasis.)

Pucará´s Throat Slasher Ceremony

Despite the fascinating nature of the spectacle, it´s hard to find information online about Pucará´s Jatun Ñakaq Festival, otherwise known as the Throat-Slasher Festival or El Gran Degollador (The Great Decapitator). But if you´re in Puno between the 16th and 18th of June, maybe you´ll be lucky enough to witness it firsthand!

Much as the Inti Raymi festival is based around a theatrical ritual reenactment of ancient rites, locals in Pucará present an extraordinary scene as they reenact an ancient rite in a theatrical production involving hundreds of young actors directed by Ñaupa Riqchari (Let the Past Awake) Cultural Group. It takes place at the Kalasaya Ceremonial Center and Archeological Site in the Pucará District of Lampa Province in Puno.

You´ll notice that the pyramid site is decorated with carved stone trophy head borders- human sacrifices occurred in the ceremonial patio as offerings to the supreme god of the Pucará Civilization, the Decapitator. Long before the reign of the Inca, human sacrifices had a great value in society, although they were only resorted to in severe cases like drought. Today, locals congregate from Puno´s Quechua-speaking zone to enjoy the 4 hour theatrical show, which reaches its apex with a simulted human sacrifice.

Afterwards, all the blood cleaned up, there´ll be general partying and native dances will be on display. One of the most well-known is the beautiful Puli Puli, whose large smooth steps and leaps represent the stages of Quinua cultivation from sowing through flowering to harvest. Another typical dance is the Ayarachi (Soul Which Cries), a dance rising from the violent transitional period of the Spanish Conquest, when the Imperial City of Cusco tragically fell to Pizarro´s troops.

What To Bring Home

You´ll see them on rooftops all over the Andean High Plateau: the Pucará Bulls described by Puno writer Enrique Cuentas Ormachea as “an expression of baroque art and, at the same time, a manifestation of the magical religious spirit of the Qolla peasant.” An estimated 80% of locals are potters in addition to subsistence farmers, and the bulls are the most prized ceramics from Puno.

I couldn´t pick just one….and so we end with a herd of bulls….

Originally a ritual flask filled with chicha and cattle blood and drunk by the head priest during the cattle-branding ceremony, you´ll find guardian bulls adorning rooftops and providing luck for their residents.

After Pucará: Exploring the Rest of Puno

The Plan: Walk along the Ecotouristic Inca Seafront Bay (Malecón Ecoturístico Bahía de los Incas), a pedestrian path showcasing views of Lake Titicaca and pre-Inca solar clocks, or hitching posts of the sun known as sukankas or intihuatanas. Once at the harbor, stop into the Yaraví Ship Naval Museum, located inside the oldest single-propeller iron ship in the world, built in Britain, crossed the Andes in pieces on mule-back and then reassembled again in the Lake. When you´re ready to hit the waters of the lake itself, board a motorboat and stop by the traditional Quechua-speaking Islands of Amantani and Taquile, whose colorful weavings are considered the best in Peru and were proclaimed by UNESCO as “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” and the Floating Islands of Uros, whose Aymara-speaking Uros tribe (known as kot-suña, people of the lake) depend on the lake´s tortora reeds for housing, sustenance, and transport in addition to using them to build and maintain the islands themselves.

Just a 15 minute walk away from Lake Titicaca Harbor you´ll find Pirwa Hostel in Puno, managed by husband and wife team Jenny and Carlos.  It´s also located only a couple blocks from the city center. For the same low prices available at Pirwa Hostels and B&Bs throughout Peru, you´ll have access to comfortable beds in cheery rooms, 24hr hot water, wifi throughout, reference maps and information as well as an in-house travel desk where you can get detailed answers to your questions and arrange tours or transport.  While you´re out exploring Puno you can be sure that your possessions are secure and that someone from reception will be waiting for you- no matter the hour.

Photo Credit: Salome Ziermann

Today the celebrations for Machu Picchu´s Centennial have begun- Happy 100 years MaPi!  National Geographic´s Mark Adams published an excellent article entitled “Top 10 Machu Picchu Secrets” for the magazine, whose involvement with early expeditions and excavations at the site are legendary.  The list is summarized below, although you´ll need to check the National Geographic site if you would like to read the original text.

1. It’s not really the Lost City of the Incas. When Hiram Bingham first arrived in Machu Picchu in 1911, he was searching for the Lost City of Vilcabamba, a hidden capital where the Inca took refuge during the Spanish Conquest.  Machu Picchu became known as “The Lost City” because of Bingham´s erroneous belief that it was Vilcabamba- but, as it was inhabited when Bingham arrived, many contend that Machu Picchu was never forgotten.
    

   

 

2. It´s buildings have survived being built atop 2 fault lines. While cities like Lima and Cusco have been leveled by earthquakes, Machu Picchu, straddling two fault lines, has survived seismic movements due to the precise polygonalstonework of its walls, whose stones shift during quakes and then fall back into place without the benefit of mortar.
   

   Photo Credit: Salome Ziermann

3. Most of the site´s construction work is underground. Much of the work for constructing Machu Picchu involvedleveling ground between two mountain peaks, which involved the movement of stone and earth and means that 60% of the site´s construction is underground, setting the foundation and providing drainage with crushed rocks.
4. You can avoid train and entry costs by walking. You can avoid expensive train tickets and the bus and entry fees by walking along HiramBingham´s 1911 route overlooking Machu Picchu.  This somewhat arduous trip back in time will take about 90minutes.
5. There’s an ignored but excellent museum. About a ½ hour walkfrom Machu Picchu Pueblo/Aguas Calientes you´ll find the small butoutstanding Museo de Sitio Manuel Chávez Ballón (the Manuel Chávez Ballón Site Museum).  For $8 you can tour exhibits explaining the reasons for and method of construction of Machu Picchu. 
6. There’s an alternative to Huayna Picchu Peak. Visitors frequently overnight in Machu Picchu Pueblo/Aguas Calientes in order to rise before the sun and be among those receiving limited entry to the trail climbing Huayna Picchu and win (after the fog clears) an overhead view of the site.  However, on the opposite side of the
    
   
    
   Sanctuary of Machu Picchu is another, almost always overlooked peak known as Machu Picchu Mountain.  Its twice as tall (1640ft) but will earn you stunning views overlooking the Urubamba River looping around Machu Picchu.
7. There’s an overlooked temple. Once you´ve reached the peak of Huayna Picchu, you can take the longer route for your descent, crossing the far side of the mountain where you´ll find an Incan ceremonial shrine known as the Temple of the Moon.
   

   Photo Credit: Salome Ziermann

8. There´s still much to discover. Machu Picchu´s surrounding cloud forests obscure side paths within the foliage, wherethere may be unknown trails and ruins- several recently fixed-up terraces are only just now being made available to the public.
9. Its orientation was divinely inspired. Many visitors have understood the importance of the site´s orientation, which allows the intihuatana, or sun stone, to align with an arrow stone on Huana Picchu´s Peak to the north and with Salcantay´s Peak in the south as well as with solar movements- no small coincidence considering that the sun and mountains were important deities to the Incas.
10. It might be a pilgrimage site. Italian archeoastronomer Giulio Magli has introduced a new theory hypothesizing that Machu Picchu was pilgrimage site, the end of a long journey beginning at the Island of the Sun in Lake Titicaca, echoing the journey of the mythical founder of the Inca Empire, Manco Capác, took.

“From this moment on Peru is free and independent by the free will of its peoples and by the justice of its cause which the Lord defends.  Long live the fatherland!  Long live Liberty!  Long live Independence!”

-Jose de San Martín, 28 July 1821

The National Holidays

All during July homes, offices, schools and restaurants all over the country proudly display the Peruvian flags and festoon buildings with red and white banners and streamers.  Things kick off on the night before the 28^th with serenades of folkloric and Creole music in the plazas and parks.  The next day, which commemorates San Martín´s declaration of independence in Lima, kicks off with a 21 gun salute and flag raising ceremonies.  Newly elected president Ollanta Humala will assume his duties and address the nation for the first time.  On the 29^th, following the Archbishop´s Te Deum in Lima´s Cathedral, there´s the famous military parade of the Armed Forces and National Police, with the country´s weaponry on display.

Beyond the flag raising, military parades and political speeches in the capital, the whole country celebrates its independence with traditional foods, fairs, bullfights, fireworks, music and folklore spectacles meant to honor national heroes like San Martín and Bolívar and a host of revolutionaries and patriots throughout the centuries.  Many Peruvians take advantage of the weeklong vacation to travel within the country or throw festive parties with the family.

Join in the Celebration!

No matter which city you´re in, you´ll probably be close to one of the many agricultural and livestock fairs taking place all over the country along with 3 celebrations full of creole history: cockfights, bullfights and Peruvian Paso Horse Shows.  If you want to get into the holiday spirit, make sure to wear your Peruvian flag pin, decorate a bit with some red and white streamers, and maybe attend a traditional bullfight.  Prepare your Pisco Sours for toasting, and sit down to a spread of national plates depending on your region:

Lima

Do it right with Ceviche!  Maybe switch it out for Causa Limeña if you´re not a fan, with some picarones or mazamorra morada for desert.  Pisco day happens to land during Indepence Week Celebrations, so if you´re in town on the 25th grab a glass (or pitcher) and head over to the FOUNTAIN OF BOOZE- the fountain in the Plaza de Armas will be filled with Pisco!- and toast to independence.  (Last year more than 2000 liters of pisco flowed through the fountain!)  After the parade on the main day try and make it to a traditional bullfight or watch some Marinera Limeña.

Arequipa

Treat yourself to a whole fried guinea pig, shrimp stew, or stuffed chili pepper.  Peru´s 2^nd most populous city likes to give the capital a run for its money, so expect brightly costumed dances and colorful floats on parade, with music and dancing continuing late into the night.  The bullfights in Arequipa are not of the Lima variety…these are actually two bulls fighting!

Cuzco

If you want a traditional meal for the holidays, you can´t go wrong with roast guinea pig, alpaca and potatoes in a spicy yellow chili sauce (papa a la huancaína).  Cusco doesn´t know when to stop with the explosives, so there´ll be endless fireworks, street parties filled with domestic and international travelers united in revelry, and plenty of drink.

The North

Goat Stew is a very traditional option, as is Rice with Duck (prepared with black beer), and a bean stew known as Shámbar.  Here, you´ll find the major livestock and agricultural fairs with bullfighting, cockfighting and the Peruvian Paso horse shows.  Make sure to catch a Marinera Norteña dance show….if you´re in Trujillo, you might even get to see the Marinera and Peruvian Paso horse show combined!:

The Amazon

Definitely try the smoked pork with balls of fried green plantain and pork skin (tacacho con cecina), plantain stuffed with meat and ground peanut, or the ground peanut, corn and chicken stew (Inchicapi), or the great varieties of Juanes which prove that there´s little you can´t cook in a plantain leaf.  Enjoy your stay dancing to music of the jungle, whose happy beats are reminiscent of the cumbia.

When the Saints Come Marching In…

The best place to celebrate Corpus Christi is in Cusco, where the event takes on a character not found anywhere else.  Saints and Virgins lavishly adorned in elaborate clothing and ornaments process along the same streets where, in the time of the Inca Empire, richly attired and bejeweled mummies once processed.  For Cusco, this is the year´s most important and extravagant religious festival.

The day before the main event, patron saints from the 15 parish districts head towards the Main Square´s Cathedral in separate processions to the Cathedral to greet the Body of Christ (Corpus Christi).  They´ll arrive showing off their newest ornate clothing and adornments and accompanied by musicians and parishioners.  They´ll spend the night in the Cathedral.  The next morning they´ll find their way to large altars in the Main Square decked out with flowers and tree branches, spiritual images, standards, mirrors, and more.  The morning of the main day, Thursday the 23^rd of this month, the Arch Bishop will lead the Te-Deum.  Then the Golden Sun of Custody which holds the Sacred Host will be paraded around the Square in a silver carriage.  (An 18^th century piece, the Golden Custody weighs in at 26.7kg and is 1.2m in height.  It´s made of gold and adorned with 331 pearls, 263 diamonds, 221 green emeralds, 89 amethysts, 62 rubies, 43 topazes, 17 diamonds, 5 sapphires and an agate.)

Once the Holy Sacrament finishes its procession, it´s time for the Saints and Virgins to parade together to the sounds of Peru´s largest church bell, the 16^th century María Angola, and traditional music while dancers perform.  Some of the dances you´ll be able to see are the Mestiza Qoyacha and Capaq Qoya.  In typical Andean fashion, costumed characters representing different aspects of Andean and/or Incan mythology will be in attendance entertaining the crowds, such as qollas, chauchos, pabluchas, and ukukus among them.  Afterwards, they´ll stay in the Cathedral for seven days.  On the Octava, they´re will be another parade before the Saints and Virgins separate to parade back to their respective home parishes.

A Place to Watch the Show…

The next two weeks are full of events in the Imperial city.  Corpus Christi is on the same day that the night serenades to Cusco will take place in the Main Square, and the very next day is the principal day of Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun.  Cusco is also celebrating its anniversary and Machu Picchu´s Centenary.  The city´s streets have become an animated stage for colorfully costumed dancers, musicians, and revelers.  Give some thought to securing a comfortable spot from which to watch the action, because thousands will congregate in the Main Square in the next several days.  Pirwa´s Posada del Corregidor Bed & Breakfast has an in-house restaurant with a balcony overlooking the Main Square.  You can sit in the shade and enjoy a drink without missing the spectacle or having to jostle for a spot.  Unlike most of the tourism sector here in the city, we offer the same low price throughout the year- there´ll be no price hikes during the festivities.

What to eat…

During the Wednesday night vigil while the Saints and Virgins are in the Cathedral, families will prepare and share 12 traditional dishes.  On Thursday, one of these dishes is preeminent- you´ll see it everywhere you go: Chiriuchu (Cold Chili Pepper).  It´s a cold dish assembled with pieces of guinea pig, and other meats alongside Andean cheese, toasted corn kernels, tortillas, bread, and more.  The dancing and music don´t stop once the patron saints enter the Cathedral, but the eating and drinking definitely starts.