The run-up to Christmas, in Cusco, in pictures …
In Cusco, everyone seems to be getting into the
Christmas spirit. At Molino, one of the biggest local markets, everyone has
decorated their tiny stalls with tinsel, or little Papa Noels, or miniscule
Christmas trees.
I love this shot! The blue that people use here
on their windows and doors reminds me so much of Greece, especially when the
geraniums are added. The Christmas decoration here just adds that special touch.
A Christmas decoration Peruvian-style. This is
made from a small gourd or calabash, as they call them here. Usually the locals
etch images of Inca places or mythology into these calabashes and sell them to
tourists as souvenirs. I love the novel use of this calabash, with a tiny
nativity scene inside.
On the 14th day before Christmas, I went for an
evening stroll around Cusco taking photos of all the stunning lighting
displays. This is just one small building of the many that are beautifully
adorned with decorations and lights.
This gorgeous Christmas tree is in the window
of one of the more upmarket tourist stores here in Cusco, Peru. The tree has
been decorated with local ornaments, like little llamas, tiny Peruvian dolls
dressed in traditional costume, little chullpas (the local knitted hat with ear
flaps), and much more.
The Plaza de Armas, Cusco's main square, is
ablaze with Christmas lights, many of them in the shape of animals. I would like
to say that I planned to align one of the streetlights to look like this
reindeer's eye but it was, in fact, sheer good luck!
This window is in the Palace of Justice, the
imposing and very beautiful Spanish colonial building that houses the law
courts and justice department here in Cusco. Even in such a serious setting,
Christmas is obviously still a big focus for the staff, as many of the windows
are decorated with festive scenes. I love the irony of this photo, with Santa
looking like he's in jail behind the security bars on the window.
This is Cusco's main Christmas tree, in one of
the plazas in the central city. The name Coca Cola seems almost to be
synonymous with Christmas here - you can see the logo on this tree but also in
many shop window displays. Unfortunately,
the Peruvian people drink way too many fizzy drinks, so obesity is becoming a
problem in the children here, and such sugar-intensive drinks play havoc with
the teeth of children who have no access to dental care. Coca Cola’s
best present to Peru would be to stop advertising their products so heavily!
The 16th of December was La Chocolatada in the
small village of Oropesa where I work. My organisation, Globalteer, and the
kind folks at Southern Crossings travel agency gave all 800 of Oropesa's
primary and high school kids a large hunk of Paneton bread and a mug of freshly
made hot chocolate. The smiles were heart warming.
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