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Billy, Kate & Will in Perú

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parades

Parade Dancers in Cusco

Posted on Monday, June 22, 2009 Leave a Comment

Dancers, originally uploaded by katherinebruder.

Dancers from one of the 10 impromptu parades Billy and I saw while in Cusco on Sunday.

This parade was to celebrate the patron saint of San Blas, which is a small neighborhood of Cusco. The dancers, which are all  dressed in ornate costumes and lots of color, danced through the streets of San Blas stopping traffic and pedestrians as they passed by.

Posted in: Peru | Tagged: Billy, Cusco, parades, Peru

10 Parades and 1 Peaceful Protest in Cusco

Posted on Sunday, June 21, 2009 Leave a Comment

(An old post that never got published while I was in Cusco)

As the work team from Dearborn and North Carolina headed off to Machu Picchu today, Billy and I ventured out of Urubamba (where we are working at the Casa Girasoles home) and into Cusco for a slow and relaxing day.

Before I continue, it is important to know that the month of June is a big party month in the city and surrounding area of Cusco. Cusco, which means navel, in Quechua, is rich in Inca history since it was at the center of the Incan Empire, which stretched from southern Peru through northern Ecuador.

In Incan politics, the empire was ruled by the emperor, who according to Incan religion, was a direct descendant of their god, Inti, the Sun, and was also worshiped as a divine being. At the height of the Incan empire,  the emperor’s name was Pachacútec. Pachacútec and and Incans worshiped their gods of the Sun, Moon, Rainbow, Mountains, Mother Earth, etc.

To celebrate Incan tradition and their rich heritage, every year on June 24th, the Cusqueñas (people from Cusco) hold huge festivals in and around the city. The biggest of these festivals is called Inti Raymi, which is supposed to take place Thursday.

The festival is supposed to take place this Thursday, but possible protests and a region-dehabilitating strike might take place on the same day. For the past two weeks people in the surrounding areas of Cusco have been on strike and protesting the Peruvian government and President Alan Garcia’s decision to build a dam in the area of Canchis. By building this dam, the Peruvian government would be reclaiming land from it’s people and taking a loan from the Japanese government to pay for construction. The Peruvian campesinos (people from the country) that live in the area of Canchis are not particularly thrilled to be losing their land and water supply, and therefore have been protesting the decision – including protesting in the Plaza de Armas of Cusco today.

In addition to the very large peaceful protest that occured in the Plaza de Armas, Billy and I also saw 10 different parades taking place in Cusco today. Not only were there at least 10 different parades, they were all over the city. Each parade stopped traffic and pedestrians that were in its way and followed their own path. One of the particularly memorable parades had men and little boys dressed up as bears/gorillas (it was hard to tell which animal it was) dancing around women who had on very colorful dresses. We’re not quite sure what they represented, but it was quite entertaining!

Posted in: Peru | Tagged: Billy, Cusco, parades, Peru, protest

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katebruder

When your uncle comes to visit, you wear your matc When your uncle comes to visit, you wear your matching shirts together (with a flashback to his last visit in January 2020) #littlewilliamnoah
Explored Arequipa, the white city, for the first t Explored Arequipa, the white city, for the first time all together and spent many hours outside under the blue sky. #littlewilliamnoah
The @monasteriodesantacatalina is one of my favori The @monasteriodesantacatalina is one of my favorite places in Peru. There is beauty around every corner and the colors, sillar streets and potted geraniums along the walls are just amazing. This trip we were able to visit as the sun was setting and see the former monastery in a new way. #littlewilliamnoah
Spent a few days outside under blue skies in the C Spent a few days outside under blue skies in the Colca Canyon #littlewilliamnoah
Just a small glimpse into what we did during July Just a small glimpse into what we did during July in 60 seconds #littlewilliamnoah
Celebrating Fiestas Patrias with dancing los capor Celebrating Fiestas Patrias with dancing los caporales 🇵🇪 #littlewilliamnoah
Ready to perform la danza de los caporales with hi Ready to perform la danza de los caporales with his classmates at @coloringdreamsperu to celebrate Fiestas Patrias 🇵🇪 #littlewilliamnoah
All of the people in these photos are now Peruvian All of the people in these photos are now Peruvian! When I first traveled to Peru in 2001 at 15 years old, I never expected that one day I would be a living here as a citizen. After 11 years of living in Lima, I have joined @wngreenman and @greenmanbilly with dual citizenship! 🇵🇪 🎉 🇵🇪 #littlewilliamnoah
We spent the morning with the llamas of @llamapack We spent the morning with the llamas of @llamapackproject and community partners from Cancha Cancha learning about how llamas are used for social development within local communities and to conserve and protect the environment in the Andes. #llamapackproject #littlewilliamnoah
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