Peru: Spanish Intensive and Cultural Immersion

If anyone was previously curious about what roast guinea pig looks like… there you go.  It was all over the giant party in San Sebastian, the neighborhood where I lived for two weeks before moving yesterday.

Oh what a party it was!  You could hardly move through the plaza, it seemed there were four or five parades going on at once.  Dancers from all over southern Peru came to this fiesta, which started a few days ago, and shall last into the weekend.   Today, however, was the pinnacle, the holiday when either 1. Saint Sebastian was executed or 2. The date a large statue of San Sebastian was presented to the city and gave it its namesake.

My profesora and I began by pushing our way through the crowd to view a series of dancers with elaborate costumes.  After seeing at least a half dozen, we pushed our way into the church, where the masses had congregated to worship Saint Sebastian.  We bought candles and participated in the ceremonial like atmosphere inside.  Carmen informed me that I was required to take off my prized sombrero when entering the church.

 All is going very well.  I very much like living closer to the city center and being able to walk to class every day.  Cooking class tonight… in fact, right now!  Ciao!

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