Pirwa – Page 30 – Pirwa Hostels BLOG

Señor de los Milagros & the Purple Month in Lima

October 1, 2015 Pirwa

Each year, on October 28^th, the largest religious procession in South America takes to the streets of Lima in honor of the Lord of Miracles (Señor de los Milagros). The city is overtaken by a festival atmosphere and by the color which believers don throughout the month in a show of devotion- even the city’s soccer team changes into purple. Because of an image painted by an Angolan slave centuries ago, October in Lima is known as the Purple Month and is marked by festivities and the year’s most prestigious bullfights. October even has its own pastry that bakeries and street vendors throughout the city hawk with enthusiasm: the Turrón de Doña Pepa.

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The Bullfighting Season in Lima Approaches

September 29, 2015 Pirwa

Although bullfights take place in Lima, Peru throughout the year, it is during the 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 Plaza de Acho. The season is always tied into the Señor de los Milagros festival celebrations, and as such is called the Feria Taurina del Sr de los Milagros.

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The Butterfly House in Aguas Calientes in Machu Picchu Sanctuary

September 26, 2015 Pirwa

Welcome to the world of the butterflies, reads the sign at the entrance of Wasi Pillpi. The name means Butterfly House in Quechua, and its location within the high-altitude jungle refuge known as Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary means it can make good on its name: the sanctuary boasts more than a hundred distinct, endemic butterfly species. (In fact, probably the only sights in the sanctuary which outnumber the sanctuary are orchids and backpackers.) If you’ve got free time to spend in Aguas Calientes (also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo), a stop at the Butterfly House can teach you a little more about the biodiverse world in which the ruins of Machu Picchu are located.

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All Saints Day & Day of the Dead in Peru

September 23, 2015 Pirwa

In Peru, All Saints Day (Día de Todos los Santos Vivos) and Day of the Dead (Día de los Difuntos) are celebrated by picnicking with the deceased. As in other Latin American countries, the belief that souls visit the earth on this day inspires families to bring offerings and share meals with departed family members. Large cemeteries throughout the country suddenly fill with color, barking vendors, street musicians, flowers, families, food and alcohol in lively celebrations that contrast starkly with traditions in other countries.

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The Unforgettable Southern Sacred Valley of the Incas

September 23, 2015 Pirwa

One of the most popular standard group tours in Cusco is a day-trip to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, which includes as a highlight visits to the town and ruins of Ollantaytambo and the Pisac market (depending on the day). While the former is overrun, the southern circuit through the Sacred Valley is much less traveled, mainly because most travelers don’t have the time to do more than one or two basic tours and because the sights the southern circuit includes are less publicized. This is a shame, because the route boasts evocatively beautiful natural landscapes as well as mysterious, unique historical sites. A tour of the Southern Sacred Valley includes guided visits exploring the still-functioning waterworks of the Incan ruins of Tipón, an ornate colonial church often referred to as ‘the Sistine Chapel of the Americas’, the striking Maras Salt Pans, the circular terraces of Moray, and the Wari ruins of Pikillacta.