The Alasitas Festival began today in Puno with the traditional Ekeko parade along the city’s central streets. The Ekeko, who represents abundance and has pre-Incan Aymara roots, made his way to Parque a la Madre to general applause, kicking off a week of celebrations marked above all by the production and sale of miniature goods which believers from all over the altiplano (high Andean plains) hope will convert their desires into reality.
In the local slang of Arequipa, if you’re going to picantear, you’re going to visit a picantería, the traditional eateries of Arequipa that have been serving up their succulent stews and spicy dishes for generations, remaining ever loyal to the region’s colonial flavors. This week, they’re being honored by the Peruvian Ministry of Culture as part of the Patrimonio Cultural de la Nación, an honor and protection bestowed on different elements of national culture, from the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu to Scissor Dancing. The honor is being bestowed on the picanterías for their roles as guardians of traditional local cuisine and as social spaces where diverse social classes interact.
Copacabana is one of the most visited sites in Bolivia during Holy Week, as many Bolivians travel by foot to visit its Sanctuary of the Virgin of Copacabana, Bolivia’s patron saint. 35,000 penitents are expected to walk to the Copacabana Sanctuary this year. All of them, driven by faith, depart by Ash Wednesday, in order to arrive by Holy Friday. Several thousand others will travel by car. Upon their arrival after the 2 day trip, there will be 3 days of processions, religious rites, and sermons, ending on Easter Sunday.
Machu Picchu is considered the crown jewel of Peru’s many breathtaking tourist attractions, but as a result of its popularity the site has suffered considerable damage. For decades, visitors wandered freely among the ruins, spending the entire day to daydream among its structures and trails, doing yoga and meditating atop the terraces and Huayna Picchu Peak, and taking all the time and photos that they desired. Unfortunately, with so many visitors, this approach is no longer feasible. Areas of the sanctuary have become more restricted in recent years, and slowly more order has been imposed.
Although Peru’s main Vendimia Festival takes place in Ica, Lima’s Surco neighborhood offers a smaller version for locals and visitors in Lima. The historically agricultural district celebrates grapes and all its derivatives in a fun multiday festival that begins with the Vendimia Queen 2014 competition. Before the crown is passed from last year’s queen to this year’s, all of the aspirants will be featured during the First Grand Parade and will perform the traditional stepping of the grapes. This year’s festival will take place from March 13th through 16th.