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Celebrating Día de la Canción Criolla in Lima This October

Celebrating Día de la Canción Criolla in Lima This October

Cancion_Criolla_Halloween_Peru_OctoberOctober 31st in Peru is not just Halloween, but also Día de la Canción Criolla, Creole Music Day, which honors the unique blend of African, Spanish, and Andean music that has characterized the Peruvian coast since the colonial period. The genre includes the graceful national dance of Peru, the marinera, as well as the upbeat festejo, the bluesy landó, the vals criolla waltz, and the zamacueca, among others. Its superstars include the internationally renowned Susana Baca, Eva Ayllon, and Chabuca Granda.

The Imposing Adobe City of Chan Chan Near Trujillo Peru

The Imposing Adobe City of Chan Chan Near Trujillo Peru

Moche_Route_Chan_Chan_Peru_16Just 3 miles west of modern Trujillo, one finds the sprawling, crumbling, and extraordinary ruins of Chan Chan, the former capital of the Chimú Kingdom. The site has been under excavation since the mid 60’s. During its time, Chan Chan was the largest city in the Americas, and it was and remains the largest adobe city on earth. It covered 600 miles along the northern Peruvian coast and housed around 60,000 inhabitants. Even the ruins show how massive the site was: an estimated 10,000 structures remain.

The Lord of Miracles in Lima

The Lord of Miracles in Lima

Lord_of_Miracles_procession_Lima_Peru_03 Lord_of_Miracles_procession_Lima_Peru_01

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The main event of Lima’s ‘purple month’ and the Lord of Miracles festival is a 24-hour procession, the largest in South America. The procession winds through the main streets of Lima from Las Nazarenas Church to La Merced Church in Barrios Altos, led by an icon borne on a 2-ton litter by a series of devoted religious brotherhoods. Hordes of faithful follow along, clad in purple…. Devoted crowds, incense wielders, singers, and dancers toss flowers into the streets…. Yelling street vendors offer their wares of traditional dishes and sweets, predominantly the Turrón de Doña Pepa, a sticky anise-flavored sweet traditionally associated with October. Its creator was a black slave, Josefa Marmanillo (Doña Pepa), who believed that her devotion to the Lord of Miracles returned to her the use of her arms and hands. 

Celebrating Oktoberfest in Lima, Peru

Celebrating Oktoberfest in Lima, Peru

Celebrating Oktoberfest in Lima, Peru
A Peruvian Cuy celebrating Oktoberfest…

More than 180 cities worldwide celebrate Germany’s biggest traditional festival, and Lima has been among them since 2002. The popular festival has been celebrated in the Bavarian city of Munich since 1810 and last sixteen days…. unfortunately, Oktoberfest-Peru will only last from Thursday 16th through Sunday 19thth.

Lima’s Best Museums: Visiting the Mario Testino Association in Barranco

Lima’s Best Museums: Visiting the Mario Testino Association in Barranco

The Mario Testino Museum (MATE) in Barranco, Lima The average traveler should choose their museum excursions with care: you want it to be worth the time invested, and offer something unique, that’s not redundant with other sights you’ve already visited. We’ve written about our favorite museums in Lima and Cusco’s most unique museums before, but now we’ll focus entirely on the Mario Testino Association, one of our favorite museums in Lima.