Puno, and the jaw-dropping Fiesta de la Candelaria

Written by Tyler Cole | 09 February 2010

Over the past few weeks, Puno has been a kind of home base for my work with Project Suyana. Known as the folkloric capital of Peru, it certainly didn´t let down in that respect during the celebration of the Virgin of the Candelaria.  I asked a few people what exactly the Virgin did, and I mostly got vague responses related to her protecting the city in a war with Bolivia and curing illnesses.  In any case she is religiously important for the syncretic Peruvian Catholics and presents an opportunity to dance in the streets in elaborate costumes and get blindingly drunk, which most of the people dancing in the parade and waching the parade very much were.

I felt bad denying drinks as I was walking down the street (some streets were lined with tents full of beer and groups drinking from 8am on), but I wanted to stay relatively stable for taking pictures and being able to remember what happened. The first parade were of groups from the countryside (danzas autóctonas), followed by groups from Puno and other places in Peru in some pretty outrageous costumes (trajes estilizados and trajes de luz).  I also ventured to the Saturday market with my host Dr. Ivan Hancco as his family did the weekly shopping trip and took some pictures. There are also a few shots of my Aymara lessons given by Dr. Ivan´s father.

Candelaria pt. 1:

Candelaria pt. 2 up next...