The City of Arequipa can party!

We arrived in Arequipa just in time to catch their anniversary celebration.  Every August 11-15 the city celebrates its founding anniversary in a grand fashion!  There is a stonework contest, international dance festival, beauty contest, music, and parades.  We watched the first parade yesterday and it was a lot of fun!  The BIG parade will be on Monday and they are shutting down all the streets in the City Center for this massive, city-wide party!

Arequipians have an amazing sense of pride in their city and this is their one time of year to really shine.  They flaunt their traditional outfits, dances and music while showcasing all the history their wonderful city has to offer.  We heard from a local that this holiday is more celebrated then the The national Peruvian holiday.  Here are some cool pics that we got...

What a wonderful, humbling experience this is to be a part of.  It's ironic that in the states, most people complain about the city where they live, and here, they shout their city's name from the rooftops!  When we get back we plan to have more Sac-pride!