Catching the end of Semana Santa in Ayacucho

Cath, Gaz, and myself arrived in Ayacucho at 6:30am this morning. We stepped out of the bus station, and we found an entire city that had been partying all night long, and that was still going pretty strong. The streets were packed with people. There were temporary stalls set up everywhere for breakfast. There was a marching band, singing, and dancing in the central square. And there were priests standing outside every church, blessing the masses that thronged around them. Clearly, Semana Santa (Easter) in Ayacucho goes out with a bang!

Marching band and busy priests outside the church in Ayacucho’s main square.

Since the sun was already firmly up when we arrived, we just missed the dawn fireworks. But there was still plenty to see and hear, and smell. Never before have I seen a place so alive and electric at that (surely) unholy hour of the morning!