Sunday morning parade in Cusco

Before leaving for Tipón, this morning I met Jesus at the Plaza de Armas, in the middle of Cusco. I didn't realise until now, but in my 6 weeks or so in Cusco so far, I've actually never been in the plaza on Sunday morning before (or anywhere else on Sunday morning, for that matter, apart from in bed). This explains how I managed to be here so long without realising that every Sunday morning, there's a big parade in the plaza. Anyway, this morning I finally saw the military parade, the student parade, and the massive cathedral service that graces central Cusco once every week.

The weekly parade

Every Sunday morning, the plaza is closed off to traffic, and a multitude of tourists and locals gather to watch the parades. The military parade consists of a division of soldiers and police going for a march, raising the flag, and looking very pompous and dignified. The student parade is bigger — various schools represent themselves in marching blocks, with full dress uniform and banners — and some of the schools have bands that march around playing tunes. Juse behind the parades, Cusco's cathedral is packed with Catholic devotees, come to attend the all-important Sunday service.