Hello to everyone from good, old Alabama! I arrived home on December 29, 2008 and have enjoyed spending the past couple of weeks with my family. I didn't get a chance to post Christmas pictures before leaving Peru, so I wanted to post a few and let everyone see how busy the market was on Christmas Eve. I love a good craft fair, but this was ridiculous! There were so many people crowded into the square that it was nearly impossible to look at what the vendors were selling. You could buy anything from pigs and fruit cake to ornaments and statues of baby Jesus.
Christmas was celebrated a little bit differently than I'm accustomed to in the U.S. I spent Christmas Eve with a family from Cusco. At midnight, everyone went outside to set off fireworks in the streets. Then the children were allowed to open their gifts and the adults ate a nice meal that ended with fruitcake and hot chocolate. I had a great time and feel so lucky to have celebrated this special day with such a sweet, Peruvian family.
