Unstoppable Family July Newsletter
Published: Thu, 07/07/11
Hi everyone!
The month of June is a huge celebration here in Cusco, Peru. It has been an amazing few weeks of festivals, ceremonies and parades! We've been celebrating the Winter Solstice, Corpus Christi and finally Inter Raymi on June 24th.
Corpus Christi is a religious festival that begins 60 days after Easter Sunday. It is celebrated throughout Peru, but the biggest festivities occur in Cusco. On the main festival day, representatives from the local community take part in a procession carrying colourful statues of their saints and virgins. At noon, 15 elaborate effigies of saints and religious figures are carried to the Plaza de Armas in the centre of Cusco. Masses of people take to the streets to watch them parade through the streets for the city's main cathedral where they "greet" the body of Christ.
The Winter Solstice in the southern hemisphere takes places between June 21st and June 24th, on the shortest days of the year. It all culminates in the Inti Raymi celebration on June 24th. Leading up to Inti Raymi there are lots of parades, concerts and celebrations, then on the 24th there is an ancient ceremony at the ruins of Sacsayhuamán.
On the day of the Winter Solstice on June 21st, we hiked to Christo Blanco (mini Rio) at Sacsayhuamán overlooking the Plaza de Armas where the parades were going on, and we also hiked to the Temple of the Moon.
The day following the Winter Solstice, our Family was also very fortunate to be invited by a wonderful local family for the re-opening of the San Cristobol church.
June 24th marked Inti Raymi, the second largest festival in South America after Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. After two weeks straight of festivals and parades, it all culminated in this spectacular celebration!
Inti Raymi, "Festival of the Sun", was an Inca festival that celebrated the Sun God, Inti, at the end of the Winter Solstice. The last one was performed in 1535, before it was suppressed by the Spanish Conquest and the Catholic church. Since 1944, the elaborate ceremony has been recreated and performed at the ruins of Sacsayhuamán. It is free for visitors and special stands are erected for the thousands of spectators that come to watch.
July is a very special month for us as well as the Peruvians. We will be celebrating 4th of July in here in Cusco, while the Peruvians are preparing for their Independence from Spain on July 28th.
The Unstoppable Family holds this holiday at the top of our list. Independence Day really represents FREEDOM! We feel so blessed to have the freedom to live our dreams everyday!
Take a look at this video from Cusco about Independance Day...It may make you think.
We are closing out our stay in Cusco with a week at Machu Picchu so we can explore the town of Aquas Caliente's and enjoy the Thermal Pools that are close by. Although we have already to been to Machu Picchu once, we really want to take some special time to be engulfed in the spiritual vibes that come from such an amazing place.
July 10th we will be heading back to Lima and will be staying in Mira Flores over looking the water. Check this place out!!
Swano will be putting on a wetsuit and braving the Chilly Pacific Ocean, this will be the first time he has put on a wetsuit in 2.5 years!! So watch out for videos and pictures on our blog www.unstoppablefamily.com and on Facebook www.Facebook.com/
At the end of July we should finally get our passports back and then will be heading off to Chile for some SNOWBOARDING!! This is our second love next to surfing, so we are excited to get back on the slopes. Hanalei will also be going to ski school, so she can get a bit of the Unstoppable Family's favorite sports under her belt!
Have an amazing month of July! Don't forget to get out and live!
