When I arrived on Thursday afternoon, a mere three days before Easter, I was not quite prepared for the crush of locals and visitors alike crowding around the city's beautiful central square, Plaza de Armas. That very afternoon, actors were reenacting the Passion of Christ. Why this was not done on Good Friday, I do not know. From what I hear, a bigger and better-er version of the Passion takes place in the small, nearby town of Paucarpata. Either way, the reenactment happening in the plaza was impressive in its own right. The entire square became a stage, as various actors played Jesus,
Pilate, various Roman soldiers, as well as peasants who jeered, and later, cheered, the Son of God. As the characters moved from point to point, hordes of the faithful as well as curious tourists, trailed along, taking pictures. I was able to catch the end of the spectacle, as 'Jesus' was taken down from the cross and laid to rest. Later, Roman soldiers are awakened by a trembling of the ground (no, not another Peruvian earthquake) and, up upon the stage, appears the resurrected Jesus of Nazareth. Yes, I saw Jesus and I was moved...moved...moved to want to eat. Fortunately for all of us, dinner was right around the corner and in the streets. As the day slowly faded and the streetlights came up, the tables came out. Apparently, the citizens of Arequipa place dinner tables along some of the most prominent streets of old town and open up shop. I'm not sure if a person needs to register or what; regardless, the party starts rolling around seven in the evening. The streets smell incredible, as the flavors of cooking meat, soup, and vegetables fill the air. Meanwhile, earnest pilgrims solemnly march to the seven main churches, saying prayers and lighting candles. Things were still going strong when I headed back to my hotel around midnight.
And the next day, Good Friday? Nothing. Just as the streets had been filled with revelers and penitents the night before, the city was now still. Upon reflection, I guess the Good Friday processions were going on over in Paucarpata but I also believe that the day is set aside for rest and reflection. It is also a day to be with family, as I realized when I went to visit my friend Isabel. After a day of touring the city and seeing the great volcanos Misti and Picchu Picchu, we stopped by her house for a typical Good Friday meal. I was warned that there would be a lot of food and that was no lie. We started with homemade ceviche. Anyone who has had this raw fish dish knows about its great
mix of flavors: citrus, salty, spicy, and earthy all at once. I would have been happy with that but was then presented with a bowl of chupe. Chupe is another fish dish, served with Peruvian corn, squash, a large chunk of sea life, and caviar. No, this is not some fancy caviar you put on toast, rather it is all strung together and put in the so up. You are not supposed to completely eat it; rather, you chew on it until it almost becomes fish-egg bubble gum at which point you politely spit it out on the side of your plate. After a sugary-sweet dessert, everyone retreats to the living room or bedroom to snooze off a well-deserved food coma.
The end of Semana Santa comes swiftly afterwards. On Saturday night, I was back at Plaza de Armas and I ran into another procession. Around six o'clock in the evening, from the Iglesia de San Francisco, emerges one of the most impressive statues of the Virgin Mary. On preceding nights, visitors to the church could come and pray before the statue, which was standing behind (imprisoned?) a metal gate. Worshipers could also, for a price, have an article or trinket blessed by
having an attendant place it upon the statue. The procession is quite a sight to behold: a line of worshipers following the statue which is surrounded by candles. Priests lead the worshipers as they walk, stop, and pray their way around the plaza. As a non-worshiper, I did my best to stay out of the way, while snapping some photos; others were not so polite. Still, the procession was a nice lead-in to Easter Sunday when the churches fill, yet again, for a final round of worship. The rest of the day, Arequipans head home to eat or head out into the sunshine to enjoy the last rays of summer.
A final note to finish my story. While many cities and towns hold these incredible Semana Santa events, most Peruvians, I am told, head to the beach instead of the church. As this is the end of summer in the Southern Hemisphere, people want to take advantage of the last weekend of swimming and enjoying the sun. Many of the most impressive celebrations happen in the Andes, where traditions still hold despite the changing times...Thank God!
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