Feliz Navidad

---

Feliz Navidad all! Or Merry Christmas!

Christmas in Peru is celebrated on Christmas eve, and Christmas day itself is really just for recovery, with many people already back in work.

On Christmas eve the streets outside our house were so busy with everyone buying last minute items, mainly more panatone (these people love their panatone) and lots of tinsel.

Ai and I finished our Christmas shopping quickly after our day at the orphanage, and rushed home to wrap everything in preparation for gift swapping after midnight.

We then went out to what appears to be the only pub in town, Magia Negra, where we know the barman. This time, not because we have frequeted the pub so much but because he is a friend of our hosts, and apparently speaks English so she took us to meet him. His English is pretty much limited to repeating phrases from movies, and I am not sure he is completely sure of the meanings as he did say to us ´I'm just a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her´(Notting Hill?? Haha)

Anyway, we were told there was a big meal at midnight but were hungry so thought we would just share a pizza to keep us going, turned out to be rediculously large but we managed to eat it all. Then at midnight we were back at the house and in typical Peruvian regard for health and safety the kids were all plied with matches and fireworks and sent out into the street to fire them at the neighbours. I only split my finger open and burnt my arm which I counted as a lucky escape in the circumstances!

Fireworks accross the town were followed by an enourmous meal of pollo (chicken), roasted and served with salad and tortilla. It was really good and although we were still full of pizza we managed to eat it all. We then drank a couple of bottles of wine, swapped presents and that was Christmas, done and dusted!

On Chirstmas day itself we went to the orphanage and gave the boys their present, a game of Twister and a packet of sweets each. We all played Twister and then it all got a bit much for the youngest, Bryan, who fell asleep on my lap.

Happy Christmas all, hope you all had great days.

---

Photos

Ayacucho on Christmas eve
The highstreet bustling with sellers and buyers on Christmas eve

Pre Christmas drinks
Its mine, all mine!

Waiting to start eating
Sat with Edwardo, my host´s nephew who lives with us, waiting for Christmas dinner

Christmas dinner
My host serving up roast chicken, tortilla and ensalada at 1am

Peruvian health and safety
Edwardo and a young friend set lose with matches and fireworks

Its just a plastic bottle...
Edwardo demonstrating the stand for his rockets

Present time
The kids open their presents from us, sweets and Twister seem to go down well

Tired out
It all gets a bit much for 5yr old Bryan who falls asleep on my lap