carnival in the sacred valley.

at this point, i've seen a lot of really cool things and witnessed so many unique cultural experiences. 

but one that kinda sorta just might top the list?

carnival in the sacred valley of peru! 

carnival is a religious holiday that takes place all around the globe. 

it's especially big in south america, and where i was living [cajamarca] is actually one of the cities with the biggest carnival celebration! 

well, i happened to be visiting the cusco region with my parents during carnival this year, and so we took advantage of the celebration and stopped at a small town, pisac, that is nestled inside the sacred valley for the day to witness the celebrations.

from the market to the native costumes to the dancing, carnival was so full of vibrance and color. 

i think the coolest part of it all was that it was so authentic; it was no luau at the haitt!

 the people from many of the various surrounding indigenous tribes came down from their mountains, dressed in their traditional garb, and celebrated with their own traditional dances. 

they could have cared less about the few random gringos standing around with their dslrs (ahem, me) snapping billions of photos... because they were so excited to celebrate their culture in their own way. 

that being said...! once the water guns broke out to start the carnival water fight, us gringos were definitely taken note of. as attested to by my mom getting totally covered in foam when she tried to snap some photos of a "cute" five-year-old.

good thing my parents are as adventurous as i am!