One of the first things that I noticed after arriving here was that mothers seem to take their children everywhere with them. I came to realize (after looking at the women's faces) that most of these women are not actually the mothers, but the grandmothers or even great-grandmothers. I also learned that teenage pregnancy is a problem here, so that is part of the reason why many children are looked after by other relatives.
Strollers are extremely uncommon here. I would say of all the babies and toddlers I have seen, less than 5% have been in strollers. This means that children are either hand held, forced to walk, or carried on the women's backs in traditional blankets.
This is a rare sight in Cusco.
I find the blanket baby carriers to be fascinating. They are so simple compared to what mothers in the US use to get around with their babies and toddlers. I still don't understand exactly how the mother gets the baby and blanket on her back without the baby falling out or getting hurt. I guess that will remain an ancient Peruvian secret. (Note: These blankets are also used by women to carry "stuff," so not everyone you see with one is actually carrying a baby.)
*So, let's play a game. In the pictures below, are the women carrying a baby or stuff? And do you think they are the mothers, grandmothers, or great-grandmothers?
These women are street peddlers. That is why they are dressed in such traditional clothing.
As I said, the women seem to take their babies and toddlers everywhere. This includes work...such as selling stuff on the sidewalks and edge of the street. The kids seem to be very well-behaved, and just sit on the ground or on the carrier blanket. Or some are wrapped up in the blanket while sleeping or to keep them still.
This woman is selling food at an outdoor market...with a baby strapped to her back!
As for "Día Mamá," the holiday is a HUGE deal here and seems to be much more commercialized than in the US, if that is even possible. Stores and people on the street sold all sorts of things for the holiday, and it gave the appearance more of Valentine's Day than Mother's Day. "Tortas" (cakes), balloons, candy, and flowers are the major items sold for the holiday.
Tortas for sale at an outdoor market.
This totally looks like a Valentine's Day display to me.
This guy was selling stuff...with a huge heart strapped to his back!
Show mom you care with dinner from KFC. (FYI: This meal is roughly $16 US dollars.)
Most, if not all, schools were also closed at least half-day the Friday beforehand in honor of the holiday. To my surprise, a long parade ran through town during the late afternoon with children dressed in traditional clothing. It was so neat to see.
Here comes the mother of all parade floats.
These boys are tied together with a rope. I have no idea what this was supposed to represent.
Different groups hanging out during a traffic delay.
Love the outfits!
The finish line in the Plaza de Armas.
A few of the kids were happy to let the crowd take pictures of and with them!
I told them I wanted a picture with them because they were dressed like cowboys and I'm from Arizona. (Side note: I swear I was not drunk. I actually had just come from class.)
One of this guy's friends told him to "kiss"me. (He didn't actually kiss me.)
The best thing about these photos is the reaction of his friends in the background.
At the after-school program where I volunteer, they had a special day dedicated to celebrating the mothers (or any female relative that takes care of the children, such as aunts and grandparents.) The kids put on a show for the "mothers," which included dances, poems, and songs. It was really cute, but the kids seemed to be more excited about everything than the mothers. (Granted, we all sat for over two hours and the chairs were very uncomfortable.)
I didn't even realize until editing this post that this mom is breastfeeding!
The girls doing a dance to the super popular "Taxi" song.
A couples dance. It was so cute!
If you look closely, you'll notice that one of the moms sitting on the right side has a baby strapped to her back.
Those are two of my favorite kids in front.
Group dance at the end! The kids were supposed to dance with their moms, but most of the moms were not interested. I was so surprised when one of the shy girls asked me to dance with her.
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