Halloween

We were in Arequipa on October 31st so we got to see Halloween happening there.  Most of the action we saw was in the Plaza de Armas, Arequipa's main square (below).

There were lots of cute kids in cute costumes...

                                                                                   Some most interested in chasing pigeons.

And others were busy running around with their friends.

While we were eating dinner in a small restaurant not far from the plaza, we saw lots of kids coming in for candy from the restaurant.  We never did hear anything like "trick or treat."  When we inquired later about that phrase the person seemed bemused by the question - we gathered that is not part of the process here (didn't see any signs of "tricks" either).  After dinner we went back to the plaza which had become even more crowded.  There were, however, many fewer young ones out (and those still there looking more tired if not already asleep) but they'd been largely replaced by an older adolescent crowd.

There was also a smaller but vocal and present anti-Halloween crowd parading around Plaza de Armas on both the 30th and the 31st, chanting "Christo si, Halloween NO!"