Two blocks away from Lima’s Plaza de Armas, the heart of Peru’s national government, sits an old Catholic Church embellished with huge oil paintings, impressive woodwork, and a vast system of catacombs. Two years ago I had the pleasure of exploring that church, mind-boggled by the catacombs and the artistic manner in which the human bones were arranged. On this trip I had a new experience in front of that church. While walking around the historic center of Lima with my host brother and one of his mother’s students that now lives with them, we heard loud parade music a few blocks away. Following the music, we wound up in front of that same church. This time instead of going inside, we watched a catholic parade procession for the festival of Santa Rosa de Lima. In the center of the crowd, a brass parade band encircled a group of at least 8 men, working hard to balance and rotate a giant, gold-adorned altar of Santa Rosa on their shoulders for the ecstatic crowd to see. I had heard about these catholic festivals before, but seeing one in person was very cool! Check out the video here!