We spent New Years in Arequipa, Peru. This has to be my favorite city in Peru. I believe it is the second biggest, next to the capital, Lima. The city has beautiful architecture, many of the buildings being made out of a type of white volcanic rock found in the area.
To welcome in the new year people decorated their homes and businesses in yellow; yellow balloons, yellow streamers, bouquets of yellow flowers sold at the stores. Everyone sported their yellow hat, sweater or flower lei for the nights events as well.
When the clock struck midnight fireworks sparked from every direction. Pretty colors in the sky, loud firecrackers down the street, the town was awake and excited. We stayed in a hospedaje with a very kind family. They handed Josh an'd I a cup of champagne and layed a yellow flowered lei around our necks. After toasting to a 'Feliz ano' the grandmother brought out a smoking bowl of fragrant incense. Then she tossed perfume water throughout the house, letting us have a toss for good luck in the new year as well.
We felt welcomed that night. Even with such a limited Spanish vocab we all understood that everyone wanted a happy new year, we celebrated it hopefully and joyfully together.