Earlier this year I went to South America, mostly to work but with a little time to travel. It's fortunate for the forum that I didn't get to load up photos. I was in Cuzco, Peru, during a big celebration- Corpus Christi- with tens of thousands of people in parades, a huge outdoor mass, and eating local delicacies, like roast guinea pig (No, I didn't try it. It looks too much like rat when it's hairless). Towards the later afternoon, when the crowds were dispersing, I went off to my hostel. But on the way home, on a park on a large traffic island, celebrations were continuing. This time it was all locals celebrating. There were no other white faces there, and possibly just one other camera- but hundreds of locals, many in bright colourful costumes, continuing the celebrations with music and dancing. In this version of a whipping dance performed by the ladies, they take it in turns to "whip" each other with a wool whip. The male version gets a little more serious.
How bizarre!!! Reminds me of the Chevy Chase European Vacation where the men slap each other's faces. Funny to watch but wouldn't wanna participate.
It's only a light wool thing, nobody really gets hurt. I'm guessing there's a religious origin referring to flogging, being a Catholic country and this being a religious celebration.
Haha! the guinea pig reminds me of a documentary I once saw where as lady traced her ancestry and went to Peru. She saw the guinea pigs and thought they were pets- until dinner time. She had to help prepare dinner. She was horrified. Peru is on my "to do" list.
