Photo: Fiesta de la Cruz

In the first few days of May, Peruvians celebrate la Fiesta de la Cruz--the Festival of the Cross. Long processions, including these men in a local costume, carry the cross through the streets. In Aquas Calientes, the town below Machu Picchu, the festival also brings live music, dancing and fireworks. Catholicism in the Andes blends seamlessly with ancient pagan beliefs, creating a beautiful and uniquely Peruvian cosmology.