The action all began mid afternoon in the Plaza de Armas when the students from the various tertiary establishments of Ayacucho arrived with their preliminary sketches, chalk, string and bags of different coloured petal, leaves and grasses in order to convert large areas of the road into a massive floral carpet. This carpet was being especially laid for the evening’s procession.
We saw them working under very threatening clouds around 5.00 p.m. thinking that they were preparing something for Tuesday, not Monday evening!
When we returned at about 7.30 p.m. the results were remarkable, the photos do not give a true indication of the size and the varying shades of colours the students used in their creations. We also noticed that not all had any religious significance, for example, all the animals depicted by the students from the Veterinary Institute and the little boy saying his prayers with his pyjamas slipping slightly!
We then wandered off down one of the streets leading from the Plaza to the starting point of the procession –Templo de Buena Muerte – literally the Church of the Happy Death.
It is worth noting that the local workmen finished the paving of this road during the afternoon after months of work on the central drainage!
Mass was finishing when we arrived outside the church…
…the candle bearers were prepared to escort the Ander…
…as it emerged from the church fully illuminated to be taken in procession up the hill to the Plaza - and the floral carpet.
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