Christmas Eve in Cusco, Peru

On Christmas Eve, my sister and I wandered through the Christmas Market in the center of Cusco. The entire town fills up with campesinos looking to sell everything from bread to firecrackers, but the primary focus is creche-decorating materials. From minature Holy Families, to moss and straw to line the stable with, there's everything you need to build your own Bethlehem.

At midnight, my sister and I lay in bed and watched the entire city explode with rockets and sparklers. All the lights of the houses, which spill dramatically down the hills surrounding Cusco, seemed to be shooting themselves upwards. The noise of it all was like war.