This sign was on the inside of our room in Arequipa. I had to laugh when I read it. "Prohibido Fumar"---Spanish for "Don't Smoke"; universal sign for no smoking; and just in case you don't get it, "Don't Smock"!!! We get it :-)!

There was a parade on the square in Arequipa. School children were holding hand made signs and brooms, mops, and dust pans. I don't know the reason for the parade, but the signs said to keep the countryside clean. Someone told me there were problems with littering and destruction to monuments in the province. I thought the kids were adorable in their school uniforms. Public education in Peru is not good and most kids attend private schools---parochial. They all wear uniforms and look so cute. Grant said that there were parades all the time. He said every Saturday or Sunday there was a parade. This one happened to be on a Monday.

I was taking pictures of the kids and this boy flashed me a big smile. Most did not really pay any attention to me, but he liked the attention. After I took his picture, I showed it to him on the camera. His buddies all were looking and wanted their picture taken to, so I took the group. I wish I would have had something to give them. Later I read in the book that you can take a big bag of candy or a bunch of pencils to give to kids. I wasn't prepared.