Birthday bash .... 3 days

Why 3 days???  Well we started Australia time (day before), and continued with the Peruvian tradition - to surprise the person with a birthday cake at midnight, and continued on his actual birthday with a surprise party (and we all know how much Lex likes surprise parties ... NOT), which went until well past midnight - covering 3 days!!!!

Day before Lex's birthday, there was much activity in the house, and much discussion in Spanish which we didn't understand, and included the making of a large birthday cake.  Tricky, but they achieved it without Lex being any of the wiser.  Activity increased after we went to bed ... decorating the cake.  Tip from Zac, 'Make sure your wear PJs to bed!' Gotta love it when your kids give you advice..... so maybe it's worth following.

And at midnight, right on cue, we were awoken by a knock on the door (very polite) followed by a stream of people coming into the room, singing Happy Birthday ... in Spanish and English.  Amazing how awake you can be in seconds in this sort of situation.  Priceless.... oh, and we all had hats (of sorts) to wear.

Next day ... Lex's actual birthday, I'd been asked to act as decoy, and get Lex out of the house for a few house late afternoon. Not hard here - we went and sat in one of his favourite bars with view over the plaza and watched passing parades ... there were a couple of small ones. Then for a slightly different pace ... a little peaceful, reflective time, we headed off to sit in a church for a while.  We walked into a church all set up for a wedding - so, what else could we do, we stayed for the wedding ceremony!!!! All in Spanish of course.  Really wish I could have understood more - the priest talked directly and personally to the bridal couple for ages.  We even managed a couple of happy snaps .... resisted the temptation to join the wedding group for photos up the front of the church as is the tradition here - even though Lex was trying to convince me that they would probably love to have a couple of Aussies in the wedding pics!!  Honestly we only had 2 beers in the bar!

A cryptic phone message - 7 bring pan 5 soles. We couldn't run out of the church before the bride (well actually it is such a big church and there were so many tourists wandering around and non-wedding guests in church for the service, we probably could have) so I knew we were going to be a little late.  Best laid plans .... I was to ring Zac when we left Mega with the bread .... so they could arrange the surprise.  He didn't get my calls or messages until after we had arrived, so we walked in and surprised everyone else.  

GREAT party - in the few hours we had been away, the family had shopped, cooked, and decorated the house.  

Such a great night - Lex really enjoyed it all too.  Time for birthday cake - and we were aware of the Peruvian tradition where the birthday person has to take a bite out of their cake  .... and usually ends up wearing it!!!  Lex was ready for it.....

and to everyone's surprise, cake did not end up on the floor ... or on anyone's face!!!!  Satisfactory result all round!!

The night was not finished - we headed off into to town to a bar, to continue celebrations ....

and then home again for a bit more frivolity!!!!!

Thanks everyone for making Lex's birthday so memorable!!!!

Sunday looks like being a very short day!!!!

More birthday photos in the Cusco New Year slideshow!!