Sunday, March 6, 2011

Carnaval - By the People For the People

I had the rare opportunity to partake in one of Costa Rica's annual festivals in Puntarenas called, Carnaval. This is a week long party ending with major appearances from singers and a huge parade.  The main beach road is shut down to host these festivities by lining one side with tons of vendors, stages for open-air night clubs, and people camping between the palm trees with their tents.  The energy during the last night of festivities was amazing.  The street was packed from the main stage and as far back as the eye could see.  As each famous singer came on stage to belt out a few songs, the crowd would go wild, dancing in the streets, singing with the band, and excited to share the experience with each other.

Here are a few pictures that will give you a sense of what kind of festivities occur:

Diay, Jacinto?!
Jacinto is the boy (nevermind the 5 o' clock shadow), who is responsible for teaching about waste and being eco-friendly to the children. The phrase, "Diay, Jacinto?" basically translates as, "What are you doing, Jacinto?!"  By the looks of it, he knows what he is doing.

Carnaval Dancer
  The parade was filled with tons of dance troupes and schools showing off their best stuff. The dancing was equally impressive as the costumes.

Drum Team
The drummers usually followed a group of dancers putting the soul into their step.

Leading the Charge
Each group showed everything they had to offer in the 90+ degree heat.

Carnaval at its Best
This is shortly before the music kicked off and all eyes were on the stage, all hands were in the air, and all feet were moving to the beat.

Payasa
The vendors were not the only attraction.  There were plenty of payasos (clowns) around to cheer up kids, paint tattoos, and have a good ol' time too.

Front And Not So Center
The stage was just far enough to get a great show of it and the singers, but close enough for everyone in our group to enjoy the music.

I was fortunate to experience such a culturally important event to Puntarenas and Costa Rica.  This was a party organized by the people for the people.  Extranjeros need not participate to make this Carnaval extravagant.

Next time you plan on making a trip somewhere, if you have the chance, make sure to experience the culture that is meant for the locals.  I guarantee it will be amazing.

No comments:

Post a Comment