Carnaval has begun

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Decided to stay two extra days in Merida - am off to Campeche tommorow. It is much cooler and a bit rainy today which I like. Carnaval has begun and the first large parade is tonight! I'm sure it will be a bit crazy as Merida seems to know how to organize public events with music everynight, shut down streets and the like. I stayed to see this parade and also cause I was to lazy to leave yesterday. Realize I like being in the know and also being the one to tell others where things are and what is happening and have begun to do that. More in my comfort zone though of course I still stare blankly when people start speaking Spanish and attempting to converse after my one question that I have memorized how to say.

The childrens parade was yesterday and it was cute though me and another woman from the hostel were standing at the end of the parade so the kids were tired and hot by then. There was a bit of an Asian theme to the parade with about half the groups having costumes and music and dragons from China, Japan etc. A truck with large speakers blaring preceeds each group of kids who are dressed in costume, walking, dancing etc. Most were elementary school aged. The set up zone for the kids was on the cross street in front of the hostel so we wandered though and saw them all excited to go. Most of the seats for this parade were ticketed / four rows deep of folding chairs are set out on the narrow sidewalks with different zones about every 5 metres, and numbers painted on the curb to mark different sections within the zones. And fences with small gates are set up on the side streets to allow access to the fenced sight. The tickets were mainly sold out by yesterday morning. We wandered down the street before the parade in the ticketed area (walked though an unmanned gate at the far end of the short kids route by mistake) so got a flavour of the scene / with crowded seats, lots of kids, many in superhero costumes, but ended up standing in one of the few free areas at the end of the parade in the main park. Luckily I am relatively tall here. Just as the parade was coming to an end the sky opened up for an intense but brief downpour / before the rain hit us we saw people running in every directions and then bam the rain came. An abrupt end to the parade but the rain helped cool things down though about 10 minuted later you could feel the steam coming up from the pavement.

In the evening there was again music, modern latin beat in the main square with the vendors selling blouses, bracelets, hammocks etc and the usual snack foods - french fries with hotdog chinks - I think also deep fried - on top is most popular, and chorros - deep fried sweetness - yum - and a few of the taco etc stands. Also, as always many older couples dancing in the square.Went out to dinner with the woman from the hostel and a grim guy from Austria who complains about everything. After wandered, had seen a stage set up a few blocks over on the way to the resto, and walking back up saw a few fireworks and a crowd gathered. It seems that a rally or concert was ending, the others headed back and I stayed. The crowd mainly mayan with women in traditional dress, children (lots of kids here) and guys. A few banners were being set up on the street at the end and I was wondering if it were to be a rally. Part of me said to leave, but with my curiosity I followed the women and children who headed to a park where a stage was being set up. It was for Another concert / mainly for tourists. It seems the people at the rally were mainly heading to the porta-potties.

The night before I went to the "Burning of Bad Moods" in the central square - no bonfire or anything which was a bit disappointing. A Latin beat band at first, then what seemed to be more of a variety show (I understood nothing) with carnaval dancers - a few tossing goodies at the crowd- kids, i think the queen and king. I watched for a while and watched the scene on the square. At the end were fireworks which as always make me smil. The birds that sleep in the trees (the ones that make all the noise at sunset) fled all at once. The fireworks were simple but also special since they were from the roof of the 16th century city hall and over its old and impressive clock tower. As I've said the square is full of historic buildings though you can spot the cell phone towers a few blocks away. After the fireworks people hung out - a born-again gospel band was playing next to a group of mexican hippies on bongo drums.
Yes, Merida knows how to through parties. I'm sure tonight with be chaotic and fun / will head up to the free zome on the Paseo de Montejo *the wide tree lined boulevard with wider sidewalks * but part of me is looking forward to the relative peace of Campeche.

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