The big Festival

Well it was certainly big. I have never seen anything like it.

For me it started with a dance group at the breakfast buffet.

Near town a lot of families seemed to have come to the many little places where they were cooking meat on sticks on charcoal. The whole day the city smelled like roasting meat. It must be a specialty of the occasion.

Heading into town the people became more and more dense. I cannot imagine how many people were involved in this party but the entire city seemed to be wall to wall.

There was a parade. But it was impossible for me to see much of it. I was unable to connect up with my friends. The crowd was like a rugby scrum and as I finally made it up near the Mango area where I thought they would be I encountered literally thousands of totally drunken revelers singing dancing screaming … and throwing poster paint around. The last is part of this party tradition. I got pretty well decorated and hope my shirt can be saved.

Anyway, it became impossible to move in the crowd … and so I bailed. It took a very long time to escape the crowds and finding no taxis a very long walk home.

The day actually put me into some heavy cultural shock and I had to self medicate with some pork and red wine and a cigar. (I am dead serious saying this). I kept my paint splattered shirt on which the people in the hotel and restaurant seemed to think was great.