las bombas

What happens when a virgin comes into town for 15 days...fireworks! I know you all may be thinking, what the hey, what kind of virgin is this? It is the religious kind, you know the kind most devout Catholics celebrate with and for.

It began 15 days ago, I awoke to the dog barking and fireworks exploding. It was 5am (the time most people are asleep) but for this holiday it is the time to wake the people of the town and bring them to church. I personally rolled over and bed and thought to myself, "holy crap, how LONG is this virgin going to be here...". As a new set of M-80's were lit at 6am to scare off all evil spirits and pagans. I'm sure somewhere, someone was telling me something. Something like, no sleeping allowed.

Thus is how every day began. Fireworks at 5am, again at 6am with the hordes of people crowding into the church. Then came the night time procession of kids dressed in their special blue satin dresses with headdresses of peacock feathers. Every night switching off which way they approach the church until they finally arrive followed by yet another set of M-80's blasting off into the world. The marching band would play in accordance with the girls promenading the streets to the one local church. All of this in celebration of the Virgin of Talpa, our towns sacred women.

With it of course came the other usual carnival types of things: food vendors, alcohol vendors, outdated carnival rides, and again haphazard firework structures that would shoot burning embers everywhere, including onto those who would stare from the ground. It also brought the masses, so a night in the jardin turned out to be entertaining for people watching and food eating.

Alas it is now over, and the quiet solitude of La Manzanilla resumes. Most tourists are gone, along with the carnival and all associated with it.

Thank god the virgin has gone back home!

mas fotos:

some man killing some boy - not sure what to say about that?
parade
parade
the bands bus
necisto beber-need a drink?