Note: for those that want to see an individual picture bigger, you can click on it and it opens in the window you were in - you just have to "go back" to get back to the blog.
My friend Jennifer & I went to Carnaval for just one afternoon, but it was enough culture packed into those 5 hours to last a year! Carnaval is a time for Barranquilleros to let loose (as if they aren't already loose...) and party, as loudly, as colorfully, as flamboyently as possible! I asked out gracious hosts (family of a friend of Jennifer's) what the Marimonda represents. They said that the mask is a representation of male genitals. I said I had guessed that much, but I wanted to know why people went around with male genitals on their faces. They didn't have an answer... Maybe it is just an attempt to be as outrageous as possible.
Notice the Marimonda sculpture has a bottle of what I assume is Aguardiente, Colombia's lethal alcohol. This is an equal part in Carnaval - alcohol consumption & drunken misbehavior. People in the parade, in elegant costumes, dancing traditional folklore dances, were guzzling beers and from flasks. So Barranquilla!
Jennifer & I lucked out and got front row seats in the stands set up along the main avenue. At one point the section we were in even had its own band! The only downfall was that we were higher up than the marchers, which would have been OK had there not been photographers all over the place, getting in all of my pictures, as they walked into the throngs of dancing people.
Queen of Carnaval
Skirts
Animalistic
African roots?
Marimondas & 2 year old marchers
Guest appearances: Gandhi, Chavez with Jesus & the Devil, Captain Jack Sparrow & Avatar
Ladies of music, Marimonda cars, and Men in Dresses
Anthony in his dance group parade
Much more to come, but it took me all morning to post this one, so be patient!
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