Santiago carnival-a typical chopo festival

AZB

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Jan 2, 2002
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Last night I got caught up in carnival traffic jam, leading up to Ahi bar area. We had decided to park the car and walk up to las carreras to catch a few minutes of carnival de santiago. Right from first sight, it was a complete disappointment. No serious organization, no fancy lechones and no harmony. A float which was pulled by an old car breaks down in the middle of the road, thus causing the back logging of the whole carnival. The car had to be fixed in the middle of the road. Streets were full of chopos and other weird looking people from barrios. There is always an old ugly drunk doing the retarded dance with a cup full of brugal. Fat girls with tires around their bellies jumping to the same old carnival music. Even with kids present, DJ had no problem playing vulgar music on ultra loud industrial speakers "papi me duele mi papola...". I mean, how can a music of such abject vulgarity was allowed to be played in carnival where kids were present? Where were the organizers?
My final impression of carnival de santiago is quite disappointing. All I can say is the carnival is geared towards chopos and streets are owned by tigres.
AZB
 

Spirit7

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Aug 26, 2004
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It serves you right!

With La Vega only a 20 minute drive away, why in the world are you going to the Santiago stale, old 'carnival'? Admittedly, you will see a lot more chopos in La Vega just by the sheer magnitude of the crowds, but you will also see a lot more of all other things, many of them positive, and the best looking carnival groups in the country....check out the Centennial group....fantastic looking outfits and masks!
 

TorontoBlonde

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Feb 10, 2005
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When is Carnival??

I am coming to D.R tomorrow with my girlfriend. My friend who lives in D.R says that we will be here in time for Carnival. But it seems like it has past or does each city have there own??? And which one (if I haven't missed it) is the best one to go to???

TorontoBLonde

Spirit7 said:
With La Vega only a 20 minute drive away, why in the world are you going to the Santiago stale, old 'carnival'? Admittedly, you will see a lot more chopos in La Vega just by the sheer magnitude of the crowds, but you will also see a lot more of all other things, many of them positive, and the best looking carnival groups in the country....check out the Centennial group....fantastic looking outfits and masks!
 

Dolores1

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May 3, 2000
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www.
Best carnivals are the La Vega carnival or the Bonao carnival (they are half an hour between each other) on every Sunday in February. Bonao carnival is also on the first Sunday in March.
 

TorontoBlonde

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Feb 10, 2005
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Thanks 4 the info

Thanks
I'm not too familiar with the citys in D.R. I will be staying in Sosua. Are these
2 citys close to where i'm at?? And what time does the Carnival start at on Sunday?? Is it an all day thing, night thing etc??

Thanks 4 your help
Toronto Blonde
Dolores said:
Best carnivals are the La Vega carnival or the Bonao carnival (they are half an hour between each other) on every Sunday in February. Bonao carnival is also on the first Sunday in March.
 
AZB said:
Last night I got caught up in carnival traffic jam, leading up to Ahi bar area. We had decided to park the car and walk up to las carreras to catch a few minutes of carnival de santiago. Right from first sight, it was a complete disappointment. No serious organization, no fancy lechones and no harmony. A float which was pulled by an old car breaks down in the middle of the road, thus causing the back logging of the whole carnival. The car had to be fixed in the middle of the road. Streets were full of chopos and other weird looking people from barrios. There is always an old ugly drunk doing the retarded dance with a cup full of brugal. Fat girls with tires around their bellies jumping to the same old carnival music. Even with kids present, DJ had no problem playing vulgar music on ultra loud industrial speakers "papi me duele mi papola...". I mean, how can a music of such abject vulgarity was allowed to be played in carnival where kids were present? Where were the organizers?
My final impression of carnival de santiago is quite disappointing. All I can say is the carnival is geared towards chopos and streets are owned by tigres.
AZB

So I would have really enjoyed it ;) Sorry I left so soon.
Badpiece
 

trina

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Jan 3, 2002
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TorontoBlonde said:
Thanks
I'm not too familiar with the citys in D.R. I will be staying in Sosua. Are these
2 citys close to where i'm at?? And what time does the Carnival start at on Sunday?? Is it an all day thing, night thing etc??

Thanks 4 your help
Toronto Blonde


By bus, La Vega is about 2 hours or maybe a bit better, if memory serves me correctly. You could also go into Puerto Plata, there is a festival every Sunday on the Malecon - if distance is a problem - I had a great time there (but then again, I'm quite the chopa :cool: ). I've never been to the festival in La Vega, but I have been told it's the best in the country.
 

Bartolomeo67

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Mar 18, 2004
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AZB said:
Streets were full of chopos and other weird looking people from barrios. There is always an old ugly drunk doing the retarded dance with a cup full of brugal. Fat girls with tires around their bellies jumping to the same old carnival music.

Hey AZB,
good to hear that you are getting integrated in your town! ;)
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
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Santiago Carnaval

While it may well be true that there is a good bit of vulgarity, it is also true that there are carnaval groups from all over the town.

I would suggest that you plan to use the whole day and see more than just the carnaval. For example, if you come in the morning, yu can see the Centro Leon, and then have a nice lunch at any one of a number of places ranging from MacDonalds or KFC or BurgerKing to Pasta House or Jade Express. Really good food and atmosphere (dress properly) at the Pez Dorado, El Caf? or Passticcio(sp?) or Maroma, or Cosa Nostra. Any taxi will take you to any of these places for 80 pesos.

Then, around 2 or 2:30 go up to the Monument area and find a place close enought to the beer guy to sit and watch the show...

You have to understand that the figures in the parade all represent folklore in some way or another. Roba la GAllina, for example, is a burlesque on a big, fat, huge assed female ...there are a lot of them. The groups, which spend a lot of money on their costumes -not like the Brazilians, of course, but a lot- make up what are known as "comparsas". Some are elegantly choreographed, some are not. If you have a friend from the DR, that person can identify the different comparsas and characters in the show. Be sure to bring your camara and lots of batteries (or film). It can be a dazzaling show.

You can do the same thing if you go down to La Vega, too. Most activity starts in the early afternoon and build up til about 5 p.m.


HB :D:D