Carnival - a reflection of life here in one afternoon.

expatsooner

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Aug 7, 2004
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I went to Carnival last weekend and it was a great reflection of my experiences while living here. The event started late and for some unknown reason the groups were temporarily detoured down Maximo Gomez instead of preceding straight down the Malecon. About three or four groups went down Maximo and then the groups headed straight down the Malecon once again. No one could ever tell me why, it was just one of those things.

It was hot, crowded and not very well organized by some standards. There was not a strong police or controlling influence present where we ended up in front of the Malecon Center but there was never a feeling that they were really needed either. Children ran about, the young men focused on the cutest of the young women to whack on the butt and there was public consumption of alcohol everywhere. Music permeated the air and there were comparative lulls in the volume of the area that were just blasted away by passing sound systems several feet high. Street vendors passed by with everything from cheap necklaces to coco frio. All of them trying to charge the "gringos" more but took a refusal by us to be cheated with a good natured laugh and a lowering of the cost to an appropriate level.

But it all worked in that great Dominican style. A few tranquilo amigos, some cold Presidente and the faith that everything will work out in the end always seems to make everyone happy and somehow everything working out is what happens the vast majority of the time. It is amazing, but what many of us who live here love the most I think.

I was so happy to see the group with signs asking us to save our forests. The kids in that group were dressed up like catus were some of the cutest in the parade I think. I also loved the participants who paraded down the street while drinking Presidente or talking on their cell phones - you don't get much more tipico than that. ;)

I've included a link to my flickr album if you would like to see some photos.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/photosbymonicamichele/sets/
 

expatsooner

Bronze
Aug 7, 2004
712
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Don't mind me, I am just trying to figure out how to get a photo inside a post. Well if it doesn't work at least I know I can send out an SOS to Potato Salad. ;)


110951008


Didn't work dang it.
 

expatsooner

Bronze
Aug 7, 2004
712
11
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Thanks for the link Rellosk and thanks for putting one of my pictures in the thread. I really liked that guy - that was quite a makeup job.