Carnival!

Carnival came to our village last night, despite the fact that we are already into Lent and should be "shriving" and putting the world apart. The reason it was not last weekend was that it conflicted with the Virgin of Candelaria festival down in the road in Tecoman. So last night the whole town turned out for the big parade and party. Things got underway about 7 PM (despite the announcement to be at the jardin at 5 PM). We opted to stay here and watch from the second-floor balcony. This colorful group stopped right in front of us with their beautifulo May-pole type dance.
Then came a parade of decorated cars. I particularly liked this one with its big ears on the sides.


This little boy was wheeling a big heavy wheelbarrow filled with different kinds of nuts and sweets. He steered his goodies through the crowds, stopping to serve up his wares in little paper cones he spun from a stack of brown paper you can see in the top left corner of his cart.


There were several floats, including a wonderful one of Miss Volcano. I tried to take a picture but it was just too dark by that time and it didn't work. The float had a big paper maché volcano, modeled on the active volcano in Colima, out of which Miss Volcano rose. There was a queen of the parade, an ex-queen, mariachi bands. Finally, there was a beautiful fireworks display to bring it all to a close. Today it's back to sackcloth and ashes.