Carnaval 2008

We survived Carnaval - just barely! For two weeks prior we had dodged water balloon fights fairly successfully. But from Friday the 1st through Tuesday the 5th, it was all out war. Sucre's Carnaval festivities are rather humble when compared with Oruro, for example. In Sucre they have a couple of parades, but the main activity is the water fighting. Water balloons, bazookas, even buckets and cups (especially from overhead balconies) increase in fierceness as the days progress. And then there's the "spuma," cans of shaving cream type stuff. Lydia was the main target, then Peter, but I was literally drenched by a passing band - cheerfully of course. Ray was usually hit from behind at a distance - the beard we think. Peter and Lydia would join in - ready balloons were sold on every corner - but always got the worst of it. They came back thoroughly drenched several times.



I didn't get many pictures for two reasons: I didn't want to get my camera wet, and I ran out of batteries and couldn't get more until after Carnaval. It was all we could do to get a couple of bags of milk or stealthily make our way to a restaurant. The down side of Carnaval is all the alcohol. Two people died in Sucre from overconsumption.



Here's the link to the photos http://picasaweb.google.com/raemmans/Carnaval2008 . But check out YouTube also. I found a video of Carnaval in Sucre With Water Bombs. You may also want to visit the Beams' site again (see below). He has new photos of their recent trip to Sucre. Beautiful!