So, for those of you that don't know, Carnaval is a festival that is celebrated all over the world! (The biggest is in Brazil: Rio de Janeiro.) It typically occurs the weekend before Ash Wednesday... Lent. And, just like Mardi Gras in the States, Tuesday is the biggest, grandest, and most festive of the days. So what day did I go, you ask? Tuesday, of course!
Here is my night:
First, we waited to the board the buses. By we, I mean the 800ish people in Plaza Catalunya. So, after about 30 minutes of waiting, we got on the bus. A man (from Australia, go figure), who was in charge, told us some things to expect and be careful of. Pickpockets. Drunk people. Prostitutes. Stupid people.
After 45 minutes, we arrived in Sitges. It is a little beach town south of Barcelona. Before departing on our own, the director told us... "At 3a, the buses will be here. If you are fortunate enough to be here, you will have a ride back to Barcelona. HOWEVER, if you are not... *pause for dramatic effect* you are no longer our responsibility, and good luck finding a ride home." Then we were free...
Trust me, finding where you needed to go was not hard. Simply, follow the confetti. It was kind of like the Yellow Brick Road of Carnaval.
After about 15 minutes of walking, we found the road that runs parallel with the beach, which is the street that parade was located.
.EL DESFILE.
How to describe the parade. No sé.
Well, it pretty much ranged... from... well, everything. I saw the
ninga turtles. To people dressed up as angels and devils. To people
dressed up as burgers, fries, and workers from 50s burger joint. Lady
Gaga wannabes. Flamenco dressers. Cross dressers. There were
incredible bands parading. A few drumlines that would make you dance
even if you tried to resist! You name it. It was in this parade.
.LA PLAYA.
Well, the beach was a pretty typical beach. There was an incredibly beautiful church located on the oceanfront: L'església de Sant
Bartomeu i Santa Tecla. However, after the parade, a majority of the
people went there to relax and sit by the ocean. And, well, some other
things... OH, I did witness someone using the restroom on the beach-É-take it for you want.
.DESPUÉS.
After staying on the beach for a bit, we decided to wander the streets. Thousands upon thousands upon thousands of
people bombarded the roads. If you weren't aggressive, you weren't
going to stand a chance in moving. Literally. You would stand in the
same spot surrounded by people. My friends and I grabbed hands, making a
chain of about 12 people, and pushed. Pushed hard! 15 minutes later, we
made it. One block down. BUT, we had lost about 6 people. Every single
place was packed past the maximum limit. Though, I'm not sure if Spain
has limits? (The fire marshal would not be happy.) Bars. Clubs.
Restaurants. Fast food places. There was not a single place to stand,
walk, or sit. Finally, my friends and I just decided to walk around the
city for the remainder of our time.
Well,
it was 2:35a... time to find our way back to the bus. Not easy. At
all. The roads are just like here in Barcelona. They go up, down,
left, right, diagonal-that-way, diagonal-this-way. But, hey, we found
it. With about 10 minutes to spare. And on the way to the bus, I got
really hungry. And, to my luck, I found this little stand that was
normally a restaurant, but not for Carnaval! They pushed up this table
and blocked the entrance... You ordered from the table and out came your
food... to go, haha! I ordered a crêpe: ham and cheese. Heaven in my
mouth.
Carnaval
has left me... I don't know the words. I feel, as if, I have, truly,
seen everything. There is not much, I think, that will surprise me.
Carnaval was full of extremely friendly people. Everyone was willing to
help. Share. Push through the crowd with you. It was a big celebration
in which everyone was there to have fun! And, I did. This was a once
in lifetime experience! And, I am so glad I could enjoy it! Would I do
it again? I'm not sure. Maybe. Probably. Ok, I would :)
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