The biggest party of the year

The guidebooks and internet forums about travel in South America discuss Carnaval ad nauseam.  Brazil has the best celebrations with Rio leading the way.  Uruguay also celebrates Carnaval in serious fashion.  Argentina has smaller, less extravagant celebrations.  I had no interest in participating, as usual.  I didn't even bother to look to see when the festivities started....

But on my way back from sightseeing yesterday, I noticed that the main square in the La Ciudad Vieja was blocked off to car traffic.  And there were large groups of men and women dressed in outlandish costumes.  I asked the doorman what was happening-- he looked at me with pity.  It's Carnaval, of course.  And last night was the first night.

Large buses of pulled up and dropped performers at our doorstep.  Then there was a complicated reorganization and waiting process which largely consisted of saying hello to friends, drinking beer, and eating hot dogs.

[The scene in front of our hotel]

[Two hot dogs with the works, please.  I have a lot of dancing ahead of me.]

Kate convinced me to venture further down the street and see the parade as it started.  The streets were lined with green folding chairs for rent.  When we arrived around 9:00 pm, the crowd was 5-8 people deep.  There were adults and children.  Everyone was in a very festive mood.

The performers varied from professional to amateur and they arrived in both small and large groups.  Kate and I couldn't really understand their affiliations-- neighborhoods?  dance troupes?  companies or businesses?  Several troupes featured barely clothed women dancing on high heels wearing huge headdresses.  They were all made up with heavily applied make-up and they plastered huge smiles on their faces as they worked hard at performing.

The whole thing made me nervous, but Kate was very enthused and I couldn't justify missing out on the biggest celebration Montevideo has to offer.....  I have a crowd phobia, so I was mostly hypervigilant about the hundreds and hundreds of Uruguayans milling around me, but when a big float passed by, I could feel the bass in my chest and the colors of the costumes seemed unreal.  It was enthralling!!  As an aside for all of those who are snickering about my overly nervous approach to this joyous event, I did spot a roving band of 10 year old pick pockets.  And how triumphant I felt glaring at them and willing them to try to pull a fast one on me!!

[My camera doesn't shoot well in low light...]

We stayed for an hour or so and then wandered off to find some dinner.  The staff at the hotel said it would continue into the early morning hours--- endless rows of drumming and dancing.  Kate braved the crowds (even bigger at this point) again and watched for a little longer.  I, of course, went to bed.

[That's how I felt by 10 pm....]