Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Mardi-Gras Carnival - Tepoztlan-style

For a tiny, traditional Mexican village, Tepoztlan always knows how to celebrate LARGE, be it Day of the Dead, Independence Day, or Mardi Gras Carnival all stamped with its own special signature style. Just one hour away from the seething metropolis of Mexico City, it has the most beautiful valley setting amidst high rugged, jagged crags.

And the most festive of celebrations. On February 20th and 21st this year, the tiny plaza will be invaded by the annual parade of over 300 Chinelos led by the brass bands, and dressed in the most elaborate of costumes with fur-trimmed, embroidered robes, intricate masks, and feather beaded headdresses.


The bright blue eyes and the pointed, turned-up beards satirically recall the previous invaders - the Spanish Conquistadors...

The crowd mixes in with the Chinelos dancing around the plaza to the repeated refrain from the band...


Next comes the dancing horses and the highly skilled Charreria (cowboy culture ) displays....

Followed by the rodeo...


Which always starts with the cowboys kissing the ground and praying ( just as well as one of the cowboys here had the narrowest of escapes just skidding in time, under the rails, a hair's breadth from the horns of the bull.....)

After the real rodeo the kids practise their bullfighting skills in the arena - safely with the papier mache bull...

Whilst the adults consume copious amounts of tequila and pulque ( brewed straight from the maguey plant)


And if they get drunk enough, how can they resist buying the most memorable souvenir of the whole event from the fake beard, moustache, and eyelash vendor!!


So what are you waiting for?? Forget Rio, Forget Trinidad, Forget Havana.....get yourself down to Tepoztlan for a truly memorable mardi-gras... I'll be there!!

12 comments:

Grammy said...

Thanks for sharing your beautiful world. I love the photos.
Have a great week.
Grammy
Missouri, USA

Cecile/DreamCreateRepeat said...

Mexico must be one of the most colorful places on earth! Great photos!

Fly Girl said...

Wow, I never knew Mexico had a Carnival! I've witnessed a lot of carnival celebrations but this looks really distinctive.

Unknown said...

wow, i seriously wantto come have your life for a while. what amazing things you get to see every day!

Catherine said...

Hi Fly girl...Mexico never passes up any opportunity for a celebration..it truly is a fiesta land of non stop festivals...so several places hold a mardi gras Carnival...notably Mazatlan and especially Veracruz with its Caribbean influence..

Catherine said...

Hi Grammy, Cecile and Jess...yes Mexico truly is colourful...come on down and give the place a whilr...you will not be disappointed!!

hitch writer said...

Lovely pic the first one... must be a great place to be...


Your on my blog roll... !!

bindu said...

This sounds like so much fun! Thanks for stopping by my blog - you've hiked in Torres del Paine! We wanted to do the W circuit on this trip, but didn't apply for a Chilean visa soon enough. I'll be back!

magiceye said...

Sure seem to be fun time there!

thank you for sharing!!

Mridula said...

Such colorful pictures! I am not sure if these are the malls in Adiga's book, as I have not read it.

Gail said...

Great pictures, thank you for sharing, check out Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama.

Gail said...

http://www.mobilecarnivalmuseum.com/
Mardi Gras in Mobile