Little Drummer Girls
Baton twirler
Drums everywhere
Volcano next to the town, always threatening to erupt
Parade participants
An unusual detail from the main square's fountain
The Mayor lights another torch
We're holed up in Antigua de Guatemala. It is an old city 20 miles from Guatemala City, the current capitol. Antigua used to be the capitol before it was devastated by an earthquake. Anyway, it is surrounded by huge volcanoes and has the ruins of dozens of buildings constructed by the Conquistadores in the 1500's. These old crumbling remnents of churches and palaces are so cracked and decrepit that you can only view them from outside the fences surrounding them. It appears they could easily tumble down later this morning.
Yesterday was Guatemalen Independence Day. They kicked out the Spanish 188 years ago. It is celebrated in a peculiar way. Teams of youths, usually about 20 per group, approach a raised dias and hand the mayor an unlighted torch. They implore him to light it from the main torch. He does, they cheer and run off through the town behind the torch bearer, singing, blowing whistles, and generally making as much racket as possible. After the torch goes out they rest a short while and approach the dias again. This goes on all day long. There is always at least 30 groups of these nomadic noisemakers running amok. My belief is that as these are a people surrounded by volcanoes, they use the torches to try to appease the volcano Gods. It seem to be working.
Part II of the celebration consists of marching bands. Each band contains some 30 to 40 teens, some of the bands have baton twirling girls, all of the bands contain at last a dozen drummers. There are few groups that have brass instruments. It is a percussion extravaganza. We ate dinner last night, al frescoe, and during those two hours at least 30 bands marched by. Before the din of the last had faded the next came proudly by. It was a truely volcanic celebration!
Yesterday was Guatemalen Independence Day. They kicked out the Spanish 188 years ago. It is celebrated in a peculiar way. Teams of youths, usually about 20 per group, approach a raised dias and hand the mayor an unlighted torch. They implore him to light it from the main torch. He does, they cheer and run off through the town behind the torch bearer, singing, blowing whistles, and generally making as much racket as possible. After the torch goes out they rest a short while and approach the dias again. This goes on all day long. There is always at least 30 groups of these nomadic noisemakers running amok. My belief is that as these are a people surrounded by volcanoes, they use the torches to try to appease the volcano Gods. It seem to be working.
Part II of the celebration consists of marching bands. Each band contains some 30 to 40 teens, some of the bands have baton twirling girls, all of the bands contain at last a dozen drummers. There are few groups that have brass instruments. It is a percussion extravaganza. We ate dinner last night, al frescoe, and during those two hours at least 30 bands marched by. Before the din of the last had faded the next came proudly by. It was a truely volcanic celebration!
1 comment:
Jim: if it is not too late, take a bus to San Francisco and climb the volcano tonight. Wear thick soled shoes so the lava does not burn your feet. It is customary to bring marshmallows to roast on the molten lave while having your picture taken.
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