Holiday Parade in La Paz
10 December 2010
Fred (with Penny's 2 cents)
Penny and I were walking downtown and as we got near the Cathedral we noticed a crowd of people dressed up in colorful clothes. Turns out they were getting ready for a parade. The kids were all dressed up and were carrying colorful floral arrangements. Some were on horseback and some were riding on the floats. There was a band and it was all very colorful. Didn't get to stay long or follow the parade but it looked very festive.
Penny's Two Cents: I am so taken by the family aspect that is prevalent in La Paz. There are aunts, uncles, grandmas and pas, cousins, brothers, sisters, moms and dads. . The entire family contingency, celebrating traditions together. If you look at the photo's you may notice the wealth of flowers that these people of relative poverty purchase to celebrate their beliefs. And, this is interesting - the baskets are so beautifully created and the centerpiece is the topping which is totally made of firecrackers! Unfortunately we didn't get to see the end of the parade but it must have been spectacular!
When I was just a little kid, all of my family used to go to Tijuana and eat, drink, and buy lots of stuff we didn't need. (I was particularly enamored with bongo's! - I had bongo drums, bongo beach bag, etc.) One thing we never left without was firecrackers - Roman candles, poppers, Sparklers, and so forth. I nearly blew my finger off once when my cousin dared me to "don't let it go". If any of my family remembers this, please add a comment - I will leave any "details" you may wish to share to you.