Argentina came and went. It was all things a good vacation should have: great weather, fun activities, family time, and a working credit card. But I was pretty happy to come home. Home, where the humidity instantly cured my dry chin (I don't know why, don't ask) and my dirty jeans sagged even lower from the heat. We walked off the plane into a lavishly decorated airport, all ready for Carnaval 2016. I appreciated seeing the hallway lined with Pernambuco umbrellas and giant staring dolls (bonecos gigantes). I practically forgot Recife's week of nonstop of partying and dancing, and for about half a second I thought I should rally and do my part. Instead, all four of us slept like hibernating bears for about a week.
A colleague of Mark's plays in a drum group called Quebra Baque, and were making Carnaval rounds throughout the city, so we did emerge from the apartment for an afternoon downtown to support them and do what everyone does during Carnaval besides drink: people watch. Even having attended several events last year, I never did see the famous "coboclos de lança." This year I did. Dressed in ridiculous amounts of cow bells and metallic fringe these folkloric warriors essentially symbolize the state of Pernambuco and during Carnaval, they literally part the crowds with their bulky costumes, noise and quantity- something like 10-15 of them in a row. This is particularly useful since the streets are packed with bands, dancers, spectators, and vendors- all of which march in seemingly random paths. These glittering, spear carrying warriors bring vague order to organized chaos. If that makes any sense.
The drums were hypnotic and fabulous, even Deets got into dancing and pirating his way through the crowd. After a couple hours of great music, photography and diligent child-watching, the party was just getting started. Mark and I needed no words to communicate our readiness to go home. To sleep.
A colleague of Mark's plays in a drum group called Quebra Baque, and were making Carnaval rounds throughout the city, so we did emerge from the apartment for an afternoon downtown to support them and do what everyone does during Carnaval besides drink: people watch. Even having attended several events last year, I never did see the famous "coboclos de lança." This year I did. Dressed in ridiculous amounts of cow bells and metallic fringe these folkloric warriors essentially symbolize the state of Pernambuco and during Carnaval, they literally part the crowds with their bulky costumes, noise and quantity- something like 10-15 of them in a row. This is particularly useful since the streets are packed with bands, dancers, spectators, and vendors- all of which march in seemingly random paths. These glittering, spear carrying warriors bring vague order to organized chaos. If that makes any sense.
The drums were hypnotic and fabulous, even Deets got into dancing and pirating his way through the crowd. After a couple hours of great music, photography and diligent child-watching, the party was just getting started. Mark and I needed no words to communicate our readiness to go home. To sleep.
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