CARVAVAL 2012

Friday was the first day of Carnaval, however it was more of a Pre-Carnaval day. There was a giant parade down the second ring and we got together with our Comparsa with all the girls around 6 or 7 in the evening and we walked together through the bustling crowd and children with cans of foam aiming for the "Gringas" and people with squirt guns and ink attacking us everywhere we went and us retaliating and yelling and screaming and dancing, so much dancing and loud music. At some points along the path we were walking and the crowd was so thick that we were thrown around and hustled this way and that and smushed between people and packed so tight. It was exhilarating and so much fun!
Saturdays Carnaval celebrations were a little different. Aimee, a girl from Alaska who is staying with my family while her family is away during Carnaval, went to my fathers Farternidad to eat some lunch, meat, more meat, rice and beans, typical Bolivian Churasco (BBQ). After that we walked to where my comparsa has a Garage, and Aimee went with her school friends to her Garage. Now, by garage I mean a parking lot, ours was comprised of 6 Comparsas, each with their own tent around the edges,and a big group of dancing people and a stage at one end with a band. We danced, we sang along to the songs we all know, we prayed each other with foam and ink. We got crazy and had a wonderful, incredible time together. After a while we got bored with the garage and we roamed the streets looking for victims of our ink attacks and dancing to the music at every garage we passed. Our matching Batas (Carnaval shirts) were white when we first got them, now they are a number of different colors splattered all over and smeared everywhere.
Aimee and I had to be back at the house around 6 or 7, once it gets dark it gets dangerous in the city.
We came home, colored, tired, wet and very happy. My host mom was happy to see us and asked us a million and 1 questions about our Carnaval experiences. We washed off and had a relaxing evening recalling our fun day. I am very exited for the next two days of partying and having a blast with all my Bolivian, French,  American, Belgian and Bermudian friends.