Photo Report : Mérida´s Carnaval 2007

[mmousefan]

Hello TPR people. Happy Mardi Grass.

 

Well today its the last day of Carnaval time here in Mérida. But we had an amazing weekend full of parades, partys, free stuff, beer and food.

The Carnaval here in Mérida started the past Thursday and ended today and everyday we have a HUGE parade on our main avenue and into downtown and lots of people dances and trow beeds and free stuff from the floats.

Its really a great time to have fun with friends and family. To go dance on the streets and meet a lot of mexican tv celebritys.

Well lets start with the pics. (I only took my camera to yesterdays and todays parade.)

 

Yesterday ( Monday ) was the day dedicated to our traditions. So almost everyone on the parade was dressed with our traditional outfits and danced "Jaranas" (our traditional music)

The pared started at 7pm but we (me, Paz and Mayte) arrived at 5:30 to get a good viewing spot but....

we were not the only ones that arrived early

 

 

After looking for a spot we only got a little corner on one side of this stage

 

 

They put lots of stages for musical groups.

 

Here I am with Paz waiting for the parade to start

 

 

And this is me and Mayte

 

 

Yes they are sisters.

 

 

Lots of more people started to arrive

 

 

A random but traditional Cotton Candy vendor

 

 

This is the house that was behind the stage. Really beautiful, its called "Quinta Montes Molina"

 

 

The first float arrives and its the one from the Coca-Cola Company. This year the Carnaval is has a "Circus from the World" theme. So all the floats are shaped into that.

 

 

The big float. The girl on front is the Queen of the Carnaval. She was the winner of Big Brother Mexico reality show and shes from my city.

 

 

A girl dressed with a Terno (the traditional outfit) As I said on another report those dresses are really expensive, like 1000 dollars each, because they are hand made.

 

 

Another float from Coca-Cola

 

 

Traditional carriage

 

 

Girls dancing a mayan song.

 

 

A boy.

 

 

Lots of "Jaraneros"

 

 

A girl with a beautifull dress.

 

 

 

WOW a lot of kids

 

 

 

Cookies!!! Really they are cookies. A local brand of cookies.

 

 

Their float.

 

 

Its almost a tradition that a lot of guys dress as girls on the parade.

 

 

The "gremios" a traditional Catholic asosiation of people. They hand made those banners.

 

 

Guys from my University.

 

 

Little guy and little girl. They are so cute!!!

 

 

Dancing the "cabeza de cochino" (pigs head)

 

 

 

And some of them dance with a bottle of beer on the head.

 

 

 

A gril with a wedding Terno.

 

 

 

 

Hot girls on the Corona beer brand float.

 

 

This grils dress was made entirely with palms.

 

 

OMG Robb??? Elissa??? What are you doing on the parade???

 

 

And now let me introduce to you the Godess. The Superior beer brand had a float with gorgeous girls dressed as mayan, greek, indian and roman godess.

 

 

The mayan godess possing for me.

 

 

 

And the parade ends. Its started at 7:30 and ended at 9:30. So two hours of parade.

And we got a lot of free stuff and beads.

 

 

 

Well this was last nights parade. Ill be posting todays pics this night.

 

Thanks for reading and commenting

 

Yours truly

 

Joel

[thomas2]

Nice pics! The parade looked cool. Especially compared to our local, crappy one

[rbpia]

Great pics, looks like you had a great time. Are you sure you want to leave all of that for a year in Orlando?

 

Ron "Can't wait to get the elusive Joel Photo Credit!" Patton

 

Oh Yeah, KIDTUMS KIDTUMS KIDTUMS

[mmousefan]

^ LOL yeah its going to be hard leaving Merida for a year. Im going to miss all this stuff and my family and friends a lot. But the WDW year its going to be awesome!

 

Joel "the furute elusive photo credit" Saury

[mmousefan]

Part 2: Fat Tuesday or as we call it here "Martes de batalla de flores" (battle of flowers tuesday)

 

Well yestardays parade started at 12 am. We wanted to arrive early because as it was the last parade we knew that its was going to be packed, but we didnt expected what we saw. So 9:30 am we were arriving to Paseo de Montejo to take a spot but....

 

 

It was already full!!!!

 

 

everyone arrived around 7am!!!! that was TOO early for me.

 

But we got a good spot between the seats that where there and a really nice guy let me seat on the top bech so I had a relly great place to take pics.

The parade started at 12 and first was the float of the Carnaval Queen.

 

 

Shes called Silvia, but everyone knows her as "La chiva" from Big Brother. Can you belive she has a 3 month old son???

 

 

They they giving away lots of Coca-Cola Stuff and Carnations ( yes they give flowers today )

 

 

Another Coca-Cola float

 

 

The kids that were also king and queen of Carnaval.

 

 

Look at those outfits!!!

 

 

Some are really amazing. And heavy!!!

 

 

Dance dance dance

 

 

 

This dancing groups are called "Comparsas"

 

 

Some comparsas are really huge and they change their costumes every year

 

 

Hes is Marcelo Sanguinetti, but we know him as "Jacarandoso". Hes the only one that has been named king of carnaval twice 1980 and 2000. he dances on the parade each and every year. With new and bigger costumes.

 

 

Its looks a lot like the costumes on Rio de Janeiro´s Carnaval

 

 

More dancing comparsas

 

 

 

Samba dancers

 

 

The girl and man on this float are really famous Soap Opera actors here in mexico.

 

 

He´s Sebastian Rulli and my girl friends where melting for him and asked me to take him pics.

 

 

One of the most beautiful girl on the parade

 

 

Isabel Madow. another famous TV actress

 

 

This Comparsa was themed like the Chinese Circus.

 

 

Really awesome costumes

 

 

And here they are: the hot godess from Superior beer brand floats.

 

 

More free stuff.

 

 

 

 

A friend of mine loves her.

 

 

The last two floats of the parade

 

 

 

And the pared ended at 2pm . We were really tired and starting to get a sunburn but were had a great time.

 

 

After this I returned home to sleep but my friends stayed until 7pm to atend to some concerts there. But it was too packed for me.

 

Well with this Carnaval was oficialy over until next years. It was really a fun time.

 

I hope you liked the report.

 

comments and questions are welcome.

 

Joel