On Friday I went out with the girls. This year there was no group costume, unfortunately. I went as Pipi Calzaslargas (re: Pippi Longstockings) and was quite pleased with my outfit. I reused last year's red wig and only needed to buy the long stockings. Budget- and eco-friendly! It was not at all a wild night. I guess we're getting too old for that. Or just too tired. It's ok, I needed to save my energy for more Carnaval fun.
We started off in Verín, a bit before noon. But it was pretty empty so we headed to Laza. It's a little village that comes to life during Carnaval. They maintain old traditions (whose origins must be intriguing) such as mudslinging, ant throwing, and whacking with bushes, in addition to their local Entroido character: os peliqueiros. We arrived to the small, deserted plaza only to find the remnants of the previous mudfight: mud all over the ground, along with some scattered rags used to sling said mud. There were really only 3 bars in town, which wisely had covered their floors with sawdust. We went into one for some sandwiches and beers to wait for the next festivities. The place was packed, with a lively atmosphere. There was even a bagpiper and singer and a few people danced, squished into the square meter of open space. We also noticed other foreigners there, having a gay old time. Not much of a hidden secret now, is it? But good for you, Galician towns!
After an hour or two, it got less congested as people went outside, so we went down to the plaza to check it out. Around us were plenty of people, but few people were wearing costumes. Most were, however, wearing jumpsuits in preparation for the ants. Some people were even smart enough to duct tape their pants to their legs to avoid getting ants in their pants haha. As we were all waiting around for the action to start, we heard the dongdong of an approaching bell. The peliqueiros!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! People quickly made a path for them, since they run back and forth swinging a stick. Look out! Seriously, if you get in their way they will hit you. Hard. From my side of the path I was able to dodge them every round. Not actually running off was about as dangerous as I get. They did hit my friend though and her mouth bled a bit! That was enough excitement for us, and we left before the ants made an appearance. They were taking forever, anyways. But traditionally they aggravate the ants by putting vinegar on them and then they throw them into the crowd. Then, others walk around with parts of bushes and whack people with them. Although I wish we had gotten to see it, I'm also grateful I didn't have to suffer haha. Also, on the way back to the car, there was a peliqueiro on his own so I got a picture! Aw, yeah! The creepiest part of them I think is their painted on smiles. So they are mercilessly beating someone with a smile on their faces. Maniacal.
At our final stop, Xinzo de Limia, the sun was already setting. There were plenty of people around, this time everyone was dressed up, so we fit in. The pantallas have a totally different vibe. They carry around inflated pig bladders and dance through the street, jingling (smaller bells than the peliqueiros). They don't hit you with the bladders, but smack them together to make a BOOM sound. Also, there were a few little kids dressed as pantallas--adorable! So we enjoyed the fun ambiance and then headed home. But don't think we went to bed. No, no, no! After all it was Entroido!! We had dinner and headed out for a night on the town. After seeing so many costumes in Ourense, Lugo's Carnival was a bit disappointing. I mean, a lot of people were dressed up, but perhaps just as many went without a costume. Lame! We made our own fun though.
This year I also went to Lugo's parade of costumes for the first time. See, even after 3 years there are still Carnival traditions to discover! The costumes were super impressive. I liked that a few of the individual costumes were made from recycled things. And they were all so elaborate. I'm glad we never signed up for the contest without seeing the competition because, madre mía, all of the costumes were so well-done! One group of at least 20 people went as the Lion King. Disney should hire them to go on tour because it was AMAZING! They had all the animals and the costumes were just like in the play. I can't imagine how 2017 will outdo this year's Carnival.
