Revelry!

Carnaval: You can get anything from jewelry to drunk.

God bless the person who decided to put 30 oz of beer into a giant cup with lime and salt and chile and dowse the rim with a delicious dripping chile sauce. I started off well.

After crowded streets of foodstuffs and puppets, we made our way to the games, the rides, and into a clearing with hoardes of people and trombones. I didn't exactly know what was going on, but people were jumping and dancing to the very distinct brass sounds. So that's what I did! It got very crowded and we slowly made our way dancing around.

Closer to the center I saw these men:

It seemed that these costumed men were wearing masks that mocked the European Conquistadors, but had a gown with detailed embroidery of their indigenous history.

I had no Idea what this all meant, carnaval didn't come with a guide book. So I asked a friend and he told me that they were called the "Chinelos" and that it's a costume passed down through the family and the kids learn the story and the dance at the carnaval each year. If you want to learn more, check out Carnaval Tepoztlan

We danced and drank and ate until our hearts were content, and just like any good Mexican trip it ended with us piling into the back of a truck.

¡Que Chido!

- how cool-