Birthday!

Today I turned 27 years old. And I'm in Colombia. And I couldn't be happier. It was a few years coming, but I knew I would be spending my birthday outside of the country where I was born someday. The whole city has shut down for the past four days. The only things that are open are the grocery store and the tourist market. It's nice that there is time for a break here. Nobody is lobbying the government so that they can be open to make more money. People here seem to understand that rest is vital to our existence. However, I was hungry and wanted to eat something but couldn't find an open restaurant. The city has quite literally become a ghost town. All the parties are done. All the streets have been cleaned. The vendors have packed up. The tourists have gone home.

I went to another parade today. Much smaller and less attended than the other one. It's called the Funeral of Joselito Carnaval. See the excerpt below:

"It takes place the day before Ash Wednesday at the start of the Catholic Lent. Joselito is the most representative character of the Barranquilla Carnival; he symbolizes gaiety and festiveness, and dies after four days of intense partying. His body is cried upon and he is symbolically buried by the merry widows who shared his days of festiveness.

Joselito’s funeral is a symbolic farewell “to the flesh”. There is no single Joselito for the whole city. Anyone can tour the streets with a figure of Joselito. This is a frequent custom practiced by people of all ages, creeds, races, and sexes as a final indulgement before the start of Lent. Thus, Joselito’s funeral marks the end of the feasts of the Dios Momo." - http://www.colombia.travel/en/international-tourist/sightseeing-what-to-do/history-and-tradition/fairs-and-festivals/february/the-barranquilla-carnival

While trying to find the parade, I started by walking in the opposite direction I was supposed to and then didn't see anything but hospitals. There's a strange logic to the organization of stores and services here in Colombia. All stores which offer the same services/products are all clustered together. So there will be 16 shoe stores on the same street, or 7 storefronts for mariachi band rentals, or 5 hospitals/clinics/pharmacies all together. It's great that you only have to go one place to shop around, but it sucks if you don't live close by. Some sights from my walk reminded me that here and home are not all that different. In a lot of ways, they are ahead of us. Their parks have wi-fi!

Oreo with white top, black bottom and half vanilla half arequipe cream

Sign says: This is a digital park. Connect here for internet (something) by Metrotel

On the way to the parade, I met a mime. He was copying everything I was doing. Apparently it was funny to the people watching. I didn't think so...I gave him $800 pesos to stop.

Finally, after walking for what felt like two hours in the heat (again, it's really hot here...I think it's cold back home). I found the place. And I was hungry. So of course, I went to the vendor selling chorizo off of a shopping cart who has decided not to button up his shirt (it is hot after all) and is missing most of his teeth. The smoke in the picture is where his charcoal grill was attached (probably used to be part of the cart). This was quite possibly the most delicious thing I've had in Colombia. First, he grills the sausage over the coals until it's well done, grill marks and all. Then he slices it, puts it in a paper bag with a generous squeeze of limon and hot sauce. It's heaven in your mouth as the fat from the sausage is cut by the tartness of the citrus and the smoky background flavours with that little kick of hot sauce makes it.

After the sausage, you've got to have something to wash it all down. So of course, you go to the guy operating the hand-crank ice shaver to get a snow cone. This machine is so old. There's a video showing you how it works.

There was also a guy selling bread out of a see-through cart.

Carnaval is everywhere and in everything. Even the dogs are into it.

Not really...two seconds after I took this picture, the dog was trying to get it off. I would have helped, but it's a stray. And I'm not willing to test out my rabies vaccine just yet. So as I was sitting at 4:30, waiting for the 4pm parade to start, I saw these guy wheeling downhill in a box. And I thought to myself, "If only I had my camera out." So I took it out, and lo and behold: check the video for the only way to travel.

Finally...the parade started. It was interesting to say the least. There were a lot of guys dressed in woman's clothing. I did not understand why or get the significance. But they seemed to be having a good time. Pictures and videos below.

yes, that's a guy

The mascot or symbol of Carnaval in Barranquilla seems to be this elephant man. Again, I don't know what the significance is but it's kind of cool. He's hanging in the trees, tranformerized into a truck and the face of a cake.

I saw this church on my way back home. I liked the architecture. So I took a picture in front of it. Tomorrow, I head to Cartagena, the biggest tourist destination in Colombia, both domestically and internationally. I'll see what all the hype's about and blog again tomorrow.