Carnival

Carnival is a huge celebration right before Lent to have fun and drink and dance before one must give up something during Lent. In Spain during the reign of dictator General Franco, Carnival was baneed for 40 years. Now it is back in full swing! It is similar to Mardi Gras in New Orleans back in the states except even bigger. Everyone of all ages gets dressed up in crazy, original costumes, most of them made and not just bought at a store.

Starting last weekend on Friday morning I was walking around Algorta and there was a parade of little kids on the streets being led by a car playing music. I didn't understand all of it but there were different groups of kids in certain costumes, robbers, cops, and prisoners. Someone told me that Carnival is also a time to make fun of government and its institutions. So that could explain those costumes. Then there was a huge tent set up with a stage in the main plaza. A clown on stage played music and led songs for all the kids to sing and dance too. It was fun to watch! 

 

Little kids in the Parade dressed as Prisoners

Kids as Police

 

Dance Tent

 

That night I went pintxo hopping with friends and in one of the plazas there was Carnival rides and stands set up. Similar to what you would see at like a town fair. I didn't go on any of the rides because they didn't look too safe. But I got the biggest thing of Cotton Candy I've ever had in my life for 2 euros! It was seriously 5 times the size of my head! And so delicious!

 

The Biggest Cotton Candy ever!!

 
 

Carnival in Bilbao

Then on Saturday in Bilbao, there was a huge parade. Each year there is theme and this year's was broadway musiclas. Each float was a representation of a broadway musical and they had singers and dancers. They were very elaborate. I knew mostly every musical, Moulin Rouge, Cats, Greace, Flash Dance, Mary Poppins, Jungle Book, Phantom of the Opera, but of course all the songs were in Spanish. And there were also floats with men in drag on them, i'm not sure what they were representing but they had huge boobs, makeup and ridiculous outfits!

 

Spaniards dressed as American Tourists

 
 

Phantom of the Opera

 
 

Moulin Rouge

 
 

Mary Poppins

 

Cats

 
 

Grease

The streets were packed with people though in all different types of costumes. I was unable to get a picture but my favorite was a guy dressed as a Transformer! His costume was all made out of wood and he could actually transform from a robot into a truck that had wheels! At first I thought it was a little kid as a truck but then he transformed into the robot! It was the craziest thing ever! 

 

Kid as an airplane!

That night my friends and I just went to Casco Viejo and went from bar to bar. In Plaza Nueva there was a huge tent set up with a dj and band. But the streets were littered with trash! The thing that blows my mind here in Spain is that everyone just gets 2 liter bottles of juice or soda, mixes it with their alcohol and just drinks on the streets. No one says anything, you just find a place to sit or stand with your friends on the sidewalks and drink! After bar hopping though we went to a club but didn't stay too long cuz it was so crowded and getting late. 

 

Tent in Plaza Nueva

However, the festivities continued this Saturday night in Algorta, my suburb! It was so nice because I could just walk a few blocks down the street and I was in the midst of the festivities! There were so many people though all dressed up in crazy costumes and again just drinking on the streets, outside the bars, on the beach, just everywhere! My friends and I just had so much fun walking around and hanging out and just being a part of it all. Last night I didn't go in until 4am and that was early for Spanairds! There were still tons of people going until 6am! 

 

ALL the people in Algorta!

  

ALL the trash on the streets!

 

People just sit wherever and drink and hang out

I think the worst part, I wish I had not seen was the girls that look like they are 10 years old but probably barely 13, maybe, out drinking. While I was standing in the plaza an ambulance pulled up and then the EMTs walked by with a 12 year old girl in their arms. She was so gone that she couldn't even walk herself or open her eyes or anything. She was the tiniest thing and looked like she was 10 years old. All of her friends were following looking very flustered and had no idea what to do, one of them started crying. It was just insane! All I could think was where were this girl's parents? A part of me really wishes I had not witnessed that part of Spain, the problems with underage drinking.

But Carnival was a success and I am so happy I got to witness and be a part of it!