By Jessica Ramesch
For International Living
Read the original article published by International Living here.
The entire nation is recovering. The day after Carnival there is no traffic. The capital city is sunny and quiet and almost surreal. Last weekend Panama hosted the party to beat all parties…a mega-marathon of blowing off steam.
Every year in Penonome, one of Panama’s most popular Carnival towns, thousands sweep into the tiny streets. As elsewhere in Panama, the main attractions are the culecos or mass dousings. On every block giant cistern trucks with fire hoses spray water into the crowds. The pulsing throng shouts “agua, agua, oo-eh!”
Jumping up and down and dancing to the riotous Carnival music, little scamps with water guns blast passing girls with ice-cold jets. In the summer heat, the waterworks are the perfect cooling system.
Sunburn is an unavoidable part of the fun. Everyone sports the same gear: cheap hats, cheap sunglasses. On every corner you can buy more (I always lose mine). Vendors also sell waterproof carry-alls that can be slung around the neck…get one and throw in some cash for the burger, beer, and meat-on-a-stick stands. The rule is to dress scantily or outlandishly. The more exuberant wear wild wigs in parrot hues of green, red, and yellow…or hair bands with bobbley antennae…or anything that might make others smile.
If you are a woman, the men will vie for your attention. They will want to let you know that they like what they see. Expressions of appreciation may include teasing, dunking, whipped creaming, or grabbing. If you are uncomfortable with the wantonness of it all, surround yourself with a buffer of friends.
Panama spends millions on Carnival. For many Panamanians this festival is more important than any other holiday of the year. People save, take out loans, beg, borrow, and steal to be able to attend. They will sleep on the streets if they have to…camp in their cars…quit their jobs.
The five-day celebration honors el Rey Momo or Bacchus. It always starts on a Friday, when the Carnival queens (and their courts) salute their subjects from atop scintillating floats. The pageantry is beyond anything I’ve ever seen. The dresses put Cher to shame. The floats feature anything from giant genies to fire-breathing dragons.
Monday is traditionally a day of fantasy, while Tuesday is all about folklore and tradition. At five a.m. it all culminates with a strange ceremony. The burial of the sardine symbolizes a burial of the past. Many in this Catholic nation then go on to observe Ash Wednesday. What happens in Carnival stays in Carnival…or with the sardine. After all the hard partying, everyone is spent; it’s easy to behave for the following forty days of Lent.
I’ll be happy to share some of my steamier Carnival stories with you at International Living’s Live and Invest in Panama Seminar. Join us in Panama this April 18-20 for the ultimate all-things-Panama event.