Carnavel in Panama in 2006

It 's the morning of the first day of Carnival and I think I'm ready. According to the tradition of Carnival and immortalized in the song, you should sleep before our fingers crossed in the night to him every happiness in the following four days of festivities. Indeed, with the help of a rubber band and some gauze pads, I expect to be lucky. I like to invent traditions.

Panama Carnaval, runs concurrently with the New Orleans Mardi Gras is like a last shot - last chancePeople, fun, before starting the 40 days of Lent. Around 1910, Panama will celebrate carnival with great and has started today, more than ever. It consists of four days of celebrations throughout the country, from big cities to small towns. I'm not sure what to expect.

Imagine the annual celebration of beer-inspired your university or the date on your city closed a main road and enables suppliers to sell - for cotton candy and hot dogs well imagine that a zillion times.Carnival was extraterrestrial.

Closed Via Espana, the highway to four lanes, I'm usually by myself Frogger is Dunkin Donuts. Sellers everywhere seemed to be a general rule - No seller may be more than $ 0.50 for a free beer. Incredible food: I felt like packman me to try a taste of everything that I could get. I had a delicious chimichurri chorizo, garlic, herbs, smoked paid. I had two traditional Panamanian hot dogs prepared with all the fixings. Itried several samples from hundreds of retailers Ceviche with huge trays of stuff balanced on their heads. I smelled the smoke changed from old garbage cans blowing barbecue chicken fried crispy bits on the streets. E 'was great.

Just shaved my head was always tanned, so I bought a banana leaf hat for a quarter.

Whether it's a legitimate tradition, or just an excuse to be unbearable, I do not know, but children at the Carnival is this thing where they attack youand throw confetti in the eyes or squirt you with water pistols. It 's fun for about four minutes is a bit' old - but alls fair in Carnival. I wet and with a family of four young rogue with high-powered Super Soaker, which was nice. A casino on the track had a nice looking VIP stage where they could drink their beer and throw their shirts in passing carnivals. I walked to the entrance and as I was there first. A man in a dressthe gate stopped me with big hands and big, and asked me something in Spanish Mumbly fast - if I have my plan was foiled, but after nodding and waving a fake email to a table, she left me. It 'been fun. From the top of my new friend, the stadium, I had the perfect view. Tons of people screaming at me for a shirt, by many guests dressed pretentiously inspired me more than the High Fives. I felt like a rock star.

This is when I'm one of those moments - I dohere? Drink beer, eat snacks, party with all these people at a fancy VIP overlooking a century, the Latin ceremony wearing a banana hat. I shook my head in shame self righteous. I'm cool.