Carnaval San Pedro Style

Bill and I have been to Mardi Gras Carnival in New Orleans many times before and when we heard that Sunday started the first day of Carnaval in San Pedro, Belize we knew we had to go downtown and check it out.  I had heard a little bit about what goes on during Carnaval in San Pedro already.  There is lots of comparsas dancing in the streets and painting going on.  The town had already covered the benches in the park and sides of the buildings with plastic.  I assumed to protect them from paint, even the new clock tower was draped with a nice blue tarp.  They said the men dress like woman and the woman dress like men.   I was really not so sure what that is all about, but it was definitely worth going just to take a look.

We headed down to Front Street to see where all the action was and immediately we could hear the music blaring in the streets. As we rode our bikes closer dodging people and golf carts parked in the street, we saw what looked like some rather unusual dressed people dancing in the streets. 

The San Pedro AIDS commission sponsored this group of revelers.

It kind of reminds me of people at the Mardi Gras Carnivals in New Orleans that we have been to.

Just look at these beauties.

Next we headed down to Middle Street where we found another group of comparsas dancers dressed as Mennonites.  There is a large Mennonite community on the mainland of Belize in Spanish Outlook.

The kids were also having a great time.  They were running about the streets with bottles filled with paint and water looking for their next victim to cover in paint.  It was fun for all ages.
                                               

Eggs were also involved.

This is my little friend from the water taxi and her brother.

Once the kids were all covered in paint, they would run down and get in the water and wash off some of the paint just to go back and and get ready for more.  My little granddaughter Betty would love to get in on some of this kind of fun. 

The painting and dancing in the streets goes on until Tuesday.  I plan on going back...and who knows maybe I will get in on some of the paint action.