This Sunday, I went to Mil Tambores ("A Thousand Drums") with friends for the day. If I had to relate it to something in the US, I would call it a tame Mardi Gras—It is a giant parade, or a miniature Brazilian Carnival, that takes place along the coast in Valparaíso every spring. Groups of traditional dancers in brightly colored costumes and body paint preform for hours as they march along with the crowds. There were at least a half dozen drum groups, of twenty plus people, pounding out rhythms, the air filled with tiny pieces of paper being thrown by the bag full...I am still finding pieces in my hair. The crowd was mostly college students, but there were families and older couples too, and everyone joined into the parade, dancing and enjoying the festivities. This year, the authorities did not give official permission for the parade, but the people of Valparaíso, in true Chilean fashion, went ahead with the celebration "por el derecho de la felicidad" and it went without incident.
The day was cold and wet, with an almost constant drizzle, but the gray backdrop of the sky and the ocean made all of the colors of the costumes, paint, signs, and drums that much more impressive.
I forgot my camera, but here are some photos courtesy of a couple kids in my program:
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