el carnaval de limon
15.10.2006
Spent the weekend in Puerto Limon, on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. It was the carnival. What a fantastic experience that was! The main parade is next weekend, but there was still lots going on. Lots of stalls and soundsystems in the streets. Mucho mucho divertido to be had! The music was lots of bass heavy stuff with dirty macho lyrics, salsa and cumbian. Oh yeah and the big Costa Rica favourite, Reggaeton. Reggaeton is Puerto Rican, so all the lyrics are Spanish. I think it´s probably for the best I can´t understand all of the lyrics. There was teenage boys in the crowd, lighting up aerosols too, just like I´ve seen in the videos!
In the day time there was a children´s parade. We weren´t sure what was going on at first becuse all these boys were running so fast down the street with such a huge sense of urgency, it was quite frightening. Wondering what it was they were running from. But then when you watched for longer, there were older boys with these big papier mache heads on, and they would wack the other boys with the heads and then they´d all chase after each other down the street. Apparently it is a ¨´community joke´ and something which happens every year. It was fun to watch.
Then at night the streets just came alive with music and dancing. The people were so nice again, and I got to have some lovely chats in spanish with some limoneses, as the locals call themselves. So I didn´t want to leave, as the carnival goes on all week. I´m not usually one to leave the party when it´s in full swing, but I didn´t think it would be so safe to stay alone. Also I have the next stage of my journey....so i have commitments.
So tomorrow is Monteverde and the butterlies.....feeling quite nervous wondering what is in store for me. But excited too...
Posted by kael 3:55 PM
I am so happy that someone finally has something positive to say about Limon. It's been quite a few years since my last trip but family members and friends keep commenting on how much Puerto Limon has changed and not necessarily for the better but that is not where I read the most negativity. Most come from foreigners who here bad things about Limon before visiting. That negative press in combination with Limon's somewhat jamaican look and feel in comparison with the other provinces of Costa Rica seem to bias some foreigners into not giving this area of Costa Rica a fair chance. The Costa Rican government is also partly to blame because they let just about anyone who can give them chorizos live there. Puerto Limon is inhabited by many illegal aliens. There are a wealth of colombians, some of whom are criminals but are able to blend in with the other limonenses. There are also many nicaraguans or "Nicas" as they are more commonly referred to. My then 27 year-old cousin was killed by one two years ago Christmas Day. The government does very little in terms of stemming the migration of criminals,in particular. I know that this is not the only problem in Limon but it is not all bad and I feel happy whenever I hear someone with something positive to say. I admit that I am bias. Puerto Limon is the birth place of my mother, father and two of my sisters. I have as much of my family living in Limon as I have in the U.S. and I have spent many a summer, carnival, Christmas and New Years there and I will always be fond of those memories and hope to return to make more. Thank you for painting a very bright and vibrant picture.
06.11.2006 by yvetmullin