It turned out the 'Bad Mood Burning' was bigger symbolically than as an event. It was just a life-size papermache figure hanging from an ordinary truck crane that made its way slowly through the crowd and then was blown up by small fireworks. But the fireworks show was spectacular, as you will see in the video below, and the experience of the crowd quite amazing. Everyone was well-behaved and I saw only one or two obviously drunk people among the many thousands in the crowd. Similarly, despite the horrendous traffic jams in the surrounding area, I never heard a single horn. I saw not a single fight or disturbance of any kind.
I had planned on seeing the big parade the next night, but changed my mind for two reasons: I was hurting and exhausted due to some tactical errors in how I participated (I unnecessarily stood in one place, no more than one square foot, for two hours to keep what I erroneously thought would be a nearly perfect spot and, in addition, walked a total of at least six and a half miles.), and because I realized it would be almost impossible to get a cab or 'pulmonia' back to the marina after the parade.
Here are my suggestions for getting the full experience without the physical challenges I endured:
- Make very early reservations for a room with a balcony overlooking Playa Olas Altas at a nice hotel for Friday and Saturday nights to see the fireworks and mega-party on Saturday. (You won't be able to get there, except on foot, due to street closures and traffic, on Saturday.) You can see everything in hotel room comfort or go down to the street from your hotel to be in the middle of it all.
- For Sunday, make very early reservations for another room with a balcony overlooking the malecon in a nice hotel at the more southern end of the malecon (so it won't be too far to walk from Playa Olas Altas) to watch the parade and more fireworks. While it is possible to pay for a chair along the route, remember this event is so big people camp for two or three nights on the street to get prime spots and you will likely need to spend many hours sitting in a plastic chair with restrooms few and access difficult. Again, you can always walk out of the hotel to brave the crowds.
- Remember the main streets for event venues are either closed or jammed with traffic and pedestrians. (It was faster than driving for me to walk the 3.5 miles to my hotel.) Without careful planning, you can do a lot of very long walks through crowds.
- If you have friends living Mazatlán, you can find other ways to see things in comfort, but if you're an outsider, the above is probably your best bet.
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This is along the route for the parade,
which parallels the beach and malecon.
Chairs are set up and rented to spectators by local hotels and restaurants. |
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Like the Rose Parade in Pasadena, die-hard fans set up
tents and encampments along the street as much as
a couple of days ahead of time.
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Big blocks of ice are brought in and deployed
among the many beer stands set-up throughout
the route and the party venue. Mostly Pacifico,
the beer of Mazatlán.
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| The state police brought their Paddy Wagon. |
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All along the parade route there were large sculptures
set up that reflected the theme of the event,
"Equinox, the Rebirth of the Senses(Feelings)"
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In Spanish these sculptures are referred to as
'monigotes,' which literally means 'puppets.'
Clearly they are much more than just puppets.
This one is 'Esperanza,' or hope.
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| Liberation |
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| To be reborn |
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| Some of the interesting characters |
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| Watching the sun set from the parade route. |
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Entering the party venue (Avenida Olas Altas) required
a ticket, but it was free. Once you have your ticket,
you enter single file and your eyes and backpack are checked by the State Police. |
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| Party time with beers up to the task! |
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| Still early, with the crowd just beginning to build. |
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Plenty of opportunity to be whoever you want, including
God apparently.
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A bit weird seeing this move along by
itself...until you see the person behind it
holding it.
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| These colorful blinking tiaras were a popular item. |
Of course there were plenty of street performers.
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As the hour approached for the show, the crowd grew and
grew. I got pinned between this crowd and the sea wall
for two hours waiting for the show. After waiting an
hour past the scheduled 10 pm starting time and hurting
badly, I gave up and worked my way out hoping for an
early enough exit to possibly get a ride back to my hotel.
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Here's what it's like getting through the crowds.
Of course once I left my special spot, the show started.
Luckily, it turned out to be a better experience
moving among the crowd.
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Humble as it was, I was very glad to make it back to my
hotel room by 1 am after a 3.5 mile walk that I started
after I was already hurting and tired. Still, a great
experience!
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I found out that the manigotes for this year's Carnival are a bit controversial. The mayor thinks they are ugly. They were reportedly assigned to a Mexico City firm in a last-minute rush. They were paid 60,000 pesos (about $3,000), much more than was paid to a local artist in past years whose work was much better received. The Director of Cultura is in hot water over the controversy. Not having seen the previous efforts, I can't judge.
ReplyDeleteThat was $3,000 EACH.
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