Mascarada

It was a busy weekend with the Mascarada in Barva, and the Mundoloco festival in Fraijanes. But it's Semana Santa, and so I'm off for a full week.

The pic of the week shows my friend and colleague Jennifer with one of the 'masks' at the Barva Mascarada.

Mascarada
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The Mascarada in Barva is an annual event. The people in Barva love their festivals, and there are several during the year. For the Mascarada, there are lots of people dressed in heavy masks. They are typically a full over-sized head and you put it on resting on your shoulders. There are clothes, usually with big boobs or a big bum included, which come down over your body, and you look out through the chest.

The festival was really enjoyable. A real family occasion with all ages and generations represented. There were food stalls, live bands playing typical music (I can't remember the name), and everyone dances with everyone and hits each other over the head with balloons.

Mundoloco
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One of my ex-students invited me to the Mundoloco festival in Alajuela. I thought it was in the city, and didn't prepare myself for the chill of being up a mountain in drizzle, arriving in my t-shirt with no jacket. It was a last minute decision to wear jeans instead of shorts. It was in Fraijanes, in half-way up the Póas volcano in Alajuela province, not the city.

When I arrived, not only was the weather quite Irish, but the band playing were Costa Rica's most famous Celtic Music band, Peregrino Gris (the Grey Pilgrims). It was like being in a time warp back to Ireland. They were playing dai-dely ai music on fiddles, tin whistles, bagpipes and bodhrans. Celtic symbols were everywhere. You'll see what I mean on their website.

Later we were treated to different forms of world music, all from local tico bands. I really enjoyed it for both the music and the quirkiness.

Rainy season looms
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Although some days have been quite hot recently, we've had the first downpours of the year. Although short, they're very, very heavy. The heavens open, and the drains can't cope after the drought of the summer. Although the forecast is good this week for Semana Santa, I feel the rainy season proper isn't far away.

Notice
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I gave my three months notice to my landlord over the weekend. I'll be leaving at the end of June for the coast, and telling him I was leaving really made it all seem quite imminent and real.
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That's it for this week. I'm off work for Semana Santa, or Holy Week, but I don't think I'm going away. I hadn't got anything booked, and with being busy at work the apartment has been neglected a bit.

Chao,

Éamon

Today's Headline in La Nación: Train from Heredia to San José will take 19 minutes