Mardi Gras
They take Mardi Gras so seriously here. February is pretty much dedicated to it--Carneval season and all.
Yesterday was Lafayette's first parade of the season (they're behind Baton Rouge, who started last weekend). Next weekend there will be more parades, right up through the 24th. Rook and I both have Monday-Wednesday of that week off (Monday & Tuesday to go to parades, Wednesday to recover from it all). The roads are currently all fucked up with lanes closed off and all. We live right on the parade route, so this affects us. We have to use the back entrance/exit of our complex until it's all over.
But, last night we went to the parade. They keep things fairly family friendly, so we weren't too worried. This isn't New Orleans, after all (and even there, several natives have told me that the show us your boobs for beads thing is only at the tourist parades). So there was alcohol everywhere (which is just Lafayette in general), but no nudity. And given the looks of the average cajun, I'm glad they remain clothed. Alcohol is crazy down here. Remember, this is the land of drive-thru daiquiris. A closed container = a styrofoam cup with a lid and a straw that still has a bit of wrapper on the end. There are no laws against walking around town with an open alcohol container. So, of course folks had their coolers out with them. Also entertaining: the cotton candy/glow rope/mask/etc. venders. They take a grocery cart and rig it up with a light wooden rack to hold the cotton candy. The bottom cart part is full of assorted other crap they sell. I am quite certain that they don't buy these carts.
Anyway. The parade itself was fun. The floats were pretty and lively. I didn't ever really think about how much beads sting when they're flung down at you, though. Especially the nicer, heavier strands. Tim caught one with wooden toucan-shaped beads on it that he said smarted a bit. By the time we decided to go back in (since I have a cold and shouldn't be standing out in the rain and it was after Rook's bedtime), Rook had 30 strands, I had 20, and Tim had 17. They throw other things, too, but we didn't catch any of those (tote bags, hats, masks, etc). And we do it all again next weekend.
Yesterday was Lafayette's first parade of the season (they're behind Baton Rouge, who started last weekend). Next weekend there will be more parades, right up through the 24th. Rook and I both have Monday-Wednesday of that week off (Monday & Tuesday to go to parades, Wednesday to recover from it all). The roads are currently all fucked up with lanes closed off and all. We live right on the parade route, so this affects us. We have to use the back entrance/exit of our complex until it's all over.
But, last night we went to the parade. They keep things fairly family friendly, so we weren't too worried. This isn't New Orleans, after all (and even there, several natives have told me that the show us your boobs for beads thing is only at the tourist parades). So there was alcohol everywhere (which is just Lafayette in general), but no nudity. And given the looks of the average cajun, I'm glad they remain clothed. Alcohol is crazy down here. Remember, this is the land of drive-thru daiquiris. A closed container = a styrofoam cup with a lid and a straw that still has a bit of wrapper on the end. There are no laws against walking around town with an open alcohol container. So, of course folks had their coolers out with them. Also entertaining: the cotton candy/glow rope/mask/etc. venders. They take a grocery cart and rig it up with a light wooden rack to hold the cotton candy. The bottom cart part is full of assorted other crap they sell. I am quite certain that they don't buy these carts.
Anyway. The parade itself was fun. The floats were pretty and lively. I didn't ever really think about how much beads sting when they're flung down at you, though. Especially the nicer, heavier strands. Tim caught one with wooden toucan-shaped beads on it that he said smarted a bit. By the time we decided to go back in (since I have a cold and shouldn't be standing out in the rain and it was after Rook's bedtime), Rook had 30 strands, I had 20, and Tim had 17. They throw other things, too, but we didn't catch any of those (tote bags, hats, masks, etc). And we do it all again next weekend.