Carnival 2004

For your correrspondent, Carnival is the most colorful and exciting event in the cavalcade of culture, music and patriotism that adorn the September celebrations in Belize. In previous years, when I resided in Belize City, I had ventured out to the streets, camera in hand, around 4pm. At this hour the carnival of pulsating music and exotically costumed dancers would be arriving at King's Park. The streets in that area are wider (and safer) and make for better picture taking as the marchers have more room to strut their stuff. Unfortunately at that hour light begins to fade fast and shadows lenghten rather rapidly. Thus my decison this year to start my photography on the grungy southside at an earlier time.

Last year I had dared venture to the very border that divides the south from the more affluent north – the Belcan Bridge. This drawbridge guards the entrance to the North and its anchor, the airconditioned comforts of the Save-U supermarket - stomping ground of the Belize City upper class and expatraits. For my exploit, I almost got hit in the head by a wine bottle. I consider myself very street-smart but I did not expect a group of young men to throw up a half empty bottle of wine high up in the air to see who it would hit when it landed amongst the hundreds of onlookers crowding the bridge as the parade passed. The bottle whized by my ear and exploded on the pavement between me and a lady carrying a little girl in her arms. It was cashew wine.

So this year, having checked the event schedules published in all the newspapers, I was ready to leave Belmopan at 2 to get to the port town at 3 when the parade was scheduled to start. I determined to get into the parade in the deep south- Ceaser Ridge Road. Well, that will have to be next year, as for some as yet unannounced reason, the organisers moved up the start time by one hour. I found this out on Saturday midday. By the time I rushed down to the port town Belize City merry-makers were already turning into Central American Boulevard.

I lucked out and found a nifty parking spot at the Texaco gas station at the western entry to Belize City. I then hoofed it down the boulevard as far down as Archies Resturant and parked myself on the west side of the canal that runs under the boulevard in that area. A stunted coconut tree provided some cover from the hot yellow darts coming down from the descending sun.

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