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Happy New Year to one and all and best wishes for a great 2003!
Typically, during holidays and especially the week
between Christmas and New Year, San Jose becomes less congested
with fewer people and cars, as people head off to the beaches, mountains or wherever.
For those who stay in town, it is a welcome relief to be
able to walk the boulevard without bumping to people and
few lines at the post office, banks and to pay
utilities. It is the only time of year you can actually
get more than one thing done in the same day.
Also
during this period there three major events that
are a tradition; the Tope on the 26th, the
Carnaval on the 27th and Zapote which this year
runs until the 6th of January.
The Tope is horses. Anyone and everyone who has a
horse or is mounted on a horse can take part in
this yearly festivity when Paseo Colon and Avenida
Segunda are host to all kinds of horse in all
kinds of colors and shapes. This year I actually
saw what, to the best of my abilities, call a cow.
But it had a saddle and a rider and thus who
cares.
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Along with the horses
are also the jackasses of the two legged variety. One
such jackass thought it was the greatest thrill to be
riding Paseo Colon on his horse and a can of beer in his
hands. When he motioned to me to place the can in the
nearby garbage can, I refused.
Then this jackass turns to another jackass who standing
beside me wearing a uniform bearing the name Fuerza
Publica. He also refused to take the empty can, who was
more concerned about someone taking a photo of him
holding a been can in public.
When I asked him if this was permitted behavior, his
response was that since it was a municipally sponsored
event, it was up to the municipal cops to enforce the
law. Duh!
Anyways,
as the horses made their way through, behind them was
the maintenance department sweeping up the horse **** to
make way for the following day.
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The
Carnaval seems to be another words for 'street
party'. Paseo Colon and Avenida Segunda are again
blocked, but this time to make way for floats,
marching bands, pretty girls smiling and waving
and lots and lots of noise. And then some more
noise.
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The
street party is so important that on this day the local
TV stations get to add their own brand of noise by
providing live music bands on the ground and their
helicopters whirling overhead to capture the images for
those who smart enough to stay home where they could use
the remote to control the sound level.
Oh well, this is Costa Rica and it is summer!
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