QUICK TAKES

It's Carnival again
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So what happens during Carnival in Panama? Friday is the queen's coronation so the party starts in the evening. There are live music bands and the queen and her princesses appear on stage or on a float with luxurious dresses. People drink, dance and eat on the streets. Every evening during Carnival is pretty much the same. The floats, the dresses worn by the queens vary every day, there are fireworks and lots of music. The mornings are different. There are “culecos” in the morning. Culecos are an open air party where tankers park or drive around the area spraying people with water. Again there is much music, dancing and drinking. This starts in the late morning and ends early afternoon when people go home to shower, rest and change for the evening festivities.

Carnival ends on Ash Wednesday with the traditional burial of the sardine, which is no more than going to the beach and actually burying a sardine. After which people go to Church and small ash crosses are drawn on their foreheads. This Ash Wednesday is the start of Lenten, 40 days before Holy Saturday.

Many accidents occur during Carnival due to the amount of traffic and the high level of alcohol consumption. Due to this the police and emergency services such as the Red Cross and SINAPROC are out in force on the highways and in most popular spots in order to prevent accidents and render assistance. Health inspectors are also patrolling the restaurants and food kiosks to verify cleanliness and compliance with the health rules.

Choose your spot, drive carefully, use your common sense and enjoy. Carnival is loads of fun.