Cue the Dancing Ostriches
Your needed dose of frivolity and fun from Carnaval on Tenerife
Take a break.
A real break.
One where for the moment nothing else exists but the music playing, sangria pouring and bodies dancing.
Take it from the Spaniards, that is something we humans crave and don’t do often enough. More needed now than ever.
Cue Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in all her colorful and crazy glory, the annual event where this Canary Island lets her hair down (or, more likely, trades it in for a pink wig), rocks a costume (or tutu, if you’re male) and dances the night away.
Literally. The music starts at 11:30 pm and the last band takes the stage at 3:00 am.
We were prepared for a new experience, but Carnaval is truly one of those “you have to experience it to believe it” kind of things, with my biggest takeaway is the pure unadulterated fun of it all.
Anything goes. Creativity encouraged.
I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard, danced so much or stayed up so far past my bedtime.
When things feel dark and world outcomes uncertain at best, watching men dressed as ostriches may logically feel like the last thing you need to do. But Carnaval yelled in my ear the last two nights (loudly) to screw logic. We only have so many trips around our dear sun and we need to remember the joy, ideally when you can do it in community with others.
Share the journey of the last couple of days of Carnaval, which continues through next weekend, with some eye candy snippets:
The Clave de Son band kept the well costumed crowd grooving with Latin and Cuban tunes. I’m in half of my butterfly costume with a rather disheveled green and black hair — have a few days to reorganize that better:
Take this street times 20 and you have Carnaval. Lots of happy pirates:
The flock of ostriches, as promised, from the opening parade: Cabalgata Anunciadora:
The “comparsas” are amazing local dance and drum groups featured at the Ritmo y Armonía (Rhythm and Harmony) parade . .. stirring up lots of colorful content for John’s photography:
Check out the sweet wee little guy on the drums:
Check out more photos (and ordering options) from John D. Ivanko on Alamy.
I really appreciate this advice today and thanks for this: When things feel dark and world outcomes uncertain at best, watching men dressed as ostriches may logically feel like the last thing you need to do. But Carnaval yelled in my ear the last two nights (loudly) to screw logic. We only have so many trips around our dear sun and we need to remember the joy, ideally when you can do it in community with others.
Wow, that looks like loads of fun! Love all the costumes and how do those women dance and march in heels?! God bless them.