Carnaval, Part 2

Our second Carnaval event was the Bataille du fleurs, aka the flower parade. This parade was a little different. Each float was a specific oceanic element – shells, corals, types of fish – and had a single woman riding the float and throwing flowers to the crowd. The dancers and bands interspersed between the floats ran the gamut – acrobats, stilt walkers, drummers, a marching band, majorettes, and many kinds of dancers. A group of dancers from Brazil brought the samba style and costumes with a Rio flare. 
 
At this event we finally figured out the emcee’s chant (which B. thought sounded like, “to the moon, to the moon, to the moon!”) was “Tout le monde”, which simply means “everyone”. But he says it with such a climbing intensity that it’s really funny.
 
We discovered at the end of the parade the real draw for the attendees: each float is denuded of the flower decorations, which of course would wilt before the next event. Then the flowers are handed out to the crowd. I swear a woman near us sat through two hours of parade absolutely stone-faced only to light up and grab for ALLLLL the flowers she could get. She even pulled aside the usher right before they started giving out flowers, I think she told him he was going to give her the first flowers or else, because he certainly made a point of bringing her many.

The Sea Star Float

Yes, the Shrimp Float

Puffer Fish? Sun Fish?

Very Romantic Sea Horses

Coral Float

Jellyfish!

The Flowers are Handed Out

~Lucy