The chanting went on all night, then it was time to go at 5:30 am to get our "seats." Seats here are defined as a spot on a scary looking scaffold overlooking the action. And when I say scary, I mean that it looks like large twigs tied together. Large twigs that are uneven, with gaping holes in the floor of them. The stairs are a ramp of twigs, with a handrail that you have to pull yourself up with. It was erected for tourists, because if you are on the ground, you risk not seeing a thing and / or getting trampled.
I squeezed in next to a fellow traveler, and we managed to sit down with our legs hanging over the edge. We were wedged in tight, with people standing directly behind us. I was squeezed between my compatriot and the edge of the scaffolding, but people kept climbing up and sitting right next to me on this tiny little overhang. It was a little scary, but the structure seemed surprisingly solid. Claude said that he's been on it in past years and it has swayed. That's a recipe for disaster. The police were trying to keep things clear, like the ramp to the viewing platform, but with the massive amount of people, it was near impossible.
Once we hurried up, we waited. And waited.
Then the priests arrived. They encircled the area, wearing their white robes with red sashes, and carrying their staffs and sisterns. Then the chanting and praying began. It was magnificent.
And then they danced. There is a ritualized swaying, chanting, and stomping of the staffs that is just hypnotic. They move forward and back, one group bows to the other, there is a call and response going on, drums beating...the works. It was something to see. I just kept thinking that I was witnessing a very old tradition that will continue to go on long after all the people there today are gone. A little peak at history - and the future.
The head priests each walked up to the pool of water, and gathered around the rim, they circled the pool, then they dipped their crosses in each part of the pool, and blessed the water inside. They lightly splashed the others surrounding them...
Then the craziness began. People rushed into the pool with buckets and jumped in, then on top and began splashing the crowd. Splashing doesn't quite cover it. They drenched the crowd. It was spectacular. Everyone dressed in white, water flying everywhere, mass confusion. Everyone's goal is to get at least sprinkled with the now holy water. It washes away the sins of the past. Handy, right? I tried to take still shots, but video was better at expressing the movement of the crowd and the noise.
Everyone's next goal is to get out of the complex.
One man in our group said he'd never understood how people could get crushed in a mob until today. There was a giant gate that was completely in the way. Old ladies were stuck behind it, children were terrified and getting separated from their parents. My jacket got caught on something or someone and I had to rip it free to loosen myself from the crush of people. It was a little unnerving. This was definitely a time that I have been happy that I'm tall. I was able to maneuver myself into the right flow of people to avoid getting stuck on the gate.
Our hotel was just across the street, and I won't be overstating things when I say that I was glad that guards were keeping the mob out and moving along so guests could get back inside.
Then we had breakfast, and everyone was all revved up from all the morning's excitement. The energy was certainly contagious.
I squeezed in next to a fellow traveler, and we managed to sit down with our legs hanging over the edge. We were wedged in tight, with people standing directly behind us. I was squeezed between my compatriot and the edge of the scaffolding, but people kept climbing up and sitting right next to me on this tiny little overhang. It was a little scary, but the structure seemed surprisingly solid. Claude said that he's been on it in past years and it has swayed. That's a recipe for disaster. The police were trying to keep things clear, like the ramp to the viewing platform, but with the massive amount of people, it was near impossible.
Once we hurried up, we waited. And waited.
Then the priests arrived. They encircled the area, wearing their white robes with red sashes, and carrying their staffs and sisterns. Then the chanting and praying began. It was magnificent.
And then they danced. There is a ritualized swaying, chanting, and stomping of the staffs that is just hypnotic. They move forward and back, one group bows to the other, there is a call and response going on, drums beating...the works. It was something to see. I just kept thinking that I was witnessing a very old tradition that will continue to go on long after all the people there today are gone. A little peak at history - and the future.
The head priests each walked up to the pool of water, and gathered around the rim, they circled the pool, then they dipped their crosses in each part of the pool, and blessed the water inside. They lightly splashed the others surrounding them...
Then the craziness began. People rushed into the pool with buckets and jumped in, then on top and began splashing the crowd. Splashing doesn't quite cover it. They drenched the crowd. It was spectacular. Everyone dressed in white, water flying everywhere, mass confusion. Everyone's goal is to get at least sprinkled with the now holy water. It washes away the sins of the past. Handy, right? I tried to take still shots, but video was better at expressing the movement of the crowd and the noise.
Everyone's next goal is to get out of the complex.
One man in our group said he'd never understood how people could get crushed in a mob until today. There was a giant gate that was completely in the way. Old ladies were stuck behind it, children were terrified and getting separated from their parents. My jacket got caught on something or someone and I had to rip it free to loosen myself from the crush of people. It was a little unnerving. This was definitely a time that I have been happy that I'm tall. I was able to maneuver myself into the right flow of people to avoid getting stuck on the gate.
Our hotel was just across the street, and I won't be overstating things when I say that I was glad that guards were keeping the mob out and moving along so guests could get back inside.
Then we had breakfast, and everyone was all revved up from all the morning's excitement. The energy was certainly contagious.
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