Cadiz Carnival ~ Gaga, Glitter and Glam

I got home this morning from Cadiz Carnival. Cadiz is a small town about an hour from Sevilla that hosts the world's 3rd largest Mardi Gras festival in the world. It last for over a week! It very different from the New Orleans festival though -there is NO earning beads here (thankfully!). Instead EVERYONE is in costumes. Some get really creative - I saw a set of 8 guys dressed at Rimmel London mascara brushes- and some are more chill like Brittany and my makeshift angel costumes.

The second you arrive in Cadiz you look out the bus window and see all the people on the sidewalks migrating down hill towards what you can only assume to be the town square. The bus starts to slow down and all of the sudden you turn the corner and there it is! Carnival!  It's packed with people. Colors everywhere. There are giant light masks in the streets hanging 100 ft above your heads and costumes of every shape and color swarming around you. You hop into the mass of people and head towards the city center. Once there you make friends! Everyone wants a photo with you, wants to talk, dance, sing, celebrate! "Oh Americanas!!"  Every once in a while a band makes it's way through the crowd of people and you break out in a dance you have your new spanish friends teach you the worlds the the song. Everywhere you look people are having the time of their lives and so are we!

I went with a 2 girls I know really well and we made friends with a group of 5 Spanish guys about  an hour into Carnival. It was so fun that we hung out with them the rest of the night exploring all the is Cadiz Carnival!  Antonio #1 -the gypsy, Antonio #2 -the pink hair, Manuel -Lady Gaga, Fran -the Crusader, and Miguel -the fireman. They live in  pueblo close to Sevilla and we are going to meet up with them next weekend here in Sevilla. They were so nice and made sure we got back to our bus safely and then headed off to catch their train. The 6 hours we were there flew by. Definitely a once in a life time experience for me and one that I will always remember.

Enjoy the pictures!  I love and miss you all  <3  At

Our best friends of the night!

Girls from school!

Pirates! Arrrrrgggg

I found Waldo!   known here as Walie

A good example of every single street in Cadiz during Carnival  - not the easiest to navigate with wings on your back...

Dance!

Impressive costumes  :)

Clown!

Antonio #2 and Lady Gaga  - they are cousins and Gaga is the brother of Antonio #1.

If you would like to know a little more about Carnival, check out this link!
http://www.donquijote.org/culture/spain/fiestas/carnaval.cadiz.asp