Yesterdat marked the third day that we celebrated the independence of Guatemala. Not that I am not excited about it---it's just a lot. Today was the biggest celebration of all--a parade in San Andres with all the surrounding schools. All of the children in preschool, primary, and básico came and walked in the parade with the band and the "carroza"...which is a fancy word for a decorated truck. Each school decorates a float and the señoritas and niñas of that school get to ride in the float and represent their school.
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| Marching through the streets of San Andres followed by our NPH float! |
The teachers were all in charge of decorating the float so we were told to get to school by 6am to begin the decoration process. We had already prepared everything to turn this truck into Tikal (the biggest Mayan ruins in Guatemala). When we arrived at 6am there not another teacher in sight...and the decorating did not begin until 7....that is just how things run here.
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| Señorita NPH and Señorita Deportiva in "Tikal". |
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| Tikal!!!!!!! |
We covered the outside of the truck with all the flowers we had made and then the inside was filled with roses and pine needles. The director of the primary school painted a beautiful backdrop and with a few wooden planks Tikal was recreated. Once the float was done we rode in the back to San Andres to catch up with the kids before the parade started. We walked through the streets, lined with families and friends, of San Andres for the next two hours representing NPH and celebrating the independence of Guatemala. It was a hot and sunny day---but the band was playing and the children were smiling the whole time.
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| The primary kids beginning the march uphill! |
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| Followed by band and básico. |
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| The babies even joined the parade! |
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| The crowds lined the streets. |
The best part is we now have two days off---HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!
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| Queens of Tikal--riding the float back to NPH (and on the way the painting behind us broke and fell down and the incense fell over and we set fire to the float---don't worry we survived!) |
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