Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Christmas and New Years

So, in Guatemala it's legal to light fireworks whenever you want, but they're for sale EVERYWHERE for Christmas and New Years. At first, I thought that would make me unhappy, considering that the fireworks I am most exposed to here are loud noise-makers that make no light whatsoever, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover that many people buy fireworks that make pretty things for these holidays. On Christmas Eve at the stroke of midnight people all over the city (I was in Antigua at the time) started setting off fireworks that shoot all sorts of things up into the air, so from where we were staying we could see fireworks going off all over the place. It was pretty nice as long as you didn't mind not being able to sleep until about 1 am.

Then on New Years it was even better. There were huge fireworks displays in every tiny town, and since the tiny towns are mostly smashed really close together around Antigua, it was like having 360 degrees of great fireworks around our hotel. We went up onto the roof and just stood in a group, slowly turning in circles to try to take in the whole show. It was pretty magnificent. So kudos, Guatemala, you do know how to celebrate.