The festivities have finally arrived...

...Roll up your windows…

...look before you cross the road...…

....because Carnival is finally here!

Ever since we first learned of our sites in Cajamarca, Carnival was one of the first thing that was mentioned. It just so happens that my department, Cajamarca, is home to one of the best Carnival festivities in Peru…so lucky for me!

Now I’m still learning what Carnival is about, but what I’ve deduced is that it’s a lot like “Mardi Gras” in the states, but I think done on a bigger scale. It also has a special twist to it, which is water balloon fights…all…the…time. I believe the first water balloon was thrown at me in mid-January, and the festivities don’t officially start until February 12th, so people get really excited about celebrating it here.

Usually I’m not targeted in my site, but when I venture down to Bambamarca, our combi is usually under fire to a few suspecting kids down the road who are waiting with water balloons and water guns in hand. I didn’t realize what was going to happen at first, but luckily I had my host brother sitting next to me because he had the bright idea of rolling up the window….and just in time too because moments later, our combi was pounded with water balloons. Thank god for having a seat inside.

But on other occasions, I haven’t been so lucky. It’s usually a 50-50 chance of getting a seat inside the car, and last weekend as I was headed back to Bambamarca, as the car slowly turned around a corner we were like sitting ducks! And before we knew it, had water balloons tossed at us. Luckily I saw one coming and ducked just in time, but my friend next to me wasn’t as lucky…as she got it right in the face. But a few minutes later we were all soaked as some kid had sprayed us with a hose…so as you can see, no one is safe during Carnival. My plans are to fill up water balloons and give them to the people in a combi, so that we can all nail those kids coming into town. They won’t know what hit them.

This coming weekend I’m heading down to Cajamarca, our capital, which is where the heart of Carnival is. I don’t know exactly what to expect, but what I do know is that one day is completely devoted to water balloon fighting and the next day, paint fighting. Yes, I said paint. Apparently people throw paint and sometimes even oil and eggs at people…I honestly don’t know what is going to happen, but what I do know is that it’s going to be a lot of fun.

I’ve met some Peace Corps volunteers that absolutely loathe Carnival, but to me, I think it’s a chance for everyone to be a kid again. And since I feel like a kid most of the time, this festival is right up my alley. So wish me luck! There will be lots of crazy pictures to come, that I am sure of.