Baile de Zompopo

Ometepe's Leaf Cutter Ant Dance just happened to coincide with my 3rd day on the island. It's the largest festival of the year for Ometepe residents.

Our entire community of gringos and a few locals loaded up in a the back of a pick up truck, braving the potholed, rocky roads, singing campy songs, and entertaining everyone we passed, made the journey across the Island to the little town of Alta Gracia, where the festivities went on all day and all night!

The daytime festival is a parade up and down the streets of Alta Gracia where everyone holds up sticks with leaves, sugar cane, bamboo, papaya, anything goes. They bounce them up and down to the beat of a dozen or so drummers following the procession. It's loud, it's hot, it's fun and it goes on for hours. The first picture on top left corner is taken in the main square, and is a good visual representation of the island.

These next two show the Zompopo parade coming down the streets!

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Here's a little boy dressed up like the bull, and at the end of the day there are bullfights, which resemble a strange combination of spanish bullfighting and american rodeo. People take turns wearing the costume of the bull and running around chasing each other.

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• • • • There are lots of interesting and sometimes tasty snacks available at all locations and times during the festival. Here is a guy selling shaved ice, Raspados. He is literally shaving a block of ice and then a sugary "goo" is poured on top. No one seems to be sure what this substance is, but a lot of people seem to enjoy it.
        
        • Below are sorbets, which we were suprised to see don't really melt. They are made with milk and sugar cooked and then frozen, which seems to raise their melting point to make them more durable in the hot sun. Cost: $50 codobas or about .25 cents.
          

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At the end of the day, we went to the bullfights in the local festival area. It was the first, and probably the last time I will probably attend one. I just don't get it. These men drink way too much and then stand around on the field, taunting this poor creature who doesn't have any interest in being there. When it comes towards them they run and jump on the fence to avoid being maimed.
This last picture is of most of the women staying at Inanitah right now. From left to right: Danny, Anna, Hillary, Angela, Ericka, Valerie (me), and Simone.