After more than 20 years, posts here will now only be occasional ( |
| Carnaval 2017 Santa Cruz de Tenerife Photo: Jose Mesa - Some rights reserved |
If you come from abroad with the intention of enjoying the best carnival in the world (supposed to be Brazil, but I would disagree), I'm going to unveil the keys so you can enjoy the carnival nights of Santa Cruz de Tenerife like a local:
- Any costume will do, and when I say any I mean any ... you can even wear a rubbish sack if you want! Don't spend a lot of money either, it's not worth it, because that costume will never go home. Yes, okay, there are costumes that last several days (you can always tune them with new accessories), others that last one night and even some that last for hours only.
- Get lost. This is not advice, it's a fact. We all lose ourselves at carnivals, either because you stop to chat or because the crowd limits your field of vision to 0.5 meters. Do not panic, just go with the flow.
- Strangers become friends. Everyone dances with everyone. And the socializing here takes that to its maximum expression.
- Try to stop drinking before 03:00 am, remember that the music ends at 06:00, so hang around, dance ... If you manage to get to the Plaza de España before the music is over, it will be a miracle!
- Avoid black holes. You know when you enter but not when you leave ...
- Dance in the rain. In Tenerife it rains very little. It's February/March, with minimum temperatures of around 16 degrees, but locals know that during carnival it always rains. But it doesn't matter. It only means one thing: "it's time to dance in the rain" (or under a tree), let nothing spoil the party!
- Cry. Drop on the floor and scream in pain. Dressed as a widow (especially if male), there is no better way to say farewell the Sardine. The funeral is one of the best carnival parties. (This one is for Ash Wednesday.)
- Confess, because you'll get home "hecho un Cristo" (made a Christ) - in a terrible mess - because your makeup only has a few hours of useful life.
- Don't be shy when it comes to your needs (and the number of times you 'need' will be directly proportional to the amount of alcohol you've imbibed). Don't look for much cleanliness or intimacy. After the third Arehucas (rum) you won't care anyway! There's the rule of (almost) anything goes.
- Enjoy the long wait to get a taxi. Sometimes the best moments of the night take place here ... (or on the bus). Only if you have lived it will you know what I am talking about. If you get home after dawn, the party has been legendary. If you want to have breakfast on the way, the chicken sandwiches of Mister Smile or at the market are a Carnival tradition!
Las 10 claves carnavaleras que sólo los canarios conocen
