Tuesday March 1st

Tuesday March 1st, the first Mascleta in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento:

We arrived half an hour early, and even though we were told to be there an hour early, we were able to stand right at the front. Friends from the climbing gym showed up and stood beside us as the crowds filled in behind us. It’s hard to explain what happened next: all the princesses nominated from the different neighborhoods watched from the Ayuntamiento balcony as the fireworks began. First came the colorful air born fireworks, but since it was daylight, they were not as spectacular as at the Rio. The real purpose of the Mascleta became clear as they reached the finale. The force of explosions was not only tremendous to hear but could be felt in your chest, with the last big blasts. We were told to keep our mouths open to avoid damage to our ears! Afterwards, the crowd cheered and rushed to the site of the explosions, to get a better look at the remaining debris.