Day 26 - The descent of the virgin

What a spectacle! The whole city is on its feet. Everyone is either in or around the cathedral. Today, the Virgin Mary is being taken down from her pedestal. And then carried through the streets. I mostly skipped the mass, I only caught the end. The priest (or maybe it was the bishop, because he was also present) received a huge applause. Then he really whipped up the crowd, driving them to more applause and encouraging them to sing and cheer. A sea of cell phones held up high. Constant coming and going. At some point, Maria was then carried out. Glitter confetti rained in the church and outside. The bishop bathed in the crowd, a bishop you could reach out and touch. The brass band fought against the Christian pop music from the speakers. At the same time, there was a fireworks display. There were stalls selling homemade food, drinks, popcorn, cotton candy everywhere. This goes on for eight days, a different round through the city every evening. The bad thing is, fireworks have been going off at all hours for days. Like tonight at 4am, for example. Then at 6am, “By the Rivers of Babylon” by the neighbor. Nicaragua is never quiet.

Luis brought two boxes of toys to the first hour today. First, we danced to children's songs where you have to do matching movements. Then Luis asked questions and gave a toy for the right answer. Then he basically threw the rest into the crowd. The children knew they had to return the toys. They pounced on the toys as if they were dying of thirst. And had so much fun! But no one complained when the hour was over. They are sooo cute.