In Cadiz, Ash Wednesday is Carnival, the last festival before Lent. Wild parties are the plan of the day, and everyone consumes mass quantities of food and beverage with reckless abandon. Traditional dress is not limited to the wild, rhythmic Flamenco dancers. We will see many women - both young and not so young - with bright, colorful dresses; the men also dress in their traditional bolero jacket and pants. You will meet many people - everyone is welcome - and they encourage you to speak their language. It's okay if your dialect isn't perfect - we won't make fun of you. Newt claims to have family in Puerto de Santa Maria, so when he made the mistake of using Mexican slang (vice Castilian spanish) we really let him have it! He may not live that one down. But it's all in good fun. Also, be sure to try drinking sangria from a bota. A bota is a special decanter for wine. Most are made from leather bags, but others are made of glass. The glass bota is sometimes mistaken for a bong, but the only thing smokin' here are your feet as you dance flamenco!
What's Castilian spanish? That's the dialect you learn in traditional spanish classes that you may have taken in high school or college, or learned on the street. In southern California, and other areas close to the Mexican border, many proper words are changed into slang - just like humans do in the United States, Canada, and other countries throughout the world.
Be forewarned! During Carnival, the sangria and Cruz Campo is flowing freely, and fights may break out among the locals and the gypsies.
These are not pretty sights. Sometimes people are knifed, some wind up in the hospital, and others die. Personal property can be damaged by the occasional brick flying through the air, so be on guard - and Have Fun!
