Oh the joys of Carnaval

So, it's Carnaval time here in Ecuador... What is Carnaval?  Well, is is essentially is the Ecuadorian Mardi Gras.  It leads up to lent and is celebrated by lots of drinking, throwing water balloons at passersby, squirting them with water guns, spraying them with foam, pulling them in to fountains, or, my personal favorite, dumping buckets of water on them from balconies.  Yep, last Saturday I got a BUCKET of water dumped on me in service.  I was dripping wet and my literature was soaked, but I laughed hysterically because it caught me off guard.  Every day this week I've been ballooned or squirted and I also got all out attacked with foam, guns and balloons on Friday.  The Ecuadorians that were with me insisted I walk apart from them so as not to attract attention to them :o)  Everyone wants to get the gringa!  The water tradition has something to do with washing away evil spirits... needless to say, I cannot retaliate... otherwise those kids would have no hope!  Haha.