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20
Las Fallas – Valencia
Posted by Chris in News
Well I just got back from “Las Fallas” – The biggest festival in Valenica, and what can I say it was great! I really enjoyed seeing the “mascleta”, which takes place at 2pm, a mass of fireworks explosions, rockets and firecrackers. I’ve never seen or felt anything of the like before. Its very powerful and you can feel the ground shake and the shock waves from the explosions. There are waiting ambulances at the ready. Some people find the explosions so loud that they often faint. Pregnant women are forbidden from attending the mascleta and it is not uncommon to see the odd person being whisked off to hospital. You come if you dare!! Definitely not for the faint-hearted.
The whole city comes alive and everyone takes to the streets in one big huge party. All take and you can hear firecrackers and music and a huge number of tourists (like myself) in the streets looking at the citys “ninots”, vast papier maché figures – politicians, film stars, bullfighters and anyone of local, national or international notoriety caricatured as a 15- or sometimes 20-foot model. of which once the winner is selected all the noinots are burnt. (see my video,link below)
I had a great time and it was just amazing to see the place so alive. The only side effect is the lack of sleep!
Photos of this are in the photo album. The below link is a movie I took in Denia of the burning of a papier mache “ninot” so you have a better idea of what it was like.
Movie I took http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_nFwo594rU
Photos are here: http://chrisdgray.dotphoto.com/CPListAlbums.asp Under album Las Fallas
Website of the event http://www.fallas.com/