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Carnival in Humahuaca
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When:
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12 Feb 2008 (annual)
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Where:
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Humahuaca
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On the Saturday before Ash Wednesday each year the small, northern town of Humahuaca stages a monumental carnival featuring traditional dance, folklore, waterfights and copious drinking of "chicha" - the local brew made from fermented maize.
Folk dances that are popular in the area bear strong links to other South American dances such as the Zamacueca, the Peruvian Marinera and the Chilean Cueca. The Zamba, as it is called, uses the paso Valdeado as its basic step - the dancing couple must wave handkerchiefs and click fingers with outstretched hands. In Humahuaca, however, enraptured dancers sometimes wave corn cobs instead of the obligatory handkerchief - whether the corn cob is a traditional part of the dance or just the result of the amount of chicha consumed is not clear.
What is clear is that you will almost certainly end up dancing with corn cobs once you have taken on the frequent drinking challenges from the locals - a lively and colourful way to learn more about local customs and make new friends!
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