Día de la Independencia

For the past two weeks, we've watched as La Paz got more and more dressed up. First flags started appearing on buildings, then on the municipal dock, then large displays that are lighted at night, and finally garlands over the street that abuts the Malécon. Last night was the beginning, and the celebration continued today.

We didn't go down to the municipal palace, having been warned ahead of time that it was a) a bit of a zoo, and b) something we needed to arrive at by 7:00 at night. Since the festivities wouldn't start until 10:00, and the high temperature yesterday was something like 104f, that was a non-starter.

Instead, we went to this morning's parade, which featured lots of schoolkids marching, very seriously, in their uniforms; lots of military, including tanks and an overflight by some planes in formation, and horses, ridden by men and women in traditional Mexican dress.

Kids:





Marina Rescate - I felt sorry for the divers, who were wearing full wetsuits and tanks in the heat:


Navy:


Military band:


Riders and caballero with lasso:






The crowd was as much fun as the parade itself.

A Mexican viking? Why not?


There were a lot of very dressed up little girls:



These two kids had clearly found something absolutely fascinating in the water:


After the parade, a bunch of the horses and riders congregated on the north end of the Malécon:


Including this guy and his gorgeous dancing horse.