Bracing for Semana Santa

Since first arriving in San Carlos five weeks ago, I having been hearing about the throngs that will arrive during Semana Santa, also known as Easter Week.

Semana Santa is the name given to the entire week preceding Easter by many Christian sects including Roman Catholic and Orthodox. Semana Santa begins on Palm Sunday, followed by Holy Monday (sometimes call Fig Monday), Holy Tuesday and Holy Wednesday, sometimes called Spy Wednesday. Each day has a different observance depending on the denomination. Then, Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday – the day of the last supper - followed by Good Friday, Holy Saturday - a day of silence - and finally Easter Sunday.

According to all I have been told, the town of San Carlos becomes a “spring break” town during Semana Santa, beginning on the Thursday before Easter. Literally thousands of college students and young adults descend on the town for a long weekend of partying in a manner that has absolutely nothing to do with traditional Semana Santa. I have heard the San Carlos Semana Santa spoken of both with horror by the locals, and with delight, depending on their point of view and whether or not the individual stands to make any profit on the brief, excessive tourism. Either way, traffic becomes extremely congested. I have heard that last year it took four hours to get from one side of town to the other.

There is a bit of an added kink this year. Last September, Hurricane Jimena wiped out and collapsed major portions of the main road through town, including three bridges. Since we have been here, we have had to use detours as alternate routes to the main drag. The road builders have been working feverishly to finish the repairs on the road and bridges before Semana Santa.


In fact, I recently learned that the contractor in charge of the road repairs was told that if he did not have the road complete by Semana Santa, that he would be paid NOTHING. Nada. Zip.

The road builders are behind schedule. So as best as my non-mechanical brain understands it, here is what’s happening, in particular on the bridges. They have laid the pylons down for the foundation, but because time runs short, they are simply filling it with dirt and putting asphalt on top of the dirt (or leaving it just dirt, I’ve heard both ways.) Bottom line – they’re doing a quick fix so that there is a thoroughfare through town, because the detours would add to the congestion nightmare. They are also leaving the detours in place because not all of the lanes on the main road and bridges will be done. Maybe this will make it a bit easier for the locals to get through town.

Once Semana Santa is over, the contractor will dig up the temporary construction and re-do them as per whatever the specs are here in Mexico, supposedly making them earthquake proof, etc.

I understand a lot of the “locals” buy enough food and provisions so they don’t have to leave the house for four days… probably kind of like they did for Hurricane Jimena. As a precaution, today Frances and I went to the bank (with the parking lot that only goes one direction), the gas station (where I have to let an attendant pump the gas,) Tony’s produce stand, and the bottled water place where you bring in your own blue five gallon bottles. Their “sterilazation procedures” consistings of swishing a little soapy water around in the bottom of the bottle, quickly rinsing of the outside, and then filling it from a spigot that you assume(!) is some sort of purified water. Then they cap it and off you go.

And because Frances has been a bit stressed out lately, refusing to eat and being clingy, I've been taking her to the beach sometimes twice a day. Her favorite beach is Soldiers Estuary which we also call "Pilar" after the condo complex there. We park the car and walk the quarter to half mile to the estuary where the water is calmer and the birds reside.


Both the white and blue herons were hanging out there this morning.


Since first arriving in San Carlos, Frances has enjoyed running through the Estuary water. Anyone who has been hiking with Frances over the years knows she hates being in the water. But now every day she gets to the estuary edge and looks at me for permission. I tell her to go swimming and she goes prancing ankle deep through the water. Lately she goes deeper everyday and today she was up to her neck at one point. I encouraged her to swim and she looked like she was very close to voluntarily going into deep water, but then didn't. She has a few weeks left and I have high hopes she will enjoy swimming yet before she leaves this planet. For no logical reason, that would make me really happy!



Afterwards we went to a place called Bananas for breakfast, where dogs are welcome.



We went back to the estuary to catch both the full moon and the sunset.



On the upside of Semana Santa, I hear there are Native American Deer Dancers roaming the streets and all kinds of booths and festivities up and down the main drag. It will be interesting to see. I wonder where on the spectrum I’ll stand with my opinion on Semana Santa in San Carlos when Easter is over. Certainly me ‘n Frances will at least have a walk down Semana Santa Way… Yes…

“Here Comes Semana Santa, Here Comes Semana Santa,
Right Down Semana Santa Way”…

(Sorry – had to do it.)