Fiesta Asunción Maria.

Another fiesta over and done with,  this one was Asunción Maria otherwise known as the water fiesta.  Or bubble fiesta. 

Wednesday evening there was music and dancing outside the salon - I woke up at 5.15am on Thursday morning and could still hear the music drifting up from Yátor,  friends who live there said they didn't get very much sleep and some just gave up and went outside to join in.  Plus of course there were fireworks at seemingly random intervals.

Thursday lunchtime was food and drink.  Normally there is a huge paella made outside,  you pay for your plate of food which gives you access to the cold food and drinks in the salon.  Not being a huge fan of the arroz that they produce,  we opted to stay here for lunch and go down later,  got there about 2.30,  and went to the bar for a beer and to meet up with friends.   Of course this year there was no paella only the cold food and drinks. 

Also usually the foam machine sets up in the square outside the bar where the water fountain or fuente is,   so those who want to have a water fight which seems to be most of the village be they young or old,   can do so.  If you want to go to the bar you have to be quick and keep an eye out as someone will get you with a bucket of water.  Take it all in good spirits,  the water is cool and refreshing and the weather is hot. 

This year however the foam machine,  a paddling pool for little ones and an overhead water spray were all set up to the side of the salon.  A hose pipe ran from the water tap to a barrel and a pump was sending water from the barrel to the foam machine which was running - or trying to - but not very well.  Occasionally a big plume of foam shot out but then it stopped.  Ten minutes later another big plume but not enough to get anyone excited enough to go over.  Usually the foam and water throwing all happen in the same place - everyone gets wet and bubbly and has a great time.  Pics here from 2011.....

But this year a bit of a damp squib.  Plus, the worst thing for a water fight,  the fuente ran out of water because they were trying to pump so much to the not working foam machine.  Lots of unhappy youngsters looking around for a source to fill their buckets.  Some neighbours had hosepipes out,  someone else opened up the acequia gate and they were taking water out from there.

Probably the most excitement came from the horses.  2 local ones and 2 came by trailer.  We were told that they were going to set up a rope with - I think - ribbons on,  then they would run /gallop  down the road and hook or lasso the ribbons off.  Cars were moved and we waited.  But one of the horses was very unhappy,  first it started to kick out at the horse next to it where they were tied in the shade of a tree, so it was moved and tied onto the trailer.  It then continued to kick out,  paw at the ground and pull and push against the trailer.  Some guy, not it's owner,  decided to calm it down by throwing buckets of water over it which did no good at all,  possibly made it worse.  It's an odd looking horse anyway I think,  has white eyes which make it look mad but a friend said those are it's normal eyes.  Paco it's owner eventually took it away off down the road to it's stable. 

John and I were to the side of the bar talking with friends,  at the foot of a narrow road leading up to the placeta behind the bar,  I'm not sure what caught our attention but probably the noise of a horse clip-clopping down behind us,  it was the  'wild one' all alone with it's rope trailing behind,  and heading back down to the square.  Paco was nowhere to be seen,  we all moved pretty quickly and went the other side of Joaquim's large van for safety.  The horse headed straight for the nice brown one which was still tied in the shade of the tree and started -  well,  I don't know horse phrases,  but it was noisy and kicking and the brown horse has a couple of cuts on 2 legs.  Someone - the bucket of water man - managed to get it's rope and separate them,  then Paco arrived and  took it off to a field on it's own.

That seemed to stop any of the horse riding and  lassoing,  but it had been exciting in a way.  A bit dangerous,  lots of children around and maybe the horse should have been removed earlier on but no one was hurt,  just lots of gasps and sharp intakes of breath!

More music and dancing last night......