Independence Day - on the 15th of September, Guatemala, Mexico (and perhaps a few other countries in Central America) celebrated their independence from Spain. It is a pretty big day for which each school in the area had to enter a marching troupe and band, some choosing to go with a certain theme, others just parading in their school clothes. Well, for us, festivities started the previous evening with a huge party in Reilly's - an Irish pub close to the main square. Well - there you have it - there indeed seems to be an Irish bar in every outpost of the world. Reilly's is one of the more expensive bars in Antigua, but our pain was lessened somewhat by the ability to buy a bottle of rum (inclusive of three Pepsi's and unlimited limes and ice) for about R250. The bar was packed with Guatemaltecos from Guatemala City (i.e. the capital - about 40 mins drive away) coming to hang out in "cool" Antigua. It appeared that many a proposition was passed backward and forward in both English and Spanish - all in all a bit of a Babylonian experience. It was no surprise that my classes the next morning (my teacher apparently not being that much of a patriot currently) did not proceed with due clarity. Moreover, my head was continually assaulted for the remainder of the day by the sound (noise?) of the marching bands. Never the less, I loved the gusto with which the different bands approached the day and all were very happy that the rain stayed away for the entire day, as some of the pics make clear. All in all, it seems as if the citizenry here are rather happy to be rid of the Spanish ...