Carneval '06

This past weekend there was a strange event going on in Prague. It involved bands from around the world coming here and dressing up strangely and painting their faces. Then they would randomly play music around the Old Town Square. On Saturday there was even a stage in Old Town Square. And when I say bands I don't mean garage bands or rock bands or even boy bands. I mean marching-type bands, but without the marching.

On Thursday night my partner and I met a Canadian who is now living in Prague studying medicine. She took us around to a couple bars and we ended up at a chill Buck 15 type place called something like "Popo Cafe Pato". When in comes a group of people with white face paint, black lips, and black tears. They are from Switzerland and members of the band group called Gloggereschranzer Buttisholz.

We got conversation going (sort of) and our new Canadian friend even put on some black lipstick to be part of the group.

The next morning we wake up for work, a tad hungover, and my partner finds stickers on his shirt. I find a wooden spoon on a string with the Carneval name on it. (see pictures below, one guy is wearing two of them in a shot) Not sure what a spoon had to do with the whole thing, or why it was on a string, or why there are bite marks on it...

All in all it was an interesting weekend in Prague - finding music and weird costumes wherever you went. Here are some pics of the people we met.