Tope! Tope!: A personal account of the Palmares Festival What’s all the fuss about?

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Category: Costa Rica

What’s all the fuss about?

Every year, the Palmares festival takes over the lives of all in Costa Rica as they make their way by the busload to the small town of Palmares, just outside San Jose, looking for a good time. Costa Ricans are known for their party spirit; the attendance in my office was shocking during this week, as all day drinking, fairground, cowboys and free concerts were deemed more important than work. Me: "Why weren't you at work yesterday?" Guy: "Umm, because it was Palmares!" Oh. Obviously. Combining this overwhelming excitement for the fiesta with screams of "Tope! Tope!" at the mere mention of the P-word, I figured that I was going to have to go and check this out for myself. I had no idea what 'tope' meant - funnily enough, it had never entered my vocabulary during 4 years of Spanish at university but, when asked, the only answer people could give me was "Horses!” Again, obviously.

When in Rome…

So there I found myself, clutching a takeaway coffee at 9am dressed in a checked shirt and denim skirt surrounded by people in identical attire all queuing to get on one of 6 coaches heading to Palmares. I was missing the Stetson, presuming that "dress like a cowboy" wasn't intended literally. Clearly not. Sipping on my mocha on the bus, slightly apprehensive of the day ahead, I couldn't help but wonder why people were so excited. They were getting on the bus whooping - "It's 9am, surely the party doesn’t start now?!". This assumption was soon quashed when complimentary beer and vodka started to flow courtesy of the on-board barman. "I'm not sure I'm ready for this," I said to my friend, before ordering my vodka-cranberry - without the vodka. By the end of the bus journey, however, I was craning my neck wondering where the barman was for my next tipple.

On arrival, we were promptly escorted to a free bar. Isn't there a catch? This would never happen in England! The obligatory quiz the foreigner began; "Have you ever seen a 'tope' before?" "Are you excited?". I don’t think I was allowed to reply anything but yes. Everyone else was partying, dancing to the club music from the resident DJ, downing guaro and beer in the streets and whooping off balconies to fellow revellers below. Costa Ricans sure know how to party. It was 11am.

Pura Vida, Tequila!

At 1pm, the 'tope' looked ready to start, an hour late. "Tico time," one of the women next to me said wisely, referring to the Costa Rican tendency to do things at their own pace, no matter whom or what is affected by it. And then it began. I have never seen so many people in checked shirts. I was expecting Latin American parade, full of colour and samba. Costa Rica isn't Brazil, but still. What I got was a whole load of cowboys and floats. Anybody who had a horse was riding it down the high street. One guy was pouring tequila into the cups of bystanders and toasting the beauty of life with anyone he rode past. The afternoon continued much in the same manner.

Back to the bar!

After the parade, the entire street erupted in more music and merriness. As we wandered down towards the fairground area, we passed people dancing in the street - not just moving their heads, we're talking salsa, bachata, merengue... real latin flavour. The streets were lined with food vendors selling burritos, tacos and burgers, and bars offering great deals on local beers. We went into the "Mansion de Horrores", and I have never been so petrified in my life. The only way to calm my nerves was obviously to head back to the free bar. Obviously.

Palmares is a party for party's sake. It lasts about 10 days and is purely a celebration of life. I may have been slightly overwhelmed - I mean, we just don't do that where I'm from - but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Life is full of simple pleasures and the people of Palmares, and in fact the whole of Costa Rica, sure know how to enjoy them!