Our driver Donaldo took us to San Juan. We had heard there was a church festival taking place and we wanted to check it out since we had heard the weirdest rumors about what was going on - something involving penises…

When we got there, everybody was stil inside the church, so we went to a shop were they are selling ceramics and we were allowed into the back and check out the process of making the pottery. Very interesting and I just loved the intricita patterns and bought 3 beautiful bowls - all of which I then broke in Costa Rica….

We then walked the village and found people playing at a tiny “ring-the-bell” game. Thomas and I played and I won a little cruzifix while Thomas won a pretty hairclip!

People were at ease with being photographed. Some even demanded that their picture be taken. Otheres did not appear to be so keen and needed persuasion from their girlfriends - maybe it was the teeth?

Finally the church doors opened and the procession came out. They carried a couple of statues down the street and were lead by a bunch of guys with swords and a guy in a horselike costume.

Now I’ll fill you in: As I was told, it is a Spanish tradition - weird people these Spaniards - guys (and girls, but I didn’t see any) go at each other with sword-like thingies, that are actually dried bull penises. They really beat the shit out of each other and the bull penises leave marks and sometimes even scars. The horse-guy is there to go inbetween them and split them up if it gets too vicious. Holding up your arms and giving up also should stop your opponent.

That doesn’t always work though. I saw one guy hitting another with such fury, I wondered what that dude had done to him. He sent horse-man and a couple of other people flying, who had tried to split them up. They had to practically peel him of the other guy…

The guy in black is supposedly the best bull fighter in town and treated with much respect - still being challenged at every other street corner though. And don’t think you can just grab any old bull, chop off his penis and join in the play - nooooo! You need to apply for it and then the bull penins maker will handle the process and it has to be brought to the church to receive a blessing and all sorts of things. Crazy shit going on in Nicaragua!

HIT ME BABY ONE MORE TIME!!!

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