| Normally a laid-back rural town, Las Tablas, capital | | | | carnival. |
| of Panama's Los Santos province, awakened with | | | | The calles began officially electing their respective |
| the vengeance of a true fiestero this year. | | | | queens around 1950, setting the stage for the |
| Massive floats the size of coast guard cutters, | | | | modern-day Carnival, celebrations filled with such |
| carrying trumpeting bands and towering, brightly | | | | pride a rule about families had to be created. It |
| colored paper-mache figures, maneuvered through | | | | states that if the mother of the family is from |
| the throng of carnival-goers. The stunning local | | | | Calle Arriba and the father, from Calle Abajo, their |
| Las Tablas queens, adorned in painstakingly | | | | children are considered from Calle Arriba, and vice |
| hand-stitched pollera gowns, feather headdresses | | | | versa. There are very few exceptions to this rule. |
| and golden crowns, rhythmically gyrated their hips | | | | Nowadays, floats traversing the massive crowd |
| to the beat of the bongos. Fire hoses from | | | | of the Las Tablas Carnival sport professional |
| second-story balconies sprayed down on the | | | | sponsorship, fireworks rival those of the US |
| dancing crowd of Calle Abajo, while everyone | | | | Super Bowl, Calle Abajo and Calle Arriba have |
| excitedly chanted "Get up, get up, Calle Abajo!". | | | | their own websites, government agencies and |
| Whether you were rooting for Calle Abajo | | | | banks close, traditional sancocho (chicken soup |
| (downtown) or Calle Arriba (uptown), it seemed | | | | with yucca or nyame) is served, and hotels and |
| as though costumes, feathers, and fluorescent | | | | hostels fill up months in advance. Queens are |
| lights were the only things one needed to keep | | | | elected on Friday and Carnival celebrations don't |
| going strong through the night. | | | | end until the following Tuesday. |
| Las Tablas becomes the focal point of the | | | | This year's chosen queens were Noris Edith |
| country mainly because it's so exciting to watch | | | | Vasquez for Calle Abajo, and Mileydis Vargas for |
| the annual "battle" between the Calle Abajo and | | | | Calle Arriba. Carnival days begin with culecos |
| Calle Arriba sections of town. This past February | | | | (outdoor dances constantly refreshed by fire |
| 16, the two zones once again became steeped in | | | | hoses) and chanted praise or ridicule of the calles. |
| the more than 50-year tradition of trying to | | | | Nights are filled with wild parties that run until the |
| outdo one another. | | | | early morning. |
| This rich history of gibes and one-upmanship | | | | Las Tablas is arguably the best town in which to |
| began in the early 1900s, with two distinct | | | | experience Panama's infamous Carnival |
| religious denominations: La Ermita de la Santa Cruz | | | | celebration, though every town in Los Santos has |
| and Calidonia. Because Spanish colonization was so | | | | its own unique celebration. Indeed, it is the region's |
| strong in the region, the Los Santos province was | | | | strong cultural identity and rich folkloric tradition |
| and still is strongly Christian - so much so, that | | | | that have marked it as Panama's next hotspot. |
| when the religious denominations disagreed about | | | | "We chose this area in large part because of its |
| which patron saint to celebrate, the riff divided | | | | wonderful heritage and authentic character," |
| the town into those from Calle Arriba and those | | | | marks Daniel Rudasevski of Andromeda Ocean |
| from Calle Abajo. | | | | Estates, a luxury Pedasi beachfront gated |
| The La Placita region of Los Tablas soon became | | | | community in Los Santos' south. "Our proximity to |
| the headquarters for Calle Arriba; and Barrio de | | | | Las Tablas and the exuberant celebrations there |
| Punta Fogon, Calle Abajo's. The two sections of | | | | are a very important part of the appeal to our |
| town began gathering the prettiest girls, parading | | | | clients. In fact, Pedasi is also known for its |
| them, while singing their insults to the opposing | | | | outstanding fiestas, which though they are on a |
| group. Finally priests intervened, calling their | | | | smaller scale than Las Tablas, have a special |
| latter-day verbal slams blasphemous under the | | | | flavor all their own." |
| banner of religious celebrations. Still, Calle Abajo | | | | This colorful splash of culture is an integral part of |
| and Calle Arriba kept up their rivalry, having their | | | | Los Santos' appeal, and one of the most authentic |
| festivities coincide with those of the European | | | | celebrations in Panama. |