an essay by Roger B Rueda
Do not bring classy jewellery to the city. Do not wear it to parades or leave it in your car or hotel room. Utilise your hotel room's safe, if it has one, or bring a piece of luggage that locks in which to place your valuables when you leave the room for the day to go to parades.
Don't bring a purse. For one day this is not necessary. Leave it at home!
Pick your jeans with pickpockets in mind. Don't put your wallet in your back pocket. It's a good idea to carry money in some pockets (Pin cash inside your pocket and only take out when buying something) and keep an ID on you and perhaps one credit card in another. The Dinagyang day is a ‘cash’ situation. Most places that offer quick fare, refreshments, and pick-me-ups don't accept credit cards. Too, let everyone in your group carry some cash ‘just in case.’
Wear comfy walking shoes or flip-flops. Make sure they are helpful with plenty of cushioning. You'll walk and walk and walk.
Dress for comfort, not for style. Weather during the Dinagyang usually varies from 50-90 degrees Fahrenheit, so come ready. It's a good idea to pack a mackintosh lest it sprinkles. Just make sure that whatever you wear you can take off if you need to, or put more on for warmth. Comfortable layering is the key and the look on the Dinagyang day!
Put suntan lotion on your visible skin, and try to add in a sunhat in your getup. It's hard to find a shady place on the Dinagyang day, and though it might be cold in the morning, by the middle of the day you might be melting! You need to hold an umbrella over you.
If you must bring a camera, go for the smallest, lightest, and least expensive.
You might want to get superior shots from your expensive camera, but you'll lug it about only to find that you can't get any good shots with all the people about you bumping and pushing! Further, after ‘holding’ everything you own all day, you'll appreciate the fact that you aren't weighed down and remember the far-fetched things you saw in your memory!
Bring water. Bottled water is expensive at the Dinagyang. Avoid drinking soda water. Be careful, some bottled thirst-quenchers contain aspartame, a synthetic sweetener. Peer at the label before drinking anything else.
Try to locate a place near you that offers washrooms. Some washrooms are in a far-flung corner of a mall in Bonifacio Drive. In La Paz, washrooms are convenient. You can go either to a shopping mall towards the performance area or to a hotel or an eating place nearby. Bring wipes and napkins, and antiseptic.
Don’t tattoo your bodies with henna. It has a certain funky charm, I guess, but it can cause allergic reactions in your skin.
Women have to dress modestly, to avoid being harassed by the locals. Avoid a drunken hooligan, if there is any.
See everything you can and make some marvellous memories.
Though the Dinagyang is under the watchful eye of police, use 117 to call for police, fire, or ambulance emergency services. Be vigilant and report anything suspicious.
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