Come Experience a Cabalgata in Tierras Altas, Panama

What exactly is a Cabalgata? I had never heard of this before moving to Panama, but since we've been here, we have seen a few of them. Basically, a Cabalgata is a horse parade. These usually occur on holidays and they close down the streets to let the hundreds of horses and riders come through.

Panama is a country known for its holidays. Just this week, no one worked from Monday to Thursday. People were out celebrating, that is for sure! Monday was taken off to prepare for Tuesday which was Independence from Spain. Wednesday was taken off to recover from Tuesday's partying. Thursday was the "birthday" of the town we live in. It's no wonder that progress on the house we are remodeling is going so slowly. Two weeks ago, three days were holidays - Independence from Colombia, Flag Day and Colon Day. Then next Friday is Mother's Day and I hear the whole country shuts down for that. Everyone has a mother. All of these days are a great reason to have a Cabalgata. I heard there were even two of them yesterday in town!

_{This horse was massive. See how his legs are twice as thick as any other?}
During the afternoon parade we attended, there were a few hundred horses and riders from all over the area. They rode up the main street one way and then turned around and went back down. Some threw candy to kids on the side, which my kids loved. Most of the riders had a beer in hand. We saw two horses who were not cooperating very much and wanted to buck their rider. Both headed our way and we took shelter! Life is never dull, even as a parade spectator.
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_{Yes, we have people stare at us everywhere we go. It's like we are always in a parade!}
When I went to town around 3:00, I did not realize that there would be a Cabalgata that afternoon. It was delightfully fun to try to maneuver through the streets already crowded with spectators, cars driving and parked, buses and horses. People line up hours and sometimes a day in advance. They said the other night that cars were already parked with good spots and people were planning to sleep in their cars just to reserve the spot.

So, why do people line up on the street waiting hours for the Cabalgata to begin? These parades happen pretty regularly, so what is the big deal? Honestly, I have no idea. It is a place to meet up, see your friends. It is a place to show off your pretty horse. I really don't know, but I was sucked into it yesterday. I went with the kids, looked at the horses and even saw some of our friends who were also walking around.

In a culture where family and fellowship are the number one thing, a parade like this is an all day affair. They are happy to get there early because they are hanging out with family and friends. They enjoy spending hours watching a slow moving parade (like the Flower Festival) or a quick horse parade like this one. Life moves at a slower pace here, and that includes parades! If you ever get a chance to see a Cabalgata, I think you should check it out because you never know what you will see there!

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