Whilst the Romans with their broom-brush helmets are a personal favourite of mine, the USP of Antigua's annual Semana Santa relajo must surely be all of those elaborate ceremonial carpets made from coloured sawdust, flowers, fruit and veg and many other improvised materials, each one a celebration of evanescent domestic creativity.I made a particular effort to wander around observing the method of their construction. It strikes me that the peculiar urban geography and sociology of La Antigua are both factors helping to promote excellence in the outcome, though I did stumble across one group of men having quite an entertainingly heated argument about how best to design the 'o7 version of their carpet. (I captured this on video this and will possibly upload at a later date. Nothing like a good Chapin ruction.)
The more spectacular examples of these carpets can reputedly cost a household up to 5000 Quetzales (approximately $650) and some famlies come out several times during the latter stages of Easter, building new carpets on the ruins of the old.
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