Booty Shakin' in Aklan

I'm finally back in Manila with a working internet connection.  Yes that's my excuse for not writing a single entry in four days.  Or maybe I was just enjoying myself too much.  We were at the Ati-Atihan Festival (in Kalibo, Aklan) for 5 days and 4 nights.  The deafening drum beats seem to follow me everywhere even in my sleep.  It was literally two 24-hour days of non-stop drumming.  People were just dancing, drinking, and partying like crazy on the streets.  Sleeping, apparently, was a foreign concept.  I am completely blown away by their devotion to the Sto. Nino and their stamina.  Although to be honest, I think half of the people that were there showed up just to party and drink.  I find myself still tapping my fingers to the hala bira beats in my head.

It was a unique experience and I'm glad we went.  I've picked up some nifty dance moves to add to my arsenal.  Harhar.  NOT.  Arguably their signature feet shuffle and booty shake would probably get me kicked out of any reputable club.  Then again that's what's fun about this festival.  You can shake and shimmy any which way you like.  Nothing is too "uncool".  I think that's why my dad was hell-bent on going.    My dad decided to unleash all of his signature dance moves that usually had me cringing and melting with embarrassment.  In the ati-atihan setting he just blended in.  Whew.  Thank God.

Oh my parents had such a grand time!  They were swaying and waving their hands like there was no tomorrow.  I couldn't keep up with them but I was happy to see them laughing and enjoying themselves.  With hundreds of colorful costumes parading past me and bodies painted in every color possible dancing fervently and passionately to the marching bands, it's pretty hard not to get carried away and join in.

I can't possibly put into words the festive mood and the electric air of celebration.  I'm better off letting my pictures do the talking.

We marched with them to the plaza.

Dancing their hearts out.

One of the many kids who participated.

Mom, me, and the Sto. Nino.

The plaza.

The plaza was the final meeting point of all the ati-atihan "tribes".  This was also where the judges looked them over since a winner is chosen on the last day of the fiesta.  Here they went round and round the plaza square dancing with the Santo. Ninos and displaying their colorful attires.  This would go on for two whole days (believe it or not).  They were tireless.

Here are some of the amazing costumes we saw.

Neon colors are the fashion.

Heavy headdress with capiz accents.

A combination of grease, paint, and or charcoal.

Orc.

There's another way to go about it.  Here are some of the non-traditional ways of dressing up for the ati-atihan.

These two are usually seen at the D'Mall in Boracay.

Mr. Fabulous.  :)

Awesome!

A family of reptiles.

Organized chaos.

There were probably more than ten thousand people squished in that plaza.  Yuri says it was a hundred thousand.  We're really bad at estimating as you can see.  The point is that there were A LOT of people.

It got wilder as the day progressed.  The young people and big fraternities started making their appearance in the afternoon spraying people with beer and such.  By 7 PM almost everyone participating in the parade was drunk.  Red Horse was generally the beer of choice.  The locals told us that alcohol allowed them to march and dance for that long.  We got to join one of the groups in the parade and shots of brandy was being passed around and offered to everyone.  Luckily the people of Aklan are extremely friendly and hospitable so it was all relatively harmless.  I think.

I have to thank our host family in Aklan.  They graciously fed us for the good part of the two whole fiesta days.  The famous Cebu Lechon (whole-roasted pig) , Inubarang Manok (an Aklanon dish composed of native chicken, lemongrass, ubod),  Pork Ribs, and Lengua were some of the dishes that they'd usually cook for us.  They also served an abundance of fresh oysters.  Yummmm.  I wolfed down a whole plate.  Nothing new there. Teehee.

Lovely and buttery.

We also hoarded our fair share of goodies from the Biscocho Haus, a popular bakeshop with a scattering of branches in Iloilo.  Lucky for us, they had a store at the Gaisano Mall in Kalibo.  We loaded up on the biscochos (toasted bread with milk and sugar) and the butterscotch squares, which they're also known for.

The trip could not be complete without a bit of sightseeing.

Dela Cruz House of Pina.

Top-of -the-line locally made products.

Here I bought a pretty set of coasters (6 pieces) for just Php 204.00.  Half of what it would cost me if I bought it in Kultura or Rustan's, since the Dela Cruz House of Pina is one of their major suppliers.

All in all a tiring but unforgettable trip.  All the beliefs and traditions inherent in the ati-atihan, both pagan and religious, were exciting to see.  It's one of the best ways to see and understand the Philippines.  Plus, Boracay is just a bus ride away from Kalibo.  A viable option if you'd like to get away  from all the noise and have better accomodations.  Yuri and I might consider going back next year if our budget permits.  Until then I have my pictures to enjoy and to remember these four days by. :)