Drums. I hear drums.
And I start to realize that it's coming from the street.
So at 11 am, I pulled on a fresh pair of jeans, my ballet flats and a hoodie sweatshirt and rushed out with camera in hand, only checking briefly for my set of keys and that the batteries and camera disc were accounted for and in place.
The elevator could not come fast enough as I followed the rhythmic sound of the drums and youthful happy shouts coming from the street below. As soon as I was outside, I got my camera ready and found the parade had already started, and the front group was already several blocks ahead.
I could visualize the front of the parade. Symbolic of the Three Kings using the North Star as a compass, there ahead of me several blocks away was a big bright gold sparkly star held up high on a pole by one of the parade participants. It wasn't that far. So I started to walk briskly and broke into a jaunt. I realized as I started running that the air was pretty crisp and cold, and my recently repaired lungs would pay for it. I heard a woman cough as I passed block three to cut ahead of the parade. There were some observers on the sidewalk, and at one point a woman was warned apparently to get out of the way of the middle of the street for the parade to pass. Turns out it was probably the Mayor's security leading her away and she turned towards people and spotted me and several others with their cameras. "Do you see this?" she demanded, her voice going up in anger. "See how he's handling me!" None of us said anything. She had been warned and wanted to discuss something that needed no discussing. Her not being in the way.
It didn't occur to me that Bloomberg could be there. It was only when I fixed my focus, I found him suddenly in my lens along with a couple of Council members walking along with him behind a big blue banner announcing the Museo del Barrio.
That's when I turned on my heel and kept moving, I hadn't completely broken my stride, and I thought I heard the security guy tell the woman something along the lines to follow what several of us were doing, moving ahead of the parade and shooting from a distance with our zoom lens, out of the path of the parade. She got the message although she looked steamed as she passed me by as I headed back after taking my final shots.
Different versions of the Three Kings appeared. On stilts, on floats, in variously intricate or simple costume/gown. This guy waving looked familiar but I couldn't place him. He was standing very close behind the Mayor though, in that crowd.
Seeing three camels, real, live camels was an unexpected delight. It's not every day one sees camels except in zoos or if you're in the Saudi Middle East or Africa. This camel actually looked at me and seemed to proudly pose. I realized my mouth was open in surprise, promptly shut it and snapped the picture. Looks like the camel's kind of grinning, eh?
There were five sheep, one particularly very white amongst the others. Three in front, two in back. They came not far behind the camels. Again, a pleasant surprise. Guess these guys herding them are the modern day symbol for the shepherds who saw the Star.
It was not a very long parade but it was a colorful one.
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