Spanish cinema has just had its best year ever with record attendance and box office earnings. So what can go wrong? With films like Spanish Affair and El Niño generating millions at the box office and delighting Spanish filmgoers, it is hard to believe that anything can be wrong. But to some people in the film world, all of this success hasn't translated into recognition or invitations and nominations to the most important film festivals or major film awards. (The last Spanish film to be nominated for an Oscar was The Sea Inside, which also won the award in 2004) According to some, it appears that in the industry's attempt to raise flagging attendance, they have sacrificed some of the elements that captures the attention of serious film lovers and critics.

The only film to achieve some sort of success among film cognoscente in 2014 has been La Isla Mínima or Marshland as it is called outside of Spain. Is the only movie to have been received into the European film festival circuit of Venice, Berlin, and Cannes. Of course there is San Sebastian also, but since this is a homegrown festival there is always ample Spanish presence, in fact Spanish-Franco film Magical Girl won the Golden Shell award. But why is it that Spanish movies have such a hard time breaking through the selection process to the major festivals?

Looking back, the last Spanish film to appear in the official selection of Berlin was Dictado or Childish Games by Antonio Chavarrías. In Venice, Alex de la Iglesia's 2010 Balada Triste de Trompeta (The Last Circus) was the last Spanish film to appear there. Almodóvar's 2011 film La Piel Que Habito (The Skin I Live In) appeared in Cannes and since then no other Spanish film has been part of the official selection there. There have been some Spanish co-productions present like last year's Relatos Salvajes (Wild Tales) or No Llores, Vuela (Aloft) but these were films partially financed from Spain but didn't count on a large participation in the cast or crew.

Independent film producer, Álvaro Longoria from Morena films (Che), believes that the Spanish industry's attempt to capture more audience together with the growing participation of Spanish television networks bankrolling major films are having a negative effect on independent film production. Movies like El Niño highlight this trend with its slick eye-candy cinematography, similar in look to Michael Mann's Heat, is becoming more and more common.

With Spanish television networks becoming increasingly more important in financing films, their objectives are very different from traditional producers. Maximizing audiences on the big screen and later reaping profits on the small, the order of the day for the networks is making Hollywood blockbuster-like movies and if it's not pulse thumping action then simple, yet entertaining stories will suffice. Taking a look at the types of movies that dominated the box office in 2014 as our reference, it appears as though 2015 will continue with this trend.

Longoria believes that Spanish language productions from Spain will have a more difficult time finding space in more important film festivals and independent Spanish movies will be made in other languages, like English, in an effort to get the funding necessary to film and subsequent box office. Right now in Spain according to certain people in the industry is that there are two types of movies being produced here: very commercial or very small scale independent productions.

But what's the problem if Spanish films are breaking records? For most films, the Spanish market is a small part of their overall income and for many, finding distribution in other countries is the key for the financial success of most films. For many, Film festivals are the ideal place for films to find distribution—especially if a film is among the 20-30 films in the official selection. Even if a movie makes it to a film festival that alone doesn't guarantee it distribution in other countries. Since there are over 300 films on the program of a large festival; if a film is not part of the official selection it will be very hard to get noticed.

While Spanish film is living a golden moment it is important to note the difficulty some producers and directors  are having in getting their works filmed and hopefully a balance will be reached in guaranteeing the continuance of Spanish independent film—in Spanish.    

A country on the west coast of Latin America, a rich culture and diverse gastronomy; Peru amazes everyone with its dishes. To let everyone enjoy these dishes, Peru has the world-famous and largest culinary festival in Latin America: the Mistura Festival! With the most traditional and all new Peruvian dishes prepared in all kinds of ways, Mistura is a festival that you really must have experienced once to understand its atmosphere. Besides the food, you can also enjoy traditional dance performances that will show you the real Peru.

Peruvian Cuisine

On the west coast of cultural Latin America lies the Spanish-speaking country of Peru. Peru is the land of abandoned Inca cities and spectacular biodiversity, as well as unique and varied cuisine. Peruvian cuisine is a mix of Indian, Spanish and African cuisine, complemented by the best of Asian cuisine. The country is known for its varied cuisine as it consists of as many as 491 dishes. One of the most popular dishes of Peruvian cuisine is ceviche, a dish that consists of a raw fish dish where a variety of fish can be used. The fish is marinated with sour orange, lime or lemon and onions and peppers are added. The fish dish is often eaten with a rich salada, corn, avocado and potatoes. Another popular and traditional dish is ocopa, consisting of potatoes topped with a sauce of green peppers, herbs and cheese. Almost every dish is eaten with potatoes and a drink. The drink can range from the commonly consumed pilsner beer to a popular drink of Peru: Inca Kola. This yellow-colored soft drink with a little pungency is made from lemongrass and chamomile and tastes like bubble gum.

To celebrate the culinary tradition and allow everyone to enjoy what Peru has to offer, a festival is organized every year that today already attracts half a million people from all over the world. The festival is called Mistura and is held in Peru's capital city of Lima. In Spanish, it is also called La Feria Gastronómica Internacional de Lima. In 2008, Peruvian cuisine was first shared with the world in this special way and 23,000 people were able to enjoy Peru's flavorful and varied food. The festival lasts an average of 10 days, but this varies from year to year. Peru is very proud of its Mistura and rightly so, as the Mistura is the largest culinary festival in Latin America and culturally very important to Peruvians. The increase in the number of visitors in 5 years has meant that the number of restaurants has also increased, especially in Lima.

The festival has a theme every year, September 2013's theme was "water," where the best chefs went wild on all the fish and made amazing dishes out of them. In addition, the Mistura is divided into different worlds: north, south, east, Andes and the Amazon. There are also sections that focus specifically on certain dishes, such as popular Peruvian dishes like ceviche, quinua and anticucho. The Mistura festival brings everyone together; bakers, cooks, waiters, cooking schools, restaurants, food vendors and all cooking enthusiasts. Everyone engages in the delicious food found in Lima for 10 days. Although the food is the most important part of the Mistura, attention is also paid to traditional dance performances. Peru's cultural, culinary Mistura festival can be found every year in Lima and will be even more elaborate and better each year.

Oranges are popular all over the world, but where do the tastiest oranges come from? Spain is a major exporting country of oranges, with the city and region of Valencia in particular. Its Mediterranean climate allows these fruits to be grown here at the right temperatures. The sweet flavors of the perfect-looking Valencian oranges come out best this way. Moreover, different varieties are grown, each with its unique characteristics.

• Vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins for a human being and you can find it in an orange!
• There are even different varieties of the Valencian orange.
• Visit one of the many fields around Valencia to experience the unique taste sensation in the place itself.

That fruit is healthy, everyone knows. But that oranges, especially Valencian oranges, are good for various ailments of the body and your mood? Valencian oranges contain vitamin C, which is the tool to ward off your body from flu, colds and winter weather. On top of that, they are good against digestive disorders, headaches, rheumatism, stress and depression. So with a Valencian orange, you will always be in good spirits! They are used for a variety of purposes. Not only can you simply make juice from it or make it totally come into its own in a summer fruit salad, Valencian oranges are also used for Dutch jam because of its sweet-sweet taste.

Oranges are descended from a citrus fruit. The fact that the orange is related to the lemon is therefore no surprise. This delicious, orange fruit gets its best flavor when cultivated at a temperature averaging 23 degrees Celsius; the perfect place for this is the Valencia area! This is because Spain has a Mediterranean climate in the east of the country, long, hot summers and mild winters. This is perfect for growing oranges. An orange is smaller but sweeter than grapefruit and larger than a tangerine. The smell of an orange is not as strong as that of a tangerine.

There are different varieties of the famous Valencian orange. Not all oranges are round and orange. La Naranja Navelina is medium-sized, often just round but sometimes slightly oval, bright orange in color and has very juicy flesh. The perfect example of a Valencian orange is the Naranja Salustiana, the excellent fruit is very sweet and has lots of juice. Then you have the Naranja Navel lane late and the Navel late, they don't differ much, but just enough to separate them from kind. The Navel late is smaller and less popular because of its elongated shape and less thick but consistent skin. Its color is additionally less pleasant for an orange: light orange. However, this has nothing to do with the taste of an orange. The second perfect example of a Valencian orange is the Naranja Valencia, quite surprisingly.

The fruit is medium-sized, a little oblong and has a fine, thin skin. The taste is to write home about, Naranja Valencia has a very pleasant flavor; nice and sweet with a slight hint of acidity. It is the newest variety grown in Valencia and is considered one of the best. A distinct variety is the Naranja Sanguina. There cannot be much more different about an orange, yet this variety has something special; it differentiates itself from others by its red pigments in the skin as well as in the fruit itself. In addition, it has a little raspberry or cherry flavor in it, making it a unique type of orange.

Valencia has its fields for oranges in the area around the city and some of these can be visited. The orange trees in the city of Valencia are mostly just for ornamental purposes and these fruits do not have the real, distinctive taste of Valencian oranges. It is recommended to go to the largest fish, meat, fruit and vegetable market in Europe in the middle of the city, where you can buy the most delicious oranges!

Every year at don Quijote we welcome thousands of students who want to learn or improve their Spanish, but there is no greater compliment than students who come back to learn Spanish with us. To introduce you to these students, we would like to introduce one of them to you. Bernd Pappenburg is a Spanish teacher in Germany and because of his job he needs to have a good level of Spanish to be able to teach it well to his students at home.

Bernd has visited our schools all over Spain, in Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia and since 2006 he has been coming regularly to our school in Tenerife. It seems that in Tenerife Bernd has found his ideal place to combine work and vacation, and when Bernd refers to work we think he is referring to taking our Individual classes. These classes give Bernd the opportunity to address specific topics in a customized course. Bernd also said that one of the reasons he likes coming back to Tenerife is the family atmosphere (it is one of our smallest schools in Spain) and the fact that don Quijote's teaching method has been continuously improved over the last 25 years.

By combining his vacations with this customized course, Bernd not only has a high level of Spanish, he also improves his teaching skills to give his students the best learning experience possible. At don Quijote we are proud of all our students who come to take a course, but students like Bernd are special to us. Not only is Bernd a returning student, he is also a co-teacher who shows his confidence in don Quijote to best prepare him for all the challenges he may encounter while teaching Spanish in a high school.

Carnival in Spain: Tenerife and Cadiz

Everyone in the Netherlands knows the concept of carnival. Either because they have celebrated it themselves in the south of our country, or because of the summer carnival in Rio de Janeiro. But carnival is also a well-known celebration in Spain. Carnival is celebrated throughout the country but especially in Cadiz and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, carnival is celebrated in a big way.

• The third largest carnival in the world is in Cadiz.
• In 2015, carnival takes place between Feb. 12 and 22.
• The Santa Cruz de Tenerife carnival is the second largest carnival in the world after Rio de Janeiro.

Carnival in Spain is celebrated in almost the entire country. This celebration takes place in the 10 to 14 days before Ash Wednesday. This is on the same date as the Dutch carnival. This year carnival took place between Feb. 28 and March 4.

The two most famous places where carnival is celebrated in Spain are Cadiz and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The world's largest carnival takes place in Rio de Janeiro. However Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Cadiz host the second and third largest carnivals in the world.

From home and abroad, many people come to visit the Carnival in Cadiz. Every day is a big party. Carnival in Cadiz is all about the singing, humor and irony. Even weeks before the carnival begins, carnival groups are practicing their songs. These songs make great use of humor and sarcasm. On the Friday of carnival, a carnival group that has won is announced. This is followed by partying until the early hours. On Sunday and Monday, it is then the honor of the choirs to perform their songs. In addition to all the singing during Carnival in Cadiz, several parades also take place. For example, the largest parade takes place on Sunday and the humorous parade on the last weekend.

Tenerife carnival opens with a big parade on the first Friday of carnival. Tenerife carnival is most similar to the Brazilian carnival. Exuberant costumes, floats and rhythm are several features of carnival in Tenerife. The election of La Reina, that year's carnival queen is one of the many highlights during carnival in Tenerife. Throughout the week there are several parades throughout the city. Carnival ends with "El Corso," which is the largest and most beautiful parade during Carnival. This parade takes place on the Tuesday of carnival and after this, carnival in Tenerife comes to an end.

Just talking about Spain’s capital city of Madrid conjures images of a rich variety of emblematic monuments and attractions. We also recognize it as a cosmopolitan city brimming with cultural, political, and economic energy.

Madrid however has not always been the wonderful city it is today. Urban development did not begin to thrive in the city until King Felipe II established it as the capital and placed the royal court here in 1561. Madrid’s inspired architectural heritage can be observed all around the city center, which is known as El Madrid de los Austrias since the Austrian Habsburg monarchs were responsible for transforming and modernizing the city.

As the home of the royal court the city’s demographics changed dramatically: when Madrid was first established as the capital it had just 10,000 residents, a figure that grew to 40,000 in just 15 years. By the end of the century the population was up to an impressive 100,000 people.

Let’s explore this downtown area, taking a special peek at some of the buildings and architectural ensembles that best capture its Habsburg period.

One of the city’s most symbolic and most visited attractions is the Plaza Mayor (main square). It has always been, and it still is, a meeting point for local residents. 237 balconies have overlooked the square for centuries, from which observers have witnessed bull fights, popular performances and acts of the inquisition. Noteworthy among the square’s establishments are the Casa de la Panadería (House of the bakery) and the Casa de la Carnicería (House of the Butcher Shop), both of which house different municipal institutions today. A statue of King Philip III on horseback occupies the center of the plaza. You can exit the square through any of its nine entryways, including the Arco de Cuchilleros, which leads us to the Cava de San Miguel, the location of some the area’s most traditional and popular taverns.

If we continue on this road we will reach the Palacio de Santa Cruz, the old city jail which currently houses the Department of Foreign Affairs (in the Plaza de de la Provincia). The 17^th century San Isidro Church is further along Calle Toledo, which has served as Madrid’s provisional cathedral since 1993.

Close by, in Cava Baja, we find ourselves near one of the city’s most worthy monuments: a restaurant called Botín, considered by the Guinness Book of World’s Records to be the oldest restaurant in the world. Botín has been pleasing picky palates since 1725.

After checking out San Miguel Market we arrive to Plaza de la Villa. This square is the location of historical buildings such as the Casa de la Villa, which was Madrid’s City Hall building until just a few years ago.

We make our way back to Calle Mayor then head along Calle Bailén toward the Plaza de Oriente, an enormous space that traditionally hosted grand celebrations during Franco’s dictatorship. The space is back dropped by the Palacio Real (royal palace), an impressive structure for its size and magnificence. Wandering around the gardens of Sabatini next to the palace we can see the Plaza de Isabel II and the hexagon shaped Teatro Real (Royal Theatre).  Following the crowded Calle Arenal, we end up at the Puerta del Sol for photo ops of a few of Madrid’s most recognizable spots: below the clock tower that Spaniards around the country tune in to watch on New Year’s Eve, in front of the kilometer zero mark (Spain’s road network was based on this point), or next to the statue that displays the symbol of the city, a bear and an Arbutus tree.

In the Netherlands, everyone has heard of the term "carnival. Either because you have celebrated it in one of the southern provinces of the Netherlands or because of the spectacular summer carnival in Rio de Janeiro. But carnival is not only known there. It is also exuberantly celebrated in Spain and the rest of Latin America. Around February, Carnaval de Oruro is the biggest annual event that takes place in Bolivia's folkloric capital, Oruro. Since 2001, Carnaval de Oruro has been listed on UNESCO's List of Masterpieces and Oral Intangible Heritage of Man.  

• Bolivia's biggest event and one of the largest carnival celebrations in Latin America.
• In 2014, the carnival took place between Feb. 28 and March 3.
  The Carnival of Oruro has a unique, religious nature.

Carnival is celebrated in many ways in Spain and Latin America, but the Carnaval de Oruro is different from other carnival events. This folkloric celebration is special because of its religious nature: the adoration of the Virgin (Holy Virgin) Morena (dark-colored) del Socavón (the mine shaft). Also called Virgin de la Candelaria, the guardian saint of the mine shaft.

The event officially begins 8 days before Ash Wednesday with the same devil dance every year, the "Diablada. Unlike Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, where a different theme is chosen each year.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday are the three main days of the carnival. Friday is the day the ch'alla ritual is performed. This ritual is very important for the miners of Bolivia. During this ritual, the Tío de la Mina, the mythological god of the mine, is honored and thanked for its protection. After this ritual, the miners celebrate a big party. Saturday is the day of pilgrimage and the parade "La Entrada," in which as many as 50 dance groups from the area participate and then present various Bolivian dances. The 'La Entrada' continues into the early hours, until the first rays of sunshine appear on Sunday. During these early morning hours, all the groups mingle with the crowd to greet the Virgin de Socavón.   

Carnival de Oruro is a popular attraction every year. Many visitors arrive from home and abroad. Accommodation prices rise during the event and bookings often fill up early. The city is equipped with benches and bleachers, and tickets can be purchased on the spot from various vendors. Day trips to Oruro are even organized from La Paz (the capital of Bolivia). An excursion to a ch'alla ritual is also very popular with tourists.

After this ritual, there is a grand celebration that involves lots of water and foam. Tourists are often targeted, so be prepared!

I had no idea how popular video games were until I heard about gamers becoming celebrities by posting videos of themselves on youtube talking about the games they play. Personalities like El Rubius have inexplicably amassed millions of fans around the world. The number of viewers anxiously tuning in everyday to watch Minecraft players talking about Minecraft is mind blowing.

The questions on museum director’s minds is how to compete for young people’s attention in a fast-paced world where observing visual creations has little to do anymore with wandering around stuffy silent galleries full of motionless paintings and much to do about intense often violent graphic action coupled with homey comforts like a soft comfy couch. How long would a museum exhibit hold the interest of most avid Minecraft players?

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em

The Thyssen Museum has joined forces with Sony Computer Entertainment España to create Nubla, a videogame for the Playstation that seeks to blend influential masterworks by the likes of Edward Hopper and Ludwig Meidner with entertaining gaming technology (an institution that you may or not consider masterful art in itself). Players will get to virtually journey into the scenery of paintings.  

The director of the project, Daniel Sánchez Mateos is quoted in El Pais as saying “we’ve tried to transfer the museum’s works and artistic style to a dreamy world of adventures”. Artists for the game also admitted that the biggest challenge was rendering faithful imagery of the museum’s masterworks without copying them.

It seems more than unlikely that El Rubius’ 9 million plus army of gaming-fanatic channel-subscribers will promptly dump their crafting materials to play a game about a museum of paintings, no matter how dreamy it is. But the Thyssen’s new video game may offer a revealing peak at the direction of art enjoyment. Is the old school museum format getting old? Some wonder if new generations now need art technologically modified in hyped up videogame format to accommodate an unhealthy codependence on sedentary screen interaction. Is it fair to ask if the Thyssen is enabling videogame junkies? Do our shrinking attention spans have any space left for fine arts exhibits?

Does the bold move to go for gamers spell inevitable permadeath mode for the future of museums? Or is the Thyssen addressing a realistic need to update its attitude on what it considers art. The kernels of the debate seem rooted in the question of whether or not we can consider videogames legitimate pieces of art.

Video Game Art?

Are video games art? Is playing them a cultural experience in any way? Traditionally, art museums have paid little attention to them. But video games seem to have become an elephant in the room who’s not going away, and the Thyssen isn’t the only museum that’s decided to come to terms with him, to talk to him.

The MOMA in New York has a permanent gaming exhibit that currently features 14 games, which according to moma.org are “astounding examples of interaction design”. Games on display include Pac Man and Donkey Kong. A blog post by the museum’s Senior Curator Paola Antonelli answers the question of whether video games are art by stating “they sure are…” MOMA hopes to acquire 40 games in total over the following few years, where selection criteria for the games includes, among other things, “the elegance of their code”.

The exhibit did not impress at least one critic writing for the British newspaper “The Guardian” who responded with a piece entitled Sorry MOMA, Games Are Not Art. Later, the paper ran a counter opinion calling the whole argument a fool’s errand and a debate “that shouldn’t be”.

Beyond the question of whether video games are art, or perhaps part of it, lies the consideration of their usefulness or even harmfulness. Film critic Roger Ebert once pointed out that “for most gamers, video games represent a loss of those precious hours we have available to make ourselves more cultured, civilized and empathetic”. The Thyssen Museum’s Nubla video game symbolizes an attempt to untangle the two sides, or even a colorful and technological bridge over a growing generation gap. The question remains as to how many people will cross it and more importantly, just how extreme our future generation’s dependency on technology will become in a world that’s already looking to gaming systems to appreciate art.

Spaniards are known as late eaters. Because there is a lot of time between meals, Spanish Tapas is convenient as a snack. Tapas is part of the Spanish way of life and there is no thought that it will ever disappear.

• Every February a tapas fair is organized in Seville. This is where many bars and restaurants participate and compete against each other to create the best tapa.
• Many of these traditional tapas served during the fair are made up of the Spanish cheeses and hams.
• In February, Seville has a pleasant temperature and is a good month to visit the city!

Tapas in Seville

More than 50 restaurants and bars officially participate in the Tapas Fair. At the "Palacio de Congresos" and the "Exposiciones Center" located on Avenida de Alcalde de Luís Uruñuela, varied, famous, traditional and flavorful tapas are offered. It is a popular Spanish tradition for restaurants and bars to compete with each other and creatively serve their unique, homemade tapas of up to €2.50. Home-town visitors as well as tourists are welcome to sample these Spanish delicacies. In addition to the many tapas offered at the fair, drinks are also very popular. From Sherry to wine and beer, anything that can be combined with tapas is present. Traditional wines from Seville and its surroundings, such as white wines and the so-called Sevillian "fino" (a dry sherry consumed as an aperitif) are also available during the fair.

Many of the traditional Spanish tapas sold at this annual fest are based on Spain's popular hams and cheeses, regional delicacies such as duck or kidneys in Pedro Jimenez sauce, roasted figs wrapped in bacon, tortillas de camarones and shrimp fritters. Participants serve about 8 to 12 different tapas that include "cocina casera" (homemade dishes), "chacina" (meats), "marisco" (seafood), "caracoles" (snails), "pescadito frito" (fried fish), "revueltos" (scrambled eggs) and "ensaladas" (salads). The tapas are kept under glass heat showcases that make the tapas look scrumptious. Almost all tapas contain garlic and often paprika and, of course, olive oil.

Visiting Seville in February is the chosen time for a city break to enjoy the city as well as the traditional tapas offered in bars, restaurants and hotels. Also, the temperature in February is very pleasant and not as extremely hot as during the summer.

Argentina's oldest carnival is celebrated in the town of Humahuaca, located in the Yujuh province in the northwest of the country. During the months of February and March, Humahuaca is the capital of the carnival in the Gorge area. Located among the colorful mountains of Salta, Humahuaca is known for its carnival. Not only during the months when carnival is celebrated, but also during the rest of the year masks, costumes and rituals of the carnival can be found.

• The Humahuaca carnival is celebrated in northwestern Argentina and is the oldest carnival in the country.
• The Humahuaca people dress in colorful costumes and many wear masks to remain anonymous.
• The carnival is a mix between the original carnival of the Christians and pre-Colombian pagan rituals. Many traditions return, such as throwing white powder and carrying basil leaves. 

Even though the celebration of carnival is in the month of February or March, preparations keep locals busy all year long. As soon as in February, the "Devil" arrives from the mountains, the carnival has begun. The 'Devil' is a rag doll that stands as a symbol of the carnival. The tradition is that every year at the end of the carnival, the rag doll is buried and dug up again with the next carnival. After this, the carnival celebrations begin with feasting, dancing and drinking and a lot of traditional music is made with old instruments such as the quenas (Andean flutes with two open ends), guitars, pan flutes and accordions.

So the carnival officially begins on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday with the unearthing of the rag doll and lasts for nine days. In Humahuaca, it begins a few days earlier because the so-called Tantanakuy (traditional old musicians from all over the country) gather. Carnival is celebrated in a natural, old-fashioned way on the streets. The enthusiastic locals are dressed in colorful costumes and most wear imposing masks. Wearing masks is very popular during carnival to remain anonymous. Many rituals are participated in. One of these rituals is the Topamiento tradition: hundreds of men walk toward town in search of a dance partner for the rest of the evening.

Carnival in northern Argentina is a mix between pre-Columbian pagan rituals and the traditional carnival celebrations of Christians. Naturally, there is a lot of drinking, dancing and partying. Argentine traditions such as throwing white powder at each other, hurling serpentines and confetti in each other's faces and wearing basil leaves in your ears are also part of the Humahuaca carnival. The famous carnival is attended by local, Argentine and foreign visitors alike.

On Palm Sunday, the sixth Sunday of the year, the rag doll is again buried in a hole at the foot of the hill. This ritual is very sad and full of emotions. "May the carnival Devil come back soon" the people whisper and this is how the Humahuaca carnival ends. The carnival can be visited from larger cities such as San Salvador but many visitors also go on foot or on a mule. Even if you don't visit the carnival in February, the carnival can also be seen the rest of the year. Several museums in Humahuaca display crafts, paintings, sculptures, masks and costumes.

This carnival in Argentina is one of the most famous and popular carnivals in the Argentina and if you are around during this festival, it is definitely worth a visit to experience carnival in a different country and culture!