Countdown

It's my first New Year's celebration in Cuenca and I'm kind of excited! So I went to Feria Libre to take a look at the hand painted masks that are on sale for the celebrations tomorrow.

There were all sorts of characters, some of whom were recognizable. Above are some of the many faces of Michael Jackson

and I think this may be Elvis?

I'm imagining this would be a good mask to put on a burning effigy for a New Year's resolution to quit smoking!

There's a tradition of men dressing as women on New Year's Eve (I'll explain why on my New Year's Day post). Here are some of the necessary accessories, since for a more realistic look a man might need some additional "padding" on his posterior

and on his prow.

Another tradition is to wear yellow underwear for good luck in the new year. Maybe I should get a pair? I'm looking forward to the burning and purging--I might even find something myself to burn as the last couple of months deserve to go up in smoke.