se abren las kabilas

This evening is the official opening of the Moros y Cristianos fiestas. The little social club cabins spring up all over town and the different associations spend there time there partying for the next three days and nights.
All through the year each group save up to pay for the food and drink and live music in each kabila. They also save up to hire out the ostentatious, heavy medieval outfits that they wear throughout. Some are in Cristianos outfits, some Moros . Tonight they start with a mock battle in the town square that shakes the buildings around with the gunpowdered musket explosions. The square is filled with smoke and a hunded thousand sparrows all simultaneously shitting as they take to the air in panic.
So. On the walk over to my sister's this evening we came across one of the kabilas gearing up for tonight's action. They are a Cristiano group. So are all the things in place?
Well, check this hombre: expensive fancy outfit (tick), cigarette (tick), beer (tick), happy expression (tick). This is the start of his and hundreds of fellow townspeople's fiesta. He and they are at the start of the party. There are hazy, happy, thunderous and colourful times ahead. For them, for us all.
"Listen to the happiness of Spain!", a Spaniard once said to me as the town churchbells tolled, the gunpowder shook the sky, the marching bands played, the crowds shouted "Guapas!! Guapos!!" and the people smiled and the night sparkled to the sound of Almoradí en fiesta!

Enough talk. Time to get with the party!

¡Adelante!