Taking Fallas to the Next Level

   Starting March 1st the noise began.  After my previous post of my first mascleta, there has been a lot going on in Valencia.  Everyday there was a mascaleta at 2 PM in Plaza Ayuntamiento, where the majority of Las Fallas was centered.  There were also the firecrackers that could be heard at different times in the day or night.  But things started to get crazy the week of the burning of the fallas, March 14.  Firecrackers were lit all night and all day.  Every morning at 8 AM fireworks could be heard all over Valencia called "La despertad".  After nights out until 4 AM the last thing I wanted to do was hear massive amounts of fireworks going off right outside.  It happened that there was a falla right outside of my apartment building. You may think, "wow that's awesome. You're lucky to be so close to one."  Well I didn't think so.  Not only would fireworks start at 8 AM but they would continue all day and night until 1 AM.  By around noon firecrackers were going off every five seconds, making it very difficult for me to go back to sleep.
   Wednesday night is when all of the festivals began.  Falleros (the citizens of Valencia who donated money and time to a falla) were out celebrating all day and late into the night -- with firecrackers of course. I went to a street festival that had a dj in a plaza and hundreds of students crowded around drinking in the street.
   Friday night was the final night of fireworks.  These fireworks put 4th of July to shame and we added a few firecrackers of our own once it was done.  Friday night is when my family and 9 friends from Granada arrived to experience Las Fallas.  My parents had different plans for the night so we all headed over to the street festival and had a great time.
   Saturday was a little more low key, but I got to see something completely insane that will never be legal in the US.  La crema is the ceremony where the falleros burn the fallas.  I have attached a link of my video that I posted on Youtube.  We were able to see two different fallas be burned that were all near my apartment.  This whole past week is an experience the I will never forgot, and I highly encourage everyone to come and experience this great festival for yourself.

My video of a Falla burning:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6j-P4-DDnw

View of a Falla from my balcony

Falla down the street

Same falla burning

The other falla in a plaza right next to my apartment

Posiedon falla burning

 Procession of little falleras

 Biggest paella I've ever seen.  Being right outside of Estacion Nord

 La Virgen

Cullera

  After a week of partying in Valencia, we took a 30 min train ride to the south to one of the beach towns near Valencia.  The Granda squad, my brother, and I relaxed on the beach for a while.  Great way to end Fallas!