Fireworks over Mazatlan, Mexico during the Carnival Celebrations

Fireworks over Mazatlán Mexico recreate a 19th century naval battle with the French.

Fireworks over Mazatlan, Mexico during the Carnival Celebrations

by Jerome Shaw

Carnival in Mazatlán is host to many exciting events. One if the most spectacular and visually inspiring is the firework display over the Bay of Olas Altas recreating a famous naval battle with the French Navy by the citizens of Mazatlán in defense of their city.

The best vantage for the fireworks display is from Olas Altas Beach or along Paseo Vista Hermosa on the headlands of Cerro de la Neveria, You can also watch from the Balcones de Loma Linda along Paseo Clausen. The display is an impressively long and impassioned battle with volleys originating both from shore and from a floating barge in the bay impersonating the French Battleship. The re-creation of the harbor’s successful defense against French invasion by Mexican forces come to life as pyrotechnic sounds simulate cannon fire exchanged over sea and land during the battle between the people of Mazatlán and the French man-of-war, “Le Cordeliere.

You definitely sense what the battle must have seemed like to the people of Mazatlán as they watched the defense of heir city. The French were intent on taking control of Mazatlán but the mostly Spanish citizenry were more insistent that they remain under their own control. A battle was waged over several days with the outmanned but determined Mazatlánotecs coming out on top.

This photo was taken from the Pedro Infante memorial monument & shows the firework over Olas Altas Beach.

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My trip to Mazatlán was sponsored in part by GoMazatlanNow.com and VisitMexico.com

This images is copyrighted and may not be used, reposted, or reproduced without direct written permission. Please feel free to share the image on Pinterest and Facebook.

Jerome is the founder and editor of Travel Boldly. Jerome's first trip outside the USA was to Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta for a photo assignment for Frontier Airlines 30 years ago.  You can find him on Twitter and Google+

Inti Raymi Fireworks Celebration - Urabamba, Peru

Celebrating the winter solstice during the Incan festival of Inti Raymi in the village of Urubamba, Peru.
Photograph by Jerome Shaw

Fireworks Urabamba, Peru

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This was one of the wildest scenes I have ever encountered in all my travels. I was in this small village along the Urabamba River in Peru and as part of the Inti Raymi celebration (Winter Solstice/Return of the Sun) the town had a fireworks display. There was a log tower built in the center of the square,  Attached to the tower were all types of fireworks.

The crowd gathered as dusk fell. I found my position on a rock wall, well back from the display but high enough to get a good view. I had hired a minder to keep an eye on things for me while I concentrated on setting up the photo. He was none to happy to have me up on the wall with several other locals as he was certain my equipment would begin to disappear into the crowd and there would be very little we could do about it.

Though, the real danger was to come from another source. Prior to the lighting of the tower of fireworks you see in these photos there were numerous smaller displays. One of the highlights was men dressed in papier mache horse heads and fore flanks that danced around in the square. The hooves of the horses fired roman candle shells out at random intervals as they ran and pranced in the center of the square.

What a wild scene it was in the village of Urubamba, Peru. We were celebrating the winter solstice during the Incan festival of Inti Raymi. You'd never get insurance for a fireworks display like this in the United States.   Photograph by Jerome Shaw

As I photographed,  the horse men continues to strut around the square. Then a shell fired out in my general direction. The fiery missile hit a man in the chest several yards down the wall from me, knocking him off the wall down to the ground. His friends jumped down patted out the fire on his chest, dusted him off and hoisted him back up on the wall, all the while laughing. His friends joked and gave him many congratulatory pats on the back. He had become a celebrity and even though his shirt still smoldered from the roman candle strike that knocked him from his perch, he seemed to be enjoying his new found celebrity.

All the while I watch I was thinking you'll never see this kind of fireworks display in the United States. You'd never get insured.

These images are copyrighted and may not be used, re-posted or reproduced without direct written permission. For usage information please contact jeromeshaw17@msn.com

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Inti Raymi Fireworks Celebration - Urabamba, Peru