Tope

Ciudad Colon TopeLast Sunday we attended a Tope parade in Ciudad Colon. The horse parade was advertised to begin at 1:00. We walked to the parade site with our neighbors and found a place to wait under the shade of a few trees. We waited and waited for the horses to appear. Finally after about two and a half hours the parade began. Talk about Tico time!



Ciudad Colon TopeTope is a big thing in Costa Rica. Ticos take great pride in training their horse to do a fancy high stepping trot. It was mostly men who rode the horses. Just about all had a beer in one hand and many a cell phone in the other. The contestants were judged and I assume some type of prize was given. I am not familiar with horse trots and found it fascinating the control the riders had of their horse and the fancy trots that were displayed. I would guess there were hundreds of horses in all shapes, sizes and colors.

Ciudad Colon TopeThere were vendors working the crowd selling food, cow boy hats, lottery tickets and the most unusual cow foot water (or other liquid) bottle container. I stared at it trying to figure out how it was made. It was quite the novelty item. If you look closely you can see it in the photo to the left.

One guy stuck out in the crowd because he had a chicken on his head! He looked like the parade clown. He would stop at different people and place his chicken on their head. I hear he is famous at these events and always has his photo in the newspaper.


Ciudad Colon Tope
Ciudad Colon TopeWe didn't stay for the entire parade. We waited a long time for it to begin and it was obvious the crowd would be partying late into the evening.

I know there are a few horse lovers that read my blog. So, just for you I am posting a few pictures of horses I thought were pretty.

Ciudad Colon TopeCiudad Colon Tope
Ciudad Colon Tope