Carnaval in Coita

Apparently Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, making Tuesday Mardi Gras, and making ahorita (right now) Carnaval. I don't know if Carnaval is celebrated in Tuxtla, but I was told it is done up in Coita, so today Jenn and I headed out there to check it out. We knew that there are combi busses that run up there, and found out where they pick up on the Avenida. "Coita?" I asked. "Si, pero ya no hay lugares." No seats left. The man then explains, standing room only. I nod that this is ok, he thinks I am saying ok, no thanks, and starts to pull away; I make him stop, and Jenn and I head into the corridor.
About 1/3 of the way there, just as we're heading out of Tuxtla, the combi bus stops. What now? We sit for about 10 minutes, Jenn and I looking around, me listening to see if I overhear what the deal is, and finally everyone gets off the bus. The hood of the bus is lifted; we've broken down. Greaaaaaaaaaaaaat. So we wait for another combi bus to come and take some of us; the rest will have to wait for another bus. Of course everyone waits patiently and doesn't push to try to get on the first combi... of course.
We get on this second combi bus and get seats this time. Good thing, as the road starts to become windy and the driver does not make speed accomodations for this change.
We arrive in Coita and most people get off, so we decide it's a good idea for us to get off here, too. We're not sure where to go, so I suggest we follow the guy I saw on the bus with the cute glasses... of course because maybe he knows the way to Carnaval. Not because I thought he had cute glasses... anyhow, we followed enough to find the way and realized that this wasn't actually a carnival, so there was no junk food or vendor kiosks, just people in disguises and masks dancing and being intoxicated and spraying each other with espuma (canned foam) and talco (talcum powder in English?). Clearly this is my first Carnaval, or I would have realized that Carnaval and Carnival are not exactly the same. To quote Jenn, "This isn't like any of the other fairs we've been to!"
We took some pictures of the dancing disguised people. The reason I am not smiling in my picture with the disguised men is because they were saying, "Guerita, un beso? Un beso, guerita?" No, just take the darn picture!