Spanish is a useful and fun language to learn, but who wants to take Spanish lessons in the Netherlands? These five locations will introduce you to a new environment and put the language to practical use.

Bolivia

Bolivia, the cheapest country in South America, is an adventurous option for mastering the fast-paced rhythms of the Spanish language. La Paz is not only the highest capital on the planet but also home to well-established Spanish schools.

Ecuador

This country may look small compared to its neighbors. Ecuador packs a wicked punch of culture, adventure and diversity. Spanish schools are thirteen in a dozen due to Ecuador's vibrant beachfront cities and large colonial towns.

Colombia

Where there was once a lot of cocaine dealing, there is now a phenomenal location to learn Spanish. The accent is not always easy to understand, but Spanish in Colombia has a unique sound. Many South Americans consider Colombian Spanish to be the most romantic form of Spanish in Latin America. Spanish schools are springing up like mushrooms all over the country. The country is slowly becoming a great destination for tourists because it is not as violent as it used to be. Don't be afraid of this country's reputation!

Guatemala

At the tail end of Mexio, Guatemala is one of the most beautiful regions in Central America. From ancient ruins of the Maya to oversized jungles leading up to the base of massive volcanoes, the country has amazing, diverse areas to explore. What makes the country even more appealing is that the Spanish dialect is very basic, slow and easy to understand. Adding to the fact that you do not have to be a linguistic expert to understand Spanish in Guatemala, it is also the cheapest country to learn the language. Three popular cities with great schools are San Pedro La Laguna, Antiqua and Quetzaltenango.

Learn Spanish in Spain 

Many people overlook Spain, even though Spain is a less expensive country in Western Europe. Schools to learn Spanish abound. While Spaniards use words and verb tenses exclusive to their country, it will absolutely give you the best background of the language.

Resources:
http://www.quito.com.ec/en/
http://www.zoover.nl/spanje
http://www.infoplease.com/country/guatemala.html

In the 16th century, Spain was the leader in fashion. Spanish clothing styles influenced the entire world and traditional dress was widely known for its elegance and decoration. As Habsburg Spain grew, Spanish fashions such as Spanish capes, vertugados and corsets became popular throughout Western Europe. Vertugados were bell-shaped hoop skirts made of boning, cloth and intricate constructions with thread under the woman's clothing. This style was cumbersome for Renaissance women, mainly because it took hours to get dressed as a woman.

Spanish traditional dress was heavily influenced by the Moorish culture, which dominated parts of the Iberian Peninsula from 711 to 1492. Moorish culture introduced the needle and with it popularized beautiful embroidery. They also popularized the use of jewelry (often as buttons), heavy perfume and necklaces. The color black became popular for special events and both men and women wore heavy gold necklaces with precious stones. In addition, Spanish clothing was often made of expensive and heavy fabrics and decorated with gold or silver threads.

Unfortunately, this Spanish fashion and associated clothing failed to evolve with the rapidly changing times. As a result, Spanish clothing became obsolete and gave way to French Dominance. Cities such as Paris were more innovative and began to take over the position as the leader of European fashion from the 17th century.

Today, Spanish fashion is very modern, but traditional Spanish clothing is still used for special occasions. Flamenco dancers still wear their typical Spanish dresses in red, black or white with their hair in a bun and a rose behind their ear. Male Flamenco dancers wear traditional costumes consisting of black or red shirts with classic pants. Nevertheless, clothing style in Flamenco is also subject to fashion trends.

Costumes of traditional Spanish bullfighters have also remained unchanged over the years. They are elaborate costumes inspired by flamboyant 18th-century Andalusian dress. Known as traje de luces ("costumes of light"), they are easily distinguished from others by the use of sequins, gold and silver threads and detailed embroidery.

In addition to Spanish costumes for special occasions, each region in Spain has its own traditional attire and Spanish dresses. They are not worn often, but you can often catch a glimpse of them during regional celebrations and parades.

Much of the traditional Spanish clothing is for special occasions and celebrations. The most common pieces still used today are: the mantilla, the peineta and the vest. The mantilla is a traditional Spanish veil often worn during religious celebrations and Spanish weddings. It is a light scarf made of lace or silk that is worn over the head and/or shoulders. The peineta is a large, decorative comb placed in the hair to hold the mantilla. It is a brownish comb with a special appearance and long pins to make the veil even higher. It is used on special occasions and originated centuries ago making it a traditional piece of Spanish clothing. The Spanish gilet comes from the Spanish word jileco, orchaleco in modern Spanish. It is a sleeveless coat and an important piece in traditional dress. In the 19th century, it was an embroidered bodice shaped like the body part of a coat, used for neat occasions. Today they are used for extra warmth outdoors.

Since Halloween is this week, I thought we could talk about those abandoned cities and towns that give us so much good storytelling material for this time of year. Ghost towns are present all over the world and in just about in every country. In the United States, there are famous places like Centralia, Pennsylvania (the inspiration for the Silent Hill videogame and movie), well preserved Bodie in California and numerous other spots in the west and Great Plains. Abandoned places in the UK are everywhere primarily due to the Black Plague while more recently others were abandoned during WWII like Tyneham and Langford.

In Spain there are also some very noteworthy towns where only some buildings, landmarks or vestiges of dwellings once were. In northern Spain, the County of Treviño forms a part of Castille and León. Due to agreements made in the Middle Ages between rival kings, this county is enveloped by the Basque province of Álava and is not physically connected to Castille and León. Due to the difficult geography of the area—rugged and irregular hills along with difficult farming conditions—Treviño has always been isolated from its neighbors like Álava, Burgos and La Rioja.

The Village of Ochate

However, in an area full of hamlets and half abandoned villages, there is one place that stands out—the village of Ochate. This abandoned village is known to have been inhabited since the Bronze Age thanks to discovery of flint and quartz tools in the fields nearby. There is also proof of Roman occupation since a funeral stele was discovered near a neighboring hermitage. Ochate's location, today remote and more off the beaten path than ever, was once positioned along a very transited road that connected Castille and León to what is known as the Route of Fish and Wine. This route got its name by being an important trade route between the fishing villages along the Bay of Biscay and the fertile fields and wine producing region of La Rioja.

Today, that route is nothing more than a hiking trail and with its decline, the enclave of Treviño also experienced depopulation which has dwindled the county's population down to 1461 inhabitants in 2011; a very small population for an area of 100 sq. miles or an area roughly the size of Sacramento, California. Vacío means empty in Spanish and this lack of populatoin coupled with an eerily remote region and unfriendly landscape combine to make this place very empty indeed and also an ideal location for a ghost town.

Through the middle ages to the 19^th century, Ochate was always a village on the edge; in fact it was previously abandoned at the end of the 13th century only to be revived again in the mid-1500s. Descriptions of the village from the second half of the 19^th century tell of a small and humble village populated with cattle farmers and laborers. The people here lived off of what they raised and they ate principally beef, beans, potatoes and cereals. Curiously, the ingenuity of the villagers for making the best of their situation were able benefit from their harsh  conditions by charging mushroom collectors a fee for foraging around their village. We know this thanks to the preservation of written contracts dating back to the 18^th century.

Why this village started to empty at the end of the 19^th century is still not entirely clear but illness, unfortunate weather and a murder all had a role to play. During this time there was sickness, especially the Spanish flu, which devastated the area and rain and hail that destroyed crops in successive years during the 1920s caused people to go search for a better place to live. In 1930 there remained only two families—one being a family of three and the other a single elderly man. Because a crazy pastor that frequented the village threatened pretty much everyone, the Aránguiz family decided to move to a safer village nearby. The elderly man, Eusebio, wasn't far behind. Their fears were later realized when the crazed shepherd brutally killed a fellow shepherd in one of the abandoned houses of Ochate in 1936.

The stories related to this towns cursed past began to surface in the 1970s and took off with the publication of an article in the magazine Mundo Desconocido, a monthly publication that dealt with the paranormal and extraterrestrial.   Within this article the telling of UFO sightings and persistent paranormal activity was uncovered as well as a telling of biblical plagues that affected this tiny hamlet through the years creating the basis for future misery and strange occurrences.

The story of a missing person from a neighboring village in Ochate in 1973 while on his way to plow his field along with farm animals mysteriously disappearing made the news around this time. Also there have been reports of lights that have been seen originating from the village at night and not just from the village. These lights have been found to originate from stone sarcophagi that are buried in the ground around the village that today lay empty and visible to the intrepid visitor.

Numerous other stories of happenings related to the supernatural have circulated among the curious. Iker Jimenez, the famous Spanish reporter of all things strange wrote:

I have to recognize that, with night having fallen over us, I was shaken to my bones when I heard those recorded voices (from Ochate) from January and June of 1987. The first was the scream of a little girl saying "Pandora!" Or maybe it was the voice that yelled "kampora" which in Basque means get out. This was voice was recorded inside of the bell tower and with total clarity that it was truly chilling. There was another voice recorded in the same place but higher up and has left in the air various questions. This last voice was that of a woman who in a lamentable and hoarse tone said: "Why is the door still open?"

Iker Jimenez,

Enigmas Sin Resolver I, Vol.I

It has been speculated that door refers to a door to other dimensions that the researcher, Alberto Fernandez, was trying to uncover. Unfortunately, and for reasons not explained, this researcher took his life on one of his visits to Ochate. The idea that this village is some kind of portal is also reinforced by the towns own name. In Basque, Otxate means Puerta de Lobos (The Wolves' Door) and Ochate means Puerta de Gog (The Door of Gog), Gog being a biblical figure associated with the powers of evil in the Book of Revelations.

There have been numerous groups of researches coming to Ochate over the last 40 years trying to unravel the mystery surrounding the once humble-turned-cursed village. One thing for sure is that this is a place with many stories to tell all within a region that is only 10 miles from Vitoria, the capital of Spanish Basque country, yet a world away. If you want to visit Ochate, you will need some good walking shoes since this village doesn't have access by road. You can park in the nearby village of Imíruri and walk a little more than a mile to the remains of Ochate. There you will find the remains of the church and the foundations and some remaining walls of what were once the houses and barns of the people that lived here. There is also the remains of a hermitage on a bluff overlooking Ochate that is also worth a visit. But don't forget a flashlight and camera, just in case…

Why don't you tell us about your favorite ghost town?

Alberto Aragunde: Ochate. Un pueblo de leyenda desde el aire.

In southern México in the Mexican state of Chiapas is the National Park "Cañón del Sumidero. Inside the park is a narrow and deep canyon called Cañón del Sumidero, for which the park is also named. It is one of Chiapas' most popular tourist attractions. The canyon has vertical walls that can be as high as 1,000 meters at some points. A river also flows through the 13-kilometer-long canyon.

• A non-touristy town that connects people to the beautiful park. Tuxtla Gutiérrez is the entrance to Chiapas as well as to México's piece of natural beauty.
• The narrow, deep canyon in México National Park has peaks as high as one kilometer.
• A stalactite that looks like a seahorse and a colored cave: Sumidero Canyon has been nominated one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

Surrounding the canyon is the México National Park, which covers nearly 22 acres of land with pure nature. Adjacent to the park is the Mexican state's largest city, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, which after arriving in Chiapas makes you feel immediately connected to its natural beauty. The Mexican state of Chiapas has only one city, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, and this is the most developed, populous and therefore most important municipality in the state. Unlike many other areas, the city is not a tourist attraction, but primarily an important place that offers tourists access to the state. With a major airport and bus terminal, Tuxtla Gutiérrez is the entrance to Chiapas

Sumidero Canyon was formed by cracks in the earth's crust and erosion from the Grijalva River, which still flows through it. This process began about 35 million years ago; this makes the Sumidero Canyon the sister of the American Grand Canyon near the Colorado River. The Grijalva River begins in Guatemala, then flows on to Chiapas, through the 13-kilometer-long canyon, and finally empties into the Usumacinta River. In addition to the Grijalva River, the Cañón del Sumidero México Natural Park has other streams, many of which are seasonal. Some consist of waterfalls on the sides of the canyon and underground currents, which have created caves. The canyon itself is narrow but deep and is characterized by vertical walls between 200 and 700 meters high, but with peaks as high as 1,000 meters. The width of the canyon ranges from one to two kilometers.

One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World

The national park in México was nominated one of the seven natural wonders of the world in 2009. This is due in part to the canyon, which possesses many wonderful natural wonders. For example, the canyon has as many as thirty rapids, five waterfalls, three beaches, two freshwater springs and is the habitat for endangered species such as the Central American river turtle and the American crocodile, which, by the way, you can spot on the banks. The canyon walls contain small caves, rock formations and other striking natural beauty. One of the most famous caves of the area is the "Cueva de Colores" (Cave of the Colors). This cave gets its name from the natural filtration of magnesium, potassium and other minerals, which form beautiful colors on the walls. There is also a statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe, usually surrounded by flowers and burning candles placed there by visitors. The "Cueva de Silencio" (Cave of Silence) gets its name from the fact that no echo or any other form of resonance is formed there. In another small cave there is a very special dripstone called 'Caballito de Mar' (Seahorse). The dripstone is so named because it looks like a seahorse.

Spanish as a Second Language

British students are increasingly choosing to study Spanish as a second language.

In the last ten years the number of British students choosing Spanish as their second language when taking the General Certificate of Secondary Education exam has risen by 50%.  The vice-president of one UK exam board has attributed the phenomenon to the popularity of Spanish speaking personalities such as FC Barcelona striker Lionel Messi, who is often celebrated as the world’s greatest footballer (soccer player). There has been a clear “Messi effect” she has stated. Another exam board exec has asserted that it was only a matter time “as to when the most popular language taught in the UK is Spanish”.

As of four years ago, more UK students are already opting to take the exam in Spanish than in German, and it is expected to overtake French in the near future also.

Messi, who is from Argentina, won the coveted FIFA Ballon d’Or award an unprecedented 4 years in a row. Just to give you an idea of Messi’s popularity, consider his 50 million Facebook followers. He has also been featured in Time magazine’s top 100 most influential people in the world.

Many observers also attribute the recent success of Spanish in schools to the popularity of vacation destinations; Brits have been flocking to Spain’s Mediterranean coast for years to spend their vacation time there. Others point out that now students have a choice of which language they want to study while in the past French and German were assigned to students. Students with a choice are opting for Spanish, the second most spoken language in the world in terms of native speakers (after Mandarin Chinese).

Britain’s international organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities, the British Council, has announced in a report they published last year that Spanish is the most important language for British people to learn, citing indicators such as emerging markets and the value of the language in terms of British business activities.

Messi may be the biggest star of the world’s biggest sport, but he is relatively unknown in the US. According to Forbes magazine, he was known by less than 20% of US consumers in 2012. Although soccer is gaining in popularity in the US, many American football and basketball fans seem to remain quite uninterested in the world’s most popular sport.

Spanish is by far the most studied second language in the US, where over half of all university students studying a foreign language are enrolled in Spanish. It makes sense in a country where 37 million residents 5 years and older speak the language, that’s over 12% of the entire population. In fact it is expected that by the year 2050, the United States will be the country with the largest population of Spanish speakers.

Britannic World Data estimates that by 2030, 7.5% of the world population will speak Spanish, and it comes as no surprise that Spanish study is gaining in popularity around the globe. The Cervantes Institute estimates that some 20 million students study Spanish as a foreign language. Aside from the statistics, Spanish speaking stars such as Lionel Messi will also continue influencing students’ decision when choosing a foreign language to study.

The European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students, or in Dutch, the European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students, better known as ERASMUS, is a European Union project developed to promote cultural exchange between students from countries of the European Union, the three countries of the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), Switzerland and Turkey. The name "Erasmus" was chosen in honor of the theologian, philosopher and humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam.

The exchange program was created in 1987 as a product from initiative of "AEGGEE Europe," a multi-national student organization. The initiative was welcomed by the European Commissioner of Education and strongly supported by the Presidents of France (F. Mitterrand) and Spain (F.Gonzalez). In 1995 the program was included in the framework of the 'Socrates Plan' and was definitively established in 2000, when it was approved by the 'Socrates Plan II'. (The 'Socrates Plan' is an initiative of the European Commission in the field of Education) In 2007, the 'Socrates Plan' was replaced by the so-called 'LLL' (Life Long Learning).

The aim of the Erasmus program is "to enhance the quality of education in Europe and strengthen its dimension by promoting international cooperation between universities, encouraging mobility in Europe and improving transparency and full academic recognition of courses and certifications throughout the Union."

To benefit from the opportunities offered by the Erasmus program, all you need to be a student of a university or Bachelor's degree program who has completed the first year as well as a citizen of one of the countries covered by the program. Students can study and earn credit for three months to a year in a European country other than their home country. Another option is participating in an exchange program where you do an internship in a host country and the work you do may also be included in your curriculum vitae. Nowadays, many colleges and universities also give you credits (study points) for this.

Erasmus in Spain

There are also Erasmus scholarships to help students cover some of the extra costs of living abroad. The scholarships depend on the country you are in, and in Spain they even vary by autonomous community. The scholarships almost never cover the total extra costs, but they do give you some extra help from about 200 to 800 per month.

The opportunities offered by the program have made Erasmus a unique life experience for many young people in Europe. It gives them the chance to experience -often for the first time- what it is like to live abroad. It will increase their knowledge of other cultures within the European Union and give them the chance to meet students from other countries and learn about living, socializing and integrating in the country of their temporary stay. Spain is the destination of choice for Erasmus students. As many as 6 of the 10 most popular cities for Erasmus students are Spanish places: Granada, Valencia, Madrid, Seville, Salamanca and Barcelona. In conclusion, the concept of Europeanism is beginning to catch on among young people of the European Union with the help of these multi-national experiences.

The Erasmus program was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation in 2004 as "one of the most important cultural exchange programs in the history of mankind."

Top 10 Film Festivals in Spain

You could say that Spain is a country you’d see in movie and a country in which you’d see a movie: its scenic landscapes have not only been captured in an impressive number of famous films, but they also capture a big variety of Spanish film festivals. You can find film fests here on just about any genre imaginable, from documentary, feminist, environmental, short film, gay/lesbian, fantasy, horror, advertising, international film… Spain holds more than 80 film festivals every year. That’s almost 2 per week.

Like almost every country in South and Central America, Costa Rica welcomes its rich flora and fauna. Especially the wildlife is a true paradise of colors with various reptiles, amphibians and birds. Book a guide and experience the fauna of Costa Rica in a special way, or go into nature yourself and discover all the unique species!

• Spot more than 800 species of birds without chasing them in the land of rich flora and fauna!
• Get an encounter with one of the largest snakes harmless to humans, measuring up to 3.5 meters long!
• Learn about the special Quetzal bird, which not only has a stunning appearance, but also carries a wonderful story.

The Animals of Costa Rica

As mentioned above, the wildlife is really worth a careful look. The animals of Costa Rica are perhaps the most impressive in the world and you can spot them through a guide by taking exciting, beautiful tours. Of course, this requires you to be patient and calm, so you don't scare that one special strawberry frog or chase one of the 850 bird species.

Costa Rica has a large number of eco-systems, which makes it possible for many different species to live in the country. Costa Rica is home to as many as 259 species of mammals, over 200 species of reptiles and even 150 species of amphibians, not to mention those 850 species of birds that brighten the country with their bright colors. As many as 135 species of snakes live in Costa Rica, 17 of which are venomous. The largest snake in Costa Rica can grow up to 3.5 meters in length; the for-humans-dangerous boa constrictor, a strangling snake. Besides snakes, Costa Rica also has a number of crocodile and lizard species that don't care about tourists and live quietly in their own beautiful world.

Also, Costa Rica should be proud of a fauna like this and the country is doing everything it can to preserve it. For example, the country has a national park that is one of the most important protected areas, called Santa Rosa. The park is located by the sea, so every year hundreds of thousands of turtles come onto the beach to lay eggs. This true spectacle takes place between September and December.

The Quetzal Bird

One of the special birds found in the cloud forests of Costa Rica is the Quetzal. This bird is best known as the symbol of the flag of Guatemala, but it was also very well known in the past. For example, this species of bird was part of an Indian legend; if someone killed the bird, that person risked a death sentence. In addition, the bird was also popular among the Mayans; the animal was known as a symbol of freedom. The Quetzal's appearance is also quite special because of its striking colors. The birds' head is a shiny green, as are its back and wings. The breast of this bird is red and the tail feathers are white. The difference between males and females is that the color in females is somewhat lighter and less conspicuous. The beak of the female birds is black while that of the males is yellow, by the way, this beak is very short but incredibly strong.

Spain´s national holiday is very international

Christopher Columbus first arrived in the Americas on Oct. 12, 1492. This historic event marks an important change in the course of the history of the Western world, such as the long-standing contact between Europe and the Americas. The day is officially celebrated in different ways and has different names throughout much of Latin America, the United States and Spain.

Spanish law established the day as Fiesta Nacional de España, or the national day of Spain, although many Spaniards still call it Día de la Hispanidad, which was the former name of this holiday. The law further explains that the day is commemorated because it symbolizes the expansion of the Spanish language and culture beyond European borders. Spanish is spoken as a native language by 414 million people, only 46 million of whom live in Spain.

When the day was first celebrated in Spain in 1914, its original name was "Fiesta de la Raza," hoping to create a holiday celebrating the unity between Spain and Ibero-America. Just a few years later, Spanish priest Zacarías de Vizcarra suggested the change from the term raza to hispanidad. Indeed, celebrating Columbus' first voyage across the Atlantic, an event that launched the European conquest and colonization of the Americas, did not always inspire a sense of unity.

Oct. 12 is still known as Día de la Raza in some Latin American countries, including Mexico. Other Latin American countries, which have commemorated the day as el Día de la Raza, have changed the name in recent years to honor diversity or celebrate resistance to colonization. In Costa Rica, the day is known as Día de las Culturas (day of cultures), in Argentina it is Día del respeto a la Diversidad Cultural (day of respect for cultural diversity), in Venezuela Día de la Resistencia Indígena (day of indigenous resistance) and in Bolivia Día de la Descolonización (day of decolonization). In Cuba, this day is not celebrated.

Many U.S. states also recognize Oct. 12 as a holiday, where it is usually referred to as Columbus Day. But not always; views on how the day should be called change here as well. The state of South Dakota in the United States, for example, now celebrates Native American Day on the second Monday in October.

In 2010, the United Nations declared Oct. 12 as Spanish Language Day, to celebrate cultural diversity and to encourage the "equal use" of the UN's 6 official languages throughout the organization.

Oct. 12 is seen in different ways in the United States and Spanish-speaking countries and thus has been renewed many times throughout history. Today, Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the world by native speakers and is spoken as an official or primary language in 21 different countries. 

We all know that Spaniards often find themselves outdoors above average, especially in spring and summer, when evening temperatures are still above 20 degrees. Spaniards go to cafes, grab a terrace in the many, beautiful squares or have their Spanish beer on their own terrace at home. There are plenty of places to relax in the healthy outdoors. Yet in the late 1990s, young people came up with a new idea!

• Bring a bottle and enjoy the Spanish atmosphere with young people in town squares. A botellón is meant for cozy summer evenings.
  Guitars and sometimes an entire keyboard are brought along to make the (flamenco) music themselves for the ultimate Spanish feeling.
  Rules keep social gatherings from getting out of hand.

The botellón phenomenon is very famous in Spain, but is now slowly flying over to countries such as Belgium and Ireland. The origin of the botellón is in the Spanish autonomous state of Andalusia, where people began buying alcohol in stores in the late 1980s and taking the bottles outside to enjoy the pleasant temperature even in the evening. Botellón is the Spanish word for "bottle". Especially Spanish young people adopted this habit. It is said that the main reason for buying bebidas yourself is that this way you can go out cheaper. Over the years, it became more and more popular and friends gathered every weekend in summer and spring in parks and town squares to have a drink together. In many cases a guitar is brought along to bring in that real Spanish atmosphere. Friends sing with each other, clap to the rhythms of flamenco and dance. It's all about conviviality, being with friends, relaxing outdoors and enjoying a small drink. Beer, spirits and wine mixed with soft drinks (typically Spanish) are alcoholic beverages often used for a botellón in Spain. After a botellón, young people return home or continue their party at a bar or nightclub.

Not everyone in Spain agrees with the phenomenon these days, as it can sometimes cause some inconvenience. To keep everyone happy, the rule is that botellón can no longer be held everywhere. Some parks are closed at night and police walk around to keep it quiet. Nowadays it is forbidden to consume alcohol on the streets, but it is allowed to gather in town squares. It is therefore tempting for many young people to take a small drink anyway. Spaniards love conviviality and enjoying life. They keep the fun going in the streets even at night, and tourists can sometimes join in with the music and dancing they produce in the process.