A fright mask of animal skin and horns is worn with a red cloth jumpsuit adorned with hundreds of glittering mirrors and small bells that jingle when in motion. For the rest of the Christian world , Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, is a time to pray. But in Martinique, it's a time to play. And play they do. Local rums, reputedly among the world's best, flow like water.
Emotions run high and hot.
It's easy for tourists to take in all the fun of Carnival. They can safely join the parade or watch from bleachers set up on the sidewalks or from balconies overlooking the streets and squares. By now, humorous death notices of King Carnival have been announced in local media. Festivities continue as his funeral pyre is built. Dusk falls, then flames light up the night sky.