As I was bouncing around the back seat of a combi on the way up to Los Alamos for class today, I saw a kid outside wind up and fire a round, yellow thing. Before I even had time to duck, it sailed through the open window and hit me. My back was instantly soaking. It was a water balloon.

Thankfully I had been warned a few days ago about the “carnival” during February. Throughout the whole month, kids have the freedom to splash, soak, drench, and spray anybody who happens to be innocently passing by. They use water balloons, water guns, and anything else that can get the job done.

Lara was a victim today too. As she was standing on the corner across the street from Starbucks, a bunch of teenagers in a car drove by and dumped a whole bucket of water on her. They managed to get her right in the face.

It seems like an odd tradition yet certainly a popular one, as anyone who has ever been a kid can imagine. What could possibly be more fun than dumping water on an unsuspecting elder and knowing you won’t get in trouble for it?

As I pulled my sticky, wet shirt off my back, I had to laugh. Sure, I was about to teach a class. But it’s hotter than heck in Peru in February, and the blast of cold water actually felt refreshing. And I’ve got to give the kid some credit; it was a really nice shot. He managed to land it in the open window of a moving van. Not bad.