Monday, the 15th, was Costa Rica Day of Independence with another parade. This started with everyone in town, it seemed, meeting at around 7:30 for music, speeches, music, more speeches, then the parade at 9. Our school had a heavy presence with two bandas, groups of girls doing fans, batons, tipica dancing, and lots of teachers monitoring and walking the parade route, too. It was fun at first, then got a little hot for small children to walk with uncovered heads, and then it ended. I bought two tamales...very yummy...went home for a nap, then had a pedicure and went swimming at one of the luxury hotels in Monteverde.  All in all, I like this independence thing, but independence is tiring (as Mark said.)