From above, Pulau Bungin resembles a jigsaw puzzle of rooftops tightly packed into the sea. No trees. No open fields. Just houses—hundreds of them—squeezed together so tightly that even alleyways feel like afterthoughts. Welcome to one of the most densely populated islands in the world, hiding quietly in the lesser-traveled waters of Indonesia.
If you ever find yourself in the mountains of Guerrero during a village festival, don’t be alarmed if you see a man in a jaguar mask leaping at another dressed as a farmer swinging a whip. You haven’t stumbled into a surreal jungle nightmare — you’ve entered the world of the Tlacololeros.
Forget everything you think you know about carnivals. Bright feathers, samba drums, glittery floats? You won’t find them here. Instead, picture this: sweaty bodies painted in black grease, primal howls, wooden masks, jungle drums, and dancing that feels more like an ancient exorcism than a parade. Welcome to Carnaval de Tenosique — the weirdest carnival in Mexico, maybe even the world.