Guyanese forgot their troubles yesterday and danced in the streets in celebration of the country's 34th Republic Anniversary.

Echoing this year's theme "Unity, Beauty and More in 2004" the Mashramani parade highlighted the generosity of the Guyanese spirit and boasted daring and imaginative costumes.

Onlookers lined Church Street and the Merriman Mall from as early as 10 am to get a glimpse of the Float Parade.

And with bulging picnic baskets and hastily erected tents citizens camped out along Irving Street into Thomas Lands.

Kicking off the revelry at 10:15 am from Church and Camp streets was a contingent from Lifeline Counselling. Mashing with 100 revellers, Lifeline charged the public to abstain from sexual activities and to condomise.

Right on Lifeline's heels was the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA) which echoed the same message.

A woman in her mid-seventies joined that band in Irving Street and shaking with an umbrella between her legs she challenged the young revellers to top her act.

She created a frenzy when she proudly accepted a string of condoms from the GRPA group who were distributing them along the route.

As the parade moved along, the Don Gomes Mash Camp appeared on the scene garbed in the most outrageous of costumes - as is their tradition, mashing under the theme - "Ants in your pants".

Clad in black ant-like costumes and accompanied by a giant ant the revellers performed the "Ant Swivel" and the "Ant mud crawl" to mixed reviews.

One onlooker raved, "Don Gomes understands Mash-ramani and his bands are a testimony to such. Mash is alive in his revellers and this is what we come out to see not plain celebrations."

Others called it vulgar.

Meanwhile the National Park was packed to capacity by midday. The parade moved into the park amid screams and the bands were allowed to circle it twice.

Making waves in the park was the Ministry of Education and their contingent mashing under the theme, "Tolerance for diversity".

The Ministry of Fisheries, Crops and Livestock held their heads high and gyrated along the streets without their Queen costume, "Rice in abundance". The costume, shown on the front page of yesterday's Stabroek News, tragically went up in flames on Sunday following a mishap.

Designer Dereck Moore told Stabroek News that the costume took a month to make with the help of 25 persons.

Moore said that the costume was judged at Mash Nite on Saturday thus he is confident that a first place finish will still fall in his favour.

Moore, who won the best designer prize last year for his Mother Hen costume for the same ministry, was also behind the designs of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Guyana Forestry Commission and the Slingshot Mash Camp.

The Carib Mash Camp wowed the crowd with their bold gold and blue designs. Mashing with the group was newly crowned Miss Mash International, Ana Indira Sanchez of Venezuela's Margarita Island. Delegates of the pageant mashed under the theme, "Golden girls".

The much-talked about Hits and Jams Mash Camp lived up to expectations and delivered a crowd pleasing performance from the point of take off to the Park. Revellers clad in eye-catching costumes mashed under the theme, "Unification".

Hits and Jams was the largest contingent on the road with 400 revellers covering the Ministry of Tourism, the Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company, Banks DIH and the New Thriving Restaurant.

Prince Wills and his band from the Rayon House of Fashion remained champions of the float parade in the eyes of many. Wills is usually the one to beat and his theme this year, "Oh beautiful Guyana" must be a strong contender for the large band prize.

And unlike last year when the majority of revellers moved to Compton Hodges' "Umbrella Party" the road march piece "Balloon City" failed to impact on the celebrations.

This year many bands across the country were linking up and moved along the streets to Cyd Hooper's "Linkin". Hooper placed second behind Hodges in the Carib Soca Monarch Competition.

Prime Minister Sam Hinds, who was at the Park, said he found celebrations this year to be more spirited, adding that the band from the Home Affairs Ministry impressed him.

He singled out the Slingshot Mash Camp out of Miami for the group's catchy lyrics. Hinds noted that masquerade should be a regular part of calendar events since it brought spirit to the activities.

GAP/WPA member and Parliamentarian Sheila Holder expressed disappointment at the level of participation by government functionaries. She pointed out that though a few ministries came forward the number was a fraction of the true figure.

Holder said that Mashramani is still not broad-based, adding that only a section of the society is really involved. Even so celebrations this year were spontaneous and full of zeal, she said.

According to her, the vulgarity that is sometimes associated with Mash was not part of this year's activities.

And the American Ambassador to Guyana, Roland Bullen was also mashing. He said the day's event was quite interesting but he was disappointed that most of the bands failed to play local calypso music.

Bishop Juan Edghill said he found the programme to be well arranged. He pointed out that the level of discipline among revellers was high while most of the costumes were created in keeping with this year's theme.