El Salvador's Balls Of Fire Festival (VIDEO)

Every year, the El Salvadoran city of Nejapa hosts one of the world's most bizarre festivals: Bolas de Fuego, which translates to Balls of Fire. Two teams -- good and evil -- hurl kerosene-soaked fireballs at each other.

The festival is at once both highly organized but utterly chaotic. The teams are organized ahead of time and mostly consist of teenagers and twentysomethings. They are outfitted in leather glove, face paint and often extra protection from the flaming balls such as hats or extra clothing layers.

As the teams fill the street, the crowd gathers off to the side, the only protection being a small group of yellow uniformed people with rectangular shields that theoretically stop the fire balls from pelting the crowd. In actuality, fire balls are thrown everywhere -- even to spectators standing far away from the core of the action. Though no serious injuries were witnessed, this is definitely not an event that would ever be sanctioned in the United States.

At the end of the hour and a half of fire ball throwing, there is no winner, merely a lot of testosterone-fueled men, brave women taking photos in the midst of the fire, excited children and one American girl thankful that her heart will soon resume its normal pace.

More to come on touring El Salvador so stay tuned...