Monday, June 16, 2014

A Confession........

The Locos Parade was yesterday.  I wasn't there.  This is a photo by someone else.  I "skirted" all the 8000 people as I tried, very slowly in the car, to get from one side of town to the other.  It was an interesting adventure but I succeeded.

Instead of being in the midst of this humanity, I was in the country, having lunch with a group of great friends who were celebrating that Buffy and Kerrie were in town.  Buffy is from Connecticut, but originally from Texas.  Her sister Kerrie lives in Arlington, Texas.  Actually, now that I think about it of the ten of us at lunch, only two were not from Texas!  It wasn't planned that way, but things happen.

We had lunch out at Nirvana.  And it is.  It's on a large piece of land with a pond along with beautiful rolling, low, grass covered hills.  The large, high ceiling home has become the restaurant although few eat inside.  All prefer to be outside with the beautiful views of the countryside.

Food is fabulous.  I had two courses.  A soup of huitlacoche and squash blossoms along with a tropical salad with basil sorbet.  Perfection.

But, back to the Locos Parade.  It has become huge.  It started sometime in the last century as the fruit growers celebrated the wealth of their crops, especially oranges.  They would parade through town throwing extra fruit to passerbys.  Then at some point they started dressing in costume, possibly to hide their identity which gave them the name of locos.  If there is anything that Mexicans love, it is a silly, fun, boisterous parade.  They had one yesterday.  There were floats, music, throwing candy to passerbys who had umbrellas turned upside down to catch the candy and did I mention MUSIC, LOUD music. 

Luckily this year the float for the Tecolote group was not made down the hill from me.  Last year it was accompanied by BOOMING music that shook my windows.  I actually got up the other night, Saturday, at 2:30AM and went up on the roof to see if there were people making the float without music.  Nope, no sign of them.  Then yesterday, I saw the booming music machine set up in another colonia closer to the jardin.
Whew.

The latest article in Atencion about the Locos Parade tied it to a saint's day.  I don't remember reading that in the past.  I always had read what I wrote above.  If it is in honor of a saint, I'm sure he was rocking in his grave yesterday, somewhere, enjoying the rollicking tribute of 8000 people celebrating.

The parade is broken up into cuadrillos very similar to the Krewes of Mardi Gras.   They have meetings.  They coordinate their activities which seems absolutely necessary for that many marching people.  It is Quite a sight.  Something that is hard to describe.  YOU just have to be here to see it for your self.

Our rains usually start the week after LOCOS.  So, BRING ON THE RAIN!

4 comments:

Retired Teacher said...

After spending several days amidst the hordes of tourists in Barcelona, I can definitely understand why you would want to get away from the crowds and enjoy some tranquil time in a lovely setting with friends!

Life's a Beach! said...

I quickly opened the post when I saw Confession! LOL Lunch sounds wonderful! We're waiting for the monsoonal storms to start. It shouldn't be long now!

Babs said...

Bill, that's why I never travel in the summertime - except to Houston, if I have to for family and friends.
September is a wonderful month or even a little later is such a delightful time in Europe without crowds.............

Babs said...

Beck, at least with our lack of humidity the 80's aren't uncomfortable..we only get in the 90's once in a while and then for only a couple of hours mid afternoon! SIESTA time, ha.
We were lucky to get over 6 inches in May. VERY unusual. I love our rainy season because it usually rains in the evening and during the night and you wake up to azure blue skies each day!