It would seem that the Monday morning after all the hoopla of four days of celebrations from the Celebration of Independence for Mexico would be very, very quiet. There had been parades, dance groups, upteen thousands of visitors, tour buses, more parades, fireworks on a daily basis - morning, noon and night. So, it WOULD seem that Monday morning would be very, very quiet.
Arriving in the jardin relatively early, ten a.m. the scene was very quiet. There was a group of about eighteen people who were in the Patronato Pro Ninos Walking Tour group. Visitors to San Miguel.
Not a large, boisterous group at all. Besides these people there might have been another five people, including myself, sitting on the benches. Ahh, the serenity of San Miguel. It was what I wanted to see and hear. It appeared that I was going to get my way.
Within five minutes of that thought sirens, fire alarms and the sound of emergency vehicles filled the air.
Some employees of businesses came out into the public area in front of the jardin with yellow tape signifying some kind of emergency. I continued to sit where I was, totally dumbfounded and wondering what the heck was going on.
The next thing that happened occurred when all these teeny, tiny little school kids in their school uniforms streamed down Hidalgo street from their school and were instructed to quietly sit on the ground.
Right behind them were an older group of kids. The numbers were so great that they extended about three quarters of a block down Hidalgo. They too were told to stand quietly..........
Then, the sirens, alarms, and all the other stuff stopped and they quickly and quietly walked back to whence they had come. Just like that!
The jardin returned to its previous tranquil self. No one yelled. No one said what was going on but I did hear two theories later on that day. One was that it was a disaster drill. The other was that it was in memory of the earthquake that hit Mexico City September 19th, 1985. In my humble opinion, it probably was the first scenario.
By the time I left the jardin at 11AM, people were streaming into the jardin. Amazingly, all kinds of noise, sirens and a fire truck with little pre-school children came marching into the jardin and surrounded it.
Here are a few pictures of kids dressed like nurses, policemen, firemen and other assorted characters.
By now I was sitting with the Coffee Klatch group. None of us could figure out what was happening. Of course there were no signs or anything to indicate what it was all about. Just another dose of cuteness
for all of us to appreciate. Somehow we did decide it might have had something to do with the Red Cross or........who knows?
It was a GOOD day, but surely not a QUIET day! Viva Mexico.
2 comments:
Your two theories are both correct. On the anniversary of the 1985 earthquake, emergency drills are held. Alejandro told me that the same thing happens in Mexico City. I thought it was something that happens just in the capital and surrounding area, but apparently, from your post, it's something that occurs in other parts of the country too.
Thanks Bill for clarifying the info on the events in the jardin today. I obviously have never been in the jardin previously when they have done this.
It is so weird for here because according to "old timers" they did not feel the earthquake in Mexico City in 1985!
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