Sharing Adventures

As I mentioned with Carmen’s last writing efforts, I will be having some more guest posts this year. I put the invitation out to friends and family, and the first response I received was from my friend, Ms. M. Her post below is about one of her travel memories.

Sharing A Memory

Once upon a time, many years ago, I took my husband to Central Mexico for a vacation.  I wanted to share some of the places I had come to love.  We also added a few new destinations, one being Guanajuato.  This is a lovely colonial city with a ferocious wind that comes raging through at exactly 4 PM each day.  We counted ourselves lucky to be there during a great festival celebration.

All day, people were busy getting ready for the big parade which would wind up the hill to the large zocalo surrounded by huge government buildings. Many men were on the roofs of the buildings decorating while seating was being put down for the audience to come.

Evening fell.  It fell hard.  It was very dark by the time the parade started in the lower city center. There were many floats including the one carrying the contestants for the “Miss Guanajuato” pageant. The only thing we could actually see of the floats and bands were from the lights of the antique cars shining on the rear of some of the participants.

It was a festive atmosphere. We all scooted along with the parade up the hill along with some rather tall floats. Those decorations included Christmas lights strung around the zocalo. Unfortunately no-one had measured the height of the floats and as they came up the hill, they slammed into the awaiting illumination knocking down lights and parts of floats.

We all got settled into our seats in front of the Pepsi sponsored stage to see the picking of Miss Guanajuato. Many lovely maidens strutted by in satin gowns.  The winner was announced, and all the the press jumped up onto the stage to get pictures. Mind you none of us could see the winner for several minutes. Eventually the press left, and we were rewarded with the new queen. She was a large girl. I’m not sure if she was the mayor’s daughter or not, but she was truly pleased.

Next came the heartfelt singing of a gentleman doing his Spanish rendition of “To Dream the Impossible Dream.” I think it was directed at the new Miss G. As we sat looking around, enjoying his song, the fireworks began going off the tops of those decorated government buildings.  They had been busy that afternoon, because there were a LOT of them, and they were all headed directly for the massive audience.

The stage was surrounded on three sides and roof by a canvas covering with Pepsi logos.  Several of the fireworks landed on the roof, and it burst into flame. Our singer, bless his heart, just kept on going as a young man threw himself on the roof and tried to put out the fire.

It was one of the more entertaining events of my life.

Have you ever witnessed a ceremony gone awry? or What city would you like to introduce someone else to and in the process relive your memories?