San Sebastian Parade and Puerto Rico mountain town

Whoo Hoo!  A parade has come to town and guess what, they closed the whole town so everyone could could party. Wow!  It's the festival of the virgin cow and all the money raised goes to a fund for college tution for the local kids.

  See the virgin to the right in her Sunday best. I heard of dress up but not for cows. My understanding of the world is very small but Puerto Rico makes me realize that life should be measured in the expeiences you have not in possessions accumulated.  

Well this parade puts the Cherry festival to shame people. If you can imagine 2 miles, 1,000’s of people and semi flat bed floats you’re getting close to being here. The only other thing you have to add is the nosiest place you can think of and then turn that volume up. The lack of any organization was perfect for a slugateer recharge of no plans, no worries, no problem. A truck would appear all decked out, blowing the air horns to a salsa rhythm inching its way through the crowd of people literally. People, me included would have to scrunch together so you wouldn’t get run over. They would never allow this in the states. The atmosphere here is have fun, be careful if you can and play music all the time.

There would be groups of 20 or so crowded around a single Bongo player every 100 yards. Singing and dancing to some song they made up or knew all their life, just join in if you want at any time. Pictures are really the only way to let you see they festive atmosphere of the day.

I had a coconut today; it was given to me by Tony’s cousin. Only thing was he was very inebriated when he served it. That wouldn’t be too much of a problem if he didn’t involve a machete. We all stood back as he insisted I have one and picked up the large weapon tool. Inches from his fingers he swung the machete in peril of going to the hospital with his fingers in a bag of ice. He successfully decapitated a coconut into a peak to expose the flesh inside, dug a small hole with the large knife and stuck in a straw. I took a drink as soon as my heart stopped racing from witnessing the near misses from the machete. It was good but I don’t want another, my heart can’t take it.  

 

He was a real nice guy (the guy on the right is known as the finger catcher) but for the first time since I have been here I wanted to be somewhere else as soon as possible so I didn't have to witness this ritual. Even if it was a generous gift from him along with food, beer and introductions all around.  

 

Overall the day was a great one followed with an evening (forgot the camera) of more festival or as they say here "fieta" , I may have spelled it wrong. I need to ask our gracious and beautiful host Brigada(Tony's lovely wife )how to spell some things as she is a school teacher and very accomplished in many things.  This is her on the right with Doris (Tony's sister) on the left.

I cannot say enought about the warmth of this land. The other night we went for a little drive to see new places and get some food. We ended up in La Marias after this outstanding drive (white knuckle) through the country side (jungle) on this narrow road (no rails, washed out side of a cliff) with Frank driving and gasping in unison with me at every car and curve. Its all true, beauty comes at a price if you really want to see it. 

After we got there we and fond this little place to eat and have a beer the world changed. Frank and I were rock stars for the hours we spent there. They just don't see Americans in the compo (country) because most gringos will faint, crash or have a heart attack in the first miles of the mountain roads.

 

They bought us drinks, feed us this great chicken and rice after we already had bought this dinner and ate it. Can't be rude and I can loose weight next year, right. Kids were coming in and shaking our hands, conversations with everything repeated for me 5 times made for lots of head shaking and gracias. Through it all we had fun, understood the others as thay did us, an experience I will cherish. As we left we realized that the young boys that came in to play pool had gotten there in the traditional way, three Pacifinos horses were tied to the fence outside.

By the way, remember the roads I spoke of when we went up?  Note to self; go down before it gets dark stupid !!!!!!!  No wonder they ride horses into town, they can see in the dark for the ride home, dah! Crazy Americanos

 

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[Alice Hauser]

HOLY COW!